内容概述
科学家先让 100 只跳蚤依次听到“跳”的指令后跳进右边坛子；随后把跳蚤后腿折断，再喊“跳”，没有一只跳蚤跳。他于是“归纳”出结论：跳蚤后腿被折断后就听不见。故事以荒诞结论讽刺“只看现象、不顾真正因果”的错误归纳。
中文正文
7° 优劣归纳法
一个科学家的实验室的桌面上摆着两个大坛子，左边的坛子装着 100 只跳蚤，右边的坛子是空的。科学家小心地从左边的坛子里取出一只跳蚤，放在两个坛子中间的桌面上，退后一步，然后大喊一声“跳！”跳蚤跳起来，跳进了右边的坛子。接着，科学家又小心地从左边的坛子取出一只跳蚤，放在两个坛子中间的桌面上，退后一步，然后大喊一声“跳！”跳蚤跳起来，跳进了右边的坛子。就这样，科学家把坛子里的 100 只跳蚤都一个个取出来，然后命令它们跳进右边的坛子。然后，科学家交换两个坛子的位置。接下来的实验有一点儿不同了。这回，他小心地从左边的坛子里取出一只跳蚤，折断它的后腿，放在两个坛子中间的桌面上，退后一步，然后大喊一声“跳！”跳蚤没有跳起来。接着，科学家又小心地从左边的坛子里取出一只跳蚤，折断它的后腿，放在两个坛子中间的桌面上，退后一步，然后大喊一声“跳！”跳蚤没有跳起来。就这样，科学家把坛子里的 100 只跳蚤都一个个取出来，但没有一只听他的命令跳起来。于是，科学家在记录本上归纳出如下结论：“如果跳蚤的后腿折了，它就什么也听不见。”
英文正文
7° Good induction versus bad induction. A scientist had two large jars before him on the laboratory table. The jar on his left contained a hundred fleas; the jar on his right was empty. The scientist carefully lifted a flea from the jar on the left, placed the flea on the table between the two jars, stepped back and in a loud voice said, "Jump." The flea jumped and was put in the jar on the right. A second flea was carefully lifted from the jar on the left and placed on the table between the two jars. Again the scientist stepped back and in a loud voice said, "Jump." The flea jumped and was put in the jar on the right. In the same manner, the scientist treated each of the hundred fleas in the jar on the left, and each flea jumped as ordered. The two jars were then interchanged and the experiment continued with a slight difference. This time the scientist carefully lifted a flea from the jar on the left, yanked off its hind legs, placed the flea on the table between the jars, stepped back and in a loud voice said, "Jump." The flea did not jump, and was put in the jar on the right. A second flea was carefully lifted from the jar on the left, its hind legs yanked off, and then placed on the table between the two jars. Again the scientist stepped back and in a loud voice said, "Jump." The flea did not jump, and was put in the jar on the right. In this manner, the scientist treated each of the hundred fleas in the jar on the left, and in no case did a flea jump when ordered. So the scientist recorded in his notebook the following induction: "A flea, if its hind legs are yanked off, cannot hear."
英语学习拓展
常用词汇
induction音标/ɪnˈdʌkʃn/
归纳；归纳法。
原文用法：Good induction versus bad induction.
flea音标/fliː/
跳蚤。
原文用法：The jar on his left contained a hundred fleas.
jar音标/dʒɑː(r)/
坛子；罐子。
原文用法：同上。
laboratory音标/ləˈbɒrətri/
实验室。
原文用法：on the laboratory table.
carefully音标/ˈkeəfəli/
小心地。
原文用法：The scientist carefully lifted a flea…
yank音标/jæŋk/
猛拉；扯下。
原文用法：yanked off its hind legs.
hind音标/haɪnd/
后部的。
原文用法：its hind legs.
interchange音标/ˌɪntəˈtʃeɪndʒ/
交换。
原文用法：The two jars were then interchanged.
in no case音标/ɪn nəʊ keɪs/
绝不；在任何情况下都不。
原文用法：and in no case did a flea jump when ordered.
同义词与近义词
常用短语与固定搭配
- in a loud voice：大声地。原文用法：in a loud voice said, "Jump."
- in the same manner：以同样的方式。原文用法：In the same manner, the scientist treated each of the hundred fleas…
- with a slight difference：有一点不同。原文用法：the experiment continued with a slight difference.
- yank off：扯下。原文用法：yanked off its hind legs.
- in no case：绝不。原文用法：and in no case did a flea jump when ordered.
常用句式
- Pattern: X was/were then … and …：某物接着被……，然后……。原文例句：The two jars were then interchanged and the experiment continued with a slight difference.
- Pattern: In this manner, …：用这种方式，……。原文例句：In this manner, the scientist treated each of the hundred fleas in the jar on the left…
长难句解析
In this manner, the scientist treated each of the hundred fleas in the jar on the left, and in no case did a flea jump when ordered.
- 主干：the scientist treated each of the hundred fleas, and no flea jumped when ordered.
- 修饰与从句：
- In this manner 为方式状语； - in the jar on the left 为介词短语，修饰 fleas； - in no case did a flea jump 为倒装结构，表示强调，正常语序为 a flea did not jump in any case； - when ordered 为省略了主语和 be 动词的时间状语从句，完整形式为 when it was ordered。
- 逻辑关系：先说明实验方式，再以倒装强调结果——没有任何跳蚤按指令跳跃。
语言使用特点
- 大量使用被动语态（was lifted, was placed, was put）突出实验操作的客观性；
- 通过重复结构（Again the scientist stepped back and in a loud voice said, "Jump.") 营造仪式感与讽刺效果；
- 结尾用间接引语给出错误结论，形成黑色幽默。
迁移练习
- 用 “in no case” 改写句子：A broken machine can work properly.
- 用 “with a slight difference” 描述一次你做过的重复实验。
- 翻译：科学家以同样的方式处理了坛子里的每一只跳蚤。
点击展开参考答案
- In no case can a broken machine work properly.
- （示例）I repeated yesterday's experiment with a slight difference: I used warm water instead of cold water.
- In the same manner, the scientist treated every flea in the jar.