内容概述
据普卢塔克（约46–102）在《马塞卢斯传》中记载，阿基米德曾豪言只要给他一个立足点，就能移动地球。叙拉古国王希罗听了很惊讶，就让他现场证明，让阿基米德去把一艘停在码头岸边、满载乘客、靠众人都难以拉动的大船拉下水。只见这位大数学家和物理学家安逸地坐在海滩的椅子上，仅凭一只手操纵复杂的滑轮装置，就毫不费力地将大船推进了大海，令国王与观众们目瞪口呆。
中文正文
普卢塔克（Plutarch，约 46~102）在《马塞卢斯传》（Life of Marcellus）里说，阿基米德曾宣扬，假如有一个立足点，那么他能移动地球。叙拉古的希罗（Hiero）王听了很惊讶，就真叫阿基米德去移动一些大东西来证明他的宣言。他让阿基米德把一只大船拉下水。船停在码头岸边，船站满人，没有大队人马齐心协力是不可能把船拉动的。令大王和观众们目瞪口呆的是，我们的大数学家和物理学家却安逸地坐在海滩的椅子上，他通过复杂的滑轮装置，只用一只手就毫不费力地把船推进了大海。
英文正文
It is narrated by Plutarch (ca. A.D. 46–120), in his Life of Marcellus, that Archimedes once boasted that if he had a place to stand on he could move the earth. King Hiero of Syracuse was struck with amazement at this statement and asked Archimedes to make good his boast by actually moving some enormous weight. Accordingly a ship, which could not be drawn out of dry dock without the combined labor of a large contingent of men, was loaded with many passengers and a full freight, and Archimedes was asked to move the ship into the water. Seated comfortably in a chair on the beach, the great mathematician and physicist astonished the King and the spectators by effortlessly and singlehandedly causing the ship, by means of a compound pulley arrangement, to slip easily into the sea.
英语学习拓展
常用词汇
narrated音标/ˈnæreɪtɪd/
讲述（narrate 的过去式/过去分词）。
原文用法：It is narrated by Plutarch ...
boasted音标/ˈbəʊstɪd/
夸口（boast 的过去式）。
原文用法：Archimedes once boasted that...
amazement音标/əˈmeɪzmənt/
惊异；惊叹。
原文用法：was struck with amazement at this statement
enormous音标/ɪˈnɔːməs/
巨大的。
原文用法：moving some enormous weight
freight音标/freɪt/
货物；货运。
原文用法：a full freight
Seated音标/ˈsiːtɪd/
就座（seat 的过去式/过去分词）。
原文用法：Seated comfortably in a chair on the beach
spectators音标/spekˈteɪtəz/
观众（spectator 的复数）。
原文用法：astonished the King and the spectators
effortlessly音标/ˈefətləsli/
毫不费力地。
原文用法：by effortlessly and singlehandedly causing the ship
singlehandedly音标/ˌsɪŋɡəlˈhændɪdli/
独自地；单枪匹马地。
原文用法：effortlessly and singlehandedly causing the ship
compound音标/ˈkɒmpaʊnd/
复合的。
原文用法：a compound pulley arrangement
pulley音标/ˈpʊli/
滑轮。
原文用法：a compound pulley arrangement
同义词与近义词
对应核心词汇：amazement
对应核心词汇：amazement。
辨析：amazement 与 astonishment 接近"极度惊讶"；surprise 是一般性的"意外"。
对应核心词汇：boast。
辨析：boast 可指自夸或夸耀，含义较宽；brag 偏贬义（吹嘘）；claim 偏中性（声称）。
对应核心词汇：singlehandedly
对应核心词汇：singlehandedly。
辨析：singlehandedly 强调"单手/单枪匹马"；alone 仅"独自"；unaided "无援助地"。
常用短语与固定搭配
- make good (one's boast)：兑现（豪言/承诺）。原文用法：asked Archimedes to make good his boast by actually moving some enormous weight
- struck with amazement：大吃一惊。原文用法：was struck with amazement at this statement
- dry dock：干船坞。原文用法：drawn out of dry dock
- compound pulley arrangement：复合滑轮装置。原文用法：by means of a compound pulley arrangement
- by means of：通过；借助于。原文用法：by means of a compound pulley arrangement
常用句式
- It is narrated by + 人 + (in + 作品) + that + 从句：据某人（在某书中）所述……。原文例句：It is narrated by Plutarch (ca. A.D. 46–120), in his Life of Marcellus, that Archimedes once boasted that if he had a place to stand on he could move the earth.
- Seated + 地点状语, 主语 + 谓语 ...：坐在某地，（某人）……。原文例句：Seated comfortably in a chair on the beach, the great mathematician and physicist astonished the King and the spectators by effortlessly and singlehandedly causing the ship...
长难句解析
It is narrated by Plutarch (ca. A.D. 46–120), in his Life of Marcellus, that Archimedes once boasted that if he had a place to stand on he could move the earth.
- 主干：It is narrated (by Plutarch) that Archimedes once boasted that...。主句用形式主语 It，真正主语为第一个 that 引导的主语从句；该从句中 Archimedes once boasted 后接第二个 that 引导的宾语从句。
- 修饰与从句：in his Life of Marcellus 介词短语作状语修饰 narrated；宾语从句中嵌套 if 条件状语从句 if he had a place to stand on。
- 逻辑关系：层层嵌套的 that 从句用以忠实转述普卢塔克《马塞卢斯传》中的记载；if 条件从句点明阿基米德"给我一个立足点"的豪言前提。
语言使用特点
- 学术叙事多用被动语态 It is narrated by ...，以增强客观性。
- 大量使用非限制性定语从句（which could not be drawn out of dry dock without the combined labor of a large contingent of men）和过去分词作状语（Seated comfortably ...），承载丰富细节。
- 复合名词 compound pulley arrangement、a full freight 等体现正式书面语风格。
迁移练习
- 用 "It is narrated by + 人 + that + 从句" 翻译："据司马迁（约前145–前86）在《史记·秦始皇本纪》中记载，秦始皇曾宣称自己德兼三皇、功过五帝。"
- 用 "make good + 名词" 翻译："他夸下海口说要打破世界纪录，于是我们让他兑现诺言，亲手举起那箱杠铃。"
点击展开参考答案
- It is narrated by Sima Qian (ca. 145–86 B.C.), in his Records of the Grand Historian: Annals of Qin Shi Huang, that Qin Shi Huang once claimed that his virtue matched that of the Three Sovereigns and his deeds surpassed those of the Five Emperors.
- He made a boast that he would break the world record, so we asked him to make good his boast by lifting the barbell with his own hands.