Now what is the practical outcome of all these criticisms of the human mind? Does it follow that thought is futile¹ and discussion vain? By no means. Rather these considerations lead us toward mutual² understanding. They clear up the deadlocks³ that come from the hard and fast use of terms, they establish mutual charity as an intellectual necessity. The common way of speech and thought which the old system of logic⁵ has simply systematized, is too glib⁶ and too presumptuous⁷ of certainty. We must needs use language, but we must use it always with the thought in our minds of its unreal exactness, its actual habitual⁸ deflection from fact. All propositions are approximations to an elusive⁹ truth, and we employ them as the mathematician¹⁰ studies the circle by supposing it to be a polygon¹¹ of a very great number of sides.

We must make use of terms and sometimes of provisional terms. But we must guard against such terms and the mental danger of excessive intension they carry with them. The child takes a stick and says it is a sword and does not forget, he takes a shadow under the bed and says it is a bear and he half forgets. The man takes a set of emotions and says it is a God, and he gets excited and propagandist and does forget; he is involved in disputes and confusions with the old gods of wood and stone, and presently he is making his God a Great White Throne and fitting him up with a mystical family.

Essentially¹²

点击收听单词发音  

1 futile
adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的
参考例句：
They were killed,to the last man,in a futile attack.因为进攻失败，他们全部被杀，无一幸免。 Their efforts to revive him were futile.他们对他抢救无效。

2 mutual
adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的
参考例句：
We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。 Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

3 deadlocks
僵局( deadlock的名词复数 )
参考例句：
They deluge Washington with proposals to break deadlocks. 他们使华盛顿淹没在试图打开僵局的各种各样的建议里。 Pennsylvania produced the first of the game's two deadlocks at 5:00 of the second quarter. 这次比赛出现两次平局，在第二个四分之一场的第五分钟宾夕法尼亚州队第一次将比分拉平。

4 deadlock
n.僵局，僵持
参考例句：
The negotiations reached a deadlock after two hours.两小时后，谈判陷入了僵局。 The employers and strikers are at a deadlock over the wage.雇主和罢工者在工资问题上相持不下。

5 logic
n.逻辑(学)；逻辑性
参考例句：
What sort of logic is that?这是什么逻辑？ I don't follow the logic of your argument.我不明白你的论点逻辑性何在。

6 glib
adj.圆滑的，油嘴滑舌的
参考例句：
His glib talk sounds as sweet as a song.他说的比唱的还好听。 The fellow has a very glib tongue.这家伙嘴油得很。

7 presumptuous
adj.胆大妄为的，放肆的，冒昧的，冒失的
参考例句：
It would be presumptuous for anybody to offer such a view.任何人提出这种观点都是太放肆了。 It was presumptuous of him to take charge.他自拿主张，太放肆了。

8 habitual
adj.习惯性的；通常的，惯常的
参考例句：
He is a habitual criminal.他是一个惯犯。 They are habitual visitors to our house.他们是我家的常客。

9 elusive
adj.难以表达(捉摸)的；令人困惑的；逃避的
参考例句：
Try to catch the elusive charm of the original in translation.翻译时设法把握住原文中难以捉摸的风韵。 Interpol have searched all the corners of the earth for the elusive hijackers.国际刑警组织已在世界各地搜查在逃的飞机劫持者。

10 mathematician
n.数学家
参考例句：
The man with his back to the camera is a mathematician.背对着照相机的人是位数学家。 The mathematician analyzed his figures again.这位数学家再次分析研究了他的这些数字。

11 polygon
n.多边形；多角形
参考例句：
A polygon with ten sides is a decagon.十条边的形状叫十边形。 He conceived the first proof that the 17-sided polygon is constructible.他构思了17边形可以作图的第一个证明。

12 essentially
adv.本质上，实质上，基本上
参考例句：
Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。 She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

13 disabuse
v.解惑；矫正
参考例句：
Let me disabuse of that foolish prejudices.让我消除那个愚蠢的偏见。 If you think I'm going to lend you money,I must disabuse you of that wrong idea.你若认为我会借钱给你，我倒要劝你打消那念头。

14 superstition
n.迷信，迷信行为
参考例句：
It's a common superstition that black cats are unlucky.认为黑猫不吉祥是一种很普遍的迷信。 Superstition results from ignorance.迷信产生于无知。

15 binding
有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的
参考例句：
The contract was not signed and has no binding force. 合同没有签署因而没有约束力。 Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding. 双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

16 quotation
n.引文，引语，语录；报价，牌价，行情
参考例句：
He finished his speech with a quotation from Shakespeare.他讲话结束时引用了莎士比亚的语录。 The quotation is omitted here.此处引文从略。

17 jot
n.少量；vi.草草记下；vt.匆匆写下
参考例句：
I'll jot down their address before I forget it.我得赶快把他们的地址写下来，免得忘了。 There is not a jot of evidence to say it does them any good.没有丝毫的证据显示这对他们有任何好处。

18 futility
n.无用
参考例句：
She could see the utter futility of trying to protest. 她明白抗议是完全无用的。 The sheer futility of it all exasperates her. 它毫无用处，这让她很生气。

19 attain
vt.达到，获得，完成
参考例句：
I used the scientific method to attain this end. 我用科学的方法来达到这一目的。 His painstaking to attain his goal in life is praiseworthy. 他为实现人生目标所下的苦功是值得称赞的。

20 investigator
n.研究者，调查者，审查者
参考例句：
He was a special investigator for the FBI.他是联邦调查局的特别调查员。 The investigator was able to deduce the crime and find the criminal.调查者能够推出犯罪过程并锁定罪犯。

21 valid
adj.有确实根据的；有效的；正当的，合法的
参考例句：
His claim to own the house is valid.他主张对此屋的所有权有效。 Do you have valid reasons for your absence?你的缺席有正当理由吗？

22 solely
adv.仅仅，唯一地
参考例句：
Success should not be measured solely by educational achievement.成功与否不应只用学业成绩来衡量。 The town depends almost solely on the tourist trade.这座城市几乎完全靠旅游业维持。

23 superstitious
adj.迷信的
参考例句：
They aim to deliver the people who are in bondage to superstitious belief.他们的目的在于解脱那些受迷信束缚的人。 These superstitious practices should be abolished as soon as possible.这些迷信做法应尽早取消。

24 overdone
v.做得过分( overdo的过去分词 )；太夸张；把…煮得太久；（工作等）过度
参考例句：
The lust of men must not be overdone. 人们的欲望不该过分。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 The joke is overdone. 玩笑开得过火。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

25 allege
vt.宣称，申述，主张，断言
参考例句：
The newspaper reporters allege that the man was murdered but they have given no proof.新闻记者们宣称这个男人是被谋杀的，但他们没提出证据。 Students occasionally allege illness as the reason for absence.学生时不时会称病缺课。

26 gist
n.要旨；梗概
参考例句：
Can you give me the gist of this report?你能告诉我这个报告的要点吗？ He is quick in grasping the gist of a book.他敏于了解书的要点。

27 pretension
n.要求；自命，自称；自负
参考例句：
I make no pretension to skill as an artist,but I enjoy painting.我并不自命有画家的技巧，但我喜欢绘画。 His action is a satire on his boastful pretension.他的行动是对他自我卖弄的一个讽刺。

28 correlations
相互的关系( correlation的名词复数 )
参考例句：
One would expect strong and positive correlations between both complexes. 人们往往以为这两个综合体之间有紧密的正相关。 The correlations are of unequal value. 这些对应联系的价值并不相同。

29 subjective
a.主观(上)的，个人的
参考例句：
The way they interpreted their past was highly subjective. 他们解释其过去的方式太主观。 A literary critic should not be too subjective in his approach. 文学评论家的看法不应太主观。

30 bias
n.偏见，偏心，偏袒；vt.使有偏见
参考例句：
They are accusing the teacher of political bias in his marking.他们在指控那名教师打分数有政治偏见。 He had a bias toward the plan.他对这项计划有偏见。

31 withdrawn
vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出
参考例句：
Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。 All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。

32 forth
adv.向前；向外，往外
参考例句：
The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。 He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

33 noted
adj.著名的，知名的
参考例句：
The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。 Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

34 infinitely
adv.无限地，无穷地
参考例句：
There is an infinitely bright future ahead of us.我们有无限光明的前途。 The universe is infinitely large.宇宙是无限大的。

35 conspicuous
adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的
参考例句：
It is conspicuous that smoking is harmful to health.很明显，抽烟对健康有害。 Its colouring makes it highly conspicuous.它的色彩使它非常惹人注目。

36 generalizations
一般化( generalization的名词复数 )； 普通化； 归纳； 概论
参考例句：
But Pearlson cautions that the findings are simply generalizations. 但是波尔森提醒人们，这些发现是简单的综合资料。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 大脑与疾病 They were of great service in correcting my jejune generalizations. 他们纠正了我不成熟的泛泛之论，帮了我大忙。

37 generalization
n.普遍性，一般性，概括
参考例句：
This sweeping generalization is the law of conservation of energy.这一透彻的概括就是能量守恒定律。 The evaluation of conduct involves some amount of generalization.对操行的评价会含有一些泛泛之论。

38 dealing
n.经商方法，待人态度
参考例句：
This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。 His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

39 naturalist
n.博物学家(尤指直接观察动植物者)
参考例句：
He was a printer by trade and naturalist by avocation.他从事印刷业，同时是个博物学爱好者。 The naturalist told us many stories about birds.博物学家给我们讲述了许多有关鸟儿的故事。

40 triumphantly
ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地
参考例句：
The lion was roaring triumphantly. 狮子正在发出胜利的吼叫。 Robert was looking at me triumphantly. 罗伯特正得意扬扬地看着我。

41 physicist
n.物理学家，研究物理学的人
参考例句：
He is a physicist of the first rank.他是一流的物理学家。 The successful physicist never puts on airs.这位卓有成就的物理学家从不摆架子。

42 inorganic
adj.无生物的；无机的
参考例句：
The fundamentals of inorganic chemistry are very important.无机化学的基础很重要。 This chemical plant recently bought a large quantity of inorganic salt.这家化工厂又买进了大量的无机盐。

43 invincibly
adv.难战胜地，无敌地
参考例句：
Invincibly, the troops moved forward. 这支军队一路前进，所向披靡。 来自互联网

44 immediate
adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的
参考例句：
His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。 We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

45 converse
vi.谈话，谈天，闲聊；adv.相反的，相反
参考例句：
He can converse in three languages.他可以用3种语言谈话。 I wanted to appear friendly and approachable but I think I gave the converse impression.我想显得友好、平易近人些,却发觉给人的印象恰恰相反。

46 fabric
n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织
参考例句：
The fabric will spot easily.这种织品很容易玷污。 I don't like the pattern on the fabric.我不喜欢那块布料上的图案。

47 concisely
adv.简明地
参考例句：
These equations are written more concisely as a single columnmatrix equation. 这些方程以单列矩阵方程表示会更简单。 来自辞典例句 The fiber morphology can be concisely summarized. 可以对棉纤维的形态结构进行扼要地归纳。 来自辞典例句

48 germinating
n.& adj.发芽（的）v.（使）发芽( germinate的现在分词 )
参考例句：
Glyoxysomes are particularly well known in germinating fatly seeds. 人们已经知道，萌发的含油种子中有乙醛酸循环体。 来自辞典例句 Modern, industrial society, slowly germinating in the shadow of medievalism, burst the bonds of feudalism. 现代工业社会缓慢地在中世纪精神的阴影下孕育成长着，终于挣脱了封建制度的枷锁。 来自辞典例句

49 entirely
ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地
参考例句：
The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。 His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

50 analogous
adj.相似的；类似的
参考例句：
The two situations are roughly analogous.两种情況大致相似。 The company is in a position closely analogous to that of its main rival.该公司与主要竞争对手的处境极为相似。

51 memoirs
n.回忆录；回忆录传( mem,自oir的名词复数)
参考例句：
Her memoirs were ghostwritten. 她的回忆录是由别人代写的。 I watched a trailer for the screenplay of his memoirs. 我看过以他的回忆录改编成电影的预告片。 来自《简明英汉词典》

52 attainment
n.达到，到达；［常pl.］成就，造诣
参考例句：
We congratulated her upon her attainment to so great an age.我们祝贺她高寿。 The attainment of the success is not easy.成功的取得并不容易。

53 emphatic
adj.强调的，着重的；无可置疑的，明显的
参考例句：
Their reply was too emphatic for anyone to doubt them.他们的回答很坚决，不容有任何人怀疑。 He was emphatic about the importance of being punctual.他强调严守时间的重要性。

54 doctrine
n.教义；主义；学说
参考例句：
He was impelled to proclaim his doctrine.他不得不宣扬他的教义。 The council met to consider changes to doctrine.宗教议会开会考虑更改教义。

55 texture
n.(织物)质地；(材料)构造；结构；肌理
参考例句：
We could feel the smooth texture of silk.我们能感觉出丝绸的光滑质地。 Her skin has a fine texture.她的皮肤细腻。

56 evolutionary
adj.进化的；演化的，演变的；[生]进化论的
参考例句：
Life has its own evolutionary process.生命有其自身的进化过程。 These are fascinating questions to be resolved by the evolutionary studies of plants.这些十分吸引人的问题将在研究植物进化过程中得以解决。

57 begotten
v.为…之生父( beget的过去分词 )；产生，引起
参考例句：
The fact that he had begotten a child made him vain. 想起自己也生过孩子，他得意了。 来自辞典例句 In due course she bore the son begotten on her by Thyestes. 过了一定的时候，她生下了堤厄斯式斯使她怀上的儿子。 来自辞典例句

58 contention
n.争论，争辩，论战；论点，主张
参考例句：
The pay increase is the key point of contention. 加薪是争论的焦点。 The real bone of contention,as you know,is money.你知道，争论的真正焦点是钱的问题。

59 molecular
adj.分子的；克分子的
参考例句：
The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms.这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。 For the pressure to become zero, molecular bombardment must cease.当压强趋近于零时，分子的碰撞就停止了。

60 pointed
adj.尖的，直截了当的
参考例句：
He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。 She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

61 economists
n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。 Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

62 fiscal
adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的
参考例句：
The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。 The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

63 controversy
n.争论，辩论，争吵
参考例句：
That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。 We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

64 transparent
adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的
参考例句：
The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。 The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

65 isolate
vt.使孤立，隔离
参考例句：
Do not isolate yourself from others.不要把自己孤立起来。 We should never isolate ourselves from the masses.我们永远不能脱离群众。

66 alleged
a.被指控的，嫌疑的
参考例句：
It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。 alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

67 specimen
n.样本，标本
参考例句：
You'll need tweezers to hold up the specimen.你要用镊子来夹这标本。 This specimen is richly variegated in colour.这件标本上有很多颜色。

68 anthropology
n.人类学
参考例句：
I believe he has started reading up anthropology.我相信他已开始深入研究人类学。 Social anthropology is centrally concerned with the diversity of culture.社会人类学主要关于文化多样性。

69 relics
[pl.］n.遗物，遗迹，遗产；遗体，尸骸
参考例句：
The area is a treasure house of archaeological relics. 这个地区是古文物遗迹的宝库。 Xi'an is an ancient city full of treasures and saintly relics. 西安是一个有很多宝藏和神圣的遗物的古老城市。

70 motives
n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 )
参考例句：
to impeach sb's motives 怀疑某人的动机 His motives are unclear. 他的用意不明。