这里before是“受某人审判”的意思,如brought before the judge = 过堂,受审.
Think of Galileo's 17th century trial for his rebelling belief before the catholic church or poet William Blake's harsh remarks against the mechanistic worldview of Isaac Newton.
想想17世纪教会对伽利略离经叛道思想的审判,或者诗人威廉-布莱克对牛顿机械主义世界观的尖刻评论.