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Celebrating Einstein’s Science 「爱」，上百年!

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課文中英文講解

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One hundred years ago in 1905, the way science saw the world was changed forever. In that year, a twenty-six-year-old high school dropout named Albert Einstein published a series of papers that redefined science and changed how many of us view reality and the physical world around us.

一百年前的1905年，科学界看世界的方式永远被改变了。那一年名叫爱因斯坦，年仅二十六岁的高中辍学生，发表了一系列论文，重新定义科学，而且改变了我们大多数人对现实及所处的实体世界的看法。

Einstein’s revolutionary ideas provided clear proof for the existence of atoms, whose existence was a hotly-debated topic in the early twentieth century. Furthermore, he proposed that light was made of particles instead of waves – a theory that won him the Nobel Prize in 1921 and helped to lay the groundwork for the theory of quantum physics. In 1905, Einstein also developed his special theory of relativity, which explained the relationship between matter and energy with the simple formula that every schoolchild knows: E= mc².

爱因斯坦革命性的理念，为原子的存在提供了明确的证据。二十世纪初，原子的存在与否是一项倍受争议的话题。除此之外，爱因斯坦还提出，光是由粒子而不是由波组成的。这个理论为他赢得了1921年的诺贝尔奖，并为未来的量子物理学奠下了根基。1905年，爱因斯坦发展出他的特殊相对论。这个理论用一个每个学生都知道的简单公式来解释物质与能量的关系:E=mc2。

Einstein’s ideas were incredibly advanced for his time, and those ideas opened the way for many inventions that we take for granted today. TV sets, lasers, space travel, global positioning systems (GPS), and nuclear power were all made possible by Einstein’s far-reaching ideas. And now, to celebrate Einstein’s achievements and to promote the study of physics, the United Nations has declared 2005 to be the World Year of Physics. All across the world, scientists, students, and people of all walks of life are gathering for festivities to mark the genius of Einstein’s ideas and how those ideas changed the world.

爱因斯坦的观念远远地超越他的时代，而他的这些想法为许多我们今日习以为常的发明开了一扇门。因为爱因斯坦的高瞻远瞩使得电视机、雷射、太空旅行、全球卫星定位系统及核能等理想，都具体实现了。如今，为了颂扬爱因斯坦的成就，并鼓励对物理学的研究，联合国宣布2005年为世界物理年。全世界的科学家、学生和各行各业的人都聚集在一起举办庆祝活动，以突显爱因斯坦的天才点子，以及这些点子如何改变了世界。

Vocabulary

dropout [`drɑpˏaʋt] n. 中途辍学的学生

groundwork [ˋgraʊnd͵wɝk] n. 基础；底子，根基

formula [ˋfɔrmjələ] n. 公式；方程式

incredibly [ɪnˋkrɛdəblɪ] adv. 难以置信地；很，极为

take for granted: 认为…是理所当然的 to expect something to be available all the time and forget that you are lucky to have it

achievement [əˋtʃivmənt] n. 成就

promote [prəˋmot] v. 促进；发扬

festivity [fɛsˋtɪvətɪ] n. 庆典，庆祝活动

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far-reaching [ˋfɑrˋritʃɪŋ] adj. 影响深远的；远大的

walkof life: 社会阶层

Reading Questions

1. What the main idea of this article?

A. Einstein’s ideas changed our world, and celebrations are being held this year to honor him.

B. Einstein’s ideas were very advanced, and they even won him Nobel Prizes.

C. Einstein’s theory of relativity is what really made Einstein famous and well known.

D. Without Einstein’s ideas, we wouldn’t have television now.

2. According to the article, what can we say about the world of science before 1905?

A. Scientists had already begun to study quantum physics.

B. Everyone in the science world knew that atoms existed.

C. Most scientists believed that light was made of waves.

D. Scientists clearly understood the relationship between matter and energy.

3. According to the article, why has the United Nations declared 2005 as the World Year of Physics?

A. To encourage people to learn about the life of Einstein and how he lived.

B. To raise awareness of how science has made the world better.

C. To teach the public about the papers that Einstein published a hundred years ago.

D. To create interest in physics and celebrate the achievement of Einstein.

課文中英文講解

To celebrate the World Year of Physics and pay respect to Albert Einstein, universities around the globe are holding lectures and presentations on Einstein’s theories. But scientists aren’t the only ones ___1___ Einstein this year. The hip and the cool are getting involved, ___2___.

为了庆祝世界物理年，还有向爱因斯坦表达敬意，全球各地的大学纷纷举办有关爱因斯坦理论的演讲以及论文发表会。但是科学家并不是今年唯一向爱因斯坦致敬的一群人，一些酷炫的时髦人士也加入这个行列。

Earlier this year, Ben Wallace, a top-level BMX rider completed the “Einstein Flip,” a crazy bicycle stunt ___3___by a physicist. Also, a rap song called “Einstein (Not Enough Time)” became the theme song for the year’s festivities in Britain. Even the fine arts are paying ___4___ to Einstein.Constant Speed, a ballet inspired by the theory of relativity, is being performed onstage in London. And right now, the celebration is going global.

今年稍早的时候，一位顶尖的越野自行车骑士班华勒斯完成了一个由物理学家设计的疯狂单车特技，叫做「爱因斯坦翻转」。同时，一首叫做「爱因斯坦(时间不够)」得绕舌歌成了英国今年各项庆祝活动的主题曲。甚至连艺文界也向爱因斯坦致敬。一支灵感来自相对论的芭蕾舞剧《恒速》，正在伦敦表演。此时此刻，各式各样的庆祝活动正在全球展开。

Earlier today, a light was turned on in Einstein’s former home in New Jersey symbolizing the light Einstein brought to the world. That light signaled___5___ to turn on more lights. The lights spread across the U.S. and then ___6___ the Pacific Ocean via a fiber optic cable to Asia. Soon, the lights will spread to Europe and cross the Atlantic, circling the__7___ with light.

今天稍早的时候，爱因斯坦位于纽泽西州故居的灯被点亮了，这个灯光象征着爱因斯坦带给全世界的光明。那道光向其他地区发出讯号，以打开更多的灯。这些灯光横跨整个美国，然后经由太平洋底下的一条光纤电缆传到亚洲。不久，这些灯光将会传到欧洲，穿越大西洋，绕着地球跑一圈。

___8___, Einstein would be pleased with the imaginative ways that people are thinking about his work. He himself once said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.” Hopefully, these celebrations will encourage the imagination – and the genius – that Einstein believed is in all of us.

无庸置疑地，人们以这么有想象力的方式缅怀他的作品会让爱因斯坦感到很欣慰。他本人曾说过:「想象力比知识更重要。知识是有限的，而想象力却是无远弗届。」但愿这些庆祝活动可以激发出爱因斯坦相信我们每个人都有的想象力及天赋异禀。

－By Will Thelin

Vocabulary

presentation [͵prizɛnˋteʃən] n. 报告；介绍

involve [ɪnˋvɑlv] v. 牵涉

physicist [ˋfɪzɪsɪst] n. 物理学家

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hip [hɪp] adj. 【非正式】新潮的﹐赶时髦的

stunt [stʌnt] n. 惊人的表演，绝技

fine art 艺术（指绘画、雕塑、建筑、诗歌、音乐等）

fiber optic cable 光纤电缆

encircle [ɪnˋsɝk!] v. 环绕；包围

tribute [ˋtrɪbjut] n. 敬意，尊崇

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