每日英语 · 2026-10-15
If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.
Isaac Newton · Letter to Robert Hooke · 1675 · 1675-02-05（儒略历；公历常作 1676）致 Robert Hooke 的信；原句为 If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.
译文
如果说我看得更远，那是因为我站在巨人的肩膀上。
语法
- 整句是 If 条件从句 + 主句：If I have seen further（条件）+ it is by standing...（主句）。这里 If 不是「假如会发生」，而是「如果说、即便承认……」的缓和语气。
- 主句用 it is by + doing：by standing 是方式状语，说明「靠什么方式」看得更远；standing on the shoulders of giants 是动名词短语。
- have seen 是现在完成时，强调「已经看到／看得更远」这一结果，而不是单纯叙述过去某一刻。
词汇
-
further /ˈfɜːðə(r)/ adv.
更远；更进一步（句中修饰 seen，表示看得更远）
搭配：see further; go further; take it further
Reading the reference manual helped me see further into the interrupt path.
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stand on /stænd ɒn/ v. phrase
站在……之上；比喻建立在……的基础上
搭配：stand on the shoulders of; stand on one's own feet
Every driver we write stands on datasheets and errata written by others.
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shoulder /ˈʃəʊldə(r)/ n.
肩膀；句中用复数 shoulders，构成固定比喻
搭配：on someone's shoulders; shoulder to shoulder; a chip on one's shoulder
The responsibility for that silicon bring-up is on our shoulders.
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giant /ˈdʒaɪənt/ n.
巨人；巨擘（喻指前辈大师）
搭配：a giant in the field; standing on the shoulders of giants
Knuth is a giant in algorithms; his books still guide my code reviews.
笔记
做嵌入式也一样：寄存器手册、前人驱动、开源社区，都是你的「巨人肩膀」。今天试着口头说一句：If I have ______ further, it is by ______.