Is not any so-called list of great thinkers

这种所谓的伟大思想家
or great texts likely to be simply arbitrary

或者巨作清单不会过于独断吗
and tell us more about what such a list excludes than what it includes?

告诉我们的总是未包含比自身内容多吧
Furthermore, it would seem that

更进一步来说
the study of the great books or great thinkers of the past

研究这些巨著或者以前的伟大思想家
can easily degenerate into a kind of antiquarianism,

会轻易地降格为仿古
into a sort of pedantry.

或者是卖弄学问
We find ourselves easily intimidated by a list of famous names

我们会轻易发觉自己被盛名唬住了
and end up not thinking for ourselves.

最终忘记自己思考
Furthermore, doesn't the study of old books, often very old books,

此外研究的这些巨作通常年代久远
risk overlooking the issues facing us today?

难道不会有忽视当今问题的风险吗
What can Aristotle or Hobbes tells us

亚里士多德和霍布斯又能告诉我们什么