资源描述:
《研究生口笔译英语之科学之美.doc》由会员上传分享,免费在线阅读,更多相关内容在教育资源-天天文库。
1、TheBeautyofScience科学之美1)JudgingfromthescientistsIknow,includingEvaandRuth,andthoseI’vereadabout,youcan’tpursuethelawsofnatureverylongwithoutbumpingintobeauty.“Idon’tknowifit’sthesamebeautyyouseeinthesunset,”afriendtellsme,“butitfeelsthesame.”Thisfriendisaphysicist,whohasspentalongcareerdeciphe
2、ringwhatmustbehappeningintheinteriorofstars.HerecallsformethisthrillongraspingforthefirsttimeDirac’sequationsdescribingquantummechanics,orthoseofEinsteindescribingrelativity.“They’resobeautiful,”hesays,“youcanseeimmediatelytheyhavetobetrue.Oratleastonthewaytowardtruth.”Iaskhimwhatmakesatheoryb
3、eautiful,andhereplies,”Simplicity,symmetry,elegance,andpower.”从我认识的科学工作者(包括伊娃和鲁斯)及我从书中读到的科学家来看,只要去探寻自然法则,用不了多久,就能与美不期而遇。一位朋友说,“我不敢肯定这就是夕阳西下那种美,但感觉上两者是相同的。”这位朋友是物理学家,长期致力于破译天体内部的变化。他回想起第一次领悟狄拉克的量子力学方程式和爱因斯坦相对论等式时的兴奋感,“它们太美了,你一眼就可看出它们必定是正确,或至少接近正确。”当我问及什么能使理论变得美丽时,他回答说:“简单、对称、优雅、力量。”2)Whynatures
4、houldconformtotheorieswefindbeautifulisfarfromobvious.Themostincomprehensiblethingabouttheuniverse,asEinsteinsaid,isthatit’scomprehensible.Howunlikely,thatashort-livedbipedonatwo-bitplanetshouldbeabletogaugethespeedoflight,laybarethestructureofanatom,orcalculatethegravitationaltugofablackhole.
5、We’realongwayfromunder-standingeverything,butwedounderstandagreatdealabouthownaturebehaves.自然界为何会与令我们觉得美的理论相一致?这问题远未明了。正如爱因斯坦所言,宇宙最不可理解之处就在于它是可以理解的。人类,这种生活在一个微不足道的星球上的两足动物,历史并不久远,竟能测算光速,揭示原子结构,并估算黑洞的万有引力,这是多么不可思议啊。我们远未能通晓万物,但我们确已对自然界的运作规律所知甚多。Generationaftergeneration,wepuzzleoutformulas,testt
6、hem,andfind,toanastonishingdegree,thatnatureagrees.Anarchitectdrawsdesignsonflimsypaper,andherbuildingsstandupthroughearthquakes.Welaunchasatelliteintoorbitanduseittobouncemessagesfromcontinenttocontinent.ThemachineonwhichIwritethesewordsembodieshundredsofinsightsintotheworkingsofthematerialwo
7、rld,insightsthatareconfirmedbyeveryburstoflettersonthescreen,andIstareatthatscreenthroughlensesthatobeythelawsofopticsfirstworkedoutindetailbyIsaacNewton.一代接一代,我们琢磨出各种公式并加以验证,发现它们与自然界的吻合达到令人惊讶的程度。建筑师在薄纸上绘图,按照图纸而建的大楼却能经受地震的考验。我们将人造卫星发送到轨