万物简史 第203期:威力巨大的原子(17)

 　　Meanwhile the tireless Rutherford, now back at Cambridge as J. J. Thomson's successor as head of the Cavendish Laboratory, came up with a model that explained why the nuclei¹ didn't blow up. He saw that they must be offset² by some type of neutralizing³ particles, which he called neutrons⁵. The idea was simple and appealing, but not easy to prove. Rutherford's associate, James Chadwick, devoted⁶ eleven intensive years to hunting for neutrons before finally succeeding in 1932. He, too, was awarded with a Nobel Prize in physics, in 1935.

　　与此同时，不知疲倦的卢瑟福这时候已经返回剑桥大学，接替J.J.汤姆逊担任卡文迪许实验室主任。他设计出了一种模型，说明原子核不会爆炸的原因。他认为，质子的正电荷一定已被某种起中和作用的粒子抵消，他把这种粒子叫做中子。这个想法简单而动人，但不容易证明。卢瑟福的同事詹姆斯·查德威克忙碌了整整11个年头寻找中子，终于在1932年获得成功。1935年，他也获得了诺贝尔物理学奖。

　　我国第一颗原子弹

　　As Boorse and his colleagues point out in their history of the subject, the delay in discovery was probably a very good thing as mastery of the neutron⁴ was essential to the development of the atomic bomb. (Because neutrons have no charge, they aren't repelled⁷ by the electrical fields at the heart of an atom and thus could be fired like tiny torpedoes⁸ into an atomic nucleus⁹, setting off the destructive process known as fission¹⁰.) Had the neutron been isolated¹¹ in the 1920s, they note, it is "very likely the atomic bomb would have been developed first in Europe, undoubtedly¹² by the Germans."

　　正如布尔斯及其同事在他们的物理学史中指出的，较晚发现中子或许是一件很好的事，因为发展原子弹必须掌握中子。（由于中子不带电荷，它们不会被原子中心的电场排斥，因此可以像小鱼雷那样被射进原子核，启动名叫裂变的破坏过程。）他们认为，要是在20世纪20年代就能分离中子，“原子弹很可能先在欧洲研制出来，毫无疑问是被德国人”。

1 nuclei   

n.核

参考例句：

• To free electrons, something has to make them whirl fast enough to break away from their nuclei. 为了释放电子，必须使电子高速旋转而足以摆脱原子核的束缚。
• Energy is released by the fission of atomic nuclei. 能量是由原子核分裂释放出来的。

2 offset   

n.分支，补偿；v.抵消，补偿

参考例句：

• Their wage increases would be offset by higher prices.他们增加的工资会被物价上涨所抵消。
• He put up his prices to offset the increased cost of materials.他提高了售价以补偿材料成本的增加。

3 neutralizing   

v.使失效( neutralize的现在分词 )；抵消；中和；使（一个国家）中立化

参考例句：

• This juice-about a quart a day--pours into my duodenum, neutralizing acids. 这种消化液（每天约分泌1品脱）流入我的十二指肠，把酸中和了。 来自辞典例句
• AIM: To verify the role of a synthetic peptide in neutralizing endotoxins. 目的：检验一条合成肽在中和内毒素活性方面的作用。 来自互联网

4 neutron   

n.中子

参考例句：

• Neutron is neutral and slightly heavier than the proton.中子是中性的，比质子略重。
• Based on the neutron energy,the value of weighting factor was given.根据中子能量给出了相应的辐射权重因子的数值。

5 neutrons   

n.中子( neutron的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The neutrons and protons form the core of the atom. 中子和质子构成了原子核。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• When an atom of U235 is split,several neutrons are set free. 一个铀235原子分裂时，释放出几个中子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

7 repelled   

v.击退( repel的过去式和过去分词 )；使厌恶；排斥；推开

参考例句：

• They repelled the enemy. 他们击退了敌军。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The minister tremulously, but decidedly, repelled the old man's arm. 而丁梅斯代尔牧师却哆里哆嗦地断然推开了那老人的胳臂。 来自英汉文学 - 红字

8 torpedoes   

鱼雷( torpedo的名词复数 )； 油井爆破筒； 刺客； 掼炮

参考例句：

• We top off, take on provisions and torpedoes, and go. 我们维修完，装上给养和鱼雷就出发。
• The torpedoes hit amidship, and there followed a series of crashing explosions. 鱼雷击中了船腹，引起了一阵隆隆的爆炸声。

9 nucleus   

n.核，核心，原子核

参考例句：

• These young people formed the nucleus of the club.这些年轻人成了俱乐部的核心。
• These councils would form the nucleus of a future regime.这些委员会将成为一个未来政权的核心。

10 fission   

n.裂开；分裂生殖

参考例句：

• The fission of the cell could be inhibited with certain chemicals.细胞的裂变可以通过某些化学药品加以抑制。
• Nuclear fission releases tremendous amounts of energy.核裂变释放出巨大的能量。

11 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

12 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。