内容概述
本故事讲述泰勒斯作为天文学家的两个传说：一是他预言了公元前 585 年 5 月 28 日的日全食（或偏食），这次日食使正在交战的米堤亚人和吕底亚人停止战斗并缔结和平；二是他建议水手根据小熊星座而非大熊星座来辨别航向。作者同时指出，精确预言日食所需的天文与数学能力远超泰勒斯时代，即使只预言年份和大致地区也已值得称赞。
中文正文
33° 天文学家泰勒斯
还有一个故事，在今天看来也很可疑。故事说泰勒斯预言了发生在公元前 585 年 5 月 28 日的日全食（或偏食）。一个说法是，那天，米堤亚人（Medes）和吕底亚人（Lydians）还在打仗——他们已经打了六年。士兵们突然发现他们是在越来越黑的天空下战斗。太阳在消失，恐怖笼罩下的军队停战了，和平来到了。后来，两个统治家族的联姻又给和平加了保证。
精确预言日食的时间和地点所需要的数学策略远远超越了泰勒斯的时代。在那个年代，即使只预言日食发生的年月和大概地区，就是值得夸耀的成就了。
与天文学有关的另一个故事说，泰勒斯建议水手根据小熊星座的指引来把握航向，而不要跟随大熊星座。
英文正文
33° Thales, the astronomer. There is another story, also doubted today, that Thales predicted the total, or nearly total, eclipse of the sun that took place on May 28, 585 B.C. According to one version of the story, on that day the Medes and Lydians were locked in a battle during the sixth year of a stubborn war. The soldiers suddenly found themselves fighting in growing darkness. Terrified by the vanishing of the sun, the warring hosts quit the fight. A peace was concluded and later sealed by a double marriage between their respective reigning families.
A precise prediction of the time and locality of an eclipse of the sun requires a mathematical finesse far beyond what was possible in Thales' time. To have predicted just the year and the rough quarter of the globe of such an occurrence would have been a praiseworthy accomplishment in those days.
Also in connection with astronomy, it is said that Thales advised mariners to steer by the Little Bear rather than the Great Bear.
英语学习拓展
常用词汇
eclipse音标/ɪˈklɪps/
日食；月食。
原文用法：predicted the total, or nearly total, eclipse of the sun.
locality音标/ləʊˈkæləti/
地点；位置。
原文用法：the time and locality of an eclipse.
finesse音标/fɪˈnes/
技巧；精妙。
原文用法：requires a mathematical finesse far beyond…
praiseworthy音标/ˈpreɪzwɜːði/
值得称赞的。
原文用法：a praiseworthy accomplishment.
mariner音标/ˈmærɪnə(r)/
水手；海员。
原文用法：Thales advised mariners…
steer音标/stɪə(r)/
驾驶；掌舵；把握方向。
原文用法：steer by the Little Bear.
vanish音标/ˈvænɪʃ/
消失。
原文用法：Terrified by the vanishing of the sun…
host音标/həʊst/
军队；大军。
原文用法：the warring hosts quit the fight.
stubborn音标/ˈstʌbən/
顽固的；持久的。
原文用法：during the sixth year of a stubborn war.
respective音标/rɪˈspektɪv/
各自的。
原文用法：their respective reigning families.
同义词与近义词
对应核心词汇：eclipse
对应核心词汇：eclipse。
辨析：eclipse 泛指天体被遮挡变暗；occultation 更专业，指一个天体被另一个遮挡。
对应核心词汇：locality
对应核心词汇：locality。
辨析：locality 较正式，常指某事件发生的地点；location 泛指位置；place 最通用。
对应核心词汇：steer
对应核心词汇：steer。
辨析：steer 指控制方向；navigate 指规划并执行航线；pilot 指驾驶船只或飞机。
常用短语与固定搭配
- predict the eclipse：预言日食。原文用法：predicted the total, or nearly total, eclipse of the sun.
- take place：发生。原文用法：that took place on May 28, 585 B.C.
- be locked in a battle：陷入战斗。原文用法：the Medes and Lydians were locked in a battle…
- find oneself doing：发现自己正在……。原文用法：The soldiers suddenly found themselves fighting in growing darkness.
- quit the fight：停止战斗。原文用法：the warring hosts quit the fight.
- seal a peace：巩固和平。原文用法：A peace was concluded and later sealed by a double marriage…
- far beyond：远远超过。原文用法：far beyond what was possible in Thales' time.
- in connection with：与……有关。原文用法：Also in connection with astronomy…
- steer by：依靠……导航。原文用法：steer by the Little Bear.
常用句式
- Pattern: There is another story, also doubted today, that …：还有一个今天也被质疑的故事，说……。原文例句：There is another story, also doubted today, that Thales predicted the total… eclipse of the sun.
- Pattern: … requires a … far beyond what was possible in …’s time：……所需的能力远超……时代所能达到的水平。原文例句：A precise prediction … requires a mathematical finesse far beyond what was possible in Thales' time.
- Pattern: To have predicted … would have been …：即使只预测……也会是……。原文例句：To have predicted just the year and the rough quarter of the globe of such an occurrence would have been a praiseworthy accomplishment in those days.
长难句解析
A precise prediction of the time and locality of an eclipse of the sun requires a mathematical finesse far beyond what was possible in Thales' time.
- 主干：A precise prediction requires a mathematical finesse.
- 修饰与从句：
- of the time and locality of an eclipse of the sun 为介词短语，修饰 prediction，说明预测的对象； - far beyond what was possible in Thales' time 为介词短语，修饰 finesse，其中 what was possible in Thales' time 为宾语从句。
- 逻辑关系：句子强调精确日食预测对数学技巧的极高要求，暗示古代传说可能夸大了泰勒斯的能力。
语言使用特点
- 使用正式名词和抽象表达（如 locality, finesse, praiseworthy accomplishment）；
- 用 also doubted today 表达对古代传说的现代质疑；
- 不定式完成式 To have predicted… would have been… 用于对过去情况的假设评价。
迁移练习
- 用 “There is another story, also doubted today, that …” 介绍一个被质疑的历史传说。
- 解释 “far beyond what was possible in Thales' time” 的含义。
- 翻译：精确预测日食的时间和地点，需要远超泰勒斯时代所能达到的数学技巧。
- 用 “To have predicted … would have been …” 评价古代某项成就。
点击展开参考答案
- （示例）There is another story, also doubted today, that Pythagoras sacrificed a hundred oxen to celebrate his theorem.
- （示例）It means the mathematical skill needed was much greater than anything people in Thales' time could actually do.
- A precise prediction of the time and locality of an eclipse of the sun requires a mathematical finesse far beyond what was possible in Thales' time.
- （示例）To have built the Great Pyramid would have been an extraordinary achievement for any ancient civilization.