TED演讲:哲学早餐俱乐部(4)

 　　However, in 1809, David Ricardo muddied the waters  然而，在1809年，大卫·李嘉图搅了一趟浑水，

　　by arguing that the science of economics should use a different, deductive method. 他主张在经济学领域应该使用另外一种方法：演绎法。

　　The problem was that an influential¹ group at Oxford  问题源自牛津一个很有影响的科学团体，

　　began arguing that because it worked so well in economics,  他们主张既然演绎法在经济学领域如此有用，

　　this deductive method ought to be applied² to the natural sciences too. 那么也应该适用于自然科学领域。

　　The members of the philosophical³ breakfast club disagreed.  哲学早餐俱乐部的成员们并不同意这个观点。

　　They wrote books and articles promoting inductive method in all the sciences 他们写了一些书和文章来推动归纳法，在所有的科学领域中应用，

　　that were widely read by natural philosophers, university students and members of the public. 这些文字被当时的自然哲学家、大学学生和公众广泛阅读。

　　Reading one of Herschel's books was such a watershed⁴ moment for Charles Darwin 赫歇尔的著作成为后来改变达尔文思想的分水岭。

　　that he would later say, "Scarcely anything in my life made so deep an impression on me. 达尔文后来写道：“好可怕，从没有一种思想这么深刻的影响了我。

　　It made me wish to add my might to the accumulated store of natural knowledge." 这让我开始有了一种欲望为人类的自然知识宝库添砖加瓦。”

　　It also shaped Darwin's scientific method, as well as that used by his peers. 达尔文及其同行的科学研究方法的形成也受到了赫歇尔的影响。

　　Previously⁵, it was believed that scientific knowledge 以前，人们相信科学知识

　　ought to be used for the good of the king or queen, or for one's own personal gain. 应该为国王和王后或个人的利益服务。

　　For example, ship captains needed to know information about the tides in order to safely dock at ports. 例如，船长需要知道潮汐的规律，让自己的船能够安全的停泊在港口。

　　Harbormasters would gather this knowledge and sell it to the ship captains. 港务长收集这些信息并将其卖给船长们。

　　The philosophical breakfast club changed that, working together. 哲学早餐俱乐部通过协同工作改变了这个现状。

　　Whewell's worldwide study of the tides resulted in public tide tables and tidal maps 胡威立研究了全球的潮汐规律，做出了一张全球潮汐规律图，

　　that freely provided the harbormasters' knowledge to all ship captains. 将原来只有港务长才能掌握的潮汐知识免费提供给了所有的船长。

1 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

2 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

3 philosophical   

adj.哲学家的，哲学上的，达观的

参考例句：

• The teacher couldn't answer the philosophical problem.老师不能解答这个哲学问题。
• She is very philosophical about her bad luck.她对自己的不幸看得很开。

4 watershed   

n.转折点，分水岭，分界线

参考例句：

• Our marriage was at a watershed.我们的婚姻到了一个转折关头。
• It forms the watershed between the two rivers.它成了两条河流的分水岭。

5 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。