背景：前面讲到Halley在Oxford当大学生时协助皇家天文学家Flamsteed做天文方面的工作，得到了Flamsteed的赞赏。后来呢他去了St Helena，回到英国大陆后出版了第一张南天星图，又解决了Hooke和Hevelius的争议（真奇怪，全是H开头的）。。。
接下来是：The fame and recognition which Halley achieved so quickly did nothing to endear him to Flamsteed who, despite his praise for Halley in his student days, soon turned against him. Having the Astronomer Royal as an enemy is not the best recommendation for a young astronomer, even one as famous as Halley, who would soon pay the price.
Q1。 did nothing to怎么解释？
Q2。为什么Flamsteed开始反对Halley了？（这个问题和英语无关，但是不明白，所以问问）
Q3。having the Astronomer Royal as an enemy（有一个皇家天文学家是自己的对手）是一件很悲惨的事情，为什么文中只用了“is not the best recommendation”这样轻描淡写地表达呢？
我很不厚道吧……回答任意两个问题即可，谢谢！！

did nothing to 对……毫无作用，于事无补。哈雷早年的名望完全无助于赢得Flamsteed的好感。

为什么Flamsteed开始反对Halley了？

关于Flamsteed的记述一致提到其人性情乖戾，无法与人合作，而且有个特点，就是从来不对旁人公开自己的研究数据。

以下文字提供了一种可能的解释
The latter part of Flamsteed's life passed in controversy over the publication of his excellent observations. He struggled to withhold them until completed, but they were urgently needed by Isaac Newton and Edmond Halley, among others. Newton, through the Royal Society, led the movement for their immediate publication. In 1704 Prince George of Denmark undertook the cost of publication, and, despite the prince's death in 1708 and Flamsteed's objections, the incomplete observations were edited by Halley, and 400 copies were printed in 1712. Flamsteed later managed to burn 300 of them.

也就是说：牛顿当时主持皇家学会，主张一切成果立即无条件公开发表，而这就触犯了Flamsteed最大的忌讳，他百般阻挠。

但是有人赞助，书还是出了，而且由于Flamsteed不想干，这个工作还是由哈雷来完成的。这等于公开和Flamsteed唱对台戏，所以Flamsteed恼怒到要烧书，他自然也会痛恨哈雷了。

为什么文中只用了“is not the best recommendation”这样轻描淡写地表达呢？

英国人行文中常见的幽默方式而已，因为后果可想而知，直说反而无味。

例如
I am sure that, without modern weapons, I would make a very poor show of disputing the ownership of a cave with a bear, and in this I do not think that I stand alone.

一个人没有现代化的武器，要和一只熊PK结果还用说吗？所以作者只说I do not think that I stand alone.