# 第四册 Lesson 32 Galileo reborn 伽利略的复生

## 一、课文原文

In his own lifetime Galileo was the centre of violent controversy; but the scientific dust has long since settled, and today we can see even his famous clash with the Inquisition in something like its proper perspective. But, in contrast, it is only in modern times that Galileo has become a problem child for historians of science. The old view of Galileo was delightfully uncomplicated. He was, above all, a man who experimented: who despised the prejudices and book learning of the Aristotelians, who put his questions to nature instead of to the ancients, and who drew his conclusions fearlessly. He had been the first to turn a telescope to the sky, and he had seen there evidence enough to overthrow Aristotle and Ptolemy together. He was the man who climbed the Leaning Tower of Pisa and dropped various weights from the top, who rolled balls down inclined planes, and then generalized the results of his many experiments into the famous law of free fall.

But a closer study of the evidence, supported by a deeper sense of the period, and particularly by a new consciousness of the philosophical undercurrents in the scientific revolution, has profoundly modified this view of Galileo. Today, although the old Galileo lives on in many popular writings, among historians of science a new and more sophisticated picture has emerged. At the same time our sympathy for Galileo's opponents has grown somewhat. His telescopic observations are justly immortal; they aroused great interest at the time, they had important theoretical consequences, and they provided a striking demonstration of the potentialities hidden in instruments and apparatus. But can we blame those who looked and failed to see what Galileo saw, if we remember that to use a telescope at the limit of its powers calls for long experience and intimate familiarity with one's instrument? Was the philosopher who refused to look through Galileo's telescope more culpable than those who alleged that the spiral nebulae observed with Lord Rosse's great telescope in the 1840s were scratches left by the grinder? We can perhaps forgive those who said the moons of Jupiter were produced by Galileo's spyglass if we recall that in his day, as for centuries before, curved glass was the popular contrivance for producing not truth but illusion, untruth; and if a single curved glass would distort nature, how much more would a pair of them?

— MICHAEL HOSKIN, from The Listener

## 二、重点词汇详解

| 单词 | 音标 | 词性 | 释义 | 用法说明 |
|------|------|------|------|----------|
| controversy | /ˈkɒntrəvɜːsi/ | n. | 争论，争议 | the centre of controversy 争论的中心 |
| Inquisition | /ˌɪŋkwɪˈzɪʃn/ | n. | 宗教裁判所 | 特指天主教的宗教裁判所 |
| perspective | /pəˈspektɪv/ | n. | 视角，观点 | in its proper perspective 以正确的视角 |
| uncomplicated | /ʌnˈkɒmplɪkeɪtɪd/ | adj. | 简单的，不复杂的 | delightfully uncomplicated 令人愉快地简单 |
| despise | /dɪˈspaɪz/ | v. | 鄙视，蔑视 | despise prejudices 鄙视偏见 |
| overthrow | /ˌəʊvəˈθrəʊ/ | v. | 推翻 | overthrow Aristotle and Ptolemy 推翻亚里士多德和托勒密 |
| generalize | /ˈdʒenərəlaɪz/ | v. | 概括，归纳 | generalize...into 把……归纳为 |
| undercurrent | /ˈʌndəkʌrənt/ | n. | 潜流，暗流 | philosophical undercurrents 哲学潜流 |
| sophisticated | /səˈfɪstɪkeɪtɪd/ | adj. | 复杂精密的，老练的 | a more sophisticated picture 更复杂的图景 |
| immortal | /ɪˈmɔːtl/ | adj. | 不朽的 | justly immortal 理所当然地不朽 |
| culpable | /ˈkʌlpəbl/ | adj. | 应受谴责的 | more culpable 更应受谴责 |
| contrivance | /kənˈtraɪvəns/ | n. | 装置，发明 | popular contrivance 流行的装置 |
| distort | /dɪˈstɔːt/ | v. | 扭曲，歪曲 | distort nature 扭曲自然 |

**专有名词：**
- **Aristotelians**：亚里士多德学派
- **Ptolemy**：托勒密（古希腊天文学家）
- **Lord Rosse**：罗斯勋爵（建造了19世纪最大的望远镜）
- **Leaning Tower of Pisa**：比萨斜塔

## 三、语法知识点

### 1. It is...that... 强调句

> **It is only in modern times that** Galileo has become a problem child for historians of science

强调时间状语 only in modern times。

| 原句 | 强调部分 | 强调句 |
|------|----------|--------|
| Galileo has become a problem child only in modern times | only in modern times | It is only in modern times that... |

### 2. who 引导的并列定语从句

> He was, above all, a man **who** experimented: **who** despised the prejudices..., **who** put his questions to nature..., and **who** drew his conclusions fearlessly.

四个 who 从句并列修饰 a man，形成排比效果，强化伽利略的形象。

### 3. 反问句（修辞疑问句）

> **But can we blame** those who looked and failed to see what Galileo saw...?
> **Was** the philosopher who refused to look...more culpable than those who alleged...?

反问句不需回答，旨在引导读者思考，表达作者观点。

| 类型 | 例句 | 功能 |
|------|------|------|
| 反问 | Can we blame those...? | 我们不应责怪 |
| 反问 | Was he more culpable...? | 他并不更应受谴责 |

### 4. 虚拟条件句

> **if** a single curved glass **would** distort nature, **how much more would** a pair of them?

虚拟推论：如果一个透镜会扭曲自然，两个岂不更甚？

## 四、重点句型分析

### 句型1：长难句——多重修饰

> a closer study of the evidence, **supported by a deeper sense of the period, and particularly by a new consciousness of the philosophical undercurrents in the scientific revolution**, has profoundly modified this view of Galileo

- 主干：a closer study has modified this view
- supported by... 过去分词短语作后置定语修饰 study
- 两个 by 短语并列

### 句型2：比较句

> Was the philosopher who refused to look through Galileo's telescope **more culpable than** those who alleged that the spiral nebulae...were scratches left by the grinder?

- 比较结构：more culpable than
- who refused... 和 who alleged... 两个定语从句对比
- that 从句为 alleged 的宾语

### 句型3：递进推论

> if a single curved glass would distort nature, **how much more would** a pair of them?

- how much more 递进加强
- 隐含结论：两个透镜（望远镜）更容易被认为是制造幻觉的工具

## 五、课文翻译

伽利略在世时就是激烈争论的中心；但是科学上的尘埃早已落定，今天我们甚至可以用较为正确的视角来看待他与宗教裁判所的著名冲突了。但是，相比之下，只有在现代，伽利略才成为科学史家的一个问题人物。旧的对伽利略的看法简单得令人愉快。他首先是一个做实验的人：他鄙视亚里士多德学派的偏见和书本学问，他向自然而不是向古人提出问题，他无所畏惧地得出结论。他第一个把望远镜对准天空，在那里看到了足够的证据来推翻亚里士多德和托勒密。他就是那个爬上比萨斜塔从塔顶扔下各种重物的人，那个让球沿斜面滚下的人，然后把许多实验结果归纳为著名的自由落体定律。

但是，对证据的更深入研究——在对那个时代的更深刻认识的支持下，特别是在对科学革命中哲学潜流的新认识的支持下——已经深刻地改变了伽利略的这一形象。今天，虽然旧的伽利略形象仍活在许多通俗著作中，但在科学史家中已经出现了一个新的、更复杂的形象。同时，我们对伽利略的反对者的同情也有所增加。他的望远镜观测理所当然地是不朽的；它们在当时引起了巨大兴趣，产生了重要的理论后果，并且提供了仪器和设备中隐藏的潜力的惊人示范。但是，如果我们记得在望远镜的极限功率下使用它需要长期的经验和对仪器的熟悉，我们能责怪那些看了却没有看到伽利略所看到的东西的人吗？拒绝通过伽利略的望远镜观看的哲学家，是否比那些声称用罗斯勋爵的大型望远镜在19世纪40年代观测到的螺旋星云是磨工留下的划痕的人更应受谴责？如果我们回想起，在伽利略的时代——正如之前几个世纪一样——曲面玻璃是流行的用来制造不是真理而是幻觉、虚假的工具，我们也许可以原谅那些说木星的卫星是伽利略的小望远镜制造出来的人；如果一块曲面玻璃会扭曲自然，两块岂不更甚？

## 六、语言点精讲

### 1. 写作手法：先立后破再立

- 先立：传统的简单化伽利略形象（实验先驱）
- 后破：更深入的研究修正了这一形象
- 再立：对伽利略的反对者给予更多理解和同情

### 2. 论证手法：类比与反问

- 拒绝看望远镜的哲学家 vs 声称螺旋星云是划痕的人——类比论证
- 反问句引导读者思考，而非直接下结论

### 3. 文化背景

- 伽利略（1564-1642）：意大利物理学家、天文学家
- 1633年被宗教裁判所审判，被迫放弃日心说
- Lord Rosse 的望远镜（1845年建成）：当时世界最大的望远镜
- 螺旋星云（spiral nebulae）：后来被确认为河外星系

### 4. 修辞分析

- "problem child"——隐喻，幽默而精准
- "scientific dust has long since settled"——隐喻，学术争论已平息
- 反问句增强说服力，让读者自己得出结论

## 七、课后练习要点

1. **词汇练习**：掌握 controversy、perspective、despise、overthrow、culpable 等核心词
2. **语法练习**：It is...that... 强调句；反问句的构造；虚拟条件句
3. **翻译练习**：注意反问句的翻译处理；how much more 的递进翻译
4. **写作练习**：模仿"先立后破"的论证手法，写一篇关于历史人物评价的文章

## 八、本课小结

本课重新审视伽利略的历史形象。核心观点：**传统的简单化伽利略形象已被修正，我们应该对伽利略的反对者给予更多理解**。作者指出，在望远镜的早期阶段，不相信其观测结果是合理的，因为曲面玻璃长期以来被视为制造幻觉的工具。语法重点为强调句型、并列定语从句和反问句。写作特色是"先立后破再立"的论证结构和反问句的巧妙运用。