第二步：精读重点段落

（Tips: 双击文中单词可以查释义并加入你的生词本哦）

[2] As the Earth and moon sweep through space in their annual journey around the sun, the three bodies align in such a way that the Earth passes into the shadow of the moon. Observers then witness a sun that is gradually covered and uncovered by the moon’s disk – a spectacular celestial event.

• align v. （使）排成一直线；使平行；公开支持；与…结盟
• witness v. 见证，目击； n. 证人，目击者
• celestial adj. 天上的; 天堂的

[6] The various creatures include the Vikings’ sky wolves Skoll and Hati, a Chinese dragon, a Vietnamese frog and assorted Roman demons. In many cultures, it was believed that such creatures could be driven off by creating as much loud noise as possible: yelling, ringing bells, and banging pots and pans.

• assorted adj. 各种各样的
• drive off 赶走，击退

[7] Perhaps the most creative version of this strand of mythologies comes from certain branches of Hindu culture. In that version, the mortal Rahu is said to have attempted to attain immortality. The sun and moon told the god Visnu of Rahu’s transgression. As punishment, Visnu decapitated Rahu.

• branch n. 分支，树枝； v. 分支
• immortality n. 永生，长存，永恒，永垂不朽
• transgression n. 违反；犯规；违法；犯罪；侵越
• decapitate v. 斩首

[8] Ever since, Rahu has sought to exact vengeance on the sun and the moon by pursuing them across the sky to eat them. Once in a while – at the time of an eclipse – Rahu actually catches the sun or the moon. In the case of a solar eclipse, Rahu slowly devours the sun, and it gradually disappears into Rahu’s throat – only to reappear from his severed neck.

• exact v. 实施报复，强要，勒索； adj. 确切的，精确的
• severed adj. 切断的；隔断的

[14] Chinese, Alexandrian and Babylonian astronomers were also said to be sophisticated enough to not only understand the true nature of solar eclipses, but also to roughly predict when the “dragon” would come to devour the sun. (As with much knowledge back then, however, astronomical and astrological findings were relayed only to the ruling elites, while myths and legends continued to percolate among the general population.

• sophisticated adj. 富有经验的，老练的；精通的
• astronomical adj. 天文（学）的，天体的
• astrological adj. 占星学的，占星术的
• relay v. 传达，传递 n. 轮班，轮换
• percolate v. 〔观念、感觉或信息〕逐渐传开

（Tips: 双击文中单词可以查释义并加入你的生词本哦）

How ancient cultures explained eclipses

[1] On August 21, a total solar eclipse will be visible across parts of the United States.

• solar eclipse 日食
• visible adj. 可见的，明显的

[2] As the Earth and moon sweep through space in their annual journey around the sun, the three bodies align in such a way that the Earth passes into the shadow of the moon. Observers then witness a sun that is gradually covered and uncovered by the moon’s disk – a spectacular celestial event.

• align v. （使）排成一直线；使平行；公开支持；与…结盟
• witness v. 见证，目击； n. 证人，目击者
• celestial adj. 天上的; 天堂的

[3] But until astronomers were able to explain this phenomenon, a solar eclipse could be a terrifying event. In many cultures throughout human history, the sun was seen as an entity of supreme importance, crucial to their very existence. It was regularly worshipped as a god – Amun-Ra to the Egyptians and Helios to the Greeks – or as a goddess, such as Amaterasu for the Japanese and Saule for many Baltic cultures.

• astronomer n. 天文学家
• phenomenon n. 现象
• supreme adj. 〔权力、重要性或影响力〕最高的，至高无上的
• worship v. 敬奉，敬仰； n. 敬奉

[4] One reason the sun served as a god or goddess in so many cultures was its awesome power: Looking directly at it would severely damages the eyes, a sign of the sun deity’s wrath.

• deity n. 神; 女神
• wrath n. 愤怒，狂怒

[5] So the idea that the sun deity could be temporarily extinguished in a total eclipse inspired a number of imaginative explanations. Most involve some sort of evil entity trying to devour the sun. Such myths undoubtedly arose from the fact that during the early stages of a solar eclipse, the sun appears to have a bite taken out of it.

• extinguish v. 使熄灭，使破灭; 消除
• devour v. 毁灭，吞噬〔某人或某物〕, 狼吞虎咽地吃
• myth n. 神话，谬见
• take out of 取出，除去；将…带出

[6] The various creatures include the Vikings’ sky wolves Skoll and Hati, a Chinese dragon, a Vietnamese frog and assorted Roman demons. In many cultures, it was believed that such creatures could be driven off by creating as much loud noise as possible: yelling, ringing bells, and banging pots and pans.

• assorted adj. 各种各样的
• drive off 赶走，击退

[7] Perhaps the most creative version of this strand of mythologies comes from certain branches of Hindu culture. In that version, the mortal Rahu is said to have attempted to attain immortality. The sun and moon told the god Visnu of Rahu’s transgression. As punishment, Visnu decapitated Rahu.

• branch n. 分支，树枝； v. 分支
• immortality n. 永生，长存，永恒，永垂不朽
• transgression n. 违反；犯规；违法；犯罪；侵越
• decapitate v. 斩首

[8] Ever since, Rahu has sought to exact vengeance on the sun and the moon by pursuing them across the sky to eat them. Once in a while – at the time of an eclipse – Rahu actually catches the sun or the moon. In the case of a solar eclipse, Rahu slowly devours the sun, and it gradually disappears into Rahu’s throat – only to reappear from his severed neck.

• exact v. 实施报复，强要，勒索； adj. 确切的，精确的
• severed adj. 切断的；隔断的

[9] In other branches of Hindu culture, the “sun eater” took the more traditional form of a dragon. To fight this beast, certain Hindu sects in India immersed themselves up to the neck in water in an act of worship, believing that the adulation would aid the sun in fighting off the dragon.

• sect n. 派别，宗派；教派
• immerse v. 使浸没〔于液体中〕 immerse sb/sth in sth
• adulation n. 恭维，奉承，吹捧

[10] Other cultures had equally ingenious explanations for – and defenses against – a total solar eclipse. Eskimos thought an eclipse meant that the sun and moon had become temporarily diseased. In response, they’d cover up everything of importance – themselves included – lest they be infected by the “diseased” rays of the eclipsed sun.

• ingenious adj. 〔计划、主意或物体〕精巧的，巧妙的
• lest 免得，以免, 唯恐，生怕

[11] For the Ojibwe tribe of the Great Lakes, the onset of total eclipse represented an extinguished sun. To prevent permanent darkness, they proceeded to fire flaming arrows at the darkened sun in an attempt to rekindkle it.

• onset n. (尤指不愉快事情的) 开始
• rekindle v. 重新激起，重新唤起，重新点燃

[12] Amidst the plethora of the myths and legends and interpretations of this strange event, there are seeds of understanding about their true nature.

• plethora n. 过剩，过量 a plethora of sth
• interpretation n. 解释，说明；理解

[13] For example, the famed total solar eclipse of May 28, 585 B.C., occurred in the middle of a battle between the Medes and the Lydians in what is now the northeast region of modern-day Turkey. The eclipse actually ended the conflict on the spot, with both sides interpreting the event as a sign of the displeasure from the gods. But based on the writings of the ancient Greek historian Heroditus, it’s thought that the great Greek philosopher-mathematician Thales of Miletus had, coincidentally, predicted its occurrence.

• conflict v./n. 冲突，矛盾
• coincidentally adv. 巧合地；一致地
• occurrence n. (某事物的) 发生; 存在

[14] Chinese, Alexandrian and Babylonian astronomers were also said to be sophisticated enough to not only understand the true nature of solar eclipses, but also to roughly predict when the “dragon” would come to devour the sun. (As with much knowledge back then, however, astronomical and astrological findings were relayed only to the ruling elites, while myths and legends continued to percolate among the general population.

• sophisticated adj. 富有经验的，老练的；精通的
• astronomical adj. 天文（学）的，天体的
• astrological adj. 占星学的，占星术的
• relay v. 传达，传递 n. 轮班，轮换
• percolate v. 〔观念、感觉或信息〕逐渐传开

[15] Advances in modern astronomy have given us detailed explanations for solar eclipses, to the extent that their time and location can be predicted centuries into the future and reconstructed from centuries ago.

[16] Of course, mythologies surrounding total solar eclipses still exist today. Some conspiracy theorists say this year’s eclipse will cause the end of the world – perhaps a testament to the endurance of the superstitious side of the human psyche.

• conspiracy n. 密谋，阴谋
• testament n. 证明
• superstitious adj. 迷信的
• psyche n. 心灵；灵魂，精神