I have already and repeatedly presented you, my learned friends, with my new views of the motion and function of the heart, in my anatomical lectures; but having now for more than nine years confirmed these views by multiplied demonstrations4 in your presence, illustrated6 them by arguments, and freed them from the objections of the most learned and skilful7 anatomists, I at length yield to the requests, I might say entreaties8, of many, and here present them for general consideration in this treatise9.
Were not the work indeed presented through you, my learned friends, I should scarce hope that it could come out scatheless10 and complete; for you have in general been the faithful witnesses of almost all the instances from which I have either collected the truth or confuted error. You have seen my dissections, and at my demonstrations of all that I maintain to be objects of sense, you have been accustomed to stand by and bear me out with your testimony12. And as this book alone declares the blood to course and revolve13 by a new route, very different from the ancient and beaten pathway trodden for so many ages, and illustrated by such a host of learned and distinguished14 men, I was greatly afraid lest I might be charged with presumption15 did I lay my work before the public at home, or send it beyond seas for impression, unless I had first proposed the subject to you, had confirmed its conclusions by ocular demonstrations in your presence, had replied to your doubts and objections, and secured the assent16 and support of our distinguished President. For I was most intimately persuaded, that if I could make good my proposition before you and our College, illustrious by its numerous body of learned individuals, I had less to fear from others. I even ventured to hope that I should have the comfort of finding all that you granted me in your sheer love of truth, conceded by others who were philosophers like yourselves. True philosophers, who are only eager for truth and knowledge, never regard themselves as already so thoroughly17 informed, but that they welcome further information from whomsoever and from wheresoever it may come; nor are they so narrow-minded as to imagine any of the arts or sciences transmitted to us by the ancients, in such a state of forwardness or completeness, that nothing is left for the ingenuity18 and industry of others. On the contrary, very many maintain that all we know is still infinitely19 less than all that still remains20 unknown; nor do philosophers pin their faith to others’ precepts21 in such wise that they lose their liberty, and cease to give credence22 to the conclusions of their proper senses. Neither do they swear such fealty23 to their mistress Antiquity24, that they openly, and in sight of all, deny and desert their friend Truth. But even as they see that the credulous25 and vain are disposed at the first blush to accept and believe everything that is proposed to them, so do they observe that the dull and unintellectual are indisposed to see what lies before their eyes, and even deny the light of the noonday sun. They teach us in our course of philosophy to sedulously26 avoid the fables27 of the poets and the fancies of the vulgar, as the false conclusions of the sceptics. And then the studious and good and true, never suffer their minds to be warped28 by the passions of hatred29 and envy, which unfit men duly to weigh the arguments that are advanced in behalf of truth, or to appreciate the proposition that is even fairly demonstrated. Neither do they think it unworthy of them to change their opinion if truth and undoubted demonstration5 require them to do so. They do not esteem2 it discreditable to desert error, though sanctioned by the highest antiquity, for they know full well that to err11, to be deceived, is human; that many things are discovered by accident and that many may be learned indifferently from any quarter, by an old man from a youth, by a person of understanding from one of inferior capacity.
My dear colleagues, I had no purpose to swell31 this treatise into a large volume by quoting the names and writings of anatomists, or to make a parade of the strength of my memory, the extent of my reading, and the amount of my pains; because I profess32 both to learn and to teach anatomy33, not from books but from dissections; not from the positions of philosophers but from the fabric34 of nature; and then because I do not think it right or proper to strive to take from the ancients any honor that is their due, nor yet to dispute with the moderns, and enter into controversy35 with those who have excelled in anatomy and been my teachers. I would not charge with wilful36 falsehood any one who was sincerely anxious for truth, nor lay it to any one’s door as a crime that he had fallen into error. I avow37 myself the partisan38 of truth alone; and I can indeed say that I have used all my endeavours, bestowed39 all my pains on an attempt to produce something that should be agreeable to the good, profitable to the learned, and useful to letters.
Farewell, most worthy30 Doctors, And think kindly40 of your Anatomist,
WILLIAM HARVEY.
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1 accomplished | |
adj.有才艺的;有造诣的;达到了的 | |
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2 esteem | |
n.尊敬,尊重;vt.尊重,敬重;把…看作 | |
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3 esteemed | |
adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 );敬重;认为;以为 | |
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4 demonstrations | |
证明( demonstration的名词复数 ); 表明; 表达; 游行示威 | |
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5 demonstration | |
n.表明,示范,论证,示威 | |
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6 illustrated | |
adj. 有插图的,列举的 动词illustrate的过去式和过去分词 | |
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7 skilful | |
(=skillful)adj.灵巧的,熟练的 | |
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8 entreaties | |
n.恳求,乞求( entreaty的名词复数 ) | |
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9 treatise | |
n.专著;(专题)论文 | |
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10 scatheless | |
adj.无损伤的,平安的 | |
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11 err | |
vi.犯错误,出差错 | |
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12 testimony | |
n.证词;见证,证明 | |
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13 revolve | |
vi.(使)旋转;循环出现 | |
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14 distinguished | |
adj.卓越的,杰出的,著名的 | |
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15 presumption | |
n.推测,可能性,冒昧,放肆,[法律]推定 | |
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16 assent | |
v.批准,认可;n.批准,认可 | |
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17 thoroughly | |
adv.完全地,彻底地,十足地 | |
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18 ingenuity | |
n.别出心裁;善于发明创造 | |
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19 infinitely | |
adv.无限地,无穷地 | |
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20 remains | |
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
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21 precepts | |
n.规诫,戒律,箴言( precept的名词复数 ) | |
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22 credence | |
n.信用,祭器台,供桌,凭证 | |
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23 fealty | |
n.忠贞,忠节 | |
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24 antiquity | |
n.古老;高龄;古物,古迹 | |
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25 credulous | |
adj.轻信的,易信的 | |
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26 sedulously | |
ad.孜孜不倦地 | |
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27 fables | |
n.寓言( fable的名词复数 );神话,传说 | |
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28 warped | |
adj.反常的;乖戾的;(变)弯曲的;变形的v.弄弯,变歪( warp的过去式和过去分词 );使(行为等)不合情理,使乖戾, | |
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29 hatred | |
n.憎恶,憎恨,仇恨 | |
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30 worthy | |
adj.(of)值得的,配得上的;有价值的 | |
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31 swell | |
vi.膨胀,肿胀;增长,增强 | |
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32 profess | |
v.声称,冒称,以...为业,正式接受入教,表明信仰 | |
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33 anatomy | |
n.解剖学,解剖;功能,结构,组织 | |
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34 fabric | |
n.织物,织品,布;构造,结构,组织 | |
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35 controversy | |
n.争论,辩论,争吵 | |
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36 wilful | |
adj.任性的,故意的 | |
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37 avow | |
v.承认,公开宣称 | |
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38 partisan | |
adj.党派性的;游击队的;n.游击队员;党徒 | |
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39 bestowed | |
赠给,授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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40 kindly | |
adj.和蔼的,温和的,爽快的;adv.温和地,亲切地 | |
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