On the Method of Zadig: Essay #1 from "Science and Hebrew Tradition" — Page 11

Vocabulary

历史

lìshǐ — History; the study of past events.

在

zài — At, in, on; indicates location or time.

这个

zhège — This; referring to a specific thing nearby.

词

cí — Word; term; a unit of language.

的

de — Structural particle indicating possession or modification.

通常

tōngcháng — Usually; normally; under ordinary circumstances.

含义

hányì — Meaning; implication; the sense a word carries.

上

shàng — On; above; used to indicate scope or aspect.

是

shì — To be; linking verb indicating identity or state.

建立

jiànlì — To establish; to build; to found something.

对

duì — Toward; regarding; correct; directed at something.

文献

wénxiàn — Documents; literature; written historical records.

证据

zhèngjù — Evidence; proof; material supporting a claim.

解释

jiěshì — To explain; to interpret; to clarify meaning.

之上

zhī shàng — Above; upon; on top of something.

而

ér — And; but; yet; conjunction linking clauses.

若要

ruò yào — If one wants to; should one wish to.

具有

jùyǒu — To possess; to have; to be endowed with.

价值

jiàzhí — Value; worth; importance of something.

历史学家

lìshǐ xuéjiā — Historian; a scholar who studies history.

就

jiù — Then; precisely; used for emphasis or result.

必须

bìxū — Must; have to; an obligation or requirement.

有

yǒu — To have; there is/are; to exist.

理由

lǐyóu — Reason; grounds; justification for a belief.

相信

xiāngxìn — To believe; to trust; to have confidence in.

这些

zhèxiē — These; referring to multiple nearby things.

由

yóu — By; from; due to; caused by something.

与

yǔ — And; with; together with something or someone.

我们

wǒmen — We; us; first person plural pronoun.

目前

mùqián — Currently; at present; at this moment.

经验

jīngyàn — Experience; practical knowledge gained over time.

中

zhōng — In; within; among; middle of something.

产生

chǎnshēng — To produce; to generate; to give rise to.

原因

yuányīn — Cause; reason; factor producing an effect.

相

xiāng — Mutually; each other; indicates reciprocal action.

类似

lèisì — Similar; resembling; alike in some way.

所

suǒ — Particle preceding verbs to nominalize them.

造成

zàochéng — To cause; to bring about; to result in.

如果

rúguǒ — If; supposing; conditional conjunction.

一部

yī bù — A volume; one part; a piece of writing.

文字

wénzì — Written characters; text; written language.

可以

kěyǐ — Can; may; to be permitted or able to.

非

fēi — Not; non-; contrary to; negation prefix.

人类

rénlèi — Humanity; humankind; the human species.

力量

lìliang — Force; power; strength; capability.

或者

huòzhě — Or; either...or; expressing alternatives.

撰写

zhuànxiě — To write; to compose; to author a text.

某一

mǒu yī — A certain; some particular; a specific one.

人

rén — Person; people; human being.

受

shòu — To receive; to be subject to; to undergo.

寻常

xúncháng — Ordinary; usual; common; not special.

动机

dòngjī — Motivation; motive; driving reason for action.

驱使

qūshǐ — To drive; to impel; to urge into action.

那么

nàme — Then; in that case; so; consequently.

便

biàn — Then; thereupon; consequently; used for result.

一堆

yī duī — A pile of; a heap of; a bunch of.

花纹

huāwén — Pattern; decorative design; ornamental markings.

无异

wúyì — No different from; equivalent to; indistinguishable.

考古学

kǎogǔxué — Archaeology; study of ancient human remains.

无能为力

wú néng wéi lì — Powerless; unable to do anything; helpless.

之处

zhī chù — The place where; the point at which.

接续

jiēxù — To continue; to pick up; to carry on from.

线索

xiànsuǒ — Clue; thread; lead guiding an investigation.

若非

ruòfēi — If not for; were it not for; unless.

充分

chōngfèn — Sufficient; ample; fully adequate for a purpose.

根据

gēnjù — Based on; according to; basis or grounds.

地

de — Adverbial particle linking adverb to verb.

那些

nàxiē — Those; referring to multiple distant things.

纪念碑

jìniànbēi — Monument; memorial; commemorative structure or stone.

以及

yǐjí — As well as; and also; together with.

艺术

yìshù — Art; artistic works; creative expression.

或

huò — Or; either; alternatively connecting two options.

人工

réngōng — Artificial; man-made; done by human hands.

制品

zhìpǐn — Products; manufactured items; made goods.

从未

cóngwèi — Never; at no time; not ever before.

其

qí — Its; their; his/her; third person possessive particle.

现今

xiànjīn — Nowadays; currently; in the present time.

起源

qǐyuán — Origin; source; the beginning of something.

性质

xìngzhì — Nature; character; intrinsic quality of something.

不同

bùtóng — Different; unlike; not the same as another.

无从

wúcóng — Have no way to; unable to; no means of.

存在

cúnzài — To exist; existence; to be present or real.

地质学

dìzhìxué — Geology; science studying Earth's physical structure.

将

jiāng — Will; shall; future marker; to take/bring.

进程

jìnchéng — Process; progress; course of development over time.

追溯

zhuīsù — To trace back; to go back to an origin.

至

zhì — To; until; reaching as far as a point.

界限

jièxiàn — Boundary; limit; dividing line between areas.

之外

zhī wài — Beyond; outside of; past a certain boundary.

基于

jīyú — Based on; premised upon; founded on something.

这样

zhèyàng — Like this; in this way; such a manner.

一个

yī gè — One; a single; general measure word for things.

假设

jiǎshè — Assumption; hypothesis; a supposition for argument.

即

jí — Namely; that is; i.e.; immediately.

数百万年

shù bǎi wàn nián — Millions of years; an immense span of time.

前

qián — Before; ago; in front of; prior to.

水

shuǐ — Water; liquid; a fundamental natural substance.

热

rè — Heat; hot; warmth; thermal energy.

引力

yǐnlì — Gravity; gravitational force; attraction between masses.

摩擦

mócā — Friction; rubbing; resistance between surfaces.

动植物

dòng zhíwù — Animals and plants; living organisms collectively.

生命

shēngmìng — Life; living existence; vitality of organisms.

效果

xiàoguǒ — Effect; result; outcome of an action.

它们

tāmen — They; them; third person plural for objects.

如今

rújīn — Nowadays; at present; in today's times.

属于

shǔyú — To belong to; to be part of a category.

同一

tóngyī — The same; identical; one and the same.

类型

lèixíng — Type; category; kind; classification of things.

告诉

gàosu — To tell; to inform; to let someone know.

任何

rènhé — Any; whatever; whichever; no matter which.

事情

shìqing — Matter; thing; affair; an event or situation.

不仅如此

bùjǐn rúcǐ — Not only that; moreover; beyond this point.

就连

jiùlián — Even; going so far as to include something.

物理

wùlǐ — Physics; the science of matter and energy.

天文学

tiānwénxué — Astronomy; study of celestial bodies and space.

带回

dài huí — To bring back; to carry back to a point.

所能

suǒ néng — What is possible; that which can be done.

抵达

dǐdá — To arrive at; to reach a destination.

时间

shíjiān — Time; duration; a period or point in time.

最远端

zuì yuǎn duān — Farthest end; most distant extremity or point.

而言

éryán — As for; in terms of; speaking with regard to.

也是

yě shì — Also is; likewise; equally the case.

同样

tóngyàng — Same; equally; in the same way or manner.

定律

dìnglǜ — Law; scientific law; fixed principle of nature.

那一

nà yī — That one; referring to a specific distant time.

时期

shíqī — Period; era; a span of historical time.

曾

céng — Once; formerly; indicating past experience.

有过

yǒuguò — Has had; once experienced; to have occurred.

哪怕

nǎpà — Even if; even though; no matter how slight.

微小

wēixiǎo — Tiny; minute; extremely small in degree.

程度

chéngdù — Degree; extent; level of something's intensity.

失效

shīxiào — To become invalid; to cease to be effective.

天文学家

tiānwénxué jiā — Astronomer; scientist who studies celestial bodies.

计算

jìsuàn — To calculate; to compute; mathematical reckoning.

毫无

háowú — Completely without; utterly lacking; not at all.

适用

shìyòng — Applicable; suitable; able to be applied here.