On the Method of Zadig: Essay #1 from "Science and Hebrew Tradition" — Page 9
Swollen with the pride of human reason, he had ignored the established canons of magian lore; and, trusting to what after all was mere carnal common sense, he professed to lead men to a deeper insight into nature than magian wisdom, with all its lofty antagonism to everything common, had ever reached.
Henchido con el orgullo de la razón humana, había ignorado los cánones establecidos del saber mágico; y, confiando en lo que al fin y al cabo era mero sentido común carnal, profesaba conducir a los hombres a una comprensión más profunda de la naturaleza de la que la sabiduría mágica, con todo su elevado antagonismo hacia todo lo ordinario, había alcanzado jamás.
What, in fact, lay at the foundation of all Zadig's argument but the coarse commonplace assumption, upon which every act of our daily lives is based, that we may conclude from an effect to the pre-existence of a cause competent to produce that effect?
¿Qué había, en efecto, en el fundamento de todo el argumento de Zadig sino la burda suposición corriente, sobre la que se basa cada acto de nuestra vida cotidiana, de que podemos concluir de un efecto la preexistencia de una causa capaz de producir dicho efecto?
The tracks were exactly like those which dogs and horses leave; therefore they were the effects of such animals as causes.
Las huellas eran exactamente iguales a las que dejan los perros y los caballos; por lo tanto, eran los efectos de tales animales como causas.
The marks at the sides of the fore-prints of the dog track were exactly such as would be produced by long trailing ears; therefore the dog's long ears were the causes of these marks--and so on.
Las marcas a los lados de las huellas delanteras del rastro del perro eran exactamente tales como las que producirían unas orejas largas y colgantes; por lo tanto, las largas orejas del perro eran las causas de dichas marcas, y así sucesivamente.
Nothing can be more hopelessly vulgar, more unlike the majestic development of a system of grandly unintelligible conclusions from sublimely inconceivable premisses such as delights the magian heart.
Nada puede ser más irremediablemente vulgar, más diferente al majestuoso desarrollo de un sistema de conclusiones grandiosamente ininteligibles a partir de premisas sublimemente inconcebibles, del tipo que deleita el corazón mágico.
In fact, Zadig's method was nothing but the method of all mankind.
En efecto, el método de Zadig no era sino el método de toda la humanidad.
Retrospective prophecies, far more astonishing for their minute accuracy than those of Zadig, are familiar to those who have watched the daily life of nomadic people.
Las profecías retrospectivas, mucho más asombrosas por su minuciosa exactitud que las de Zadig, son familiares para quienes han observado la vida cotidiana de los pueblos nómadas.
Vocabulary
- Henchido
- Filled or swollen with pride or emotion.
- con
- With; used to indicate accompaniment or association.
- el
- The; definite article for masculine singular nouns.
- orgullo
- Pride; a feeling of self-respect and personal worth.
- de
- Of; indicates possession, origin, or relationship.
- la
- The; definite article for feminine singular nouns.
- razón
- Reason; the capacity for logical and rational thought.
- humana
- Human; relating to or characteristic of people.
- había
- Had; past tense of haber indicating prior action.
- ignorado
- Ignored; disregarded or failed to acknowledge.
- los
- The; definite article for masculine plural nouns.
- cánones
- Canons; established rules, principles, or standards.
- establecidos
- Established; set up or made permanent.
- del
- Of the; contraction of de and el.
- saber
- Knowledge; understanding or learning about something.
- mágico
- Magical; relating to or produced by magic.
- confiando
- Trusting; having confidence or faith in something.
- en
- In; indicates location, time, or circumstance.
- lo
- The; neuter definite article for abstract things.
- que
- What; which; used to introduce relative clauses.
- al
- To the; contraction of a and el.
- fin
- End; the final part or conclusion.
- cabo
- Cape; end or extremity of something.
- era
- Was; past tense of ser for being.
- mero
- Mere; only; nothing more than specified.
- sentido
- Sense; perception or meaning; feeling.
- común
- Common; shared by many or general.
- carnal
- Carnal; relating to bodily or physical desires.
- profesaba
- Professed; declared or affirmed one's beliefs.
- conducir
- To conduct; lead or guide toward something.
- hombres
- Men; adult male human beings or mankind.
- una
- A or an; indefinite article for feminine.
- comprensión
- Understanding; the ability to grasp meaning.
- más
- More; greater in quantity or degree.
- profunda
- Deep; extending far below the surface.
- naturaleza
- Nature; the natural world or inherent qualities.
- sabiduría
- Wisdom; deep knowledge and good judgment.
- todo
- All; entire or complete in amount.
- su
- His, her, its, or your; possessive adjective.
- elevado
- Elevated; raised up or of high status.
- antagonismo
- Antagonism; active opposition or hostility.
- hacia
- Toward; in the direction of something.
- ordinario
- Ordinary; common or normal without distinction.
- alcanzado
- Achieved or attained through effort.
- jamás
- Never; not ever at any time.
- Qué
- What; used to ask for information.
- efecto
- Effect; a change or result caused by something.
- fundamento
- Foundation; basis or underlying principle.
- argumento
- Argument; reasoning or a series of reasons.
- sino
- But; used to introduce an alternative.
- burda
- Crude; rough or coarse in quality.
- suposición
- Supposition; something assumed without proof.
- corriente
- Current; common or prevailing at present.
- sobre
- On; upon or concerning about something.
- se
- Reflexive pronoun indicating action upon oneself.
- basa
- Based; founded or established upon.
- cada
- Each; every one without exception.
- acto
- Act; a deed or action performed.
- nuestra
- Our; belonging to us or the group.
- vida
- Life; the state of being alive.
- cotidiana
- Daily; occurring every day or routine.
- podemos
- Can or we are able; capacity or permission.
- concluir
- To conclude; reach a final decision or end.
- un
- A or an; indefinite article for masculine.
- preexistencia
- Preexistence; existence before something else.
- causa
- Cause; a reason or something that produces effect.
- capaz
- Capable; having the power or ability to.
- producir
- To produce; make or create something.
- dicho
- Said; mentioned previously or aforementioned.
- Las
- The; definite article for feminine plural.
- huellas
- Tracks or footprints; marks left behind.
- eran
- Were; past tense of ser plural.
- exactamente
- Exactly; in a precise or accurate manner.
- iguales
- Equal; the same in quantity or quality.
- dejan
- Leave; allow or cause to remain behind.
- perros
- Dogs; canine animals kept as pets.
- caballos
- Horses; large domesticated mammals used for riding.
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