Let us begin our exposition, then, by first dealing6 systematically7 for a while with certain definite parts of the body, in reference to which we may accurately8 test and enquire9 what sort of thing the retentive faculty is.
Now, could one begin the enquiry in any better way than with the largest and hollowest organs? Personally I do not think one could. It is to be expected that in these, owing to their size, the activities will show quite clearly, whereas with respect to the small organs, even if they possess a strong faculty of this kind, its activation10 will not at once be recognisable to sense.
Now those parts of the animal which are especially hollow and large are the stomach and the organ which is called the womb or uterus. What prevents us, then, from taking up these first and considering their activities, conducting the enquiry on our own persons in regard to those activities which are obvious without dissection11, and, in the case of those which are more obscure, dissecting12 animals which are near to man; not that even animals unlike him will not show, in a general way, the faculty in question, but because in this manner we may find out at once what is common to all and what is peculiar13 to ourselves, and so may become more resourceful in the diagnosis14 and treatment of disease.
Now it is impossible to speak of both organs at once, so we shall deal with each in turn, beginning with the one which is capable of demonstrating the retentive faculty most plainly. For the stomach retains the food until it has quite digested it, and the uterus retains the embryo15 until it brings it to completion, but the time taken for the completion of the embryo is many times more than that for the digestion16 of food.
点击收听单词发音
1 demonstration | |
n.表明,示范,论证,示威 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
2 cogent | |
adj.强有力的,有说服力的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
3 drawn | |
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
4 retentive | |
v.保留的,有记忆的;adv.有记性地,记性强地;n.保持力 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
5 faculty | |
n.才能;学院,系;(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
6 dealing | |
n.经商方法,待人态度 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
7 systematically | |
adv.有系统地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
8 accurately | |
adv.准确地,精确地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
9 enquire | |
v.打听,询问;调查,查问 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
10 activation | |
n. 激活,催化作用 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
11 dissection | |
n.分析;解剖 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
12 dissecting | |
v.解剖(动物等)( dissect的现在分词 );仔细分析或研究 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
13 peculiar | |
adj.古怪的,异常的;特殊的,特有的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
14 diagnosis | |
n.诊断,诊断结果,调查分析,判断 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
15 embryo | |
n.胚胎,萌芽的事物 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
16 digestion | |
n.消化,吸收 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
欢迎访问英文小说网 |