On the Method of Zadig: Essay #1 from "Science and Hebrew Tradition" — Page 8
In all these cases, it is only the relation to time which alters--the process of divination beyond the limits of possible direct knowledge remains the same.
これらすべての場合において、変わるのは時間との関係のみであり、直接的な知識の限界を超えた占いのプロセスそのものは変わらない。
No doubt it was their instinctive recognition of the analogy between Zadig's results and those obtained by authorised inspiration which inspired the Babylonian magi with the desire to burn the philosopher.
バビロニアの魔術師たちがその哲学者を火刑に処したいという欲求を抱いたのは、ザディグの結論と、公認の霊感によって得られた結論との間の類似性を、彼らが本能的に認識したからに違いない。
Zadig admitted that he had never either seen or heard of the horse of the king or of the spaniel of the queen; and yet he ventured to assert in the most positive manner that animals answering to their description did actually exist and ran about the plains of Babylon.
ザディグは、王の馬についても女王のスパニエルについても、見たことも聞いたこともないと認めた。それにもかかわらず、彼はその描写に合致する動物が実際に存在し、バビロンの平原を走り回っていると、きわめて断定的な口調で主張する大胆さを持っていた。
If his method was good for the divination of the course of events ten hours old, why should it not be good for those of ten years or ten centuries past; nay, might it not extend ten thousand years and justify the impious in meddling with the traditions of Oannes and the fish, and all the sacred foundations of Babylonian cosmogony?
もし彼の方法が十時間前の出来事の経緯を占うのに有効であるならば、なぜ十年前あるいは十世紀前の出来事に対して有効でないことがあろうか。いや、それは一万年前にまで及び、オアンネスと魚の伝承、そしてバビロニアの宇宙論のあらゆる神聖な基盤に干渉する不敬な者たちを正当化しかねないのではないか。
But this was not the worst.
しかし、これが最悪ではなかった。
There was another consideration which obviously dictated to the more thoughtful of the magi the propriety of burning Zadig out of hand.
より思慮深い魔術師たちに、ザディグをただちに火刑に処することの妥当性を明らかに示す、別の考慮すべき事柄があった。
His defence was worse than his offence.
彼の弁明は、彼の罪よりもさらに悪いものであった。
It showed that his mode of divination was fraught with danger to magianism in general.
それは、彼の占いの方法が魔術師信仰全般にとって危険に満ちたものであることを示していた。
Vocabulary
- これら
- korera — These things; referring to multiple items nearby
- すべて
- subete — All, everything, entirely
- の
- no — Possessive or nominalizing particle
- 場合
- baai — Case, situation, circumstance
- において
- ni oite — In, at, regarding a particular context
- 変わる
- kawaru — To change, to vary, to differ
- は
- wa — Topic marker particle
- 時間
- jikan — Time, hours, duration
- と
- to — And; with; quotation particle
- 関係
- kankei — Relationship, connection, relevance
- で
- de — At, by means of; particle indicating place or method
- あり
- ari — To be, to exist (formal/literary form)
- 直接
- chokusetsu — Direct, immediate, without intermediary
- 的
- teki — Suffix meaning '-like', '-al', forming adjectives
- な
- na — Adjectival linking particle; or prohibition particle
- 知識
- chishiki — Knowledge, information, learning
- 限界
- genkai — Limit, boundary, threshold
- を
- wo — Object marker particle
- 超え
- koe — Exceeding, surpassing, going beyond
- た
- ta — Past tense auxiliary verb
- 占い
- uranai — Divination, fortune-telling, prophecy
- プロセス
- purosesu — Process, procedure, sequence of steps
- そのもの
- sono mono — The thing itself, in itself
- ない
- nai — Negation auxiliary; not, does not exist
- 魔術師
- majutsushi — Sorcerer, magician, practitioner of magic
- たち
- tachi — Plural suffix for people or animate beings
- が
- ga — Subject marker particle
- その
- sono — That, the (near the listener)
- 哲学者
- tetsugakusha — Philosopher, person who studies philosophy
- に
- ni — Direction, location, time particle
- たい
- tai — Want to do; desire auxiliary verb
- という
- to iu — Called, known as, the idea that
- 欲求
- yokkyuu — Desire, craving, urge, want
- 抱い
- dakai / idai — Harboring, holding (a feeling); stem of 抱く
- 結論
- ketsuron — Conclusion, final judgment, outcome
- 公認
- kounin — Official recognition, authorized approval
- 霊感
- reikan — Inspiration, divine revelation, psychic intuition
- て
- te — Conjunctive particle connecting clauses
- 得
- e / toku — To obtain, acquire, gain
- られ
- rare — Passive or potential auxiliary verb form
- 間
- aida / ma — Between, interval, period of time
- 類似性
- ruijisei — Similarity, resemblance, analogous quality
- 彼ら
- karera — They, them (third person plural)
- 本能
- honnou — Instinct, innate drive, natural impulse
- 認識
- ninshiki — Recognition, awareness, understanding, perception
- から
- kara — From, because, after (particle)
- 違い
- chigai — Difference, discrepancy, distinction
- 王
- ou — King, monarch, ruler
- 馬
- uma — Horse
- つい
- tsui — Unintentionally, incidentally, just recently
- も
- mo — Also, too, even (particle)
- 女王
- jouou — Queen, female monarch
- 見
- mi — Seeing, looking; stem of 見る
- こと
- koto — Thing, fact, matter (nominalizer)
- 聞い
- kiite / kikai — Hearing, listening; stem of 聞く
- 認め
- mitome — Acknowledging, admitting, recognizing
- それ
- sore — That, it (mid-distance demonstrative)
- かかわら
- kakawarazu (stem) — Regardless of, despite (used in にもかかわらず)
- ず
- zu — Negative verb ending (literary/archaic)
- 彼
- kare — He, him
- 描写
- byousha — Description, depiction, portrayal
- 合致
- gaachi / gatchi — Agreement, conformity, match, coincidence
- する
- suru — To do, to make, to perform
- 動物
- doubutsu — Animal, creature
- 実際
- jissai — Actually, in reality, in practice
- 存在
- sonzai — Existence, being, presence
- 平原
- heigen — Plain, flatlands, open field
- 走り回っ
- hashirimawatte (stem) — Running around, roaming about
- い
- i — Existential verb stem; part of いる
- きわめ
- kiwame — Extremely, to the utmost degree
- 断定
- dantei — Definite conclusion, assertion, categorical judgment
- 口調
- kuchou — Tone of voice, manner of speaking
- 主張
- shuchou — Claim, assertion, argument, insistence
- 大胆
- daitan — Bold, daring, audacious, fearless
- さ
- sa — Suffix nominalizing adjectives; degree or quality
- 持っ
- motte (stem) — Holding, having, possessing; stem of 持つ
- もし
- moshi — If, supposing, in case
- 方法
- houhou — Method, way, means, approach
- 十
- juu / tou — Ten, the number 10
- 前
- mae — Before, in front, previous
- 出来事
- dekigoto — Event, happening, incident, occurrence
- 経緯
- ikisatsu / keii — Circumstances, background, course of events
- 占う
- uranau — To divine, tell fortunes, predict
- 有効
- yuukou — Valid, effective, in force
- ある
- aru — To exist, to be, to have (inanimate)
- なら
- nara — If, in that case (conditional particle)
- ば
- ba — Conditional particle meaning 'if'
- なぜ
- naze — Why, for what reason
- 年
- nen / toshi — Year
- 世紀
- seiki — Century, era, age
- 対し
- taishi — Toward, against, in contrast to
- う
- u — Volitional/speculative auxiliary verb ending
- か
- ka — Question particle; or, whether
- いや
- iya — No, nay, indeed (emphatic contradiction or pause)
- 一
- ichi / hito — One, the number 1
- 万
- man — Ten thousand, myriad
- まで
- made — Until, up to, as far as
- 及び
- oyobi — And, as well as, in addition to
- 魚
- sakana / uo — Fish
- 伝承
- denshou — Tradition, legend, oral transmission of culture
- 宇宙論
- uchuusetsu / uchuuron — Cosmology, theory about the universe's origin
- あらゆる
- arayuru — Every, all possible kinds of
- 神聖
- shinsei — Sacred, holy, divine
- 基盤
- kiban — Foundation, base, groundwork, basis
- 干渉
- kanshoo — Interference, intervention, meddling
- 不敬
- fukei — Disrespect, irreverence, impiety
- 者
- mono / sha — Person, one who does something
- 正当化
- seitouKa — Justification, legitimization, rationalization
- かね
- kane — Cannot bring oneself to; hesitation (aux. verb)
- しかし
- shikashi — However, but, nevertheless
- これ
- kore — This, this thing (near speaker)
- 最悪
- saiaku — Worst, most terrible situation
- より
- yori — Than, more than, from (comparative particle)
- 思慮
- shiryo — Prudence, discretion, thoughtful consideration
- 深い
- fukai — Deep, profound, thorough
- ただちに
- tadachini — Immediately, at once, promptly
- 処する
- shosuru — To deal with, to sentence, to punish
- 妥当性
- datousei — Validity, appropriateness, reasonableness
- 明らか
- akiraka — Clear, evident, obvious, apparent
- 示す
- shimesu — To show, indicate, demonstrate
- 別
- betsu — Separate, different, another, other
- 考慮
- kouryo — Consideration, taking into account, deliberation
- べき
- beki — Should, ought to (obligation/expectation)
- 事柄
- kotogara — Matter, affair, circumstance, subject
- 弁明
- benmei — Justification, excuse, explanation of one's actions
- 罪
- tsumi — Sin, crime, guilt, offense
- 悪い
- warui — Bad, wrong, inferior, harmful
- もの
- mono — Thing, object, person (nominalizer)
- 信仰
- Faith, religious belief, devotion
- 全般
- zenpan — Overall, general, whole, entire scope
- 危険
- kiken — Danger, risk, hazardous
- 満ち
- michi — Full of, filled with; stem of 満ちる
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