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On Target With Sagittarius 瞄准射手座

 

课文朗读

 

课文讲解

 

繁體中文譯本

 

Alice brings up her nephew, Sam, with her husband Barry, a psychology professor, while looking at the stars from their balcony:   艾莉丝和她当心理学教授的丈夫贝瑞在阳台看着天空的星星，提到了侄子山姆：

 

A: Sam’s such a curious young man.

山姆真是个好奇心重的年轻人。

 

B: Why? Because he’s on an archery team and assists an environmental organization?

何以见得？就因为他参加箭术社而且在环保团体里帮忙？

 

A: Those are good examples. As a Sagittarian, Sam is under the influence of Jupiter and fire. Sagittarius is a mutable sign, so Sam likes new situations and adapts to them quickly. Basically, he needs causes, things to focus his inquisitive mind on.

这些都是好例子。做为一个射手座，山姆受到了木星和火的影响。射手座是易变的星座，所以山姆喜欢新环境，并可以很快适应。基本上，他需要目标，一些让他的好奇心可以专注的事物。

 

B: I guess you’re right. When he started assisting in my lab at fourteen, he had no problem catching on with experimental methods.

我想你说得对。当他在14岁开始在我的研究室帮忙时，对于实验方法的运用完全没问题。

 

A: Are you peeved that he wanted to spend more time training for his next archery competition and assisting their environmental organization, rather than assisting with your research?

当他想要多花些时间为下次的射箭比赛受训，还有帮忙环保团体，而不是帮你做研究，你气他吗？

 

B: No, but … his honesty can be unnerving. I’m just trying to help our nephew prepare for his future.

不会，但…他的直率会让人感到紧张。我只是想帮我们的侄子为未来做准备。

 

A: I know, but no matter where his curiosity leads him, he’ll need support. It’s important for him to focus his restless mind.

我知道，但不管他的好奇心把他带往何处去，他都需要支持。他得让自己静下心来。

 

B: I’m just worried that curiosity will kill the cat.

我只是担心好奇心会杀死一只猫。

 

A: Is that your professional prognosis?

这是你专业上的预后诊断吗？

 

B: Not exactly. I just want to make sure our fire sign isn’t too much of a hot head.

不尽然。我只是想确定我们的火象小子不会太鲁莽。

 

Vocabulary

单词发音

 

Sagittarius [͵sædʒɪˋtɛrɪəs] n.【天】射手座；人马座

bring up 提起……，谈到 to introduce into discussion; mention

balcony [ˋbælkənɪ] n. 阳台，露台

archery [ˋɑrtʃərɪ] n. 箭术，箭艺；射箭运动

Sagittarian [͵sædʒɪˋtɛrɪən] n. 属人马宫星座的（人）; 出生於人馬宮時段〔即11月22日至12月21日〕的人

Jupiter [ˋdʒupətɚ] n.【天】木星; 朱比特（罗马神话中的宙斯神）

mutable [ˋmjutəb!] adj.【正式】易变的﹐无常的

cause [kɔz] n. 理由；动机; 目标，理想

inquisitive [ɪnˋkwɪzətɪv] adj. 过分好奇的﹐过分好问的﹐ 好追根究底的

catch on 理解 to understand; perceive

peeve [piv] v. 使气恼

unnerving [͵ʌnˋnɝvɪŋ] adj. 使人胆怯的；使人紧张不安的

restless [ˋrɛstlɪs] adj. 静不下来的，永不安宁的

curiosity kill the cat【俚】好奇杀死一只猫（指过于好奇喜欢追根究底的人，可能会因此而遇到麻烦事）

prognosis [prɑgˋnosɪs] n. 预知, 预测; 【术语】预后﹐预断〔医生对于病情如何发展的预测〕

hot head 急性的人；冒失鬼 a violent, passionate person; a hasty or impetuous person

 

 

Sentence of the Day

He wears his heart on his sleeve.

他不会去掩饰自己的情绪和意见。

 

wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve  流露出感情; (尤指)对某人示爱

 

 

 

课文讲解

 

The Thirteenth Sign of the Zodiac: Ophiuchus  黄道带的第十三个星座：蛇夫星座

 

Professor Struthers is talking to her student David about his upcoming astrology essay:  丝楚瑟斯教授正和她的学生戴维讨论他的星座论文：

 

S: I see you’ve used that article from Science magazine about precession, or how the Earth wobbles on its axis like a top.

我看到你用科学杂志那篇关于岁差的文章，或是说地球如何像陀螺以它的轴心摇摆。

 

D: What do you think of my pencil example to explain precession?

你觉得我用铅笔当例子去解释岁差如何？

 

S: Wonderful. Let’s see, “If the North Pole were a giant pencil, it would draw a circle in the sky.” But how does this explain the thirteenth sign of the zodiac?

很棒！你写说，「如果北极是一支大铅笔，它会在天空画一个大圈。」但这如何解释黄道带的第十三个星座？

 

D: Well, our imaginary circle would take 25,800 years to draw. This slow wobble causes the sun’s position to change in the sky on given dates.

嗯，我们想象的圆要花25,800年才画得出来。地球缓慢的摇摆致使太阳在特定日子改变了它在天空的位置。

 

S: Right. Now, David, how does this astronomy affect astrology?

是的。现在，戴维，这样的天文现象如何影响星座学？

 

D: Basically, when the astrological sun system was created roughly 2,500 years ago, the sun was in the constellation Aries at the beginning of spring. But by 200 B.C., the sun had drifted into the stars of Pisces as spring began.

基本上，约2,500年前星座的太阳系统初步草创时，春季开始时太阳是在牡羊星座的区域。但到了公元前200年前，初春时节太阳已经流转到双鱼星座的位置了。

 

S: A conundrum indeed. And next you note that the Greeks ignored precession, thus creating our present two-week disparity between the constellations and zodiac signs. Your paper is almost there.

真是个难题。接着你又提到希腊人无视岁差，因此产生了黄道带和星座差两个星期的现行状况。你的报告接近完备了。

 

D: So should I focus on the creation of the sign Ophiuchus to satisfy the assignment?

所以我是否该着重介绍蛇夫星座的起源来完成这项作业。

 

S: Sounds good.

不错的想法。

 

D: Thanks, Professor. See you in class!

多谢您，教授。上课时见！

 

Vocabulary

单词发音

 

Ophiuchus [͵ɔfiˋjukəs] n.【天】蛇夫星座（在星图的赤道地区，在武仙座和天蝎座附近）

essay [ˋɛse] n.〔学生为某门课程所写的〕短文﹐论说文

precession [prɪˋsɛʃən] n.【天】岁差

wobble [ˋwɑb!] v. 摇晃; 使〔某物〕摇摆;  n. 摆动；不稳定

axis [ˋæksɪs] n. 轴；轴线

top [tɑp] n. 陀螺

zodiac [ˋzodɪ͵æk] n. 黄道带〔指太阳﹑月亮及行星所构成的假想带〕

imaginary [ɪˋmædʒə͵nɛrɪ] adj. 想象的﹐ 虚构的

astronomy [əsˋtrɑnəmɪ] n. 天文学

astrological [͵æstrəˋlɑdʒɪk!] adj. 占星学的，占星术的

constellation [͵kɑnstəˋleʃən] n. 星座；星座区域

Aries [ˋɛriz] n.【天】白羊座；白羊宫

drift [drɪft] v. 使漂流

Pisces [ˋpɪsiz] n.【天】双鱼座；（占星术中的）双鱼宫

conundrum [kəˋnʌndrəm] n. 难题; 复杂问题

disparity [dɪsˋpærətɪ] n.【正式】〔两个或两个以上事物之间的〕不同; 不平等; 差异; 悬殊

 

 

Sentence of the Day

Precession was beyond their ken.

岁差是他们所不能理解的知识领域。

 

ken [kɛn] n. 知识范围；理解范围

 

 

课文讲解

 

David’s Essay  戴维的论文

 

Did you know that if you were born between November 30 and December 17, your zodiac sign is Ophiunchus? Also known as the serpent bearer, Ophiunchus is the unfamiliar thirteenth sign of the zodiac. About one person in twenty was born under this sign, and most don’t know it.

你可知道假如你在11月30日和12月17日之间出生，你在黄道带的星座是蛇夫星座？蛇夫星座又可称为负蛇者，是黄道带中较鲜为人知的第13个星座。约有二十分之一的人是蛇夫星座的，但他们几乎都不知道。

 

Ophiuchus was added to the zodiac in order to resolve some nagging inaccuracies in astrology. When the astrological sun system was conceived 2,500 years ago, the sun’s path was divided into twelve equally spaced zones, each thirty degrees wide, and each roughly corresponding to a constellation. However, as the size of each constellation varied, astrologers had their own ideas about where constellations began and ended. This has led to discrepancies between the location of the sun at any given time and the constellation in which it supposedly rises.

蛇夫座之所以被加进黄道带中是为了解决某些在星座中让人困扰的谬误。当星座的太阳系统在2,500年前被构思出来时，太阳的路径被平均分为12个区域，每一区宽30度，大致上符合一个星座区域。然而，因为每一个星座区域大小不一，星座学者对星座的开始和结束之处各有自己的见解。这导致了太阳在任何时节的所在位置和它被推测的星座位置产生了差异。

 

Seventy years ago, new boundaries were drawn between the constellations to allow for more accurate “starcasting.” Part and parcel of this re-mapping was the addition of a thirteenth sign: Ophiuchus. This re-mapping, combined with the Earth’s precession, throws everyone’s zodiac sign off by about two weeks. So, if you think you’re Aries, you’re probably Pisces; and if you are Sagittarius, you’re really probably Ophiuchus.

70年前，相关人士在星座之间划分新疆域以更精确地分配星座角色。星座重划加入了第13个重要的关键角色：蛇夫星座。此次结合地球岁差的重划，让每个人在黄道带的星座都偏离了两个星期。所以，假如你以为你是牡羊座，你很可能是双鱼座；而如果你是射手座，你其实可能是蛇夫座。

 

－by David S. Klein

 

Vocabulary

单词发音

 

serpent [ˋsɝpənt] n. 蛇（尤指大蛇、毒蛇）

bearer [ˋbɛrɚ] n.【正式】持…的人; 抬[担﹑背]着…的人

nagging [ˋnægɪŋ] adj. 使人不得安宁的; 无法摆脱的; 烦人的; 让人头痛的

conceive [kənˋsiv] v. 构想出，想象

correspond [͵kɔrɪˋspɑnd] v. 符合，一致[（+to/with）]

vary [ˋvɛrɪ] v.（彼此）相异﹐存在不同之处

astrologer [əˋstrɑlədʒɚ] n. 占星家

discrepancy [dɪˋskrɛpənsɪ] n. 不一致，不符，差异；不一致之处

starcasting 星座角色

part and parcel  重要组成部分, 主要部分 A basic or essential part.

parcel [ˋpɑrs!]n. 小包，包裹

throw off 出偏差; 使..偏差 to distract, divert, or mislead

 

Sentence of the Day

Reordering was the order of the day.

重新安排是必要的惯例。

 

the order of the day  最重要的事; 流行，风潮

 

 

How to Understand Your Zodiac Sign- Sagittarius