The study of custom can be profitable only after certain preliminary propositions have been accepted, and some of these propositions have been violently opposed.

preliminary ^{adj. coming before a more important action or event, preparatory 开端的，初步的， 预备性的}

• After a few preliminary remarks about the weather, the speaker dove straight into the main topic. ^{在说了几句关于天气的开场白之后，演讲者直接进入了正题。}
• The preliminary experiments showed promising inquiries / experiments / negotiations, but more testing is needed. ^{初步调查 / 实验 / 谈判显示出了令人满意的结果，但仍需进一步测试。}
• She performed exceptionally well in the preliminary contest and moved on to the finals. ^{她在预赛中表现异常出色，顺利晋级决赛。}
• The team must agree on the preliminary propositions before starting the complex analysis.^{团队必须在开始复杂的分析之前就初步命题达成一致。}
• We spent the morning discussing the preliminary propositions that form the basis of the research.^{我们花了一个上午讨论构成研究基础的初步命题。}

proposition ^{n. statement that expresses a judgement or an opinion, assertion 观点，见解，主张}

• The proposition is so clear that it needs no explanation.
• I approve of the proposition that love alone can waken love.
• As a business proposition, it's a non-starter. ^{作为一份商业建议，它不可能取得成功。}

profitable ^{adj.有益的/有利可图的}

• Investing in renewable energy has proven to be a profitable long-term strategy.^{投资可再生能源已被证明是一个有利可图的长期战略。}
• Sharing knowledge and resources makes the collaboration more profitable for everyone involved.^{分享知识和资源使协作对所有参与者更有益。}
• The production of coffee beans is a huge, profitable business. ^{咖啡豆的生产是一项庞大且有利可图的业务。}

In the first place, any scientific study requires that there (should) be no preferential weighting of one or another of the items in the series it selects for its consideration.

in the first place ^{首先/第一点；起初（常用于解释原因或列举理由）}

• In the first place, I’m too busy, and in the second, I don’t really want to go.
• In the first place, we need to secure funding before hiring more staff.^{首先，我们需要在招聘更多员工之前确保资金到位。}
• I should never have taken that job in the first place. ^{我起初（从一开始）就不该接受那份工作。}

preferential ^{adj. of, giving, receiving or showing preference 优先的，给予优先的，得到优先的， 优待的}

• Europe has given Caribbean banana growers preferential treatment for more than 20 years.
• Firstborn sons received preferential treatment. ^{长子们受到了优等待遇。}
• He had promised that the rich and privileged would no longer get preferential treatment. ^{他已承诺富人和特权阶层将不会再得到优待。}

weight ^{vt. [esp passive 尤用於被动语态] plan or organize (sth.) in a way that favours a particular person or group, bias 计划或组织（某事物）使之偏向某人或某集体，使偏袒}

• a law weighted against those owning land ^{对土地持有者不利的法规}
• a law weighted in favour of those owning land ^{对土地持有者偏袒的法规}
• Fair judgment requires that there be no preferential weighting given to personal relationships.^{公正的评判要求不对私人关系给予偏袒性的权重。}

In all the less controversial fields, like the study of cacti or termites or the mature of nebulae, the necessary method of study is to group the relevant material and to take note of all possible variant forms and conditions.

group ^{v. to make sb./sth. form a group 使聚集，汇集}

• The children grouped themselves around their teacher.
• All the multiple choice questions will be grouped together for convenience.
• Categories can be used to group or sort result sets. ^{可以使用目录对结果集进行分组或排序。}

take note of sth. = pay attention to sth. = take notice of sth. ^{注意 …；留意（常指记在脑子里或纸上）}

• People were beginning to take note of her talents as a writer.
• Please take note of the revision to the schedule. ^{请留意时间表的修订。}

variant ^{adj. having or exhibiting variation; differing 相异的，不同的}

• a variant form of the word
• a variant form of oxygen known as ozone
• Test cases are a variant subset of upstream testing. ^{测试用例是上游测试的不同子集。}

variant ^{n. [C] sth. which is slightly different from other similar things 变种，变体}

• There are many colas on the market now, all variants on the original drink.
• There are four variants of malaria, all transmitted to humans by a particular family of mosquitoes.
• It is crucial for field biologists to take note of all possible variant forms and conditions of the local ecosystem.^{对于野外生物学家来说，注意到当地生态系统的所有可能的变异形式和条件至关重要。}

In this way, we have learned all that we know of the laws of astronomy, or of the habits of the social insects, let us say.

(let us) say ^{for example 比如说，例如}

• To see the problem here more clearly, let’s look at a different biological system, (let us) say, an acorn.
• The Americans would happily reach one accord on standards for medical devices and then hammer out different pacts covering, say, electronic goods and drug manufacturing.
• The project will require a large investment, let us say, around ten million dollars.^{这个项目将需要一大笔投资，比如，大约一千万美元。}

It is only in the study of man himself that the major social sciences have substituted the study of one local variation, that of Western civilization.

It is only in the study of man himself that the major social sciences have substituted the study of one local variation, that of Western civilization, (for the study of custom of all human beings).  ^{补全 (substitute A for B)}

substitute A for B ^{用 A 代替 B}

• You can substitute honey for sugar in this recipe. ^{在这份食谱中，你可以用蜂蜜代替白糖。}
• The company has substituted the study of user feedback for reliance on internal assumptions.^{该公司已用用户反馈的研究来代替对内部假设的依赖。}
• You can substitute chicken for beef if you don’t like red meat.