走进剑桥大学 第8期:牛顿的苹果树

 Newton’s Apple Tree

牛顿的苹果树

Newton was an English physicist¹ and mathmatician,and was the greatest scientist in his era.

牛顿是一位英国物理学家和数学家，也是他那个时代最卓越的科学家之一。

Isaac Newton was born on 4 January 1643 in Woolsthorpe, Lincolnshire. His father was a prosperous farmer, who died three months before Newton was born. His mother remarried and Newton was left in the care of his grandparents. In 1661，he went to Cambridge

1643年1月4号，艾萨克牛顿出生于林肯郡伍尔索坡。牛顿的父亲是一个富裕的农民，在牛顿出生前3个月就过世了。他的妈妈改嫁，而他则由祖父母养大成人。1661年，他进入剑桥大学学习，对数学、光学、物理学和天文学产生了兴趣。1665年10月，一场大瘟疫迫使剑桥大学暂时关闭，牛顿回到了伍尔索坡。在那两年中他收获颇丰，他开始思考重力问题，还致力于光学和数学研究，提出了“微积分”的概念。

University where he became interested in mathematics, optics，physics and astronomy. In October 1665, a plague epidemic² forced the university to close and Newton returned to Woolsthorpe. The two years he spent there were an extremely fruitful time during which he began to think about gravity. He also devoted³ time to optics and mathematics, working out his ideas about calculus⁴. In 1667, Newton returned to Cambridge, where he became a fellow of Trinity College. Two years later he was appointed second Lucasian professor of mathematics. It was Newton’s reflecting telescope, made in 1668，that finally brought him to the attention of the scientific community and in 1672 he was made a fellow of the Royal Society. From the mid-1660s, Newton conducted a series of experiments on the composition of light, discovering that white light is composed of the same system of colours that can be seen in a rainbow and establishing the modern study of optics. In 1704，Newton published The Opticks which dealt with light and colour.He also studied and published works on history, theology and alchemy.

1667年，牛顿回到剑桥大学，成为三一学院的研究员。两年后他被任命为第二任卢卡斯数学教授。1668年牛顿发明的反射望远镜终于使他受到科学界的关注。1672年，牛顿成为了英国皇家学会的会员。从17世纪60年代中期起，牛顿做了一系列关于光的构成的实验，发现了白光是由同一体系的不用颜色构成的，那些不同的颜色可以在彩虹中看到。他由此创立了现代光学。1704年，牛顿出版了《光学》一书，阐述了光和颜色的有关原理。他还研宄历史、神学和炼金术，并出版了相关著作。

In 1687，with the support of his friend the astronomer⁵ Edmond Hailey, Newton published his single greatest work, the Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy). This showed how gravity, applied⁶ to all objects in all parts of the universe.

1687年，在他的朋友，天文学家埃德蒙哈雷的帮助下，牛顿出版了他最伟大的专著《自然哲学的数学原理》。这本著作展示了万有引力是如何适用于宇宙中的万事万物的。

In 1689, Newton was elected member of parliament for Cambridge University, In 1696, Newton was appointed warden⁷ of the Royal Mint, settling in London. He took his duties at the Mint very seriously and campaigned against corruption⁸ and inefficiency⁹ within the organization. In 1703，he was elected president of the Royal Society, an office he held until his death. He was knighted in 1705.

1689年，牛顿当选为剑桥大学校委会委员。1696年，他被任命为位于伦敦的皇家铸币厂的监管人。他在铸币厂尽心尽力工作，并在铸币厂内部发起反腐败和反低效率工作的运动。1703年，牛顿被评选为英国皇家学会主席，并一直担任这个职务直到去世。1705年，他被封为爵士。

Newton was a difficult man, prone¹⁰ to depression and often involved in bitter arguments with other scientists, but by the early 1700s he was the dominant¹¹ figure in British and European science. He died on 31 March 1727 and was buried in Westminster Abbey.

牛顿不是个容易相处的人，他有抑郁倾向，经常陷入和其他科学家的激烈争论中。 但是一直到18世纪早期,牛顿仍是英国乃至欧洲科学界的领军人物。1727年3月31日，牛顿逝世，葬于威斯敏斯特教堂。

1 physicist   

n.物理学家，研究物理学的人

参考例句：

• He is a physicist of the first rank.他是一流的物理学家。
• The successful physicist never puts on airs.这位卓有成就的物理学家从不摆架子。

2 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

3 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。

4 calculus   

n.微积分；结石

参考例句：

• This is a problem where calculus won't help at all.对于这一题，微积分一点也用不上。
• After studying differential calculus you will be able to solve these mathematical problems.学了微积分之后，你们就能够解这些数学题了。

5 astronomer   

n.天文学家

参考例句：

• A new star attracted the notice of the astronomer.新发现的一颗星引起了那位天文学家的注意。
• He is reputed to have been a good astronomer.他以一个优秀的天文学者闻名于世。

6 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。

7 warden   

n.监察员，监狱长，看守人，监护人

参考例句：

• He is the warden of an old people's home.他是一家养老院的管理员。
• The warden of the prison signed the release.监狱长签发释放令。

8 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

9 inefficiency   

n.无效率，无能；无效率事例

参考例句：

• Conflict between management and workers makes for inefficiency in the workplace. 资方与工人之间的冲突使得工厂生产效率很低。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This type of inefficiency arises because workers and management are ill-equipped. 出现此种低效率是因为工人与管理层都能力不足。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 prone   

adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的

参考例句：

• Some people are prone to jump to hasty conclusions.有些人往往作出轻率的结论。
• He is prone to lose his temper when people disagree with him.人家一不同意他的意见,他就发脾气。

11 dominant   

adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因

参考例句：

• The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
• She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。