欧美文化博览 阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦(44)（在线收听）

On two fronts and two continents,

在两条战线上和两个大洲中,

the proof of Einstein's theory now hangs in the balance.

爱因斯坦的理论证明现在依然悬而未决。

It's February 1919, at top Mountain Hamilton in California,

1919年2月,在加州汉密尔顿的山顶,

William Wallace Campbell is examining and re-examining photographic plates which appear to indicate that Einstein's General Theory of Relativity,

威廉·华莱士·坎贝尔一遍又一遍的检查并重新审视感光板，而结果似乎表明爱因斯坦的广义相对论。

his theory of gravity, is wrong.

他的引力理论,是错误的。

But Campbell has competition from British astronomer Arthur Eddington,

但坎贝尔与来自英国天文学家阿瑟·爱丁顿之间也在进行着竞争,

who was on his way to photograph an eclipse in Africa.

爱丁顿正在去非洲拍摄日食的路上。

Eddington leaves Britain and heads south.

爱丁顿离开英国并且向南方进发。

He is in his late 30s, traveling in those days was not comfortable.

他是在20世纪30年代末,在那些日子里,旅行可不舒服。

This is the tropics, the height of summer.

这是热带地区,而且夏天太阳难耐。

It must have been a very unpleasant place to be.

要去的一定是一个很不舒服的地方。

In May of 1919, after 10 weeks at sea,

在1919年5月, 在海上的10周后,

Eddington and his assistant arrive on the shores of Principe,

爱丁顿和他的助手到达圣多美普林西比海岸,

a small island off the coast of West Africa.

这是西非海岸的一个小岛。