On the Method of Zadig: Essay #1 from "Science and Hebrew Tradition" — Page 11
History, in the ordinary acceptation of the word, is based upon the interpretation of documentary evidence; and documents would have no evidential value unless historians were justified in their assumption that they have come into existence by the operation of causes similar to those of which documents are, in our present experience, the effects.
La historia, en la acepción ordinaria de la palabra, se basa en la interpretación de la evidencia documental; y los documentos no tendrían ningún valor probatorio a menos que los historiadores estuvieran justificados en su suposición de que han llegado a existir por la operación de causas similares a aquellas de las cuales los documentos son, en nuestra experiencia actual, los efectos.
If a written history can be produced otherwise than by human agency, or if the man who wrote a given document was actuated by other than ordinary human motives, such documents are of no more evidential value than so many arabesques.
Si una historia escrita puede producirse de otra manera que no sea por la acción humana, o si el hombre que escribió un documento determinado fue impulsado por motivos distintos a los humanos ordinarios, tales documentos no tienen más valor probatorio que meros arabescos.
Archaeology, which takes up the thread of history beyond the point at which documentary evidence fails us, could have no existence, except for our well grounded confidence that monuments and works of art or artifice, have never been produced by causes different in kind from those to which they now owe their origin.
La arqueología, que retoma el hilo de la historia más allá del punto en que la evidencia documental nos falla, no podría existir, salvo por nuestra bien fundamentada confianza en que los monumentos y las obras de arte o artificio nunca han sido producidos por causas de naturaleza diferente a aquellas a las que deben ahora su origen.
And geology, which traces back the course of history beyond the limits of archaeology, could tell us nothing except for the assumption that, millions of years ago, water, heat, gravitation, friction, animal and vegetable life, caused effects of the same kind as they now cause.
Y la geología, que rastrea el curso de la historia más allá de los límites de la arqueología, no podría decirnos nada salvo por la suposición de que, hace millones de años, el agua, el calor, la gravitación, la fricción, la vida animal y vegetal, causaron efectos del mismo tipo que los que causan ahora.
Nay, even physical astronomy, in so far as it takes us back to the uttermost point of time which palaetiological science can reach, is founded upon the same assumption.
Más aún, incluso la astronomía física, en la medida en que nos lleva de vuelta al punto más remoto del tiempo que la ciencia palaetiológica puede alcanzar, se funda en la misma suposición.
If the law of gravitation ever failed to be true, even to a small extent, for that period, the calculations of the astronomer have no application.
Si la ley de la gravitación alguna vez dejara de ser verdadera, aunque sea en pequeña medida, para ese período, los cálculos del astrónomo no tendrían aplicación alguna.
Vocabulary
- La
- Definite article; the (feminine singular).
- historia
- History; a narrative of past events and developments.
- en
- Preposition indicating location, time, or manner; in, on, at.
- acepción
- Meaning or sense of a word in particular context.
- ordinaria
- Ordinary; common or usual in nature or occurrence.
- de
- Preposition indicating possession, origin, or material; of, from.
- palabra
- Word; a unit of language with meaning or function.
- se
- Reflexive pronoun; oneself or used in passive voice.
- basa
- Third person singular of basar; bases or is based.
- interpretación
- Interpretation; explanation of meaning or significance of something.
- evidencia
- Evidence; information or facts supporting a conclusion.
- documental
- Documentary; relating to or based on documents or records.
- los
- Definite article; the (masculine plural).
- documentos
- Documents; written or recorded materials providing information evidence.
- no
- Adverb negating verb or clause; not or no.
- tendrían
- Third person plural conditional of tener; would have.
- ningún
- Adjective or pronoun; no, not any, or none.
- valor
- Value; worth, importance, or monetary or moral worth.
- menos
- Less; smaller in quantity, extent, or importance.
- que
- Conjunction or relative pronoun; that, which, or than.
- historiadores
- Historians; scholars who study and write about history.
- estuvieran
- Third person plural imperfect subjunctive of estar; were.
- justificados
- Justified; proven to be right or reasonable action.
- su
- Possessive adjective; his, her, its, or their.
- suposición
- Supposition; a belief or assumption without proof evidence.
- han
- Third person plural present of haber; have (auxiliary).
- llegado
- Past participle of llegar; arrived or reached destination.
- existir
- To exist; to be present or have actual being.
- por
- Preposition indicating agency, cause, or movement; by, for.
- operación
- Operation; a process, activity, or system in action.
- causas
- Causes; reasons, origins, or things producing effects results.
- similares
- Similar; alike or resembling in appearance or character.
- aquellas
- Demonstrative pronoun feminine plural; those or that ones.
- cuales
- Relative pronoun; which, whichever, or what in context.
- son
- Third person plural present of ser; are or exist.
- nuestra
- Possessive adjective feminine; our or belonging to us.
- experiencia
- Experience; knowledge from doing something or living through.
- actual
- Current; present or existing at the present time.
- efectos
- Effects; results, consequences, or belongings personal items.
- Si
- Conjunction; if introducing conditional clause or statement.
- una
- Indefinite article feminine singular; a or an.
- escrita
- Past participle feminine of escribir; written or composed.
- puede
- Third person singular present of poder; can or able.
- producirse
- To produce oneself; to occur, happen, or take place.
- otra
- Other; different, additional, or alternative feminine singular.
- manera
- Manner; method, mode, or way of doing something.
- sea
- Present subjunctive of ser; be or exist in.
- acción
- Action; a thing done or activity performed deliberately.
- humana
- Human; relating to people or human beings existence.
- si
- Reflexive pronoun or conjunction; oneself, if, or whether.
- el
- Definite article masculine singular; the or that male.
- hombre
- Man; adult male person or mankind in general.
- escribió
- Third person singular preterite of escribir; wrote or composed.
- un
- Indefinite article masculine singular; a or an.
- determinado
- Determined; specific, fixed, or resolved in action.
- fue
- Third person singular preterite of ser; was or existed.
- impulsado
- Impelled; driven or motivated by force or circumstances.
- motivos
- Motives; reasons, purposes, or causes for doing action.
- distintos
- Distinct; different, separate, or clearly distinguished from others.
- ordinarios
- Ordinary; common, usual, or of regular everyday nature.
- tales
- Such; of that kind or character in manner.
- tienen
- Third person plural present of tener; have or possess.
- más
- More; greater in quantity, degree, or importance.
- arqueología
- Archaeology; the study of past human culture material.
- retoma
- Third person singular of retomar; takes up again.
- hilo
- Thread; thin cord or continuous sequence connecting things.
- allá
- There; at or to that place or distant location.
- del
- Contraction of de and el; of the or from.
- punto
- Point; a particular place, position, or instant time.
- nos
- Object pronoun; us or to us or ourselves.
- falla
- Fails; third person singular of fallar or lack.
- podría
- Third person singular conditional of poder; could or able.
- salvo
- Except; aside from or with exception unless stated.
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