(1) In formulating hypotheses, for example, a common error is the uncritical acceptance of apparently common-sense, but untested, assumptions. Thus in the field of psychology it was for many years automatically assumed that the main cause of forgetfulness is the interval of time elapsing between successive exposures to a learning stimulus. (A Course in Basic Scientific English, p. 48)
[原译]例如，在制定假说时，一个常见的错误就是毫无批判地接受表面上看来是常识，但未经验证的假设。因而在心理学这一领域里，多年来人们自然而然地假定遗忘的主要原因就是先后感知学习材料所经历的时间间隔。（中译本）
(2) A somewhat similar error arises from neglect of multiple causes. Thus two events may be found to be associated, e.g. when the incidence of a disease in a smoky industrial sector of a city is significantly higher than in the smoke-free zones. (A Course in Basic Scientific English, p. 48)
[原译]一个稍微相似的错误是由于忽略综合性原因而产生的。因此人们可以发现下列两种情况是有联系的，即某种疾病的发病率在一个城市中烟雾弥漫的工业区比在无烟区要明显高得多。（中译本）
(3) Apart from the misuse of words, mistakes in logic can occur. Thus an example is recorded of a young sociologist, investigating literacy in a certain community, who discovered from the official records that over 50 per cent of the population were females. (A Course in Basic Scientific English, p. 58)
[原译]除了错误的用词,也可能发现逻辑上的错误。为此记录了一个例子:一个年轻的社会学家在调查某一地区的识字人口时,他根据官方记载发现人口50%以上是女的。(中译本)
以上各句的译文均把 thus 译作“因此”或“为此”对吗？
根据句意和上下文,以上各句中的 thus 应当译为“例如”或“比如”(for example, for instance, as an example of what immediately precedes)。下面我们再举一些例句,以便使读者更好地掌握 thus 的这种用法。
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All electrical and magnetic effects must be explained in terms of these charges. Thus, to explain the attraction of rubbed amber for light objects like pieces of paper, it is supposed that some of the electrons from the surface atoms of the amber are transferred to the rubbing agent in the friction process of rubbing. 所有的电效应和磁效应都必须用电荷来解释。例如，为了解释摩擦过的琥珀何以吸引像纸屑这样轻的物体，我们就说琥珀表面原子中的某些电子在摩擦过程中转移到摩擦物体上去了。
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In mathematics a quantity successively multiplied by itself is said to be raised to a power. Thus is 4 raised to the third power. 在数学中, 一个数本身连续相乘就说是乘方。例如, 是 4 的三次乘方。