The art of invention consists in finding out the causes of known effects.

发明的艺术在于找出已知现象的原因。

As in geometry the most natural way of beginning is from a mathematical point, so is the same method in observations and natural history the most genuine, simple, and instructive.

正如几何学最自然的起点是数学点，在观察和自然历史中采用同样的方法也最真实、简单且富有教益。

The most sublime act is to set another before you.

最崇高的行为是将他人置于自己之前。

The limits of sense are not to be determined by the narrow bounds of our own capacities.

感官的界限不应由我们自身能力的狭隘范围来决定。

Nature is the most subtle artist of all.

大自然是所有艺术家中最精妙的一位。

The light of reason is different from the light of nature.

理性之光不同于自然之光。

It is not unlikely, but that there may be yet invented several other helps for the eye, as much exceeding those already found, as those do the bare eye.

很可能未来会发明出更多辅助视觉的工具，它们超越现有仪器的程度，就像现有仪器超越肉眼一样。

The footsteps of Nature are to be traced, not only in her ordinary course, but when she deviates from it in her most extravagant excursions.

大自然的足迹不仅要在其寻常过程中追寻，还要在她最离奇的偏离中寻找。

The truth is, the science of Nature has been already too long made only a work of the brain and the fancy: It is now high time that it should return to the plainness and soundness of observations on material and obvious things.

事实上，自然科学长期以来只是大脑和想象力的产物：现在是时候回归到对物质和显而易见事物的朴素而健全的观察上了。

By the help of microscopes, there is nothing so small as to escape our inquiry; hence there is a new visible world discovered to the understanding.

借助显微镜的帮助，没有什么小到能逃脱我们的探究；因此，一个新的可见世界向我们的理解力敞开了。