Positivism is a kind of philosophy that says: only trust what you can test. If you can measure it, show it in a lab, or prove it with facts, it counts. Ideas you cannot test — God, the soul, what is good — are set aside, or treated as not the business of knowledge.

Positivism is a kind of philosophy that sayspositivism是一種哲學，它主張 only trust what you can test只相信能夠被驗證的東西 If you can measure it, show it in a lab, or prove it with facts如果你能量出來、能在實驗室裡展示，或是能用事實證明 it counts那就算數 Ideas you cannot test沒辦法驗證的想法 God, the soul, what is good像是神、靈魂、什麼是善 are set aside, or treated as not the business of knowledge就會被擱在一邊，或被當成不屬於知識該管的事

A French thinker, Auguste Comte, gave the school its name in the nineteenth century.

A French thinker, Auguste Comte一位法國思想家孔德（Auguste Comte） gave the school its name為這個學派取了名字 in the nineteenth century在十九世紀的時候

Though actually, people now use the word more loosely. A scientist who waves away anything that will not fit in a spreadsheet may be called a positivist, even if they have never read a page of Comte.

Though actually不過其實 people now use the word more loosely現在人們用這個字比較寬鬆 A scientist who waves away anything that will not fit in a spreadsheet一個把任何放不進表格的東西都揮手打發掉的科學家 may be called a positivist可能就會被叫做positivist even if they have never read a page of Comte就算他從沒讀過孔德的任何一頁

In universities it is a serious label. In ordinary talk it can sound dry, even a little cold, as if feelings did not matter.

In universities在大學裡 it is a serious label這是一個很正式的標籤 In ordinary talk但在日常對話裡 it can sound dry, even a little cold這個字聽起來會有點乾巴巴，甚至有點冷淡 as if feelings did not matter好像感覺根本不重要一樣

And it has nothing to do with being positive meaning cheerful — that is the trap almost every learner steps in.

And it has nothing to do with而且這個字跟……一點關係都沒有 being positive meaning cheerfulpositive指「開朗、正向」的那個意思 that is the trap almost every learner steps in那正是幾乎每個學英文的人都會踩到的陷阱