On the Method of Zadig: Essay #1 from "Science and Hebrew Tradition" — Page 15
The whole fabric of palaeontology, in fact, falls to the ground unless we admit the validity of Zadig's great principle, that like effects imply like causes, and that the process of reasoning from a shell, or a tooth, or a bone, to the nature of the animal to which it belonged, rests absolutely on the assumption that the likeness of this shell, or tooth, or bone, to that of some animal with which we are already acquainted, is such that we are justified in inferring a corresponding degree of likeness in the rest of the two organisms.
Todo el edificio de la paleontología, de hecho, se derrumba a menos que admitamos la validez del gran principio de Zadig, según el cual efectos semejantes implican causas semejantes, y que el proceso de razonamiento a partir de una concha, o un diente, o un hueso, para determinar la naturaleza del animal al que pertenecía, descansa absolutamente en la suposición de que la semejanza de esta concha, o diente, o hueso, con la de algún animal que ya conocemos, es tal que estamos justificados para inferir un grado correspondiente de semejanza en el resto de los dos organismos.
It is on this very simple principle, and not upon imaginary laws of physiological correlation, about which, in most cases, we know nothing whatever, that the so-called restorations of the palaeontologist are based.
Es sobre este principio tan simple, y no sobre leyes imaginarias de correlación fisiológica, sobre las cuales, en la mayoría de los casos, no sabemos absolutamente nada, que se basan las llamadas reconstrucciones del paleontólogo.
Abundant illustrations of this truth will occur to every one who is familiar with palaeontology; none is more suitable than the case of the so-called _Belemnites._
Abundantes ejemplos de esta verdad se le ocurrirán a todo aquel que esté familiarizado con la paleontología; ninguno es más adecuado que el caso de los llamados _Belemnites._
In the early days of the study of fossils, this name was given to certain elongated stony bodies, ending at one extremity in a conical point, and truncated at the other, which were commonly reputed to be thunderbolts, and as such to have descended from the sky.
En los primeros tiempos del estudio de los fósiles, este nombre se dio a ciertos cuerpos pétreos alargados, que terminaban en un extremo en una punta cónica y estaban truncados en el otro, y que comúnmente se consideraban rayos, y como tales, se creía que habían descendido del cielo.
They are common enough in some parts of England; and, in the condition in which they are ordinarily found, it might be difficult to give satisfactory reasons for denying them to be merely mineral bodies.
Son bastante comunes en algunas partes de Inglaterra; y, en el estado en que se encuentran ordinariamente, podría resultar difícil ofrecer razones satisfactorias para negar que son simplemente cuerpos minerales.
Vocabulary
- todo
- All; the whole of something.
- el
- The (masculine singular article).
- edificio
- Building; a constructed structure.
- de
- Of; from; belonging to.
- la
- The (feminine singular article).
- hecho
- Fact; done; made.
- se
- Reflexive pronoun; oneself.
- derrumba
- Collapses; crumbles; falls down.
- menos
- Less; minus; fewer.
- que
- That; which; than.
- admitamos
- We admit; let us accept.
- validez
- Validity; legitimacy; soundness.
- del
- Of the; from the.
- gran
- Great; grand; large.
- principio
- Principle; beginning; start.
- según
- According to; as per.
- cual
- Which; what; that which.
- efectos
- Effects; results; consequences.
- semejantes
- Similar; alike; resembling.
- implican
- They imply; involve; entail.
- causas
- Causes; reasons; motivations.
- proceso
- Process; procedure; method.
- razonamiento
- Reasoning; logical thinking; argument.
- partir
- To leave; to depart; to start.
- una
- A; an (feminine singular).
- concha
- Shell; conch; shellfish.
- un
- A; an (masculine singular).
- diente
- Tooth; fang.
- hueso
- Bone; skeletal structure.
- para
- For; in order to; toward.
- determinar
- To determine; to decide; to establish.
- naturaleza
- Nature; character; essence.
- animal
- Animal; beast; creature.
- al
- To the; at the.
- pertenecía
- It belonged; it pertained to.
- descansa
- It rests; relies; depends on.
- absolutamente
- Absolutely; completely; entirely.
- en
- In; on; at.
- suposición
- Supposition; assumption; conjecture.
- semejanza
- Resemblance; similarity; likeness.
- esta
- This; this one (feminine).
- con
- With; alongside.
- algún
- Some; any; a certain.
- ya
- Already; now; by now.
- conocemos
- We know; we are acquainted with.
- es
- Is; being; existence.
- tal
- Such; like; so.
- estamos
- We are; we stand.
- justificados
- Justified; warranted; vindicated.
- inferir
- To infer; to deduce; to conclude.
- grado
- Degree; grade; level.
- correspondiente
- Corresponding; appropriate; respective.
- resto
- Rest; remainder; other parts.
- los
- The (masculine plural).
- dos
- Two; both.
- organismos
- Organisms; living creatures; bodies.
- Es
- Is; being; it is.
- sobre
- On; over; about; upon.
- este
- This; this one (masculine).
- tan
- So; such; as.
- simple
- Simple; plain; uncomplicated.
- no
- No; not.
- leyes
- Laws; rules; regulations.
- imaginarias
- Imaginary; fanciful; hypothetical.
- correlación
- Correlation; relationship; connection.
- las
- The (feminine plural).
- cuales
- Which; that which; who.
- mayoría
- Majority; most; greater part.
- casos
- Cases; instances; situations.
- sabemos
- We know; we are aware.
- nada
- Nothing; not anything.
- basan
- They base; they ground; they rest upon.
- llamadas
- Called; named; so-called.
- reconstrucciones
- Reconstructions; rebuilding; restoration.
- Abundantes
- Abundant; plentiful; numerous.
- ejemplos
- Examples; instances; specimens.
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