On the evening of 19 September, people in China can enjoy a special sight without any equipment. Venus, the brightest planet in our sky, will reach its brightest point of the year. On the same evening, the moon will appear as the smallest first-quarter moon of 2026. Both can be seen with the naked eye if the weather is clear.
Venus is the planet closest to Earth, and its thick clouds reflect about 75 percent of the sunlight that hits them. The moon, by comparison, reflects only about 11 percent. On 19 September Venus will shine at about minus 4.8, far brighter than any star. In the evening sky this planet is called the Evening Star, or Changgeng in Chinese. In the morning it rises in the east and is called the Morning Star.
The moon will also be unusual that day. It reaches its first quarter in the early morning, and at about 11 a.m. it arrives at the farthest point of its orbit. Its distance from Earth will be about 404,000 kilometres, roughly five percent more than the average. As a result, it looks smaller than any other first-quarter moon this year, with a shape like the letter D.
Experts suggest looking at the sky about 25 to 50 minutes after sunset. A place in the southwest with no tall buildings nearby is best, because Venus will sit low above the horizon. The moon will stay in the sky much longer and will not set until around midnight. No telescope is needed, but a pair of binoculars can help you see both objects in one view.
Venus has been part of Chinese culture for thousands of years. In the Book of Songs, an ancient collection of poems, it appears as both the Morning Star and the Evening Star. Science can now explain why it shines so brightly, but the pleasure of looking up has not changed. After October, Venus will turn from an evening star into a morning star, so this month is a good time to enjoy it.
Words to know:
- planet (行星)
- reflect (反射)
- orbit (轨道)
- distance (距离)
- average (平均的)
- horizon (地平线)
- telescope (望远镜)
- binoculars (双筒望远镜)
长难句拆解 · 后置定语 + 原因状语从句
例句：A place in the southwest with no tall buildings nearby is best, because Venus will sit low above the horizon.
主干只有三个词：A place is best。主语后面挂了两层修饰：in the southwest 是地点定语，with no tall buildings nearby 是介词短语作后置定语，二者一起说明「什么样的地方」。注意 with 引导的定语在英语里位置很靠后，中文习惯放到名词前面，翻译时要颠倒过来。
逗号后面的 because Venus will sit low above the horizon 是原因状语从句，解释为什么选这样的地方——金星位置低，高楼一挡就看不见了。英文常用「先给结论、再讲原因」，中文更习惯「先说原因、再说结论」，这是两种语言在语序上的典型差别。
直译：西南方向、附近没有高楼遮挡的地方最好，因为金星会低低地挂在离地平线不远的位置。
同义替换 · 雅思阅读利器
下面 6 组替换都出自本文，右侧是对应的替换说法，点开核对。
- special → unusual / remarkable（形容景象罕见）
- bright → brilliant / shining（形容亮度高）
- reflect → bounce back / send back（说光的反射）
- suggest → advise / recommend（表示「建议」）
- nearby → close by / in the area（说距离近）
- stay → remain / keep（表示「保持某种状态」）
阅读自测 · 3 题
三道题分别对应细节、因果与条件，先不看答案。
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- 判断正误（T / F / NG）：On that evening, Venus will be brighter than any star in the sky.
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- 简答：Why does the moon look smaller than usual on 19 September?
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- 判断正误（T / F / NG）：You need a telescope to watch Venus that evening.
参考答案与解析
每题给出答案与判断依据，注意最后提到的干扰项套路。
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- T（正确）。第二段写 Venus will shine at about minus 4.8, far brighter than any star。注意别把它读成「全天空最亮的天体」——太阳和月亮都比它亮，那种写法属于「偷换概念」。
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- Because it arrives at the farthest point of its orbit, about 404,000 kilometres from Earth, roughly five percent more than the average. 依据在第三段。若答「because the moon is getting smaller」，就是把视觉上的变小偷换成真实的变小，属于「偷换结论」。
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- F（错误）。第一段写 with the naked eye，第四段更明确写 No telescope is needed；双筒望远镜只是能帮你看得更方便，并不是必需品，题目把可选工具说成必要条件。
中文译文
9 月 19 日傍晚，中国人不用任何设备就能看到一幕特别的景象。金星——我们天空中最亮的行星——将达到它一年里最亮的时刻。同一天傍晚，月亮会变成 2026 年最小的一轮上弦月。只要天气晴朗，这两样都能用肉眼看到。
金星是离地球最近的行星，它厚厚的云层会把照射到上面的阳光反射掉约 75%。相比之下，月亮只反射约 11%。9 月 19 日，金星的亮度约为负 4.8 等，比任何一颗恒星都亮得多。出现在傍晚的天空时，它被叫作长庚星；清晨从东方升起时，它又被叫作启明星。
那天月亮也很特别。它在凌晨进入上弦，上午 11 点左右运行到轨道的远地点。此时它与地球的距离约为 40.4 万公里，比平均距离远约 5%。因此，它看起来比今年任何一轮上弦月都小，形状像字母 D。
专家建议在日落后 25 到 50 分钟左右抬头看。西南方向、附近没有高楼遮挡的地方最好，因为金星会低低地悬在地平线之上。月亮在天空中停留的时间长得多，要到午夜前后才会落下。不需要望远镜，但一副双筒望远镜能帮你把两者收进同一个画面。
几千年来，金星一直是中国文化的一部分。在古诗集《诗经》中，它同时以启明星和长庚星的形象出现。如今科学可以解释它为什么如此明亮，但抬头仰望的乐趣从未改变。十月之后，金星会从傍晚的星慢慢变成清晨的星，所以这个月是欣赏它的好时机。