On the Method of Zadig: Essay #1 from "Science and Hebrew Tradition" — Page 10
From freshly broken twigs, crushed leaves, disturbed pebbles, and imprints hardly discernible by the untrained eye, such graduates in the University of Nature will divine, not only the fact that a party has passed that way, but its strength, its composition, the course it took, and the number of hours or days which have elapsed since it passed.
从新鲜折断的树枝、压碎的叶片、被翻动的鹅卵石，以及未受训练的眼睛几乎无法辨认的印迹中，这些自然大学的毕业生不仅能推断出曾有一队人马经过此地，还能判断其人数多寡、组成构成、所走路线，以及经过至今已逝去的时辰或天数。
But they are able to do this because, like Zadig, they perceive endless minute differences where untrained eyes discern nothing; and because the unconscious logic of common sense compels them to account for these effects by the causes which they know to be competent to produce them.
然而他们之所以能够做到这一点，是因为他们像扎迪格一样，在未受训练的眼睛毫无所见之处，察觉到无数细微的差异；也因为常识中潜藏的无意识逻辑驱使他们以他们所知晓的、足以产生这些结果的原因，来解释这些现象。
And such mere methodised savagery was to discover the hidden things of nature better than _a priori_ deductions from the nature of Ormuzd--perhaps to give a history of the past, in which Oannes would be altogether ignored!
而这种不过是系统化了的蛮荒之法，竟能比从奥尔穆兹德本性出发的先验推论更好地揭示自然的隐秘——甚至或许能给出一部过去的历史，在其中奥安内斯将被彻底忽视！
Decidedly it were better to burn this man at once.
当真不如立刻将此人烧死为妙。
If instinct, or an unwonted use of reason, led Moabdar's magi to this conclusion two or three thousand years ago, all that can be said is that subsequent history has fully justified them.
若说是本能，抑或是对理性的非同寻常的运用，使莫阿布达尔的祭司们在两三千年前便得出了这一结论，那么所能说的便是：此后的历史已充分证明了他们的正确。
For the rigorous application of Zadig's logic to the results of accurate and long-continued observation has founded all those sciences which have been termed historical or palaetiological, because they are retrospectively prophetic and strive towards the reconstruction in human imagination of events which have vanished and ceased to be.
因为将扎迪格的逻辑严格运用于精确而持久的观察所得之结果，已奠定了所有那些被称为历史学或古因学的科学的基础——之所以如此命名，是因为它们具有回溯性的预言特质，致力于在人类的想象中重建那些已然消逝、不复存在的事件。
Vocabulary
- 从
- cóng — From; following; since a point in time
- 新鲜
- xīnxiān — Fresh; novel; not stale or old
- 折断
- zhéduàn — To snap or break something apart
- 的
- de — Structural particle indicating possession or modification
- 树枝
- shùzhī — Branch or twig of a tree
- 压碎
- yāsuì — To crush or grind something into pieces
- 叶片
- yèpiàn — Leaf blade; flat part of a leaf
- 被
- bèi — Passive marker indicating an action done to subject
- 翻动
- fāndòng — To turn over or disturb something
- 鹅卵石
- éluǎnshí — Pebble; smooth rounded stone
- 以及
- yǐjí — As well as; and also; together with
- 未受
- wèi shòu — Not having received or undergone something
- 训练
- xùnliàn — Training; to train or drill skills
- 眼睛
- yǎnjing — Eyes; the organs of sight
- 几乎
- jīhū — Almost; nearly; practically all or none
- 无法
- wúfǎ — Unable to; having no way to do
- 辨认
- biànrèn — To identify or recognize something by examination
- 印迹
- yìnjì — Trace, mark, or imprint left behind
- 中
- zhōng — In; among; within a space or group
- 这些
- zhèxiē — These; referring to nearby plural things
- 自然
- zìrán — Nature; natural; of course; spontaneous
- 大学
- dàxué — University; institution of higher education
- 毕业生
- bìyèshēng — Graduate; person who has completed a degree
- 不仅
- bùjǐn — Not only; used to introduce additional points
- 能
- néng — Can; to be able to do something
- 推断出
- tuīduàn chū — To deduce or infer a conclusion from evidence
- 曾有
- céng yǒu — Once had; there once existed something
- 一队
- yī duì — A group or troop; one team of people
- 人马
- rénmǎ — Personnel and horses; a group of people
- 经过
- jīngguò — To pass by; to go through a place
- 此地
- cǐ dì — This place; here; the location in question
- 还能
- hái néng — Also able to; furthermore capable of doing
- 判断
- pànduàn — To judge or determine; a judgment or conclusion
- 其
- qí — Its; their; his or her (formal pronoun)
- 人数
- rénshù — Number of people; headcount
- 多寡
- duōguǎ — The quantity; whether many or few
- 组成
- zǔchéng — To compose or make up; composition of a group
- 构成
- gòuchéng — To constitute or form; make up a whole
- 路线
- lùxiàn — Route; path; itinerary
- 至今
- zhìjīn — Up to now; until the present time
- 已
- yǐ — Already; completed action marker (formal)
- 逝去
- shìqù — To pass away; elapsed (of time or life)
- 时辰
- shíchen — Time period; traditional two-hour interval of day
- 或
- huò — Or; either; perhaps (formal conjunction)
- 天数
- tiānshù — Number of days; count of days elapsed
- 然而
- rán'ér — However; yet; but (formal contrast conjunction)
- 他们
- tāmen — They; them; third person plural pronoun
- 之所以
- zhī suǒyǐ — The reason why; that which explains a result
- 能够
- nénggòu — To be able to; capable of doing something
- 做到
- zuòdào — To achieve; to manage to accomplish something
- 这一点
- zhè yī diǎn — This point; this particular aspect or fact
- 是因为
- shì yīnwèi — Is because; the reason being that
- 像
- xiàng — Like; to resemble; similar to
- 一样
- yīyàng — The same; alike; just like something else
- 在
- zài — At; in; located at; present at a place
- 之处
- zhī chù — The place where; location of something (formal)
- 察觉到
- chájué dào — To perceive or notice something subtle
- 无数
- wúshù — Countless; innumerable; too many to count
- 细微
- xìwēi — Subtle; minute; very small or delicate
- 差异
- chāyì — Difference; discrepancy; variation between things
- 也因为
- yě yīnwèi — Also because; additionally due to a reason
- 常识
- chángshí — Common sense; general knowledge everyone knows
- 潜藏
- qiáncáng — To lie hidden; concealed beneath the surface
- 无意识
- wú yìshí — Unconscious; without conscious awareness
- 逻辑
- luójí — Logic; systematic reasoning process
- 驱使
- qūshǐ — To drive or impel someone to act
- 以
- yǐ — With; using; by means of (formal preposition)
- 所
- suǒ — Particle marking the object of a verb (formal)
- 知晓
- zhīxiǎo — To know; to be aware of something
- 足以
- zúyǐ — Sufficient to; enough to achieve a result
- 产生
- chǎnshēng — To produce; to give rise to; to generate
- 结果
- jiéguǒ — Result; outcome; consequence of an action
- 原因
- yuányīn — Reason; cause; underlying explanation
- 来
- lái — To come; used to link purpose or means
- 解释
- jiěshì — To explain; to interpret; an explanation
- 现象
- xiànxiàng — Phenomenon; observable event or occurrence
- 而
- ér — And; but; yet (formal connective particle)
- 这种
- zhè zhǒng — This kind of; this type of method or thing
- 不过
- búguò — Only; merely; however; no more than
- 是
- shì — To be; is; am; are (copula verb)
- 系统化
- xìtǒnghuà — To systematize; made into an organized system
- 了
- le — Completion particle; indicates action is done
- 蛮荒
- mánhuāng — Wild; uncivilized; primitive wilderness state
- 竟能
- jìng néng — Surprisingly able to; unexpectedly capable of
- 比
- bǐ — Compared to; than; more than another thing
- 本性
- běnxìng — Innate nature; fundamental character of something
- 出发
- chūfā — To set out; to depart; starting from a point
- 先验
- xiānyàn — A priori; prior to experience; innate knowledge
- 推论
- tuīlùn — To infer; a deduction drawn from premises
- 更好
- gèng hǎo — Better; superior; more effectively than before
- 地
- de — Adverbial particle linking adverb to verb
- 揭示
- jiēshì — To reveal; to disclose hidden truth or meaning
- 隐秘
- yǐnmì — Secret; hidden; concealed from public knowledge
- 甚至
- shènzhì — Even; going so far as; to an extreme degree
- 或许
- huòxǔ — Perhaps; maybe; possibly true or possible
- 给出
- gěi chū — To provide; to offer or present something
- 一部
- yī bù — One volume or work; a single major piece
- 过去
- guòqù — The past; time gone by; previously
- 历史
- lìshǐ — History; the record of past events
- 其中
- qízhōng — Among which; within it; in that context
- 将被
- jiāng bèi — Will be; future passive construction marker
- 彻底
- chèdǐ — Thoroughly; completely; without any reservation
- 忽视
- hūshì — To ignore; to overlook; to disregard something
- 当真
- dāngzhēn — Really; seriously; taking something as true
- 不如
- bùrú — Not as good as; better to do something else
- 立刻
- lìkè — Immediately; at once; without any delay
- 将
- jiāng — Will; about to; future action marker (formal)
- 此人
- cǐ rén — This person; the individual in question
- 若说
- ruò shuō — If one says; supposing that; if it is said
- 本能
- běnnéng — Instinct; innate natural impulse or drive
- 抑或
- yìhuò — Or; alternatively; whether one thing or another
- 对
- duì — Toward; regarding; correct; facing something
- 理性
- lǐxìng — Rationality; reason; rational faculty of mind
- 非同寻常
- fēi tóng xúncháng — Extraordinary; out of the ordinary; remarkable
- 运用
- yùnyòng — To apply; to make use of a skill or method
- 使
- shǐ — To cause; to make; to enable (formal causative)
- 祭司们
- jìsīmen — Priests; religious officiants performing rituals
- 前
- qián — Before; ago; in front of; prior to
- 便
- biàn — Then; thereupon; as a result (formal adverb)
- 得出
- dé chū — To arrive at; to obtain a conclusion or result
- 这一
- zhè yī — This particular; referring to a specific one
- 结论
- jiélùn — Conclusion; final judgment reached through reasoning
- 那么
- nàme — Then; in that case; consequently
- 便是
- biàn shì — Is precisely; that is exactly (emphatic copula)
- 此后
- cǐhòu — After this; from this point on; thereafter
- 充分
- chōngfèn — Fully; sufficient; to an adequate degree
- 证明
- zhèngmíng — To prove; to demonstrate; proof or evidence
- 正确
- zhèngquè — Correct; accurate; right and proper
- 因为
- yīnwèi — Because; due to; the reason being that
- 严格
- yángé — Strict; rigorous; precise and demanding
- 于
- yú — In; at; from; regarding (formal preposition)
- 精确
- jīngquè — Precise; exact; accurate in measurement
- 持久
- chíjiǔ — Lasting; enduring; sustained over long time
- 观察
- guānchá — To observe; careful watching and examination
- 所得
- suǒ dé — That which is obtained; findings or results
- 之
- zhī — Of; it; this (classical Chinese particle/pronoun)
- 奠定
- diàndìng — To establish; to lay the foundation of something
- 所有
- suǒyǒu — All; every; everything that exists
- 那些
- nàxiē — Those; referring to distant plural things
- 被称为
- bèi chēng wéi — Called; known as; referred to by a name
- 历史学
- lìshǐxué — Historiography; the study of history as discipline
- 科学
- kēxué — Science; systematic study of natural phenomena
- 基础
- jīchǔ — Foundation; basis; fundamental groundwork
- 如此
- rúcǐ — Like this; in such a way; so; thus
- 命名
- mìngmíng — To name; to give a name to something
- 它们
- tāmen — They; them (referring to non-human things)
- 具有
- jùyǒu — To possess; to have a certain quality or feature
- 回溯性
- huísùxìng — Retrospective quality; looking back into the past
- 预言
- yùyán — Prophecy; prediction; to foretell future events
- 特质
- tèzhì — Characteristic; distinctive trait or quality
- 致力于
- zhìlì yú — Devoted to; committed to a cause or purpose
- 人类
- rénlèi — Humanity; human beings as a whole species
- 想象
- xiǎngxiàng — Imagination; to imagine or visualize something
- 重建
- chóngjiàn — To reconstruct; rebuild something that was lost
- 已然
- yǐrán — Already; as things stand; having already occurred
- 消逝
- xiāoshì — To vanish; to fade away and disappear completely
- 不复存在
- bù fù cúnzài — No longer existing; completely ceased to exist
- 事件
- shìjiàn — Event; incident; a significant happening
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