《英语流行话题阅读:语境识词4500》51 Basics of Horoscope

（单词翻译）

　　Unit 51
Basics of Horoscope
Astrology is the study of how events on Earth are influenced by the Sun, Moon, stars and planets. Technically¹, horoscope is the term astrologers use for a chart showing the relative positions of stars and planets at a specific time. It is like a snapshot of "a particular place in Time and Space". But for most people, a horoscope is the forecast astrologers make based on that chart. The future forecasts on the Web or in newspapers are often referred to as a "horoscope".
If you are interested in (or intrigued² by) astrology, the first thing you need to know is your sun sign (also known as the zodiac sign). Sign -- as in "What's my sign?" -- is a word the average reader of horoscope columns in newspapers thinks of as a "label" for a stereotype³ applied⁴ to him simply because he was born in a certain one-month time period. This is NOT exactly true. Sign is a term used by astrologers to define a sector⁵ of the sky (like the segments of a peeled orange). Each of the twelve signs of the zodiac is a 30-degree arc in a 360-degree imaginary belt around the Earth (360/12=30). It is one of the twelve sections of Space in which we observe the Sun (by day) and Moon and the other planets which are visible to the naked eye. Most people know their zodiac sign already. It's based on your birthday. Once you know your zodiac sign, you can start reading your horoscopes: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Yearly.
Those "daily horoscope" columns for the 12 zodiac signs are only based on an assumed month and day of birth which falls within a range of dates when the Sun is in a particular sign. They are generalized "Sun Sign" horoscopes, but they do not take into account the year (or hour and minute) you were born, or the town and country you were born in. Since your "Time and Space" are not really known, these so-called "horoscopes" are only based on an estimate of where the Sun was located on your date of birth, and thus are far less detailed⁶ and accurate than a Personal Horoscope Reading based on your full birth data -- which will include the positions of the Moon and ALL the Planets, and what that means about you as a unique individual. Not even identical twins can be born in the same Space at the same Time.
Sooner or later you start noticing that the zodiac horoscope can't be very accurate because everybody is different. Life would be boring if everybody with the same zodiac or sun sign would be equal. The sun sign just tells you something about your general personality and spirit. When you combine your sun sign horoscope with your moon sign (the inner you and emotions) and your ascendant (your outer image) you'll get a lot more information. To know your moon sign and rising sign (ascendant), you need to get your birth chart done. Many web sites on the Internet provide this service for free.
A birth chart, also called natal⁷ chart, shows the positions of the stars at your time of birth in the place you were born in. For best accuracy, you need to enter the date o birth (DOB), time of birth (TOB) and place of birth (POB), to find your moon sign and rising sign (ascendant). The birth chart provides a lot of information. Once you know your sun sign, moon sign and ascendant sign, you can also read the in-depth descriptions of all 3 signs.