On the Method of Zadig: Essay #1 from "Science and Hebrew Tradition" — Page 12
The power of prediction, of prospective prophecy, is that which is commonly regarded as the great prerogative of physical science.
Le pouvoir de prédiction, de prophétie prospective, est ce qui est communément considéré comme la grande prérogative des sciences physiques.
And truly it is a wonderful fact that one can go into a shop and buy for a small price a book, the "Nautical Almanac," which will foretell the exact position to be occupied by one of Jupiter's moons six months hence;
Et il est vraiment merveilleux que l'on puisse entrer dans une boutique et acheter pour un modique prix un livre, l'« Almanach nautique », qui prédit la position exacte que devra occuper l'une des lunes de Jupiter dans six mois ;
nay, more, that, if it were worth while, the Astronomer-Royal could furnish us with as infallible a prediction applicable to 1980 or 2980.
bien plus, que, si cela en valait la peine, l'Astronome Royal pourrait nous fournir une prédiction tout aussi infaillible applicable à 1980 ou 2980.
But astronomy is not less remarkable for its power of retrospective prophecy.
Mais l'astronomie n'est pas moins remarquable pour son pouvoir de prophétie rétrospective.
Thales, oldest of Greek philosophers, the dates of whose birth and death are uncertain, but who flourished about 600 B.C., is said to have foretold an eclipse of the sun which took place in his time during a battle between the Medes and the Lydians.
Thalès, le plus ancien des philosophes grecs, dont les dates de naissance et de mort sont incertaines, mais qui fut florissant vers 600 av. J.-C., aurait prédit une éclipse du soleil qui eut lieu de son temps lors d'une bataille entre les Mèdes et les Lydiens.
Sir George Airy has written a very learned and interesting memoir [2] in which he proves that such an eclipse was visible in Lydia on the afternoon of the 28th of May in the year 585 B.C.
Sir George Airy a rédigé un mémoire très savant et intéressant [2] dans lequel il démontre qu'une telle éclipse était visible en Lydie dans l'après-midi du 28 mai de l'an 585 av. J.-C.
No one doubts that, on the day and at the hour mentioned by the Astronomer-Royal, the people of Lydia saw the face of the sun totally obscured.
Nul ne doute que, le jour et à l'heure mentionnés par l'Astronome Royal, les habitants de la Lydie virent le disque du soleil totalement obscurci.
But, though we implicitly believe this retrospective prophecy, it is incapable of verification.
Mais, bien que nous croyions implicitement cette prophétie rétrospective, elle est impossible à vérifier.
In the total absence of historical records, it is impossible even to conceive any means of ascertaining directly whether the eclipse of Thales happened or not.
En l'absence totale de documents historiques, il est même impossible de concevoir quelque moyen que ce soit pour établir directement si l'éclipse de Thalès a eu lieu ou non.
Vocabulary
- pouvoir
- Ability or capacity to do something; power.
- prédiction
- A forecast or statement about future events.
- prophétie
- A divinely inspired prediction or prophecy.
- prospective
- Forward-looking analysis or outlook on future events.
- communément
- Commonly; in a way generally accepted or widespread.
- considéré
- Regarded or viewed as something; past participle of 'considérer'.
- prérogative
- An exclusive right or privilege belonging to someone.
- physiques
- Relating to physics or the physical world.
- vraiment
- Adverb meaning truly, really, or genuinely.
- merveilleux
- Wonderful, marvelous, or extraordinarily impressive.
- puisse
- Subjunctive form of 'pouvoir'; meaning 'can' or 'may'.
- entrer
- To enter or go into a place.
- boutique
- A small retail shop selling goods.
- acheter
- To buy or purchase something.
- modique
- Modest or low in price; inexpensive.
- prix
- Price, cost, or award given for achievement.
- livre
- A book; a written or printed publication.
- Almanach
- An annual publication containing calendars and predictions.
- nautique
- Relating to navigation, sailing, or maritime activities.
- prédit
- Predicted or foretold; past participle of 'prédire'.
- position
- Location or place where something or someone is situated.
- exacte
- Precise, accurate, or exactly correct.
- devra
- Future tense of 'devoir'; will have to or must.
- occuper
- To occupy, take up, or hold a position.
- lunes
- Moons; natural satellites orbiting a planet.
- mois
- Month; one of twelve divisions of the year.
- cela
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'that' or 'this thing'.
- valait
- Imperfect of 'valoir'; was worth or had value.
- peine
- Effort, trouble, or difficulty; also sadness or sorrow.
- Astronome
- A scientist who studies celestial bodies and space.
- pourrait
- Conditional of 'pouvoir'; could or would be able.
- fournir
- To supply, provide, or furnish something to someone.
- infaillible
- Incapable of being wrong; perfectly reliable and accurate.
- applicable
- Relevant or able to be applied to a situation.
- astronomie
- The scientific study of stars, planets, and space.
- moins
- Less; used in comparisons to indicate lower degree.
- remarquable
- Worthy of attention; notably impressive or extraordinary.
- rétrospective
- A backward-looking review of past events or work.
- ancien
- Old, ancient, or former; preceding in time.
- philosophes
- Philosophers; thinkers who study fundamental questions.
- grecs
- Greek; relating to Greece or its people.
- dont
- Relative pronoun meaning 'whose', 'of which', or 'including'.
- dates
- Specific points in time; calendar days or years.
- naissance
- Birth; the moment or event of being born.
- mort
- Death; the end of life.
- incertaines
- Uncertain, unknown, or not clearly established.
- fut
- Past historic of 'être'; meaning 'was'.
- florissant
- Flourishing, thriving, or prospering at a time.
- vers
- Preposition meaning 'around', 'towards', or 'about'.
- aurait
- Conditional of 'avoir'; would have.
- éclipse
- An eclipse; obscuring of one celestial body by another.
- soleil
- The sun; the star at the center of our solar system.
- eut
- Past historic of 'avoir'; meaning 'had' or 'took place'.
- lieu
- Place; in 'avoir lieu' means 'to take place'.
- temps
- Time or weather; a fundamental concept of duration.
- lors
- At the time of; used in 'lors de' meaning 'during'.
- bataille
- A battle or military combat between opposing forces.
- rédigé
- Written or drafted; past participle of 'rédiger'.
- mémoire
- A scholarly memoir or treatise; also memory.
- savant
- Learned, scholarly; a knowledgeable scientist or expert.
- intéressant
- Interesting; holding attention or arousing curiosity.
- lequel
- Relative pronoun meaning 'which' or 'who' (masculine).
- démontre
- Demonstrates or proves; third person of 'démontrer'.
- telle
- Such a; referring to something of that kind.
- visible
- Able to be seen; perceptible to the eye.
- midi
- Noon; midday, or the south of France.
- mai
- May; the fifth month of the year.
- an
- Year; a period of twelve months.
- Nul
- No one, null, or none; a negative pronoun.
- doute
- Doubt; uncertainty about something; third person of 'douter'.
- jour
- Day; a period of twenty-four hours.
- heure
- Hour; a unit of time equal to sixty minutes.
- mentionnés
- Mentioned or cited; past participle of 'mentionner'.
- habitants
- Inhabitants or residents of a place.
- virent
- Past historic of 'voir'; meaning 'they saw'.
- disque
- Disc or disk; here referring to the solar disc.
- totalement
- Totally, completely, or entirely.
- obscurci
- Darkened or obscured; past participle of 'obscurcir'.
- croyions
- Imperfect of 'croire'; we believed or used to believe.
- implicitement
- Implicitly; without being directly stated.
- impossible
- Not possible; unable to be done or achieved.
- vérifier
- To verify, check, or confirm something is correct.
- absence
- The state of being absent or lacking something.
- totale
- Total or complete; entire and without exception.
- documents
- Written records or official papers containing information.
- historiques
- Historical; relating to history or past events.
- même
- Even, same, or itself; used for emphasis or comparison.
- concevoir
- To conceive, imagine, or devise an idea.
- quelque
- Some, any, or a few; an indefinite determiner.
- moyen
- A means or method; also an adjective meaning average.
- soit
- Subjunctive of 'être'; meaning 'be' or 'either...or'.
- établir
- To establish, set up, or determine something clearly.
- directement
- Directly; in a straight or immediate manner.
- eu
- Past participle of 'avoir'; meaning 'had'.
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