EN: Use 'How to + verb' as a common phrase pattern to express 'the way to do something'. It is often used in titles, guides, and headings.
中文: 「How to + 原形动词」表示「如何做某事」或「做某事的方法」,常用于文章标题、指南或说明。
How to find stars with a phone app.
如何用手机应用程序寻找星星。
EN: Use the pattern 'a great time to + verb' to talk about a good opportunity or moment to do something.
中文: 使用「a great time to + 动词原形」句型,表示做某件事的「好时机」或「大好机会」。
Spring is a great time to visit Japan.
春天是去日本旅游的好时机。。
EN: Use 'between A and B' to talk about something being in the middle of two things, places, or people.
中文: 使用「between A and B」来表示某物或某人位在两者之间。。
The park is between the library and the school.
这座公园位在图书馆和学校之间。。
EN: In astronomy, when Earth passes directly between the sun and an outer planet, this event is called 'opposition'. During opposition, the planet appears at its brightest and is visible all night.
中文: 在天文学中,当地球运行到太阳与外行星正中间时,这个现象被称为「冲」(opposition)。在「冲」的期间,该行星在夜空中最明亮,且整夜可见。
EN: Use 'and' to connect two actions done by the same subject. Notice both verbs ('rises' and 'stays') end in '-s' because 'Saturn' is singular.
中文: 使用「and」连接同一个主语所做的两个动作。请注意,因为主语「土星 (Saturn)」是单数,所以两个动词(rises 和 stays)后面都要加「-s」。
He works in the day and sleeps at night.
他白天工作,晚上睡觉。
EN: Use the superlative adjective 'closest' (the most close) to describe the point with the least distance. It is often followed by 'to + noun' to show what it is close to.
中文: 使用最高级形容词「closest」(最近的)来描述距离最短的一点。后面常搭配「to + 名词」,表示距离某个对象最近。
This is the closest planet to the sun.
这是距离太阳最近的行星。
EN: In astronomy, the moment an outer planet like Saturn is closest to Earth usually happens around 'opposition'—when Earth is directly between the planet and the sun, making it appear biggest and brightest.
中文: 在天文学中,外行星(如土星)最接近地球的时刻通常发生在「冲」(opposition)前后——即地球恰好运行至太阳与该行星之间,此时该行星在夜空中看起来最明亮也最大。。
EN: Use 'can' + base verb to express ability or possibility. Prepositions like 'with' (using) and 'without' (not using) show how something is done.
中文: 使用「can + 原形动词」表示能力或可能性。介系词 with 表示「用/借助」,without 则表示「不用/没有」,用来说明动作进行的方式。
You can read the book easily with your glasses, without any help.
戴上眼镜,你不用任何人帮忙就能轻松阅读这本书。
EN: In astronomy, observing 'with your eyes, without a telescope' is commonly referred to as seeing something with the 'naked eye'.
中文: 在天文学中,不用望远镜而“只用眼睛看”通常被称为用“肉眼”(naked eye)观察。
EN: We use 'look like + noun' to describe what someone or something resembles in appearance.
中文: 我们使用“look like + 名词”来描述某人或某物的外观“看起来像……”。
That cloud looks like a rabbit.
那朵云看起来像一只兔子。
EN: In astronomy, an easy way for stargazers to distinguish planets from stars is that planets usually shine with a steady light, whereas stars twinkle due to Earth's atmospheric turbulence.
中文: 在观星常识中,分辨“行星”与“恒星”最简单的方法就是:行星(如土星)的光芒通常是稳定不变的,而恒星因为距离极为遥远且受地球大气层扰动影响,看起来会闪烁不定(twinkle)。
EN: This sentence is an imperative sentence (giving an instruction or direction). It starts directly with a prepositional phrase followed by the base form of the verb 'look' without mentioning 'you'.
中文: 这是一个祈使句(用于给予指示或指引方向)。句子在介词短语后直接使用原形动词“look”,省略了主语“you”。
Turn right at the traffic lights.
在红绿灯处右转。
EN: In astronomy and stargazing guides, instructions are given for specific local times and cities (like London) because celestial bodies appear in different directions depending on the observer's latitude and local time zone.
中文: 在天文观星指南中,通常会指定特定城市(如伦敦)与当地时间,因为天体在天空中的方位会随着观察者所在的纬度和当地时间而有所不同。
EN: We can put a noun phrase right after another noun (separated by a comma) to explain or describe what it is. This is called an appositive.
中文: 我们可以在名词后面加上逗号,接着另一个名词短语,用来进一步解释或补充说明前一个名词(同位语用法)。
Paris, the capital of France, is famous for art.
巴黎,法国的首都,以艺术闻名。
EN: The 'Great Square of Pegasus' is a well-known asterism (a recognizable star pattern) in the autumn night sky of the Northern Hemisphere, often used by stargazers as a landmark to find other planets and constellations.
中文: 「秋季四边形」(Great Square of Pegasus)是北半球秋季夜空中著名的星群(非单一星座),观星者常以它作为重要地标,用来寻找周边的其他行星与星座。
EN: Use an imperative sentence (verb starting without a subject) followed by 'and' to show cause and effect: 'Do this, and that will happen.'
中文: 使用祈使句(动词原形开头)加上「and」,可以表示「只要做这件事,就会产生某个结果」(做了……,就会……)。
Study hard, and you will pass the exam.
努力读书,你就会通过考试。
EN: In astronomy, planets like Saturn appear to move slowly compared to the fixed 'background' stars because planets orbit the sun closer to Earth. The preposition 'against' here means 'in contrast to or in front of a background.'
中文: 在天文学中,行星(如土星)绕太阳公转,因此从地球上看,它们在恒星组成的「背景」前会每天改变位置。这里介系词「against」表示「以……为对比背景」。
EN: Use 'need + noun + to + verb' to express what tool or action is required to achieve a specific goal.
中文: 使用「need + 名词 + to + 原形动词」结构,用来表达「需要某物以达成某个目的」。这里的 to 带出的是目的。
You need a ticket to enter the museum.
你需要一张票才能进入博物馆。
EN: Saturn is widely known for its prominent ring system, first observed by Galileo Galilei in 1610. While Saturn itself is visible to the naked eye as a bright dot, a backyard telescope is required to resolve its distinctive rings.
中文: 土星最著名的特征就是其壮丽的光环系统,最早由伽利略于 1610 年观察到。虽然肉眼就能看见土星发出的亮光,但必须借助小型的家用望远镜才能清晰分辨出它的光环结构。。
EN: Use 'even' before a comparative adjective or adverb (like 'higher') to mean 'still more' or emphasize the difference.
中文: 在比较级形容词或副词(如 higher)前面加上「even」,表示「更加……」或「甚至更……」,用来加强语气与对比程度。
Today is cold, but tomorrow will be even colder.
今天很冷,但明天会更加寒冷。
EN: The phrase 'southern half of the world' is a simple, everyday way to say the 'Southern Hemisphere' (countries like Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, etc.). Because of Earth's tilt and latitude, planets and constellations appear at different heights in the sky depending on where you are.
中文: 「southern half of the world」是「南半球(Southern Hemisphere)」的口语化日常说法(例如澳洲、纽西兰、南非等地区)。由于地球的纬度不同,从南半球观看夜空时,土星等星体在天空中的仰角会比在伦敦等北半球地区看起来更高。
重要单词附有 IPA 发音、定义、例句和互动式测验。
在本文中: 可看見的
在本文中: 望遠鏡
在本文中: 閃爍;閃閃發光
在本文中: 行星
在本文中: 著名的;出名的
在本文中: 筆直地;直接地
在本文中: 南方的;南部的
在本文中: (天體)升起
片语包含类型标示、双语定义、用法说明和例句。
throughout the entire night
整夜;彻夜
the sky as seen at night, especially with reference to the stars or planets visible
夜空
to move through the space separating two objects or people
穿过两者之间;从…之间经过
the location or time at which an object is nearest to another
最近点;最近距离