万物简史 第171期:爱因斯坦的宇宙(14)

 　　Physicists¹ as a rule are not overattentive to the pronouncements of Swiss patent office clerks, and so, despite the abundance of useful tidings, Einstein’s papers attracted little notice. Having just solved several of the deepest mysteries of the universe, Einstein applied² for a job as a university lecturer and was rejected, and then as a high school teacher and was rejected there as well. So he went back to his job as an examiner third class, but of course he kept thinking. He hadn’t even come close to finishing yet.

　　物理学家一般不大重视瑞士专利局职员发表的东西，因此尽管提供的信息又多又有用，爱因斯坦的论文并没有引起多少注意。由于刚刚解开宇宙中几个最难解开的谜团，爱因斯坦申请大学讲师的职位，但是遭到拒绝，接着又申请中学教师的职位，再次遭到拒绝。于是，他重新干起三级审查员的活儿——不过，他当然没有停止思索。他离大功告成还远着呢。

　　爱因斯坦与质能公式

　　When the poet Paul Valéry once asked Einstein if he kept a notebook to record his ideas, Einstein looked at him with mild but genuine surprise. “Oh, that’s not necessary,” he replied. “It’s so seldom I have one.” I need hardly point out that when he did get one it tended to be good. Einstein’s next idea was one of the greatest that anyone has ever had—indeed, the very greatest, according to Boorse, Motz, and Weaver³ in their thoughtful history of atomic science. “As the creation of a single mind,” they write, “it is undoubtedly⁴ the highest intellectual achievement of humanity,” which is of course as good as a compliment can get.

　　有一次，诗人保罗·瓦莱里问爱因斯坦，他是不是随身带着个笔记本记录自己的思想，爱因斯坦稍稍而又着实吃惊地看了他一眼。“哦，那是没有必要的，”他回答说，“我极少带个笔记本。”我无须指出，要是他真的带个本子的话，倒是很有好处的。爱因斯坦的下一个点子，是一切点子中最伟大的点子——布尔斯、莫茨和韦弗在他们很有创见的原子科学史中说，这确实是最最伟大的点子。“作为一个脑子的独创，”他们写道，“这无疑是人类最高的智力成就。”这个评价当然很高。

1 physicists   

物理学家( physicist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• For many particle physicists, however, it was a year of frustration. 对于许多粒子物理学家来说，这是受挫折的一年。 来自英汉非文学 - 科技
• Physicists seek rules or patterns to provide a framework. 物理学家寻求用法则或图式来构成一个框架。

2 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

3 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。

4 undoubtedly   

adv.确实地，无疑地

参考例句：

• It is undoubtedly she who has said that.这话明明是她说的。
• He is undoubtedly the pride of China.毫无疑问他是中国的骄傲。