In this way I become acquainted with the universal relation.

通过这种方式，我熟悉了普遍关系。

From either of these sources I can abstract the universal relation of before and after, just as I abstracted the universal relation 'being to the left of'.

从这两个来源中的任何一个， 我都可以抽象出前后的普遍关系， 就像我抽象出“在… … 的左边” 这一普遍关系一样。