词汇：

1. stature 高度，境界，状况
2. heterodox 不合乎公认的标准的，异端的，异教的
3. tacit 心照不宣
4. refute 反驳
5. adversary 对立面，对手，敌人
6. plausible 善于花言巧语的/辞令的，似乎有理的/有可能的
7. doctrine 教义，学说
8. profess 表示，明言，承认，自称，信奉

难句译注：

1. True gains more even by the errors of one who with due study and preparation, thinks forhimself, then by the true opinions of those who only hold them because they do not sufferthemselves to think.
[参考译文] 真理甚至从一个经过恰当研究和准备进行独立思考的人的错误中获得更多的东西，而从那些只是因为不予思考却持有正确的观点中获得的少（一种经过恰当的研究和准备进行独立思考的人犯的错误，另一种人是不予思考的却持有正确的观点，真理从前者错误中获得的东西比从后者的正确观点中获得的要多）。

2. mental slavery 思想禁锢，精神受奴役状态

3. Never when controversy avoided the subjects which are large and important enough to kindle enthusiasm was the mind of a people stirred up from its foundation and the impulse givenwhich raised even persons of the most ordinary intellect to something of the dignity of thinkingbeings.
[结构简析] 这是一句以Never否定词开头的倒装句，正常的句序应把never放在句中，形成：themind of people was never stirred up from its foundations
[参考译文] 当辩论比开重大课题，重大到足以燃起/激起人们激/热情的课题时，那么一个民族的思想绝不会从天赋的情感和原始的基础上升华，甚至使最普通智力的人上升到优点庄严的思想家水平上。

4. The rational position for her would be suspension of judgement, and unless she contents herselfwith that, she is either led by authority, or adopts, like the generality of the world, the side to whichshe feels the most inclination.
[参考译文] 对她来说理智的立场是停止判断，而且除非她满足于这一点，否则，她不是为权威人物的观点所左右，后者就像世界上芸芸众生一样，倒向她感觉最倾向的一边。

5. That is not the way to do justice to the arguments, or bring them into teal contact with her ownmind.
[结构简析] do justice to 公平对待，适当处理。 Bring……into contact with 　使和……接触／联系。
[参考译文] 这不是对正确观点评价的方法，也不能使自己的思想真正接触到论点的实质。

6. She must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form; she must feel the whole forceof the difficulty which the true view of the subject has to encounter and dispose of; else she willnever really possess herself of the portion of truth which meets and removes that difficulty.
[结构简析] most plausible and persuasive form 很善于辞令和有说服力形式。　　possess oneselfof 获得，据有，把……占为己有。　　them=arguments。　else　　否则的话。

7. Their conclusion may be true, but it might be false for anything they know; they have neverthrown themselves into the mental position of those who think differently form them andconsidered what such persons may have to say; and consequently they do not, in any propersense of the word, know the doctrines which they themselves profess.
[结构简析] throw oneself into…position 设身处地，使自己处于……位置／地点。

写作方法与文章大意：

这是一篇由一般到具体，重要采用正反对比，推理的写作方法的文章，逻辑性强，正反论证，句子结构复杂冗长，分两段给出内容，第一段重点在：伟大的思想家的首要责任是奠定遵循自己智力所得出的结论。由此引起思想家和思想活跃的人民同时代环境的关系。只有思想后月的时期，才有伟大的思想家和活跃的人民，因为他们可以讨论重大主题，而在思想禁锢时期，只能产生个别伟大思想家。第二段具体的论证了独立思考涉及两方面，既如自己一方种种，也得知对手的一方种种（内容，推理，论点），才能真正获得真理。