新概念英语第四册55-04

one of the items or another= on or another of the items

in all the less controversial fields… 在不太令人争论的一些领域

nebulae 星云

all that we know of…

that we know 做all的后置定语

of 做all的后置定语

social insects群居生活的昆虫

let us say = so to speak

major social sciences主要的社会学

substitute替换，替代

that of 作同位语

In all the less controversial fields like the study of cacti or termites or the nature of nebulae, the necessary method of study is to group the relevant material and to take note of all possible variant forms and conditions. In this way we have learned all that we know of the laws of astronomy, or of the habits of the social insects, let us say. It is only in the study of man himself that the major social sciences have substituted the study of one local variation, that of Western civilization.

anthropology 人类学

as long as = if 只要，如果

degree of sophistication = understanding 理解

set over against 与……对比

these institutions 这些习俗

指前面 belief,superstition

Our among the rest 独立主格句

Anthropology was by definition impossible as long as these distinctions between ourselves and the primitive, ourselves and the barbarian, ourselves and the pagan, held sway over people's minds. It was necessary first to arrive at that degree, of sophistication where we no longer set our own belief over against our neighbour's superstition. It was necessary to recognize that these institutions which are based on the same premises, let us say the supernatural, must be considered together, our own among the rest.