that is, a history of constant progress.

即将历史视为持续不断的进程
And it's reinforced if our history of science

如果科学史只研究那些最终胜利的理论
deals and examines exclusively the ideas that finally triumph,

这种方法论的可信性会被增强
so that we study only a constant progress,

因此我们只讨论连续的发展
the march from one great idea to the next.

从一个伟大的理论跨入下一个理论
Another possible danger and pitfall is what's called presentism,

另一个可能存在的错误是当下存在原理
which I might define as the rather smug view

我认为这是一种很自以为是的观点
that science all along has been striving,

因为科学用接近于拉马克式的态度
almost in Lamarckian manner, to make the benighted people of the past

努力使那些曾经蒙昧无知的人
finally emerge as smart as we are,

最终表现得像我们一样聪明
and we get to look back condescendingly

这种观点使人可以居高临下地
on the thinkers of past centuries,

审视那些古代思想家