In the old days, it means like hundred years ago, time was something that was astronomical.

莱文：在过去，这意味着大年前，时间是文数字。

There is also the problem that access to telescopes is always at a premium and historically measuring red shifts has been notably costly in telescope time.

使用文望远镜总是代价很高，在历史上，测量红移要长时间使用文望远镜，令人注目地花钱很多。

Fast-forward to around 1,000 years ago, and since people were using round things to keep track of time, astronomers were all about this weird base-60 number system from the Babylonians.

快进到大 1000 年前，由于人们用圆形的西来记录时间，文学家们都在研究巴比伦人这个奇怪的 60 进制数字系统。

By timing the transit from two widely-separated locations, teams of astronomers could calculate the parallax angle—the apparent difference in position of an astronomical body due to a difference in the observer's position.

通过从两个相距甚远的地方计算行星的凌日时间，文学家小组可以计算出视差——的位置由于观测者的位置不同而产生的明显差异。

Years later, precise measurements were invented because the passage of time was extremely important for astronomers and priests who were responsible for determining the exact hour for daily rituals and for important religious festivals.

多年以后，精确的计时方法得以发明，因为对于负责确定日常仪式和重要宗教节日确切时间的文学家和祭司来说，时间的流逝极为关键。

Since the oracle bones were dated, we have exact details for events like when cities were built, astronomical events; when taxes were raised or paid, when animals and objects were sold and even when marriages were arranged.

由于甲骨文是有日期的，所以我们有确切的事件细节，如城市的建造时间、文事件；何时加税或缴税、何时出售动物和物品，甚至何时安排婚姻。