托福閱讀高難度文章長難句實例解析：圍繞北極星運動的天體

　　Anaximander,observing the motions of the heavens around the polestar, was probably the first of the Greek philosophers to picture the sky as sphere completely surrounding Earth--an idea that, elaborated upon later, would prevail until the advent of the Scientific Revolution in the seventeenth century.

　　詞匯講解：

　　polestarn. 北極星

　　sphere /sf??/ n. 球體，球形;范圍;社會階層，社會地位

　　elaborate/?'læb?ret/ v. 詳盡解釋或說明，詳細制定

　　prevail /pr?'ve?l/ v. 流行，盛行

　　advent /'ædv?nt/ n. 來臨，到來

　　結構劃分：

　　Anaximander, (observing the motions of the heavens around the polestar), was probably the first of the Greek philosophers (to picture the sky as sphere completely surrounding Earth)--(an idea) (that, (elaborated upon later), would prevail until the advent of the Scientific Revolution in the seventeenth century).

　　深度分析：

　　這個句子的主干：

　　Anaximander was probably the first of the Greek philosophers

　　修飾一：(observing the motions of the heavens around the polestar) ，

　　非謂語動詞

　　中文：觀察圍繞北極星運動的天體

　　修飾二：(to picture the sky as sphere completely surrounding Earth) ，非謂語動詞

　　中文：把天空描繪成完全圍繞地球的球體

　　修飾三：(an idea) ，同位語

　　中文：一個想法

　　修飾四：(elaborated upon later) ，非謂語動詞

　　中文：后來被詳細闡述

　　修飾五：(that would prevail until the advent of the Scientific Revolution in the seventeenth century) ，從句，修飾idea

　　中文：會流行到17世紀科技革命的到來。

　　參考翻譯：

　　Anaximander(一直觀察圍繞北極星運動的天體)可能是第一個希臘哲學家把天空描繪成完全圍繞地球的球體——這個想法(后來被詳細闡述)會流行到17世紀科技革命的到來。