The society which scorns excellence in plumbing because plumbing is a humble activity, and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because philosophy is an exalted activity, will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy. Neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water.
如果一个社会因为铅管是一项卑贱的活动而蔑视铅管的卓越，又因为哲学是一项崇高的活动而容忍哲学的粗鄙，那么这个社会既不会有好的铅管，也不会有好的哲学。它的管道和理论都站不住脚。