"I have a little book much shorter than Aristotle's or Ovid's, in which all the sciences are contained, and over which the most perfect overview can be gained with the least effort; and this is the alphabet. There is no doubt that by connecting this or that vowel with this and that consonant, we can get the most reliable solution to all our doubts, we can gain possession of the teachings of all sciences, the rules of all arts; just as the painter just mixes the various colors that are separately on his palette, he takes a little of this and a little of that, and from these he creates people, plants, buildings, birds, fish, in short, he imitates everything visible, even though his palette has no eyes, feathers, rooftops, leaves or stones.
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Author
Galileo GalileiAll Translations
All Translations
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I have a little book much shorter than Aristotle's or Ovid's, in which all the sciences are contained, and over which the most perfect overview can be gained with the least effort; and this is the alphabet. There is no doubt that by connecting this or that vowel with this and that consonant, we can get the most reliable solution to all our doubts, we can gain possession of the teachings of all sciences, the rules of all arts; just as the painter just mixes the various colors that are separately on his palette, he takes a little of this and a little of that, and from these he creates people, plants, buildings, birds, fish, in short, he imitates everything visible, even though his palette has no eyes, feathers, rooftops, leaves or stones.
""Van egy sokkal rövidebb könyvecském, mint Arisztotelészé vagy Ovidiusé, amelyben minden tudomány benne van, és amely fölött a legcsekélyebb fáradsággal a legtökéletesebb áttekintést lehet nyerni; ez pedig az ábécé. Nem kétséges, hogy ezt vagy azt a magánhangzót ezzel meg azzal a mássalhangzóval összekapcsolva, minden kételyünkre a legmegbízhatóbb döntést kaphatjuk, birtokába juthatunk minden tudomány tanításának, minden művészet szabályának; éppen úgy, ahogy a festő is csak összekeveri a különféle színeket, amelyek külön-külön vannak a palettáján, ebből is vesz egy keveset, amabból is, és ezekből embereket, növényeket, épületeket, madarakat, halakat alkot, röviden, minden láthatót leutánoz, noha palettáján nincsenek szemek, tollak, háztetők, levelek vagy kövek."