自明之理 meaning in English

axiom
truism

So long as those associations were the only medium through which the subject was looked at , what we now think so gross an absurdity seemed a truism
只要这些联想是考察这一问题的唯一媒介，我们现在认识到的显而易见的谬论就似乎是自明之理。
It is clear that laws and ordinances settle the course of future transactions and not refer to bygone matters , unless their provisions relate expressly both to a past time and matters hitherto pending
法律和法规只规定将来之事物，而不管过去之事项，这乃自明之理；但是法律明确规定于迄今未决之过去事项予以适用者，不在此限。