On the Method of Zadig: Essay #1 from "Science and Hebrew Tradition" — Page 13

Vocabulary

所

suǒ — Used before verbs to nominalize or indicate passive

能

néng — Can, able to, having the ability

说

shuō — To speak, say, or explain something

的

de — Structural particle indicating possession or modification

是

shì — To be; indicates identity or existence

天文学家

tiānwénxuéjiā — Astronomer; scientist who studies celestial bodies

前瞻性

qiánzhānxìng — Forward-looking quality; ability to anticipate future events

预言

yùyán — To predict or prophesy a future event

总是

zǒngshì — Always, invariably, at all times

得到

dédào — To obtain, receive, or achieve something

验证

yànzhèng — To verify, confirm, or validate through evidence

而且

érqiě — Moreover, furthermore, in addition to that

由于

yóuyú — Due to, because of, owing to a cause

他

tā — He, him; third-person masculine pronoun

回溯性

huísùxìng — Retrospective quality; relating to looking backward in time

沿

yán — Along, following the course or direction of

反方向

fǎnfāngxiàng — Opposite direction; reverse course or orientation

追溯

zhuīsù — To trace back, investigate origins of something

结果

jiéguǒ — Result, outcome, consequence of an action

所用

suǒyòng — The method or means used; what is employed

方法

fāngfǎ — Method, approach, or way of doing something

与

yǔ — And, with; connects nouns or phrases together

正向

zhèngxiàng — Forward direction; positive orientation or approach

推演

tuīyǎn — To deduce, derive, or reason forward from premises

时

shí — When, at the time of; temporal marker

总能

zǒng néng — Always able to; invariably capable of doing

得出

déchū — To arrive at, reach, or draw a conclusion

经过

jīngguò — After going through; via a process or place

之

zhī — Classical possessive or linking particle, meaning 'of'

结论

jiélùn — Conclusion, final judgment drawn from reasoning

完全

wánquán — Completely, entirely, wholly, totally identical

相同

xiāngtóng — The same, identical, not different from each other

因此

yīncǐ — Therefore, consequently, for this reason

对

duì — Toward, regarding; preposition indicating direction or object

二者

èrzhě — Both of them; the two things mentioned

给予

jǐyǔ — To give, grant, or bestow something to someone

充分

chōngfèn — Sufficient, full, ample, thorough enough

信任

xìnrèn — Trust, confidence, faith in someone or something

理由

lǐyóu — Reason, grounds, justification for a position

同等

tóngděng — Equal, equivalent, of the same level or degree

天文学

tiānwénxué — Astronomy; the scientific study of celestial objects

一项

yī xiàng — One item, one function, one specific task

合法

héfǎ — Legitimate, lawful, conforming to rules or standards

功能

gōngnéng — Function, capability, role that something performs

若

ruò — If, supposing that; classical conditional conjunction

一门

yī mén — One discipline, one field of study or subject

科学

kēxué — Science; systematic study of natural phenomena

则

zé — Then; classical conjunction indicating logical consequence

所有

suǒyǒu — All, every, all of them without exception

皆然

jiē rán — All are so; the same applies to all

其

qí — Its, their; classical third-person possessive pronoun

依据

yījù — Basis, foundation, grounds upon which something rests

基本

jīběn — Basic, fundamental, essential, foundational in nature

公理

gōnglǐ — Axiom; self-evident principle accepted without proof

自然

zìrán — Nature; the natural world; naturally occurring order

秩序

zhìxù — Order, regularity, structured arrangement of things

恒常性

héngcháng xìng — Constancy, permanence, unchanging regularity over time

乃是

nǎi shì — Is indeed, precisely is; classical emphatic copula

一切

yīqiè — All, everything, every single thing without exception

思想

sīxiǎng — Thought, thinking, ideology, intellectual framework

共同

gòngtóng — Common, shared, mutual among multiple parties

基础

jīchǔ — Foundation, basis, underlying support for something

事实上

shìshí shàng — In fact, actually, in reality, as a matter of fact

合法性

héfǎxìng — Legitimacy; degree to which something is valid or justified

尚有

shàng yǒu — Still has, there still exists a certain amount

程度

chéngdù — Degree, extent, level of something measured

之分

zhī fēn — Distinction, difference, division between things

某些

mǒuxiē — Certain, some, particular unspecified ones among many

分支

fēnzhī — Branch, subdivision of a field or discipline

相较于

xiāng jiào yú — Compared to, in comparison with something else

更具

gèng jù — More possessing, having greater degree of quality

优势

yōushì — Advantage, superiority, dominant position over others

因为

yīnwèi — Because, since, for the reason that

它们

tāmen — They, them; third-person plural for non-human things

不仅

bùjǐn — Not only; used to introduce the first of two points

能够

nénggòu — To be able to, capable of doing something

有时

yǒushí — Sometimes, occasionally, at certain times

甚至

shènzhì — Even, go so far as to, to an extreme degree

令人

lìng rén — Causing people to feel; makes one feel a certain way

瞩目

zhǔmù — Noteworthy, eye-catching, attracting wide attention

证实

zhèngshí — To confirm, verify, prove something to be true

这样

zhèyàng — Like this, in this way, such as this

存在于

cúnzài yú — To exist within, be found inside something

将

jiāng — To take and apply; future marker or preposition

生物学

shēngwùxué — Biology; the science of living organisms

原理

yuánlǐ — Principle, fundamental law or rule of a field

应用于

yìngyòng yú — To apply to, put into use for a purpose

解释

jiěshì — To explain, interpret, account for something

嵌藏

qiàncáng — Embedded and hidden within; encased inside something

在

zài — In, at, located at a place or time

构成

gòuchéng — To constitute, form, make up something larger

地球

dìqiú — Earth; the planet on which humans live

表面

biǎomiàn — Surface, outer layer of an object or earth

岩石

yánshí — Rock, stone; solid mineral material in earth

中

zhōng — Inside, within, in the middle of something

动植物

dòngzhíwù — Animals and plants; living organisms collectively

遗骸

yíhái — Remains, skeletal relics of a deceased organism

之中

zhī zhōng — Within, among, in the middle of something

这门

zhè mén — This discipline, this particular field of study

被称为

bèi chēngwéi — Is called, is known as, is referred to as

古生物学

gǔshēngwùxué — Paleontology; study of prehistoric life through fossils

不太

bù tài — Not too, not very, rather less than expected

久远

jiǔyuǎn — Long ago, distant in time, ancient and remote

年代

niándài — Era, age, period of time in history

这些

zhèxiē — These; plural demonstrative referring to nearby things

所谓

suǒwèi — So-called; what is referred to as, allegedly

化石

huàshí — Fossil; preserved remains of ancient organisms in rock

究竟

jiūjìng — After all, exactly, in the end; seeking clarification

是否

shìfǒu — Whether or not; used to pose a yes/no question

真的

zhēnde — Really, truly, genuinely, actually the case

这一

zhè yī — This one; referring to a specific previously mentioned issue

问题

wèntí — Question, problem, issue requiring attention or answer

曾

céng — Once, previously, at some past time; experiential marker

引发

yǐnfā — To trigger, provoke, give rise to something

激烈

jīliè — Fierce, intense, vigorous, heated in nature

争论

zhēnglùn — Debate, argument, dispute over a contested question

许多

xǔduō — Many, a great number of, numerous

博学

bóxué — Learned, erudite, having extensive knowledge

之士

zhī shì — Scholars, learned persons; classical term for intellectuals

坚持

jiānchí — To insist, persist, maintain a position firmly

认为

rènwéi — To think, believe, consider something to be true

根本

gēnběn — Fundamentally, at all, absolutely not; root meaning

不是

bù shì — Is not, are not; negation of identity

那类

nà lèi — That kind, that category, that type of thing

东西

dōngxi — Thing, object, stuff; a general term for items

而是

érshì — But rather, instead is; introduces a correction

一种

yī zhǒng — A kind of, a type of, one sort of thing

含有

hányǒu — To contain, include, have within it

内部

nèibù — Internal, interior, inside part of something

形成

xíngchéng — To form, develop, come into being or shape

凝结物

níngjié wù — Concretion; solidified matter formed through aggregation

或

huò — Or; presents an alternative option or possibility

结晶体

jiéjīng tǐ — Crystal; solid with regular geometric molecular structure

模拟

mónǐ — To simulate, imitate, mimic the appearance of something

了

le — Particle indicating completion or change of state

生命

shēngmìng — Life; the state of being alive, living existence

形态

xíngtài — Form, shape, morphology of an organism or object

正如

zhèngrú — Just as, exactly like; introduces a comparison

窗玻璃

chuāng bōlí — Window glass; the transparent pane in a window

上

shàng — On, upon, on top of a surface

霜花

shuānghuā — Frost patterns, ice crystal formations on cold surfaces

模仿

mófǎng — To imitate, copy, mimic another's form or action

植物

zhíwù — Plant; photosynthetic organism, flora

一般

yībān — Just like, similar to; in general, ordinary