On the Method of Zadig: Essay #1 from "Science and Hebrew Tradition" — Page 10
From freshly broken twigs, crushed leaves, disturbed pebbles, and imprints hardly discernible by the untrained eye, such graduates in the University of Nature will divine, not only the fact that a party has passed that way, but its strength, its composition, the course it took, and the number of hours or days which have elapsed since it passed.
A partir de ramas recién rotas, hojas aplastadas, guijarros removidos y huellas apenas perceptibles para el ojo no entrenado, tales graduados en la Universidad de la Naturaleza adivinarán, no solo el hecho de que un grupo ha pasado por allí, sino su fuerza, su composición, el camino que tomó y el número de horas o días que han transcurrido desde que pasó.
But they are able to do this because, like Zadig, they perceive endless minute differences where untrained eyes discern nothing; and because the unconscious logic of common sense compels them to account for these effects by the causes which they know to be competent to produce them.
Pero son capaces de hacer esto porque, como Zadig, perciben infinitas diferencias minúsculas donde los ojos no entrenados no disciernen nada; y porque la lógica inconsciente del sentido común los obliga a explicar estos efectos por las causas que saben que son competentes para producirlos.
And such mere methodised savagery was to discover the hidden things of nature better than _a priori_ deductions from the nature of Ormuzd--perhaps to give a history of the past, in which Oannes would be altogether ignored!
¡Y tal mera barbarie metodizada iba a descubrir las cosas ocultas de la naturaleza mejor que las deducciones _a priori_ de la naturaleza de Ormuzd, tal vez para dar una historia del pasado en la que Oannes sería completamente ignorado!
Decidedly it were better to burn this man at once.
Decididamente, sería mejor quemar a este hombre de inmediato.
If instinct, or an unwonted use of reason, led Moabdar's magi to this conclusion two or three thousand years ago, all that can be said is that subsequent history has fully justified them.
Si el instinto, o un uso inusitado de la razón, llevó a los magos de Moabdar a esta conclusión hace dos o tres mil años, todo lo que puede decirse es que la historia posterior los ha justificado plenamente.
For the rigorous application of Zadig's logic to the results of accurate and long-continued observation has founded all those sciences which have been termed historical or palaetiological, because they are retrospectively prophetic and strive towards the reconstruction in human imagination of events which have vanished and ceased to be.
Pues la aplicación rigurosa de la lógica de Zadig a los resultados de una observación precisa y prolongada ha fundado todas aquellas ciencias que han sido denominadas históricas o paletiológicas, porque son proféticas de manera retrospectiva y se esfuerzan hacia la reconstrucción en la imaginación humana de eventos que han desaparecido y dejado de existir.
Vocabulary
- partir
- To depart, leave, or break into pieces.
- de
- Of, from, by; common preposition in Spanish.
- ramas
- Branches of trees or plants.
- recién
- Recently, just now; adverb of time.
- rotas
- Broken, damaged (feminine plural form).
- hojas
- Leaves of plants or trees.
- aplastadas
- Crushed, flattened (feminine plural form).
- guijarros
- Pebbles, small stones on ground.
- removidos
- Moved, disturbed, displaced (masculine plural).
- huellas
- Footprints, traces, or marks left behind.
- apenas
- Hardly, scarcely, barely; almost not.
- perceptibles
- Perceptible, noticeable, detectable by senses.
- para
- For, in order to; common preposition.
- el
- The (definite article, masculine singular).
- ojo
- Eye; organ of sight in humans.
- no
- No, not; negation in Spanish.
- entrenado
- Trained, skilled through practice.
- tales
- Such, of that kind or nature.
- graduados
- Graduates, people who completed education.
- en
- In, on, at; common preposition.
- la
- The (definite article, feminine singular).
- Universidad
- University, institution of higher education.
- Naturaleza
- Nature, the natural world and environment.
- adivinarán
- Will guess, divine, or figure out.
- solo
- Only, alone, single; sole or lonely.
- hecho
- Fact, deed, or thing that happened.
- que
- That, which, what; common connector.
- un
- A, an (indefinite article, masculine).
- grupo
- Group, collection of people or things.
- ha
- Has, have; auxiliary verb for perfect tense.
- pasado
- Passed, gone by; the past.
- por
- By, for, through; common preposition.
- allí
- There, in that place or location.
- sino
- But rather, except, but instead.
- su
- His, her, its, your (possessive adjective).
- fuerza
- Force, strength, or power.
- composición
- Composition, structure, makeup of something.
- camino
- Road, path, way of travel.
- tomó
- Took, picked up or chose.
- número
- Number, amount, quantity of things.
- horas
- Hours, units of time measurement.
- días
- Days, periods of twenty-four hours.
- han
- Have (auxiliary verb, plural form).
- transcurrido
- Elapsed, passed by, gone by.
- desde
- Since, from, after that time.
- Pero
- But, however; common conjunction.
- son
- Are (plural form of ser verb).
- capaces
- Capable, able, competent to do something.
- hacer
- To do, make, or perform.
- esto
- This, this thing or matter.
- porque
- Because, reason or cause for something.
- como
- Like, as, how; comparison or manner.
- perciben
- Perceive, notice, become aware of something.
- infinitas
- Infinite, endless, countless (feminine plural).
- diferencias
- Differences, variations between things.
- minúsculas
- Tiny, minute, very small (feminine).
- donde
- Where, in what place or location.
- los
- The (definite article, masculine plural).
- ojos
- Eyes, organs of sight (plural).
- entrenados
- Trained, skilled through practice (plural).
- disciernen
- Discern, distinguish, perceive with clarity.
- nada
- Nothing, not anything at all.
- lógica
- Logic, system of reasoning.
- inconsciente
- Unconscious, unaware, not conscious.
- sentido
- Sense, feeling, meaning, or direction.
- común
- Common, ordinary, shared by many.
- obliga
- Obliges, forces, compels to do something.
- explicar
- To explain, make clear or understandable.
- estos
- These, this group of things.
- efectos
- Effects, results, consequences of actions.
- las
- The (definite article, feminine plural).
- causas
- Causes, reasons for something happening.
- saben
- Know, understand (plural form of saber).
- competentes
- Competent, qualified, skilled, capable.
- producirlos
- Produce them, create or cause them.
- tal
- Such, of that kind or nature.
- mera
- Mere, simple, only, nothing but.
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