上句见：Day69
The Story of Philosophy的第70句：第1章Plato第1节The Context of Plato第5段第2句：

Traditions and dogmas rub one another down to a minimum in such centers of varied intercourse; where there are a thousand faiths we are apt to become skeptical of them all. Probably the traders were the first sceptic; they had seen too much to believe too much; and the general disposition of merchants to classify all men as either fools or knaves inclined them to question every creed. Gradually, too, they were developing science; mathematics grew with the increasing audacity of navigation. The growth of wealth brought the leisure and security which are the prerequisite of research and speculation; men now asked the stars not only for guidance on the seas but as well for an answer to the riddles of the universe; the first Greek philosophers were astronomers. “Proud of their achievement,” says Aristotle, “men pushed farther afield after the Persian wars; they took all knowledge for their province, and sought ever wider studies.” Men grew bold enough to attempt natural explanations of processes and events before attributed to supernatural agencies and powers; magic and ritual slowly gave way to science and control; and philosophy began.
浙江大学版本：或许，往来各地的生意人是第一批批判者，他们见多识广所以不轻信任何事情，而商人的秉性使他们不是将人划分为傻瓜便是划分为无赖，这自然也使他们质疑每一种所谓的信条。

解析

这句出于对商人的观察，认为由于他们经常与各类人打交道，更易发展出批判性。主要应上句中的“skeptical”继续讲，商人天生就是怀疑论者，不轻易相信，喜欢将人分类，倾向质疑教条。
1、Probably the traders were the first sceptic这句话开头接Skeptical，也许商人是最早的怀疑论者。“Probably”这个词表示下面观点不是绝对的，这仅是作者个人观点。这种不把观点写死的作法可以圈住更多的读者。

2、they had seen too much to believe too much前面论述的原因：他们见过太多了。

3、and the general disposition of merchants to classify all men as either fools or knaves商人的普遍秉性：爱将人归到傻子或骗子。
disposition：the usual attitude or mood of a person or animal个性，秉性
Hence the importance of cultivating a good disposition.因此培养良好的性格非常重要。
knaves：a dishonest man
It is, of course, un-American to think in terms of fools and knaves.当然，用傻子、骗子这样的字眼来对幸福进行思考是不合美国人的习惯的。

4、inclined them to question every creed商人的秉性使他们质疑每种信仰。
incline：formal : to cause (someone) to want to do something or to be likely to do something
That inclines us to act generously in the future, and brings a sense of satisfaction.这样会使我们将来的行为更大度，带给我们满足感。
creed：an idea or set of beliefs that guides the actions of a person or group
This, as it were, has become the American creed, and it is a wonderful and really glorious thing.这可以说，已成为美国人的信条。这是一件美妙而光荣的事情。

也许商人是最早的怀疑论者。他们见多识广以至于不轻信，而商人爱将人不是归到傻子就是归到骗子，这种秉性使他们更质疑每一种信仰。

这段对“怀疑”相关的词出现几乎不重样：从前面的skeptical到这句中的sceptic，too much to believe too much及question.