内容概述
毕达哥拉斯为了吸引学生，答应给一个贫穷的年轻匠人授课：每掌握一个几何定理，就付给他一块银币。学生发现专心听课一小时能赚比一天劳作还多的钱，于是欣然接受。随着银币增多，他逐渐对学习本身产生了浓厚兴趣，甚至超过对财富的兴趣。最后他主动要求加快进度，并愿意反过来为每个新定理付给老师一块银币。当他学完所有能掌握的几何知识时，老师已经收回了自己付出的全部银币。
中文正文
35° 几何的诱惑
据说，毕达哥拉斯为了赢得学生，曾找来一个身无分文的年轻匠人，自愿教给他几何。为了让穷学生感觉听课很值得，老师答应每掌握一个定理就给他一块银币。这办法很合年轻人的意愿，他发现只要专心听课，一小时挣的钱比他平常劳作一天还多。随着银币多起来，学生不由自主地发现，他对学习的兴趣已经超过了对财富的兴趣。实际上，他已经彻底地被那学科的魔力俘虏了。他请求毕达哥拉斯教得更快一些，而且每学一个新定理，他愿意拿出一个银币。等学生学会了他能把握的所有定理，心满意足的老师也拿回了他所有的银币。
英文正文
35° The lure of geometry. It has been told that Pythagoras, in an effort to secure some students, found an impecunious young artisan and offered to teach him geometry. To make the lessons worth the poor pupil's time, the master agreed to pay him a penny for each geometrical theorem he mastered. This suited the young man well, for he found that by listening attentively he could earn better wages in an hour than in a full day at his usual labor. As his pile of pennies grew, the pupil discovered that in spite of himself he was becoming more interested in his studies than in his increasing wealth. Indeed, so avid did his interest in geometry become and so thoroughly did he fall under the subject's spell, that he begged his teacher to proceed faster, and as an inducement insisted that Pythagoras now accept from him a penny for each new theorem. By the time the pupil absorbed all the geometry he could hold, the gratified teacher had gained back all of his pennies.
英语学习拓展
常用词汇
impecunious音标/ˌɪmpɪˈkjuːniəs/
身无分文的；贫穷的。
原文用法：found an impecunious young artisan.
artisan音标/ˌɑːtɪˈzæn/
工匠；手艺人。
原文用法：同上。
secure音标/sɪˈkjʊə(r)/
获得；争取到。
原文用法：in an effort to secure some students.
master音标/ˈmɑːstə(r)/
老师；师傅。
原文用法：the master agreed to pay him a penny…
pupil音标/ˈpjuːpl/
学生；弟子。
原文用法：the poor pupil's time.
geometrical音标/ˌdʒiːəˈmetrɪkl/
几何的。
原文用法：each geometrical theorem he mastered.
attentively音标/əˈtentɪvli/
专心地；注意地。
原文用法：by listening attentively.
avid音标/ˈævɪd/
热切的；渴望的。
原文用法：so avid did his interest in geometry become…
spell音标/spel/
魔力；魅力。
原文用法：fall under the subject's spell.
inducement音标/ɪnˈdjuːsmənt/
诱因；刺激。
原文用法：as an inducement insisted that…
gratified音标/ˈɡrætɪfaɪd/
感到满意的。
原文用法：the gratified teacher had gained back all of his pennies.
同义词与近义词
对应核心词汇：impecunious
对应核心词汇：impecunious。
辨析：impecunious 为正式书面语；poor 最通用；penniless 强调一分钱也没有。
对应核心词汇：secure
对应核心词汇：secure。
辨析：secure 强调经过努力获得；obtain 较正式；acquire 侧重逐步获得。
对应核心词汇：avid
对应核心词汇：avid。
辨析：avid 强调强烈渴望；eager 指热切期待；keen 指浓厚兴趣。
常用短语与固定搭配
- in an effort to：为了……。原文用法：in an effort to secure some students.
- offer to teach：主动提出教授。原文用法：offered to teach him geometry.
- make … worth …'s time：使……值得花时间。原文用法：To make the lessons worth the poor pupil's time…
- pay … for …：为……付给……报酬。原文用法：pay him a penny for each geometrical theorem.
- suit … well：很适合……。原文用法：This suited the young man well.
- in spite of oneself：不由自主地。原文用法：in spite of himself he was becoming more interested…
- fall under the spell of：被……的魅力征服。原文用法：fall under the subject's spell.
- proceed faster：加快进度。原文用法：begged his teacher to proceed faster.
- by the time：到……时候。原文用法：By the time the pupil absorbed all the geometry he could hold…
- gain back：收回。原文用法：had gained back all of his pennies.
常用句式
- Pattern: It has been told that …：据说……。原文例句：It has been told that Pythagoras, in an effort to secure some students, found an impecunious young artisan…
- Pattern: so … that … 倒装句：如此……以至于……。原文例句：so avid did his interest in geometry become and so thoroughly did he fall under the subject's spell, that he begged his teacher to proceed faster…
- Pattern: By the time …：到……时候。原文例句：By the time the pupil absorbed all the geometry he could hold, the gratified teacher had gained back all of his pennies.
长难句解析
Indeed, so avid did his interest in geometry become and so thoroughly did he fall under the subject's spell, that he begged his teacher to proceed faster, and as an inducement insisted that Pythagoras now accept from him a penny for each new theorem.
- 主干：his interest in geometry became so avid and he fell under the subject's spell so thoroughly that he begged his teacher to proceed faster and insisted that Pythagoras accept a penny from him.
- 修饰与从句：
- so avid did his interest … become 和 so thoroughly did he fall … 为倒装结构，强调程度； - that he begged his teacher to proceed faster 为结果状语从句； - as an inducement 为介词短语，说明 insisted 的目的； - that Pythagoras now accept from him a penny for each new theorem 为宾语从句，作 insisted 的宾语，使用虚拟语气（accept 前省略 should）。
- 逻辑关系：句子描述学生对几何兴趣的急剧升温，以及他为继续学习而愿意反向付费的转折。
语言使用特点
- 使用正式且富有文学色彩的词汇（如 impecunious, artisan, avid, spell, inducement, gratified）；
- so … that … 倒装句增强语气，突出学生兴趣的强烈转变；
- 通过经济表达（penny, wages, pile of pennies, gain back）串联叙事，形成物质与精神的对比。
迁移练习
- 用 “in an effort to” 写一个关于学习或工作的句子。
- 解释 “in spite of himself” 在故事中的含义。
- 翻译：他对几何的兴趣变得如此热切，完全被这门学科的魅力征服了，以至于他请求老师教得更快一些。
- 用 “By the time …” 描述一个学习过程的最终结果。
点击展开参考答案
- （示例）In an effort to improve her English, she listens to podcasts every morning.
- （示例）It means the pupil did not plan or expect to become interested, but he could not help it.
- So avid did his interest in geometry become and so thoroughly did he fall under the subject's spell that he begged his teacher to proceed faster.
- （示例）By the time he finished the course, he had fallen in love with mathematics.