The immediate¹ result of Barbicane’s proposition was to place upon the orders of the day all the astronomical² facts relative to the Queen of the Night. Everybody set to work to study assiduously. One would have thought that the moon had just appeared for the first time, and that no one had ever before caught a glimpse of her in the heavens. The papers revived all the old anecdotes³ in which the “sun of the wolves” played a part; they recalled the influences which the ignorance of past ages ascribed to her; in short, all America was seized with selenomania, or had become moon-mad.

The scientific journals, for their part, dealt more especially with the questions which touched upon the enterprise of the Gun Club. The letter of the Observatory⁴ of Cambridge was published by them, and commented upon with unreserved approval.

Until that time most people had been ignorant of the mode in which the distance which separates the moon from the earth is calculated. They took advantage of this fact to explain to them that this distance was obtained by measuring the parallax of the moon. The term parallax proving “caviare to the general,” they further explained that it meant the angle formed by the inclination⁵ of two straight lines drawn⁶ from either extremity⁷ of the earth’s radius⁸ to the moon. On doubts being expressed as to the correctness of this method, they immediately proved that not only was the mean distance 234,347 miles, but that astronomers⁹ could not possibly be in error in their estimate by more than seventy miles either way.

To those who were not familiar with the motions of the moon, they demonstrated that she possesses two distinct motions, the first being that of

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1 immediate
adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的
参考例句：
His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。 We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

2 astronomical
adj.天文学的，（数字）极大的
参考例句：
He was an expert on ancient Chinese astronomical literature.他是研究中国古代天文学文献的专家。 Houses in the village are selling for astronomical prices.乡村的房价正在飙升。

3 anecdotes
n.掌故，趣闻，轶事( anecdote的名词复数 )
参考例句：
amusing anecdotes about his brief career as an actor 关于他短暂演员生涯的趣闻逸事 He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman. 他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 observatory
n.天文台，气象台，瞭望台，观测台
参考例句：
Guy's house was close to the observatory.盖伊的房子离天文台很近。 Officials from Greenwich Observatory have the clock checked twice a day.格林威治天文台的职员们每天对大钟检查两次。

5 inclination
n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好
参考例句：
She greeted us with a slight inclination of the head.她微微点头向我们致意。 I did not feel the slightest inclination to hurry.我没有丝毫着急的意思。

6 drawn
v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的
参考例句：
All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。 Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

7 extremity
n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度
参考例句：
I hope you will help them in their extremity.我希望你能帮助在穷途末路的他们。 What shall we do in this extremity?在这种极其困难的情况下我们该怎么办呢？

8 radius
n.半径，半径范围；有效航程，范围，界限
参考例句：
He has visited every shop within a radius of two miles.周围两英里以内的店铺他都去过。 We are measuring the radius of the circle.我们正在测量圆的半径。

9 astronomers
n.天文学者，天文学家( astronomer的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Astronomers can accurately foretell the date,time,and length of future eclipses. 天文学家能精确地预告未来日食月食的日期、时刻和时长。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Astronomers used to ask why only Saturn has rings. 天文学家们过去一直感到奇怪，为什么只有土星有光环。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 rotation
n.旋转；循环，轮流
参考例句：
Crop rotation helps prevent soil erosion.农作物轮作有助于防止水土流失。 The workers in this workshop do day and night shifts in weekly rotation.这个车间的工人上白班和上夜班每周轮换一次。

11 axis
n.轴，轴线，中心线；坐标轴，基准线
参考例句：
The earth's axis is the line between the North and South Poles.地轴是南北极之间的线。 The axis of a circle is its diameter.圆的轴线是其直径。

12 lasting
adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持
参考例句：
The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。 We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

13 illuminated
adj.被照明的；受启迪的
参考例句：
Floodlights illuminated the stadium. 泛光灯照亮了体育场。 the illuminated city at night 夜幕中万家灯火的城市

14 intensity
n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度
参考例句：
I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。 The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。

15 glimmer
v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光
参考例句：
I looked at her and felt a glimmer of hope.我注视她，感到了一线希望。 A glimmer of amusement showed in her eyes.她的眼中露出一丝笑意。

16 obstinate
adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的
参考例句：
She's too obstinate to let anyone help her.她太倔强了，不会让任何人帮她的。 The trader was obstinate in the negotiation.这个商人在谈判中拗强固执。

17 fluctuations
波动，涨落，起伏( fluctuation的名词复数 )
参考例句：
He showed the price fluctuations in a statistical table. 他用统计表显示价格的波动。 There were so many unpredictable fluctuations on the Stock Exchange. 股票市场瞬息万变。

18 pointed
adj.尖的，直截了当的
参考例句：
He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。 She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

19 firmament
n.苍穹；最高层
参考例句：
There are no stars in the firmament.天空没有一颗星星。 He was rich,and a rising star in the political firmament.他十分富有，并且是政治高层一颗冉冉升起的新星。

20 opposition
n.反对，敌对
参考例句：
The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。 The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

21 apex
n.顶点，最高点
参考例句：
He reached the apex of power in the early 1930s.他在三十年代初达到了权力的顶峰。 His election to the presidency was the apex of his career.当选总统是他一生事业的顶峰。

22 attains
（通常经过努力）实现( attain的第三人称单数 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况）
参考例句：
This is the period at which the body attains maturity. 这是身体发育成熟的时期。 The temperature a star attains is determined by its mass. 恒星所达到的温度取决于它的质量。

23 latitude
n.纬度，行动或言论的自由(范围)，(pl.)地区
参考例句：
The latitude of the island is 20 degrees south.该岛的纬度是南纬20度。 The two cities are at approximately the same latitude.这两个城市差不多位于同一纬度上。

24 projectile
n.投射物，发射体；adj.向前开进的；推进的；抛掷的
参考例句：
The vertical and horizontal motions of a projectile can be treated independently.抛射体的竖直方向和水平方向的运动能够分开来处理。 Have you altered the plans of the projectile as the telegram suggests?你已经按照电报的要求修改炮弹图样了吗?

25 perpendicularly
adv. 垂直地, 笔直地, 纵向地
参考例句：
Fray's forehead was wrinkled both perpendicularly and crosswise. 弗雷的前额上纹路纵横。 Automatic resquaring feature insures nozzle is perpendicularly to the part being cut. 自动垂直功能，可以确保刀头回到与工件完全垂直的位置去切割。

26 actively
adv.积极地，勤奋地
参考例句：
During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。 We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

27 apogee
n.远地点；极点；顶点
参考例句：
The orbit of the artificial satellite has an apogee of 200 miles from the earth.这个人造卫星的轨道，其最远点在离地球200英里的地方。 Apogean tides occur when the moon is at the apogee of its orbit.远月潮在月球位于其轨道的最远点时发生。

28 perigee
n.近地点
参考例句：
The Moon reaches its absolute perigee once a year.月球每年有一次达到它的绝对近地点。 Once the satellite reaches perigee,it will eject a small probe which enter the planet's atmosphere.当人造卫星达到近地点时，就会发射一根小探针，这根探针将进入行星的大气层。

29 possessed
adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的
参考例句：
He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。 He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。

30 profess
v.声称，冒称，以...为业，正式接受入教，表明信仰
参考例句：
I profess that I was surprised at the news.我承认这消息使我惊讶。 What religion does he profess?他信仰哪种宗教？

31 disseminated
散布，传播( disseminate的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
Their findings have been widely disseminated . 他们的研究成果已经广为传播。 Berkovitz had contracted polio after ingesting a vaccine disseminated under federal supervision. 伯考维茨在接种了在联邦监督下分发的牛痘疫苗后传染上脊髓灰质炎。

32 eradicate
v.根除，消灭，杜绝
参考例句：
These insects are very difficult to eradicate.这些昆虫很难根除。 They are already battling to eradicate illnesses such as malaria and tetanus.他们已经在努力消灭疟疾、破伤风等疾病。

33 worthy
adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的
参考例句：
I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。 There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。

34 elongated
v.延长，加长( elongate的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
Modigliani's women have strangely elongated faces. 莫迪里阿尼画中的妇女都长着奇长无比的脸。 A piece of rubber can be elongated by streching. 一块橡皮可以拉长。 来自《用法词典》

35 professed
公开声称的，伪称的，已立誓信教的
参考例句：
These, at least, were their professed reasons for pulling out of the deal. 至少这些是他们自称退出这宗交易的理由。 Her manner professed a gaiety that she did not feel. 她的神态显出一种她并未实际感受到的快乐。

36 charred
v.把…烧成炭( char的过去式)；烧焦
参考例句：
the charred remains of a burnt-out car 被烧焦的轿车残骸 The intensity of the explosion is recorded on the charred tree trunks. 那些烧焦的树干表明爆炸的强烈。 来自《简明英汉词典》

37 acceleration
n.加速，加速度
参考例句：
All spacemen must be able to bear acceleration.所有太空人都应能承受加速度。 He has also called for an acceleration of political reforms.他同时呼吁加快政治改革的步伐。

38 diminution
n.减少；变小
参考例句：
They hope for a small diminution in taxes.他们希望捐税能稍有减少。 He experienced no diminution of his physical strength.他并未感觉体力衰落。

39 infinity
n.无限，无穷，大量
参考例句：
It is impossible to count up to infinity.不可能数到无穷大。 Theoretically,a line can extend into infinity.从理论上来说直线可以无限地延伸。

40 reassured
adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词)
参考例句：
The captain's confidence during the storm reassured the passengers. 在风暴中船长的信念使旅客们恢复了信心。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 The doctor reassured the old lady. 医生叫那位老妇人放心。 来自《简明英汉词典》

41 apprised
v.告知，通知( apprise的过去式和过去分词 )；评价
参考例句：
We were fully apprised of the situation. 我们完全获悉当时的情况。 来自《简明英汉词典》 I have apprised him of your arrival. 我已经告诉他你要来。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

42 deranged
adj.疯狂的
参考例句：
Traffic was stopped by a deranged man shouting at the sky.一名狂叫的疯子阻塞了交通。 A deranged man shot and killed 14 people.一个精神失常的男子开枪打死了14人。

43 remains
n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹
参考例句：
He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。 The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

44 superstitious
adj.迷信的
参考例句：
They aim to deliver the people who are in bondage to superstitious belief.他们的目的在于解脱那些受迷信束缚的人。 These superstitious practices should be abolished as soon as possible.这些迷信做法应尽早取消。

45 worthies
应得某事物( worthy的名词复数 )； 值得做某事； 可尊敬的； 有（某人或事物）的典型特征
参考例句：
The world is peopled with worthies, and workers, useful and clever. 世界上住着高尚的人，劳动的人，有用又聪明。 The former worthies have left us a rich cultural heritage. 前贤给我们留下了丰富的文化遗产。

46 remarkable
adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的
参考例句：
She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。 These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

47 disturbances
n.骚乱( disturbance的名词复数 )；打扰；困扰；障碍
参考例句：
The government has set up a commission of inquiry into the disturbances at the prison. 政府成立了一个委员会来调查监狱骚乱事件。 Extra police were called in to quell the disturbances. 已调集了增援警力来平定骚乱。

48 cataclysms
n.（突然降临的）大灾难( cataclysm的名词复数 )
参考例句：

49 deluge
n./vt.洪水，暴雨，使泛滥
参考例句：
This little stream can become a deluge when it rains heavily.雨大的时候，这条小溪能变作洪流。 I got caught in the deluge on the way home.我在回家的路上遇到倾盆大雨。

50 renounced
v.声明放弃( renounce的过去式和过去分词 )；宣布放弃；宣布与…决裂；宣布摒弃
参考例句：
We have renounced the use of force to settle our disputes. 我们已再次宣布放弃使用武力来解决争端。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Andrew renounced his claim to the property. 安德鲁放弃了财产的所有权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

51 espoused
v.（决定）支持，拥护（目标、主张等）( espouse的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
They espoused the notion of equal opportunity for all in education. 他们赞同在教育方面人人机会均等的观念。 The ideas she espoused were incomprehensible to me. 她所支持的意见令我难以理解。 来自《简明英汉词典》

52 elevation
n.高度；海拔；高地；上升；提高
参考例句：
The house is at an elevation of 2,000 metres.那幢房子位于海拔两千米的高处。 His elevation to the position of General Manager was announced yesterday.昨天宣布他晋升总经理职位。