Thales was the first who affirmed that the eclipse of the sun was caused by the moon’s running in a perpendicular1 line between it and the world; for the moon in its own nature is terrestrial. And by mirrors it is made perspicuous that, when the sun is eclipsed, the moon is in a direct line below it. Anaximander, that the sun is eclipsed when the fiery2 mouth of it is stopped and hindered from respiration3. Heraclitus, that it is after the manner of the turning of a boat, when the concave seems uppermost to our sight, and the convex nethermost4. Xenophanes, that the sun is eclipsed when it is extinguished; and that a new sun is created and rises in the east. He gives a farther account of an eclipse of the sun which remained for a whole month, and again of an eclipse which changed the day into night. Some declare that the cause of an eclipse is the invisible concourse of condensed clouds which cover the orb5 of the sun. Aristarchus placeth the sun amongst the fixed6 stars, and believeth that the earth [the moon?] is moved about the sun, and that by its inclination7 and vergency it intercepts8 its light and shadows its orb. Xenophanes, that there are many suns and many moons, according as the earth is distinguished9 by climates, circles, and zones. At some certain times the orb of the sun, falling upon some part of the world which is untenanted, wanders in a vacuum and becomes eclipsed. The same person affirms that the sun proceeding10 in its motion in the infinite space, appears to us to move orbicularly, taking that representation from its infinite distance from us.

点击
收听单词发音

1
perpendicular
![]() |
|
adj.垂直的,直立的;n.垂直线,垂直的位置 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
2
fiery
![]() |
|
adj.燃烧着的,火红的;暴躁的;激烈的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
3
respiration
![]() |
|
n.呼吸作用;一次呼吸;植物光合作用 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
4
nethermost
![]() |
|
adj.最下面的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
5
orb
![]() |
|
n.太阳;星球;v.弄圆;成球形 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
6
fixed
![]() |
|
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
7
inclination
![]() |
|
n.倾斜;点头;弯腰;斜坡;倾度;倾向;爱好 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
8
intercepts
![]() |
|
(数学)截距( intercept的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
9
distinguished
![]() |
|
adj.卓越的,杰出的,著名的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
10
proceeding
![]() |
|
n.行动,进行,(pl.)会议录,学报 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
欢迎访问英文小说网 |