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.
O poder de predição, de profecia prospectiva, é aquilo que é comumente considerado o grande privilégio da ciência física.
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;
E verdadeiramente é um fato maravilhoso que alguém possa entrar numa loja e comprar por um pequeno preço um livro, o "Almanaque Náutico", que predirá a posição exata a ser ocupada por uma das luas de Júpiter daqui a seis meses;
nay, more, that, if it were worth while, the Astronomer-Royal could furnish us with as infallible a prediction applicable to 1980 or 2980.
mais ainda, que, se valesse a pena, o Astrônomo Real poderia nos fornecer uma predição igualmente infalível aplicável a 1980 ou 2980.
But astronomy is not less remarkable for its power of retrospective prophecy.
Mas a astronomia não é menos notável pelo seu poder de profecia retrospectiva.
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.
Tales, o mais antigo dos filósofos gregos, cujas datas de nascimento e morte são incertas, mas que floresceu por volta de 600 a.C., é dito ter predito um eclipse do sol que ocorreu em seu tempo durante uma batalha entre os Medos e os Lídios.
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 escreveu uma memória muito erudita e interessante [2] na qual ele prova que tal eclipse foi visível na Lídia na tarde do dia 28 de maio do ano 585 a.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.
Ninguém duvida que, no dia e à hora mencionados pelo Astrônomo Real, o povo da Lídia viu a face do sol totalmente obscurecida.
But, though we implicitly believe this retrospective prophecy, it is incapable of verification.
Mas, embora acreditemos implicitamente nessa profecia retrospectiva, ela é incapaz de verificação.
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.
Na total ausência de registros históricos, é impossível até mesmo conceber qualquer meio de verificar diretamente se o eclipse de Tales aconteceu ou não.
Vocabulary
- poder
- Power, ability, or capacity to do something
- predição
- Prediction; a forecast of future events
- profecia
- Prophecy; a divinely inspired prediction or declaration
- prospectiva
- Prospective; relating to or concerned with the future
- aquilo
- That thing; a demonstrative pronoun referring to something distant
- comumente
- Commonly; in a way that is usual or widespread
- considerado
- Considered; regarded or thought of in a certain way
- privilégio
- Privilege; a special right or advantage granted to someone
- ciência
- Science; systematic study of the natural world
- física
- Physics; science studying matter, energy, and their interactions
- verdadeiramente
- Truly; in a genuine or real manner
- fato
- Fact; something known to be true or proven
- maravilhoso
- Wonderful or marvelous; causing great admiration
- alguém
- Someone; an unspecified or unknown person
- possa
- Present subjunctive of 'poder'; meaning 'can' or 'may'
- entrar
- To enter; to go or come into a place
- loja
- Shop or store; a place where goods are sold
- comprar
- To buy; to acquire something in exchange for money
- pequeno
- Small or little; of lesser size or importance
- preço
- Price; the amount of money asked for something
- livro
- Book; a written or printed work bound together
- Almanaque
- Almanac; a published annual calendar with useful data
- Náutico
- Nautical; relating to sailors, ships, or navigation
- predirá
- Will predict; future tense of 'predizer', to foretell
- posição
- Position; the place or location where something is situated
- exata
- Exact; precise and accurate without error
- ocupada
- Occupied; taken up or held by someone or something
- luas
- Moons; natural satellites orbiting a planet
- Júpiter
- Jupiter; the largest planet in the solar system
- daqui
- From here or from now; indicating a point in time or space
- meses
- Months; plural of 'mês', units of time in a calendar
- ainda
- Still, yet, or even; indicating continuation or addition
- valesse
- Imperfect subjunctive of 'valer'; meaning 'were worth'
- pena
- Worth or trouble; effort justifying an action taken
- Astrônomo
- Astronomer; a scientist who studies celestial bodies
- Real
- Royal; relating to or belonging to a king or queen
- poderia
- Could; conditional tense of 'poder', expressing possibility
- fornecer
- To provide or supply; to give something needed
- igualmente
- Equally; in the same manner or to the same degree
- infalível
- Infallible; incapable of being wrong or making errors
- aplicável
- Applicable; relevant or able to be applied to something
- astronomia
- Astronomy; the scientific study of celestial objects
- menos
- Less; to a smaller degree or in lesser quantity
- notável
- Notable or remarkable; worthy of attention or recognition
- retrospectiva
- Retrospective; a review or survey of past events
- antigo
- Ancient or old; belonging to a distant past era
- filósofos
- Philosophers; thinkers who study fundamental questions of existence
- gregos
- Greeks; relating to the people or culture of Greece
- cujas
- Whose; a relative pronoun indicating possession (feminine plural)
- datas
- Dates; specific points or periods in time
- nascimento
- Birth; the moment or event of being born
- morte
- Death; the end of life of a person or organism
- incertas
- Uncertain; not definitely known or established
- floresceu
- Flourished; grew or developed successfully during a period
- volta
- Around; approximately or in the vicinity of a time
- a.C.
- BC; abbreviation for 'antes de Cristo', before Christ
- dito
- Said; past participle of 'dizer', to say or tell
- predito
- Predicted; past participle of 'predizer', to foretell
- eclipse
- Eclipse; the obscuring of one celestial body by another
- sol
- Sun; the star at the center of our solar system
- ocorreu
- Occurred; happened or took place at a specific time
- tempo
- Time or weather; a period or atmospheric condition
- durante
- During; throughout or in the course of a period
- batalha
- Battle; a fight between armed forces in a conflict
- entre
- Between or among; in the space separating two things
- escreveu
- Wrote; past tense of 'escrever', to write something
- memória
- Memoir or memory; a written account of past events
- erudita
- Erudite or scholarly; showing great knowledge and learning
- interessante
- Interesting; arousing curiosity or holding one's attention
- qual
- Which; a relative pronoun used in subordinate clauses
- prova
- Proves or proof; demonstrates the truth of something
- tal
- Such; of that particular type or degree mentioned
- visível
- Visible; able to be seen with the naked eye
- tarde
- Afternoon, late, or evening; a time of day
- maio
- May; the fifth month of the Gregorian calendar
- Ninguém
- Nobody or no one; an indefinite pronoun of negation
- duvida
- Doubts; questions the truth or certainty of something
- hora
- Hour or time; a specific moment or 60-minute period
- mencionados
- Mentioned; previously referred to or named in text
- povo
- People or folk; a community sharing culture and territory
- viu
- Saw; past tense of 'ver', to see with one's eyes
- face
- Face or surface; the front or visible side of something
- totalmente
- Totally; completely or entirely without exception
- obscurecida
- Obscured; darkened or hidden from view by something
- embora
- Although; a conjunction introducing a concessive clause
- acreditemos
- We believe; first person plural present subjunctive of 'acreditar'
- implicitamente
- Implicitly; without being directly stated or expressed
- incapaz
- Incapable; lacking the ability or means to do something
- verificação
- Verification; the process of confirming something is true
- total
- Total or complete; whole without any part missing
- ausência
- Absence; the state of being away or lacking something
- registros
- Records; documented accounts of information or events
- históricos
- Historical; relating to history or past events
- impossível
- Impossible; not able to occur or be accomplished
- até
- Until, up to, or even; indicating a limit or extent
- mesmo
- Even or same; emphasizing identity or degree
- conceber
- To conceive or imagine; to form an idea in the mind
- qualquer
- Any; referring to one or some of a thing, no matter which
- meio
- Means or middle; a method or the center of something
- verificar
- To verify or check; to confirm the truth or accuracy
- diretamente
- Directly; in a straight or immediate manner without intermediary
- aconteceu
- Happened; past tense of 'acontecer', to occur or take place
Unlock audio playback, vocabulary games, and reading progress tracking.
Create free account →