精美英文欣赏:科学态度的本质

The Nature of the Scientific Attitude

科学态度的本质

What is the nature of the scientific attitude,the attitude of the man or woman who studies and applies physics, biology, chemistry,geology, engineering, medicine or any other science?

科学态度的本质是什么？那些研究并应用物理学，生物学，化学，地质学，工程学，医学或其他所有科学的男男女女们所具有的态度的本质是什么？

We all know that science plays an important role in the societies in which we live.

我们都知道科学在我们的社会中所起的重要作用。

Many people believe, however,that our progress depends on two different aspects of science.

但很多人认为，社会进步靠的是科学的两个不同方面的内容。

The first of these is the application of the machines, products and systems of applied¹ knowledge that scientists and technologists develop.

第一个方面是对科学家和科技人员开放的机器，产品以及应用型知识体系的运用。

Through technology, science improves the structure of society and helps man to gain increasing control over his environment.

通过这些技术，科学完善社会结构，帮助人类获得对周边环境越来越多的控制。

The second aspect is the application by all members of society of the special methods of thought and action that scientists use in their work.

第二个方面是社会所有成员对科学家工作时采用的特殊思考和行动方式的应用。

What are these special methods of thinking and acting²?

那什么是特殊思考方式和行动方式呢？

First of all, it seems that a successful scientist is full of curiosity—he wants to find out how and why the universe works.

首先，一个成功的科学家似乎总是充满着好奇心—他想探寻宇宙万物运行的方式和原因。

He usually directs his attention towards problems which he notices have no satisfactory explanation,and his curiosity makes him look for underlying³ relationships even if the data available seem to be unconnected.

他通常会把注意力放在那些他注意到还没有得到满意解释的问题之上；即便现存数据似乎互不关联，他的好奇心也驱使他去寻找潜在关系。

Moreover, he thinks he can improve the existing conditions and enjoys trying to solve the problems which this involves.

而且他认为他能改善现存条件，并享受自己为改善条件而解决问题的努力。

He is a good observer, accurate, patient and objective and applies logical thought to the observations he makes.

他是个好的观察家—精准，耐心，客观，对所做观察总赋予逻辑思考。

He utilizes⁴ the facts he observes to the fullest extent.

他总是最充分地利用他观察到的事实。

For example, trained observers obtain a very large amount of information about a star mainly from the accurate analysis of the simple lines that appear in a spectrum⁵.

比如说，训练有素的观察家主要是通过对光谱中出现的简单线条进行精确分析来获取某个星球的大量信息。

He is skeptical—he does not accept statements which are not based on the most complete evidence available—and therefore rejects authority as the sole basis for truth.

他是多疑的—他不接受那些不以可活动的最完整证据为基础的言论，因而拒绝把权威视为真理的唯一依据。

Scientists always check statements and make experiments carefully and objectively to verify them.

科学家总是要检查种种论断，用客观仔细的试验去证实它们。

Furthermore, he is not only critical of the work of others,but also of his own,since he knows that man is the least reliable of scientific instruments and that a number of factors tend to disturb objective investigation⁶.

此外，他不仅挑剔他人工作，也对自己的工作吹毛求疵，因为他清楚人类是最不可靠的科学工具，有一系列因素会影响到它们调查研究的客观性。

Lastly, he is highly imaginative since he often has to look for relationships in data which are not only complex but also frequently incomplete.

最后，他极具想象力，因为他经常不得不在既复杂又往往不全面的数据中寻求它们之间的关系，

Furthermore, he needs imagination if he wants to make hypotheses of how processes work and how events take place.

而且，如果他想对程序如何进行，事件如何发送提出假设，他同样需要想象力。

These seem to be some of the ways in which a successful scientist or technologist thinks and acts.

以上似乎就是成功的科学家或科技人员的一些思考方式和行动方式。

1 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。

2 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

3 underlying   

adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的

参考例句：

• The underlying theme of the novel is very serious.小说隐含的主题是十分严肃的。
• This word has its underlying meaning.这个单词有它潜在的含义。

4 utilizes   

v.利用，使用( utilize的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• One highly successful approach utilizes a triplet aspheric lens array. 一种很成功的方法是利用一个三合非球面透镜阵列。 来自辞典例句
• The first utilizes a blend of finely ground ceramic powders. 第一种用的是一种磨细的陶瓷粉末混合物。 来自辞典例句

5 spectrum   

n.谱，光谱，频谱；范围，幅度，系列

参考例句：

• This is a kind of atomic spectrum.这是一种原子光谱。
• We have known much of the constitution of the solar spectrum.关于太阳光谱的构成，我们已了解不少。

6 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。