When the Sun or the Moon Disappears

When shadows swallow the sky · 天狗食日？

In the prescientific age, humans understood nature in a way that seems strange and foolish to us in our modern world. Without the benefit of high-tech instruments, they were unable to fully understand what was happening around them.

Ignorance can lead to fear. Nowhere was their fear greater than when strange events such as eclipses of the sun or the moon occurred.

Today, we know that the earth and the moon move in a regular pattern. Sometimes, the earth's movement puts it between the sun and the moon. When this occurs, the earth blocks the sunlight and we see the earth's shadow on the moon. The moon gets dark — sometimes black, sometimes a scary orange colour. This is nothing strange at all to modern minds. It's simply a lunar (moon) eclipse.

When the moon moves between the earth and the sun, it blocks some of the sunlight. As the moon travels in front of the sun, the sun seems to disappear. This is a solar (sun) eclipse. When the moon, the sun and the earth are positioned in a straight line, the sun is completely blocked and the earth gets very dark. This is a total solar eclipse, and it's rare.

It's easy to see how these strange events frightened our ancestors. The word eclipse means "to devour" or "to eat" something. Long ago, humans believed that the sun or the moon was being eaten. If this were true, it would really be a reason to be scared. Imagine how you would feel even today, if you thought that the sun was going to disappear forever.

Think of early humans standing outside in the middle of the day, as the sun slowly grew dark and then disappeared for an hour or more. It would certainly scare the daylights out of you. The sun brings warmth, light and life!

Today, science helps us understand strange occurrences. When we understand something, we no longer fear it. You can easily go on the Internet and find out when the next lunar or solar eclipse will happen. You can even go out and watch one.

When the Sun or the Moon Disappears — From terror to wonder under the same sky

In the prescientific age, humans understood nature in a way that seems strange and foolish to us in our modern world. Without the benefit of high-tech instruments, they were u(1)__________ to fully understand what was happening around them.

I(2)__________ can lead to fear. Nowhere was their fear greater than when strange events such as eclipses of the sun or the moon o(3)__________.

Today, we know that the earth and the moon move in a r(4)__________ pattern. Sometimes, the earth's movement puts it between the sun and the moon. When this occurs, the earth blocks the sunlight and we see the earth's s(5)__________ on the moon. The moon gets dark — sometimes black, sometimes a scary orange colour. This is nothing strange at all to modern minds. It's simply a lunar (moon) eclipse.

When the moon moves between the earth and the sun, it blocks some of the sunlight. As the moon travels in front of the sun, the sun seems to disappear. This is a solar (sun) eclipse. When the moon, the sun and the earth are positioned in a straight line, the sun is c(6)__________ blocked and the earth gets very dark. This is a total solar eclipse, and it's r(7)__________.

It's easy to see how these strange events frightened our a(8)__________. The word eclipse means "to devour" or "to eat" something. Long ago, humans believed that the sun or the moon was being eaten. If this were true, it would really be a reason to be scared. Imagine how you would feel even today, if you thought that the sun was going to disappear f(9)__________.

Think of early humans standing outside in the middle of the day, as the sun slowly grew dark and then disappeared for an hour or more. It would certainly scare the daylights out of you. The sun brings w(10)__________, light and life!

Today, science helps us understand strange occurrences. When we understand something, we no longer fear it. You can easily go on the Internet and find out when the next lunar or solar eclipse will happen. You can even go out and watch one.

📌 重点单词 · Key Vocabulary

🔗 重点词组 · Key Phrases

💡 语法小贴士 · Grammar Tips

🌘 文化拓展 · When Fear Meets Science

eclipse 一词源自希腊语 ekleipsis，意为「离开、被弃、消失」。在没有天文学的时代，世界各地的人类不约而同地把日月食想象成「天上的太阳月亮被怪物吞吃」：中国说是天狗食日，家家户户敲锣打鼓放鞭炮把天狗吓走；北欧神话说是天狼斯库尔追着吞掉太阳；古巴比伦人甚至认为日食是冲着国王来的凶兆，会临时立一个假国王「替王挡灾」。原文中 eclipse 意为 to devour（吞食），正是这些古老想象的化石。

有趣的是，恐惧源于无知，惊叹源于理解。巴比伦祭司在数百年记录中发现了沙罗周期——日月食每 18 年 11 天左右重演一次，人类第一次实现了对「天灾」的精确预报。今天的天文学家能把日全食的时刻、地点算到秒：2009 年 7 月 22 日的日全食扫过长江流域，数亿中国人走出家门仰头观看——古人吓得魂飞魄散的「末日」，变成了今天一票难求的天文盛宴。

文章结尾写得漂亮：You can even go out and watch one. 曾经把祖先吓到跪地祈祷的黑暗，如今是我们特意出门去欣赏的奇观。看懂了阴影，就不再害怕黑暗——这正是科学最温柔的样子。