职的官员，但是他真正的兴趣不是政府每日的繁文缛节，而是对知识的不断追求。这当然不是他那个时代大多数诗人的兴趣。那时人们更愿意相信宗教，而不是事实。伽利略(1564－1642)这样证明了例如地球不是宇宙的中心等科学观点的人常常受教会惩罚。教会和许多人经常忽略事实，不愿意去挑战他们一直坚信的一切，他们宁愿以前人的经验为依据对世界做出假设。事实上，当伽利略证实地球不是宇宙的中心时，人们不相信他的话，却要相信几乎是两千年以前的观点。

　　[助读讲解]　①it作形式主语，真正的主语是how引导的从句。

　　②when引导定语从句，修饰先行词the 17th century；that引导宾语从句。

　　③what引导从句作challenge的宾语。

　　It is not surprising that people wanted to believe these ancient views as they had been put forward by the great philosopher Aristotle (384－322 BC)④.He said that the Earth must be the centre of the universe because it felt like the Earth was standing still.Galilei disagreed.At first，people approved of his studies and urged him to continue，but later when he proved Aristotle wrong，they grew angry and put him in prison.They didn't want to challenge what they'd always thought was true.

　　This also shows how people didn't want to search for their own understanding or educate themselves.And this is still often true today.People feel that if someone important and respected says that something is right，then it must be so.But even though Aristotle was a great man who inspired many great scientists and philosophers after him，he was wrong at times⑤. And Galilei too made mistakes.He is now known as the father of astronomy but he believed that the earth moved round the sun in a perfect circle.He was wrong.Therefore our understanding of the world around us is constantly growing and changing.In other words⑥，we learn more every day and none of us can ever sit back and say，"We know it all"．

　　因为这些观点是伟大的哲学家亚里士多德(384－322 BC)提出来的，人们愿意相信这些古老的见解这也不足为奇。亚里士多德认为地球是宇宙的中心，因为从感觉上来讲地球是静止不动的。伽利略不同意这种说法。起初，人们赞同他的研究并鼓励他继续进行，但是当他证实亚里士多德的观点是错误的时候，他们就生气了，把他关进了监狱。他们不愿意挑战他们向来认为是正确的东西。

从这一点可以看出，人们是多么不愿意追求自己对事物的理解或自己教育自己。在今天，这仍然是事实。人们认为，如果某位重要的和受尊敬的人说某事