引領千年的北極星
Long before satellite navigation was available, humanity relied on the position of the celestial bodies to find their way.
在衛星導航問世以前，人類靠天體的位置來辨識方位。
before long 不久、很快=shortly=soonrely on 仰賴position(n.)位置、方位celestial body 天體astronomical object 天體
During the day, people across the globe have referred to the position of the sun to find their way.
白天的時候，全球各地的人依據太陽的位置找到方向，
But in the dark of the night, sailors located themselves through the position of the stars in the night sky instead.
而在黑夜裡，水手則是透過星星的位置確定方位。
locate(v.)確定～的位置，發現～的位置be located in (at) 位於～、座落於～
Stars, as opposed to planets, have fixed celestial positions year-round where only their rising times change with the seasons.
有別於行星，星星的天體位置終年固定，唯有出現的時間點會隨著季節改變。
as opposed to=rather than 而不是fixed deposit 定存fixed price 定價
One star that particularly stands out is Polaris, also called the North Star.
有個星星特別顯眼，那就是北極星。
stand out 出眾、醒目
Polaris, a star in the Ursa Minor constellation, has guided sailors since antiquity.
北極星是小熊座星群之一，自古以來便引領著水手。
Ursa Major 大熊座the Big Dipper 北斗七星guide(v.)引導、指引、領路
The star is visible to the naked eye at night, and stands almost motionless in the sky.
北極星在夜裡可以肉眼直接觀測，在天空中幾乎不會移動。
visible(adj.)可見的、顯眼的vision(n.)視力、視覺motion(n.)移動、運動
As such, all the stars in the same constellation appear to rotate around it.
因此，星座裡的其他星星看似是在圍繞著北極星打轉。
rotate(v.)（使）旋轉、（使）轉動
Navigators have used this fixed point to measure their location using many different tools, like sextants, which are used to measure the angle between an astronomical object and the horizon.
領航員藉由北極星的定點，透過六分儀等工具測量位置，此工具是用於測量天體跟地平線的角度。
measure(v.)測量、計量
It is believed that Austronesian navigators traveled across the Pacific Ocean from Taiwan thousands of years ago using their knowledge of stellar positions.
據信，南島族領航員數千年以前，便曾利用他們對星體位置的知識從台灣航經太平洋。
stellar(adj.)恆星的、星球的
Polaris was so central to early celestial navigation, that the star earned many names in cultures around the world.
由於北極星在早期天文導航上十分重要，因此在全球各地的文化中有著許多名稱。
so adj. that… 如此～以致於⋯⋯central(adj.)中心的、主要的、重要的=importantearn(v.)掙得、賺取、獲得
The Hindus called Polaris “Dhruva,” meaning immovable and fixed.
印度將北極星稱為「德魯瓦」，為不可移動、固定之意。
immovable(adj.)不可移動的、堅定不移的、不可動搖的
The Lakota people in North America named it “the Star that Sits Still.”
北美拉科塔人將其命名為「靜止不動的星星」。
still(adj.)靜止不動的
English sailors in the medieval age gave it the Latin name Stella Maris, “Star of the Sea.”
在中世紀時期，英國水手以拉丁語將其命名為「斯特拉·馬里斯」，意為海洋之星。