Comic：Christopher Columbus and the moon
【明報專訊】The Smarties travelled to the year 1504 on a time machine.
“ Columbus: Where's our food? ”
“ The native: We no longer want to trade with you. ”
“ Columbus: Look! God is displeased with you. He has taken away the moon. ”
“ The native: Oh no! We'll give you food. ”
“ MoMo: He's lying! ”
“ Bill: This is not a punishment from God. ”
“ Dr Panda: It's an astronomical event. This is called the lunar eclipse. ”
“ The native: Who should we believe? What is the truth? ”
◆Know more
Christopher Columbus (哥倫布, 1451-1506) was an Italian navigator and explorer. He is famous for discovering America but that is not true. There were already natives living there before his arrival and the Vikings discovered America before him. However, he changed the world by marking the beginning of exploration of the Americas.
In 1504, Columbus and his crew were trapped on an island due to problems with their ships. The natives refused to provide food. Columbus learned that a lunar eclipse was due after three days from his notes. He told the natives that they had made his god angry so God would take away the moon. After the eclipse, the frightened natives provided Columbus and his men with food until a Spanish ship came to rescue them.
■English highway﹕No longer
''No longer'' means something was true or possible before. It is placed before a verb or after the verb to be (is/am/are/was/were).
e.g. They no longer live there. They have moved.
■Glossary
astronomical (adj) 天文學的
lunar eclipse (n) 月食
navigator (n) 航海家
native (n) 原住民
[Smarties' Power English 第285期]
