№.1 -?The Greeks were rash in their hypotheses, but the Milesian school, at least, was prepared to test them empirically. Too little is known of Thales to make it possible to reconstruct him at all satisfactorily, but of his successors in Miletus much more is known, and it is reasonable to suppose that something of their outlook came from him. His science and his philosophy were both crude, but they were such as to stimulate both thought and observation.

【小編評注】米利都的泰勒斯（Thales，前624—前547）是古希臘第一個自然科學家和哲學家，希臘最早的唯物主義學派——米利都學派的創(chuàng)始人。泰勒斯生于米利都，他的家庭屬于奴隸主貴族階級，所以他從小就受到了良好的教育。

【短語筆記】make it possible - 使...成為可能

【例】Broadcasting satellites make it possible for us to hear news from all over the world.（廣播衛(wèi)星使我們都能聽到來自世界各地的消息。 ）

№.2?-?This conception of justice --of not overstepping eternally fixed bounds--was one of the most profound of Greek beliefs. The gods were subject to justice just as much as men were, but this supreme power was not itself personal, and was not a supreme God.

【譯文】這種正義的觀念--即不能逾越永恒固定的界限的觀念--是一種最深刻的希臘信仰。神祇正象人一樣，也要服從正義。但是這種至高無上的力量其本身是非人格的，而不是至高無上的神。

【小編評注】強調了唯物主義科學的客觀性。

【短語筆記】subject to - 經(jīng)受，遭受；使處于……的控制下；使接受，使容忍

【舉一反三】subject oneself to supervision - 接受監(jiān)督

【例】

(1)They may be beaten eventually to death by a man in their home or subject to what we consider torturous behavior or imprisonment. （或許，這些婦女最終被,家中的男人毆打致死,或者最終屈服于這種毆打折磨,甚至監(jiān)禁。）

(2)Financial activities of institutions of higher learning should be subject to supervision in accordance with law. （高等學校的財務活動應當依法接受監(jiān)督。）

№.3?-?The Milesian school is important, not for what it achieved, but for what is attempted. It was brought into existence by the contact of the Greek mind with Babylonia and Egypt. Miletus was a rich commercial city, in which primitive prejudices and superstitions were softened by intercourse with many nations.

【譯文】米利都學派是重要的，并不是因為它的成就，而是因為它所嘗試的東西。它的產(chǎn)生是由于希臘的心靈與巴比倫和埃及相接觸的結果。米利都是一個富庶的商業(yè)城市，在那里原始的偏見和迷信已經(jīng)由于許多國家的相互交通而被沖淡了。

【小編評注】泰勒斯是古希臘的著名哲學家、天文學家、數(shù)學家和科學家。他招收學生，建立了學園，創(chuàng)立了米利都學派。他不僅是當時自發(fā)唯物主義的代表，同時也是較早的科學啟蒙者，人們稱他為“科學之祖”。

【短語筆記】be softened by - 使……緩和

【舉一反三】be sharpen by - 使……受打磨

【例】

(1)Although food prices may rise moderately as a result of the drought , the impact will be softened by government intervention to ensure adequate grain supply . （雖然干旱導致食品價格稍有上漲，但是由于政府會確保糧食的足夠供給，因此價格的上漲將會得到緩和。）

(2) In the Mood for Love in the U.S., forging Sharpen your own is the best all over the world; you are not afraid of a strong enemy to show himself, and is the most vigorous and brave! （在我們的花樣年華中，你們磨礪鍛造了自己，就是全世界最好的；你們不畏強敵，展示了自己，就是最勇敢最有魄力的?。?/p>

№.4?-?The next stage in Greek philosophy, which is associated with the Greek cities in southern Italy, is more religious, and, in particular, more Orphic--in some ways more interesting, admirable in achievement, but in spirit less scientific than that of the Milesians.

【譯文】希臘哲學的下一階段是和意大利南部的希臘城市相聯(lián)系著的，它有著更多的宗教性，特別是有著更多的奧爾弗斯教義--在某些方面是更有趣的，它的成就是可贊美的，但是它的精神卻比不上米利都學派那樣科學了。

【小編評注】奧爾弗斯教，一般譯為俄耳甫斯教。神秘主義的俄耳甫斯崇拜是圍繞解放神狄俄尼索斯-扎格列歐斯展開的，其中狄俄尼索斯-扎格列歐斯被視為世界的最高統(tǒng)治者、世界的靈魂。扎格列歐斯反對提坦們的戰(zhàn)斗，扎格列歐斯之死及其復活等事件，都被俄耳甫斯秘密教儀視為一種象征，是人的生命在自然與精神世界中歷險的象征。

【短語筆記】in particular - 特別地，尤其

【舉一反三】同義詞：particularly

【例】

(1)The risk is that Europe will get hit harder , in particular its financial system .（風險在于歐洲將遭受更嚴重的沖擊，特別是歐洲的金融體系。）

(2)Cummings actually boldly experimented with this principle and he attracted the attention of the linguists, particularly a linguist named Dell Hymes. （對此，卡明斯做了一個大膽的試驗,吸引了語言學家的注意，特別是德爾海默斯。）

（本文由滬友 落落 獨家提供，原文譯文摘自《西方哲學史》[商務印書館,1977-6]，轉載請注明出處。）