A lot of animals are afraid during an eclipse1 of the sun. Birds stop singing. Sometimes people too are afraid. Astronomers2 know the dates of eclipses and they are not afraid. The old astronomers of Babylon and Egypt had no telescopes3； but the sky in those countries is usually clear， and so they could watch the stars easily. They studied everything in the sky and they also noticed both total and partial eclipses.
Because they knew the dates of eclipses， they had great power. People believed that the sky was important. They believed that an eclipse could kill a man.
About 2500 years ago there was a very long war. One battle followed another， and the end never came. During one of the battles， there was a partial eclipse of the sun. The day got very dark， and the soldiers on both sides were filled with fear. They believed that the gods were angry. So they stopped fighting， and ended their long war.
There is a story about Christopher Columbus and an eclipse of the moon. The men of the island of Hispaniola4 suddenly refused to bring any more food. Columbus needed food and he called the men together. He had studied one of his books， and he knew the date of the next eclipse. He told the men that God was angry. God was going to make the moon dark to show this. Columbus then pointed to the sky， and the men looked up. They saw the beginning of an eclipse， and the moon got darker and darker. They were afraid， and asked Columbus to help them. So he left them and went to his room in the ship. He waited there alone and then returned. He was smiling now， and he told the men not to be sad. He said that God had forgiven them. Then he pointed to the moon. The eclipse was ending； the earth's shadow was beginning to move away. The light got brighter. Then all the men were glad and they promised to bring some food. They were so afraid of Columbus that they never stopped the supply of food again.
The sun is a star. It appears to be bigger than any other star. That is because it is near us； but the other stars are far away. The sun shines because it is very hot， but the moon shines because it reflects the sun's light. It is like a big mirror. If we visited the moon， we should see the earth. It is also like a mirror and it reflects the light of the sun.
Sometimes the earth moves between the sun and the moon. Then the earth's shadow falls on the moon； no light from the sun can then reach the moon. The moon gets dark because it cannot reflect the sun's light. We call this an eclipse of the moon.
Does the sun ever get dark during the day？ It does so when the moon hides it. Sometimes the moon goes in front of the sun. We can watch its edge when it slowly crosses the sun's disc5. Everything gets darker and darker； then， at last， we cannot see any part of the sun's disc. The moon is hiding it completely. That is a total eclipse of the sun； sometimes only part of the sun's disc is hidden； that is not a total eclipse. It is a partial eclipse of the sun.
Eclipses are not seen in every part of the world. There was a total eclipse of the moon on January 9，2001.That event was visible from Europe， Africa and Asia. There were about 20 total eclipses of the sun between 1970 and 1999. The latest was seen on June 21 this year in Angola6， Zambia7，Zimbabwe8，Mozambique9 and Madagascar10.
不少動物在遇到日食時會感到恐懼。比如鳥兒會停止鳴唱。有時人也會感到恐慌。天文學(xué)家能預(yù)知日食和月食的日期，所以他們沒有恐懼心理。古巴比倫和古埃及的天文學(xué)家沒有天文望遠(yuǎn)鏡，但這些國家的天空通常晴朗，所以他們能很容易地觀測星體。他們研究星空中的一切現(xiàn)象，他們也觀察到了日全食和月全食以及日偏食和月偏食。
由于這些天文學(xué)家能預(yù)知日食和月食的日期，他們便有著相當(dāng)大的權(quán)力。當(dāng)時人們相信天空是重要的，他們還相信一次日食或月食能奪去一個人的生命。
大約2500年以前，有一場曠日持久的戰(zhàn)爭。戰(zhàn)役接連不斷，尾聲遙遙無期。一場戰(zhàn)役中發(fā)生了日偏食。天暗下來，雙方士兵都充滿了恐懼，他們深信天神發(fā)怒了。結(jié)果他們停止戰(zhàn)斗，結(jié)束了漫長的戰(zhàn)爭。
還有一個關(guān)于克里斯托弗·哥倫布和月食的故事。伊斯帕尼奧拉島的島民突然間中斷了食物的供應(yīng)。哥倫布急需食物，他把所有的人召集了起來。他已研究過一本書，知道了下次月食的時間。他告訴這些人說上帝發(fā)怒了，上帝將把月亮變黑以示憤怒。然后哥倫布指向天空，人們抬頭仰望，看見月食開始了。月亮變得越來越黑。他們畏懼了，請求哥倫布的幫助。于是哥倫布離開他們走到船上自己的房間。他獨(dú)自在那里待了一會兒，然后回來，面露微笑地告訴他們不必憂愁，說上帝已寬恕了他們。然后，他指指月亮，月食正接近尾聲，地球的陰影開始移開，光線越來越亮。所有的人都高興起來并保證送來一些食物。他們?nèi)绱藨峙赂鐐惒?，以后再也沒有停止過食物的供應(yīng)。
太陽是一顆恒星，它看上去比其他星球要大，這是因?yàn)樗x我們比較近，而其他星球則很遙遠(yuǎn)。太陽會發(fā)光，這是因?yàn)樗陨砗軣?。而月亮發(fā)光卻是因?yàn)樗瓷淞颂柟狻Ｔ铝辆拖褚幻娲箸R子。如果我們能去游覽月球，我們就可以在那里看到地球。地球也像一面大鏡子一樣反射太陽光。
有時，地球會運(yùn)轉(zhuǎn)到太陽和月亮之間。這樣地球的影子就會投到月亮上，太陽光也就抵達(dá)不到月亮上了。月亮由于反射不到太陽的光而變黑，我們稱之為月食。
太陽白天也會變黑嗎？答案是當(dāng)月亮遮擋了它時就會變黑。有時，月亮運(yùn)轉(zhuǎn)到太陽的前面。當(dāng)月亮慢慢地越過日輪時我們還能看到它的邊緣。萬物變得越來越黑，最終，日輪的所有部分從我們的視線消失。月亮把它完全遮擋住了。這就是日全食。有時候，只有部分日輪被遮擋住，那就不是日全食，而是日偏食。
并非世界上的每個地方都能看到日食和月食。2001年1月9日有過一次月全食。那次月全食在歐洲、非洲和亞洲都曾看到。從1970年到1999年共有過約 20次日全食。最近的一次日全食發(fā)生在今年6月21日，在安哥拉、贊比亞、津巴布韋、莫桑比克和馬達(dá)加斯加等國都曾看到。
注釋：
1.eclipse n.[天]食
2.astronomer n.天文學(xué)家
3.telescope n.望遠(yuǎn)鏡
4.Hispaniola 伊斯帕尼奧拉島（海地島Haiti）
5.sun disc 日輪
6.Angola 安哥拉
7.Zambia 贊比亞
8.Zimbabwe 津巴布韋
9.Mozambique 莫桑比克
10.Madagascar 馬達(dá)加斯加
Because they knew the dates of eclipses， they had great power. People believed that the sky was important. They believed that an eclipse could kill a man.
About 2500 years ago there was a very long war. One battle followed another， and the end never came. During one of the battles， there was a partial eclipse of the sun. The day got very dark， and the soldiers on both sides were filled with fear. They believed that the gods were angry. So they stopped fighting， and ended their long war.
There is a story about Christopher Columbus and an eclipse of the moon. The men of the island of Hispaniola4 suddenly refused to bring any more food. Columbus needed food and he called the men together. He had studied one of his books， and he knew the date of the next eclipse. He told the men that God was angry. God was going to make the moon dark to show this. Columbus then pointed to the sky， and the men looked up. They saw the beginning of an eclipse， and the moon got darker and darker. They were afraid， and asked Columbus to help them. So he left them and went to his room in the ship. He waited there alone and then returned. He was smiling now， and he told the men not to be sad. He said that God had forgiven them. Then he pointed to the moon. The eclipse was ending； the earth's shadow was beginning to move away. The light got brighter. Then all the men were glad and they promised to bring some food. They were so afraid of Columbus that they never stopped the supply of food again.
The sun is a star. It appears to be bigger than any other star. That is because it is near us； but the other stars are far away. The sun shines because it is very hot， but the moon shines because it reflects the sun's light. It is like a big mirror. If we visited the moon， we should see the earth. It is also like a mirror and it reflects the light of the sun.
Sometimes the earth moves between the sun and the moon. Then the earth's shadow falls on the moon； no light from the sun can then reach the moon. The moon gets dark because it cannot reflect the sun's light. We call this an eclipse of the moon.
Does the sun ever get dark during the day？ It does so when the moon hides it. Sometimes the moon goes in front of the sun. We can watch its edge when it slowly crosses the sun's disc5. Everything gets darker and darker； then， at last， we cannot see any part of the sun's disc. The moon is hiding it completely. That is a total eclipse of the sun； sometimes only part of the sun's disc is hidden； that is not a total eclipse. It is a partial eclipse of the sun.
Eclipses are not seen in every part of the world. There was a total eclipse of the moon on January 9，2001.That event was visible from Europe， Africa and Asia. There were about 20 total eclipses of the sun between 1970 and 1999. The latest was seen on June 21 this year in Angola6， Zambia7，Zimbabwe8，Mozambique9 and Madagascar10.
不少動物在遇到日食時會感到恐懼。比如鳥兒會停止鳴唱。有時人也會感到恐慌。天文學(xué)家能預(yù)知日食和月食的日期，所以他們沒有恐懼心理。古巴比倫和古埃及的天文學(xué)家沒有天文望遠(yuǎn)鏡，但這些國家的天空通常晴朗，所以他們能很容易地觀測星體。他們研究星空中的一切現(xiàn)象，他們也觀察到了日全食和月全食以及日偏食和月偏食。
由于這些天文學(xué)家能預(yù)知日食和月食的日期，他們便有著相當(dāng)大的權(quán)力。當(dāng)時人們相信天空是重要的，他們還相信一次日食或月食能奪去一個人的生命。
大約2500年以前，有一場曠日持久的戰(zhàn)爭。戰(zhàn)役接連不斷，尾聲遙遙無期。一場戰(zhàn)役中發(fā)生了日偏食。天暗下來，雙方士兵都充滿了恐懼，他們深信天神發(fā)怒了。結(jié)果他們停止戰(zhàn)斗，結(jié)束了漫長的戰(zhàn)爭。
還有一個關(guān)于克里斯托弗·哥倫布和月食的故事。伊斯帕尼奧拉島的島民突然間中斷了食物的供應(yīng)。哥倫布急需食物，他把所有的人召集了起來。他已研究過一本書，知道了下次月食的時間。他告訴這些人說上帝發(fā)怒了，上帝將把月亮變黑以示憤怒。然后哥倫布指向天空，人們抬頭仰望，看見月食開始了。月亮變得越來越黑。他們畏懼了，請求哥倫布的幫助。于是哥倫布離開他們走到船上自己的房間。他獨(dú)自在那里待了一會兒，然后回來，面露微笑地告訴他們不必憂愁，說上帝已寬恕了他們。然后，他指指月亮，月食正接近尾聲，地球的陰影開始移開，光線越來越亮。所有的人都高興起來并保證送來一些食物。他們?nèi)绱藨峙赂鐐惒?，以后再也沒有停止過食物的供應(yīng)。
太陽是一顆恒星，它看上去比其他星球要大，這是因?yàn)樗x我們比較近，而其他星球則很遙遠(yuǎn)。太陽會發(fā)光，這是因?yàn)樗陨砗軣?。而月亮發(fā)光卻是因?yàn)樗瓷淞颂柟狻Ｔ铝辆拖褚幻娲箸R子。如果我們能去游覽月球，我們就可以在那里看到地球。地球也像一面大鏡子一樣反射太陽光。
有時，地球會運(yùn)轉(zhuǎn)到太陽和月亮之間。這樣地球的影子就會投到月亮上，太陽光也就抵達(dá)不到月亮上了。月亮由于反射不到太陽的光而變黑，我們稱之為月食。
太陽白天也會變黑嗎？答案是當(dāng)月亮遮擋了它時就會變黑。有時，月亮運(yùn)轉(zhuǎn)到太陽的前面。當(dāng)月亮慢慢地越過日輪時我們還能看到它的邊緣。萬物變得越來越黑，最終，日輪的所有部分從我們的視線消失。月亮把它完全遮擋住了。這就是日全食。有時候，只有部分日輪被遮擋住，那就不是日全食，而是日偏食。
并非世界上的每個地方都能看到日食和月食。2001年1月9日有過一次月全食。那次月全食在歐洲、非洲和亞洲都曾看到。從1970年到1999年共有過約 20次日全食。最近的一次日全食發(fā)生在今年6月21日，在安哥拉、贊比亞、津巴布韋、莫桑比克和馬達(dá)加斯加等國都曾看到。
注釋：
1.eclipse n.[天]食
2.astronomer n.天文學(xué)家
3.telescope n.望遠(yuǎn)鏡
4.Hispaniola 伊斯帕尼奧拉島（海地島Haiti）
5.sun disc 日輪
6.Angola 安哥拉
7.Zambia 贊比亞
8.Zimbabwe 津巴布韋
9.Mozambique 莫桑比克
10.Madagascar 馬達(dá)加斯加