one of the items or another= on or another of the items
in all the less controversial fields… 在不太令人争论的一些领域
nebulae 星云
all that we know of…
that we know 做all的后置定语
of 做all的后置定语
social insects群居生活的昆虫
let us say = so to speak
major social sciences主要的社会学
substitute替换,替代
that of 作同位语
In all the less controversial fields like the study of cacti or termites or the nature of nebulae, the necessary method of study is to group the relevant material and to take note of all possible variant forms and conditions. 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. 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. 新概念英语Lesson 57
Of Men and Galaxies人和星系
In man's early days, competition with other creatures must have been critical. But this phase of our development is now finished. Indeed, we lack practice and experience nowadays in dealing with primitive conditions. I am sure that, without modern weapons, I would make a very poor show of disputing the ownership of a cave with a bear, and in this I do not think that I stand alone. The last creature to compete with man was the mosquito. But even the mosquito has been subdued by attention to drainage and by chemical sprays.