内容概述
大天文学家、数学家和数命专家开普勒（Johannes Kepler，1571–1630）为柏拉图五种正多面体与四元素的关联提出了独特解释。他凭直觉假定：正四面体表面所包围的体积最小、最干，因而代表火；正二十面体所包围的体积最大、最湿，代表水；立方体四角立于同一平面最稳定，代表土；正八面体用食指和拇指捏住两相对顶点时极易旋转，具有空气般的不稳定性，代表气；正十二面体因有 12 个面，与黄道 12 宫相符，故关联着整个宇宙。
中文正文
后来，大天文学家、数学家和数命专家开普勒（Johannes Kepler，1571～1630）为 5 种柏拉图体的蒂迈欧关联提出了独特的解释。关于那些规则固体，他凭直觉假定，正 4 面体表面包容了最小的体积，而正 20 面体包容了最大的体积。这些体积与表面的关系，分别是干和湿的属性。因为火是四种“元素”里最干的，而水是最湿的，所以正 4 面体一定代表着火，正 20 面体代表着水。立方体代表土是因为立方体的四角都立在它的一个四方面上，具有最大的稳定性。另一方面，用食指和拇指拿住正 8 面体的两个相对的顶点，很容易让它旋转，因而有着空气般的不稳定性。最后，正 12 面体关联着宇宙，因为它有 12 面而黄道有 12 宫。
英文正文
62° Kepler's explanation of the Timaeus associations. Johannes Kepler, master astronomer, mathematician, and numerologist of later times (1571–1630), gave an ingenious explanation of the Timaeus associations of the five Platonic solids. Of the regular solids, he intuitively assumed that the tetrahedron encloses the smallest volume for its surface, while the icosahedron encloses the largest. Now these volume-surface relations are qualities of dryness and wetness, respectively, and since fire is the driest of the four “elements” and water the wettest, the tetrahedron must represent fire and the icosahedron water. The cube is associated with earth since the cube, resting foursquarely on one of its square faces, has the greatest stability. On the other hand, the octahedron, held lightly by two of its opposite vertices between a forefinger and thumb, easily spins and has the instability of air. Finally, the dodecahedron is associated with the universe because the dodecahedron has twelve faces and the zodiac has twelve signs.
英语学习拓展
常用词汇
tetrahedron音标/ˌtetrəˈhiːdrən/
四面体。
原文用法：the tetrahedron encloses the smallest volume for its surface
icosahedron音标/ˌaɪkɒsəˈhiːdrən/
二十面体。
原文用法：the icosahedron encloses the largest
dodecahedron音标/ˌdəʊdekəˈhiːdrən/
十二面体。
原文用法：the dodecahedron is associated with the universe
octahedron音标/ˌɒktəˈhiːdrən/
八面体。
原文用法：the octahedron, held lightly by two of its opposite vertices
cube音标/kjuːb/
立方体。
原文用法：The cube is associated with earth
intuitively音标/ɪnˈtjuːɪtɪvli/
直觉地。
原文用法：he intuitively assumed that the tetrahedron encloses the smallest volume
ingenious音标/ɪnˈdʒiːniəs/
巧妙的；独到的。
原文用法：gave an ingenious explanation of the Timaeus associations
stability音标/stəˈbɪlɪti/
稳定性。
原文用法：has the greatest stability
instability音标/ˌɪnstəˈbɪlɪti/
不稳定性。
原文用法：has the instability of air
associations音标/əˌsəʊʃiˈeɪʃnz/
关联；联系（复数）。
原文用法：the Timaeus associations of the five Platonic solids
同义词与近义词
对应核心词汇：tetrahedron
对应核心词汇：tetrahedron。
辨析：triangular pyramid 是日常描述，tetrahedron 是几何术语。
对应核心词汇：associations
对应核心词汇：associations。
辨析：associations 强调意义上的联系，relations 强调逻辑或数量关系；故事中 volume-surface relations 与 Timaeus associations 并用。
常用短语与固定搭配
- be associated with：与……相关联。原文用法：The cube is associated with earth
- on the other hand：另一方面。原文用法：On the other hand, the octahedron...
- volume-surface relation：体积—表面积关系。原文用法：these volume-surface relations are qualities of dryness and wetness
常用句式
- S is associated with O because ...：某物与某物相关联，原因是……。原文例句：The dodecahedron is associated with the universe because the dodecahedron has twelve faces and the zodiac has twelve signs.
长难句解析
Now these volume-surface relations are qualities of dryness and wetness, respectively, and since fire is the driest of the four “elements” and water the wettest, the tetrahedron must represent fire and the icosahedron water.
- 主干：these volume-surface relations are qualities of dryness and wetness。
- 修饰与从句：respectively 说明对应关系；since 引导原因状语从句，其中 fire is the driest... and water the wettest 并列；主句中 the tetrahedron must represent fire 与 the icosahedron water 并列，后一分句省略了 must represent。
- 逻辑关系：先说明体积—表面积关系对应干湿属性，再用原因从句推出四面体代表火、二十面体代表水。
语言使用特点
- 文中用 must represent 表达基于直觉的必然推断；intuitively assumed 说明结论的直觉来源。
迁移练习
- 用英文写出开普勒把五种正多面体分别与哪些元素/对象联系起来。
- 用 S is associated with O because ... 结构描述正十二面体与宇宙的关联。
点击展开参考答案
- tetrahedron—fire, cube—earth, octahedron—air, icosahedron—water, dodecahedron—universe.
- 示例：The dodecahedron is associated with the universe because it has twelve faces and the zodiac has twelve signs.