and, indeed, except when blindfold she lacked the ability to perceive things with her skin.

如果不蒙上双眼她的皮肤就不再具有识别物体的能力。这是千真万确的。

The man who, in old age, can see his life in this way,

上了年纪的人这样看待生命，

Men accustomed to struggling for survival against the elements and Indians were bewildered by politicians, bankers and businessmen, and unhorsed by fences, laws and alien taboos.

习惯与大自然和印第安人作斗争以求生存的拓荒者被政客、银行家和商人搞得晕头转向，最后被圈地、尖律我外来的清规戒律所击败。

and near its lower reaches there is a long tailing-off which is almost certainly the result of material transported out to deep water after being eroded from the continental masses.

在这个地带的低处是很长的一段尾沙地段，基本上可以断定这个地段是大陆块体上侵蚀下来的物质被水冲到深水处形成的。

But can we blame those who looked and failed to see what Galileo saw, if we remember that to use a telescope at the limit of its powers calls for long experience and intimate familiarity with one's instrument?

但是，如果我们想到，便用一架倍数有限的望远镜需要长期的经验和对自己仪器的熟悉程度，那么我们怎么能去责备观察了天空但没有看到伽利略所看到的东西的那些人呢？

a trough (the lowest point), a height (the vertical distance from the trough to the crest),

波谷（最低点）、浪高（从波谷到浪峰的垂直距离）