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PHILOSOPHY & FUN OF ALGEBRA, Chapter 10, The Story of a Working Hypothesis, part 2

Chapter 10, The Story of a Working Hypothesis, part 2

Therefore Jacob was not to be called “the Supplanter” any more: his new name was to be Isra¨l. Jacob's descendants are called Hebrews, and also “thee people of Isra¨l.” Isra¨l was the new name which Jacob got when he turnedee from cheating to a better way of getting on in life. What was that better way? That is our x, our first unknown. What does the word Isra¨l mean? That is our y, our second unknown. I may as well tell youe at once that, so far as I am concerned, y remains unknown. I want you to take notice that I do not know what the word Isra¨l means. But some twenty yearse ago my imagination supplied me with a working hypothesis:–Suppose Israele meant rhythm. Now if I had gone telling people that Israel means rhythm, I should have been contradicted and laughed at and told that I had no proof of what I said and was talking of what I knew nothing about; and whoever said so would have been perfectly right. I should have been cheating myself and getting into bad slipshod habits. What I did was to post up inside my brain as a working hypothesis: “Suppose Isra¨l means rhythm, what would be the consequence of that hypothesis?” Then I read through old books of the Hebrews, putting in my mind the word “rhythm” wherever I found the word “Israel,” and “the people of rhythm” instead of “the people of Israel.” In the stories that are told about Jacob and his grandfather Abraham the angels are represented as telling the two men that if they would obey the angels, not only they themselves would be blessed, but all their descendants would be blessed too, and be made, at last, the means of conferring a great blessing on all the world; Moses warned them that, if they did not obey their own special angels, some special trouble would come to them. My imagination suggested to me that perhaps getting into the swing of rhythmic beats is good for all people, but more good for the people of Israele than for anybody else; and that wandering off into irregular un-rhythmic freaks is more bad for the people of Isra¨l than for anybody else.

Chapter 10, The Story of a Working Hypothesis, part 2 Kapitel 10, Die Geschichte einer Arbeitshypothese, Teil 2 Capítulo 10, La historia de una hipótesis de trabajo, parte 2 Capítulo 10, A história de uma hipótese de trabalho, parte 2

Therefore Jacob was not to be called “the Supplanter” any more: his new name was to be Isra¨l. Portanto, Jacó não deveria mais ser chamado de “o Suplantador”: seu novo nome seria Israel. Jacob's descendants are called Hebrews, and also “thee people of Isra¨l.” Isra¨l was the new name which Jacob got when he turnedee from cheating to a better way of getting on in life. Os descendentes de Jacó são chamados hebreus, e também “o povo de Israel”. Israel foi o novo nome que Jacob recebeu quando passou da trapaça para uma maneira melhor de progredir na vida. What was that better way? Qual era a melhor maneira? That is our x, our first unknown. Esse é o nosso x, nossa primeira incógnita. What does the word Isra¨l mean? O que significa a palavra Israel? That is our y, our second unknown. Esse é o nosso y, nossa segunda incógnita. I may as well tell youe at once that, so far as I am concerned, y remains unknown. Posso também dizer-lhe imediatamente que, no que me diz respeito, y permanece desconhecido. I want you to take notice that I do not know what the word Isra¨l means. Quero que perceba que não sei o que significa a palavra Israel. But some twenty yearse ago my imagination supplied me with a working hypothesis:–Suppose Israele meant rhythm. Mas cerca de vinte anos atrás, minha imaginação me forneceu uma hipótese de trabalho: – Suponha que Israel signifique ritmo. Now if I had gone telling people that Israel means rhythm, I should have been contradicted and laughed at and told that I had no proof of what I said and was talking of what I knew nothing about; and whoever said so would have been perfectly right. Agora, se eu tivesse dito às pessoas que Israel significa ritmo, eu teria sido contradito e rido e dito que não tinha provas do que disse e estava falando do que nada sabia; e quem quer que dissesse isso estaria perfeitamente certo. I should have been cheating myself and getting into bad slipshod habits. Eu deveria estar me enganando e adquirindo maus hábitos desleixados. What I did was to post up inside my brain as a working hypothesis: “Suppose Isra¨l means rhythm, what would be the consequence of that hypothesis?” Then I read through old books of the Hebrews, putting in my mind the word “rhythm” wherever I found the word “Israel,” and “the people of rhythm” instead of “the people of Israel.” In the stories that are told about Jacob and his grandfather Abraham the angels are represented as telling the two men that if they would obey the angels, not only they themselves would be blessed, but all their descendants would be blessed too, and be made, at last, the means of conferring a great blessing on all the world; Moses warned them that, if they did not obey their own special angels, some special trouble would come to them. O que fiz foi postar dentro do meu cérebro como uma hipótese de trabalho: “Suponha que Israel signifique ritmo, qual seria a consequência dessa hipótese?” Então li livros antigos dos hebreus, colocando em minha mente a palavra “ritmo” onde quer que encontrasse a palavra “Israel” e “o povo do ritmo” em vez de “o povo de Israel”. Nas histórias que são contadas sobre Jacó e seu avô Abraão, os anjos são representados como dizendo aos dois homens que, se eles obedecessem aos anjos, não apenas eles próprios seriam abençoados, mas todos os seus descendentes também seriam abençoados e feitos, finalmente, o meio de conferir uma grande bênção a todo o mundo; Moisés os advertiu de que, se não obedecessem a seus próprios anjos especiais, algum problema especial lhes sobreviria. My imagination suggested to me that perhaps getting into the swing of rhythmic beats is good for all people, but more good for the people of Israele than for anybody else; and that wandering off into irregular un-rhythmic freaks is more bad for the people of Isra¨l than for anybody else. Minha imaginação me sugeriu que talvez entrar no ritmo das batidas rítmicas seja bom para todas as pessoas, mas mais bom para o povo de Israel do que para qualquer outro; e que vagar por aberrações irregulares e não rítmicas é mais ruim para o povo de Israel do que para qualquer outra pessoa.