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To begin with,he thought the dots must be very faint stars,
起初 他以为这些小点一定是极微弱的恒星
but then as he watched for a few nights,he saw that they moved.
但接连观察了数夜后 他发现这些小点会移动
And then a fourth dot appeared.
然后从第4个小点出现
Sometimes,one of them would vanish behind Jupiter and then reappear.
有时 其中一点会消失在木星后 之后又再度出现
He realized they had to be moons circling the vast planet.
他意识到 这些一定是绕行那颗巨大行星的卫星
Here was proof positive that at least some objects do not orbit the Earth.
这是明确的证据 至少有些物体不是绕着地球运行
Inspired by this discovery, Galileo went on to prove
在此发现的鼓舞下 伽利略继而证明
that the Earth must, in fact,orbit the Sun.
地球其实是绕着太阳在运行
Aristarchus had been right all along.
阿里斯塔克自始就是对的
Galileo's discoveries triggered a revolution in thought
伽利略的发现引发了思想革命
that would ultimately loosen the grip of religion over science.
终使宗教放松对科学的钳制
But back in the 17th century,they got him in a lot of trouble with the church.
但在17世纪那个年代 他因此而吃了教会不少苦头
He narrowly avoided execution by recanting his so-called heresy
他撤回所谓的"异端邪说" 才得以逃过被处决的命运
and was confined to house arrest for the last nine years of his life.
他一直都被软禁在家中 直至辞世前的9年光阴
Legend has it that even as he confessed his sin, he muttered,"but it does move."
传说 他在认罪时仍喃喃低语 "但它真的在动啊"
Over the next 300 years,as more and more of the laws of nature were discovered,
接下来的300年间 陆续发现更多自然法则
science began to explain all kinds of things from lightning,earthquakes, and storms to what makes the stars shine.
科学开始能解释各种事物 从雷电 地震和暴风雨 到恒星为何会发光
