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 o edifício da paleontologia, de fato, desmorona a menos que admitamos a validade do grande princípio de Zadig, de que efeitos semelhantes implicam causas semelhantes, e que o processo de raciocínio a partir de uma concha, ou de um dente, ou de um osso, para a natureza do animal ao qual pertenceu, repousa absolutamente na suposição de que a semelhança desta concha, ou dente, ou osso, com a de algum animal que já conhecemos, é tal que estamos justificados em inferir um grau correspondente de semelhança no restante dos dois 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.
É sobre este princípio muito simples, e não sobre leis imaginárias de correlação fisiológica, sobre as quais, na maioria dos casos, nada sabemos absolutamente, que as chamadas reconstituições do paleontólogo se baseiam.
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 ilustrações desta verdade ocorrerão a todo aquele que está familiarizado com a paleontologia; nenhuma é mais adequada do que o caso dos chamados _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.
Nos primórdios do estudo dos fósseis, este nome foi dado a certos corpos pétreos alongados, terminando em uma extremidade numa ponta cônica, e truncados na outra, que eram comumente reputados como raios, e como tais teriam descido do céu.
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.
Eles são bastante comuns em algumas partes da Inglaterra; e, na condição em que são ordinariamente encontrados, poderia ser difícil dar razões satisfatórias para negar que sejam meramente corpos minerais.
Vocabulary
- Todo
- All; entire; every; complete in all aspects.
- edifício
- Building; a large structure used for various purposes.
- da
- Of the; from the (feminine singular contraction).
- paleontologia
- Paleontology; study of ancient life and fossils.
- de
- Of; from; expressing possession or origin.
- fato
- Fact; reality; something that actually happened.
- menos
- Less; fewer; smaller in quantity or degree.
- que
- That; which; what; relative and interrogative pronoun.
- validade
- Validity; the quality of being legally sound.
- do
- Of the; from the (masculine singular contraction).
- grande
- Great; large; big; important or impressive.
- princípio
- Principle; fundamental rule or standard of conduct.
- efeitos
- Effects; results; consequences or outcomes of actions.
- semelhantes
- Similar; alike; having resemblance or comparable qualities.
- implicam
- Imply; involve; suggest or entail necessarily.
- causas
- Causes; reasons; things that produce effects.
- processo
- Process; procedure; a series of actions steps.
- raciocínio
- Reasoning; the process of thinking logically.
- partir
- To leave; to depart; to start from.
- uma
- A; an; feminine singular indefinite article.
- concha
- Shell; hard outer covering of mollusks.
- ou
- Or; used to present alternatives or options.
- um
- A; an; masculine singular indefinite article.
- dente
- Tooth; hard structure in mouth for eating.
- osso
- Bone; hard tissue forming animal skeleton.
- para
- For; to; in order to; toward.
- natureza
- Nature; the physical world and living things.
- animal
- Animal; living creature that is not plant.
- ao
- To the; at the (masculine singular).
- qual
- Which; what; relative pronoun referring to things.
- pertenceu
- Belonged; was the property or member of.
- absolutamente
- Absolutely; completely; entirely; without any doubt.
- na
- In the; on the (feminine singular).
- suposição
- Supposition; assumption; something supposed or believed.
- semelhança
- Resemblance; similarity; likeness between two things.
- desta
- Of this; from this (feminine singular).
- com
- With; accompanied by; in company of.
- algum
- Some; any; a certain; one or other.
- já
- Already; yet; formerly; at some point.
- conhecemos
- We know; we are acquainted with.
- tal
- Such; of that kind; like that.
- estamos
- We are; we exist; we remain in state.
- justificados
- Justified; shown to be right or reasonable.
- em
- In; into; at; within a place time.
- inferir
- To infer; to deduce; to conclude from.
- grau
- Degree; level; extent on a scale.
- correspondente
- Corresponding; matching; equivalent; proportional to another.
- no
- In the; on the (masculine singular).
- restante
- Remaining; left over; the rest of.
- dos
- Of the; from the (masculine plural).
- dois
- Two; the number between one and three.
- organismos
- Organisms; living systems; individual living creatures.
- sobre
- Over; above; concerning; about; on top.
- este
- This; this one; referring to near thing.
- muito
- Very; much; great in quantity or degree.
- simples
- Simple; easy; uncomplicated; not complex or difficult.
- não
- Not; no; expressing negation or denial.
- leis
- Laws; rules; principles governing natural phenomena.
- imaginárias
- Imaginary; existing only in imagination; not real.
- correlação
- Correlation; mutual relationship between two things.
- fisiológica
- Physiological; relating to living organism functions.
- as
- The; (feminine plural definite article).
- quais
- Which; what; plural relative pronoun.
- maioria
- Majority; greater number or part of whole.
- casos
- Cases; instances; particular examples or situations.
- nada
- Nothing; not anything; zero amount of.
- sabemos
- We know; we understand; we are aware.
- chamadas
- Called; named; referred to by name.
- paleontólogo
- Paleontologist; scientist studying ancient fossils and life.
- se
- Oneself; himself; herself; reflexive pronoun.
- baseiam
- Are based; rest upon; are founded.
- Abundantes
- Abundant; plentiful; existing in large quantities.
- ilustrações
- Illustrations; examples; pictures explaining something.
- verdade
- Truth; reality; something that is true.
- ocorrerão
- Will occur; will happen; will take place.
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