20190709长难句
【前文复习】
Since the days of Aristotle, a search for universal principles has characterized the scientific enterprise. In some ways, this quest for commonalities defines science. Newton’s laws of motion and Darwinian evolution each bind a host of different phenomena into a single explicatory frame work.
In physics, one approach takes this impulse for unification to its extreme, and seeks a theory of everything—a single generative equation for all we see. It is becoming less clear, however, that such a theory would be a simplification, given the dimensions and universes that it might entail, nonetheless, unification of sorts remains a major goal.
自亚里士多德的时代起,对普遍原理的探求就一直是科学事业的主要特征。在某些方面,寻找事物的共性也正是科学的定义/内涵。牛顿的运动定律和达尔文的进化论都是把很多不同现象纳入到一个单独框架来解释。
在物理学上,有一种方法是将这种追求统一的冲动发挥到极点,它寻找一种万能的理论,即一种单一的能够解释我们所能看到的一切的通用公式。然而,考虑到/鉴于这样的一种理论所涉及的维度和范畴,它是否还算是一种简化就变得越来越说不清楚了。尽管如此,寻找万物的统一性仍然是一个主要目标。
【今日长难句】
This tendency in the natural sciences has long been evident in the social sciences too. Here, Darwinism seems to offer justification, for if all humans share common origins it seems reasonable to suppose that cultural diversity could also be traced to more constrained beginnings.
【词的处理】
tendency 趋势
natural science 自然科学
evident 明显的
social science 社会科学
Darwinism / ˈdɑ:winizəm/ n. 达尔文主义
justification / ˌdʒʌstifiˈkeiʃn / n. 正当理由
origin / ˈɔridʒin / n. 起源
reasonable / ˈri:znəbl / adj. 公平的,合理的
suppose / səˈpəuz/ 推断;料想
diversity / daiˈvə:səti/ n. 差异性;多样性
constrained / kənˈstreind / adj.不自然的;强迫的;过于受约束的
【句子解析】
1. 首句主干为“主系表”结构,即this tendency / has been /evident;其他为句子的修饰成分。
2. 二句子主干为:Darwinism/ seems/ to offer justification,译为:达尔文主义似乎给出了一个正当理由。
3. for 为连词(conj.),可译为 “因为”。if all humans share common origins 为条件状语从句,it seems reasonable to suppose … 中“it”为形式主语,to suppose that …为真正的主语;
4. “that cultural diversity could also be traced to more constrained beginnings”为“suppose”的宾语从句
5. cultural diversity 译为:文化多样性;
6. be traced to 意为:追溯到…;
7. more 修饰constrained; constrained 修饰beginnings;
8. more constrained beginnings 译为:更有限的开端。
【参考译文】
This tendency in the natural sciences has long been evident in the social sciences too. Here, Darwinism seems to offer justification, for if all humans share common origins, it seems reasonable to suppose that cultural diversity could also be traced to more constrained beginnings.
很久以来,自然科学中的这种趋势在社会科学中也很明显。此时,达尔文主义似乎提供了一个正当理由:如果所有的人类都有共同的起源,那么文化差异能够追寻到更有限的开端,这一假设好像也是合理的。
备注:译文将 suppose v. 译为汉语的名词“假设”
【明日预告】
Just as the bewildering variety of human courtship rituals might all be considered forms of sexual selection, perhaps the world’s languages, music, social and religious customs and even history are governed by universal features.
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