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Lewin’s Offbeat Beauty of Science 勒文教授的另类物理课

课文朗读

课文讲解

繁體中文譯本

While many science professors swing back and forth between projects, one of them literally swings back and forth. That’s how Walter Lewin, a physics professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), teaches Hooke’s Law. Attaching himself to the bottom of a 15-foot pendulum, 71-year-old Lewin sways in a wide arc to show his students that weight doesn’t affect the pendulum’s time between swings.

许多理科教授都在研究计划间来回摆荡，不过其中有一位却名符其实地「荡来荡去」。麻省理工学院物理教授华特．勒文，就是这样教胡克定律的。71岁的勒文将自己固定在15英尺长的钟摆底部，呈大弧形摆动着，藉此向学生证明，重量并不影响钟摆摆动一次所需的时间。

Lewin’s many years of teaching have shown him that engaging students is more important than simply teaching equations. “You have to be a little fun. If I want to, I could make them cry. I could make them sit on the edge of their seats. I could make them wet their pants,” Lewin says.

勒文多年的教学经验告诉他，让学生投入，比光教方程式更重要。「你必须要有点趣味。假如我要，我可以让他们哭，让他们全神贯注，甚至让他们尿裤子」勒文说道。

This beloved teacher, at times, will suck helium and continue the rest of his lessons sounding like a cartoon duck. He does this to show how sound moves at different speeds in different gases. Likewise, through the use of a fire-extinguisher-propelled bicycle, Lewin will demonstrate how a rocket accelerates by shooting himself across the room. All this hard work opens students’ eyes and shows them how physics applies to the world around them.

这位深受爱戴的老师有时会吸入氦气，用卡通鸭子说话的声音继续讲课。他这么做是为了证明，声波在不同气体中行进的速度也不相同。同样地，借着骑乘灭火器驱动的脚踏车，勒文让自己快速地从教室的一头移动到另一头去，以证明火箭加速的原理。这种种努力都使学生大开眼界，让他们知道物理学如何应用在生活中。

Vocabulary

单词发音

engage [ɪnˋgedʒ] v. 吸引

likewise [ˋlaɪk͵waɪz] adv. 同样地

demonstrate [ˋdɛmən͵stret] v. 示范操作

accelerate [ækˋsɛlə͵ret] v. 加速

apply to  适用于

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单词发音

offbeat [ˋɔf͵bit] adj.【口】不跟随时尚主流的；非传统的

pendulum [ˋpɛndʒələm] n. 摆锤；钟摆

arc [ɑrk] n. 弧形

show [ʃo] v. 告知

equation [ɪˋkweʃən] n.【数】方程式

sit on the edge of one’s seats 全神贯注; 专心地看和听 if a story keeps you on the edge of your seat, it is very exciting and you want to know what is going to happen next

helium [ˋhilɪəm] n.【化】氦

fire extinguisher [ɪkˋstɪŋgwɪʃɚ] n. 灭火器

课文朗读

课文讲解

Lewin has filmed 100 lectures, each made with expensive equipment, like a Hollywood movie. They can be downloaded from MIT’s website. Viewers say Lewin’s videos have lifted them from depression and changed their lives. Some have even proposed to the professor.

勒文已将100堂课程拍摄成影片，每一部都使用了昂贵的器材，就像好莱坞电影一样。这些影片可从麻省理工学院的网站下载。看过的人说勒文的影片能为他们解闷，并且改变他们的生活。有人甚至还向这位教授求婚呢。

Lewin’s teaching style isn’t just fun. It helps students learn the material as well. He uses clarity, timing and suspense to keep the lesson interesting, and tries to end with a big finish to make it memorable. Lewin also has the heart of an artist, and enjoys collecting works of contemporary art. His love of art may be a source of inspiration for the visual effects in his demonstrations.

勒文的教学风格不只有趣，还有助于学生吸收学习内容。他利用清晰、时机与悬疑等元素来让课程保持趣味，也试着用有力的结尾来使学生记住课程。勒文也颇有艺术修养，喜欢收藏当代艺术作品。他对于艺术的喜好，可能是他课程中视觉效果的灵感来源。

In one of Lewin’s more popular lessons, he puts his face in the path of a 15-kilogram wrecking ball. He brings the ball to his chin and simply lets it swing away. According to the laws of physics, the ball should not hit him on the backswing, unless he accidentally pushes the ball. The wrecking ball swings forward, and then goes racing back towards his face. It stops mere millimeters away from his chin. “Physics works, and I’m still alive!” Lewin shouts triumphantly.

在勒文颇受欢迎的一堂课中，他将脸置于一颗15公斤重的链球摆动的路径上。他把球放在自己的下巴处，然后放手让球荡出去。除非他不小心使力推球。链球往前摆去，又快速地朝他的脸荡回来，在离他下巴仅仅数毫米处停了下来。「物理学很有用！我还活着！」勒文得意地喊道。

−by Webster Chang

Vocabulary

单词发音

depression [dɪˋprɛʃən] n. 沮丧

propose [prəˋpoz] v. 求婚[（+to）]

suspense [səˋspɛns] n. 悬疑

memorable [ˋmɛmərəb!] adj. 值得怀念的

contemporary [kənˋtɛmpə͵rɛrɪ] adj. 当代的

accidentally [͵æksəˋdɛnt!ɪ] adv. 意外地

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单词发音

Hollywood [ˋhɑlɪ͵wʊd] n. 好莱坞

clarity [ˋklærətɪ] n.（思想、文体等的）清楚；明晰

inspiration [͵ɪnspəˋreʃən] n. 灵感

wrecking ball 破坏大铁球

wrecking [ˋrɛkɪŋ] n. 破坏

millimeter [ˋmɪlə͵mitɚ] n. 公厘，毫米

work [wɝk] v. 起作用；行得通

triumphantly [traɪˋʌmfəntlɪ] adv. 耀武扬威地；得意洋洋地

Reading Questions

1. What have Lewin’s many years of teaching experience taught him?

A. It is necessary for the students to do experiments on their own.

B. Visual teaching materials are expensive equipment.

C. It is very important to attract students’ attention.

D. You cannot teach physics without a 15-foot pendulum.

2. Why does Lewin at times sound like a cartoon duck?

A. Because he is a big fan of a cartoon character.

B. Because he wants to teach a scientific law.

C. Because he has a serious sore throat.

D. Because he enjoys breathing special gases.

3. Which of the following is NOT true about Lewin?

A. He often orders students to sit on the edge of their seats.

B. He has filmed many lectures and out them online.

C. He sometimes puts himself in danger in class.

D. He loves art and it seems to affect the way he teaches.

4. What might the author think of Lewin’s teaching style?

A. It is creative.

B. It is memorable.

C. It is normal.

D. It is demanding.

Walter Lewin Promo

Answer