The next time you’re complaining that your experiment isn’t going at will you might better think of what Guillaume Le Gentil had to go through. Le Gentil was an astronomer who wanted to see the transit of Venus at different places on earth to measure its distance to the sun. Unfortunately, on the day of the transit it was impossible to make any measurements, he was stuck on a ship to India. He had run late due to a war between France and the United Kingdom, but having come this far he decided he would wait there eight years to see the next transit. Yet, this time he was prevented from taking any measurements because of the clouds. Because the next transit would occur in a century, he went home without any results; back home, he found out he had been declared dead, his wife had remarried and his family had sold his property.
Babs Lemmens
2 opmerkingen:
Thx for a compelling anecdote: good story-telling: well-done.
Some minor language pointers
The %you can leave out 'the' here% next time you’re complaining that your experiment isn’t going %well, drop 'at will', otherwise it gets a bit wordy% at will you might better %you had better% think of what Guillaume Le Gentil had to go through. Le Gentil was an astronomer who wanted to see the transit of Venus at different places on earth to measure its distance to the sun %nice and brief description%. Unfortunately %nice link%, on the day of the transit it was impossible to make any measurements, he was stuck on a ship to India. He had run late due to a war between France and the United Kingdom, but having come this far he decided he would wait there eight years to see the next transit. Yet %good link% this time he was prevented from taking any measurements because of the clouds. %style: twice 'because' and twice 'home'% %Since% Because the next transit would occur in a century, he went home without any results; back home %in France%, he found out he had been declared dead, his wife had remarried and his family had sold his property.
Good job!
Dear Bobs,
I like your interesting blog with logical connections and a good flow.
Apart from the comments Prof. Olaf did I have some suggestions:
The opening sentence attracts the reader's attention however it does not reflect the content of the story.
Moreover, I would have started "The next time you complain that your experiment isn’t going as expected, you have to consider what Guillaume Le Gentil had to go through."
I enjoyed reading your blog.
Good job!
Negin Ebrahimi
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