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万物简史(MP3+中英字幕) 第5期:引言(5)

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"My own starting point, for what it's worth, was an illustrated science book that I had as a classroom text when I was in the fourth or fifth grade.

我写本书的最初灵感,不管其价值如何,来自我在念小学四、五年级时有过的一本科普读物。

The book was a standard-issue 1950s schoolbook, battered, unloved, grimly hefty-but near the front it had an illustration that just captivated me:

那是20世纪50年代学校发的一本教科书--乍一看去,皱皱巴巴,招人生厌,又笨又重--但书的前几页有一幅插图,一下子把我迷住了:

a cutaway diagram showing the Earth's interior as it would look if you cut into the planet with a large knife

一幅剖面图,显示地球的内部,样子就像你拿起一把大刀,切到行星里面,

and carefully withdrew a wedge representing about a quarter of its bulk.

然后小心翼翼地取出一块楔形物,代表这庞然大物的大约四分之一。

It's hard to believe that there was ever a time when I had not seen such an illustration before,

难相信,我以前怎么从没有见过这类插图,

but evidently I had not for I clearly remember being transfixed.

我记得完全给迷住了。

万物简史.jpg

I suspect, in honesty, my initial interest was based on a private image of streams of unsuspecting eastbound motorists in the American plains states

很我的确认为,起初,我的兴趣只是基于一种个人的想像,美国平原上

plunging over the edge of a sudden 4,000-mile-high cliff running between Central America and the North Pole,

各州川流不息的车流毫无提防地向东驶去,突然越过边缘,

but gradually my attention did turn in a more scholarly manner to the scientific import of the drawing and the realization that the Earth consisted of discrete layers,

坠入中美洲和北极之间一个6000多公里高的悬崖,但我的注意力渐渐地转向这幅插图的科学含义,意识到地球由明确的层次组成,

ending in the center with a glowing sphere of iron and nickel, which was as hot as the surface of the Sun, according to the caption,

中心是一个铁和镍的发热球体。根据上面的说明,这个球体与太阳表面一样灼热。

and I remember thinking with real wonder: "How do they know that?"

我记得当时我无限惊讶地想:"他们是怎么知道的?

I didn't doubt the correctness of the information for an instant-I still tend to trust the pronouncements of scientists in the way I trust those of surgeons,

我对这个信息坚信不疑--我至今仍然容易像相信医生、

plumbers, and other possessors of arcane and privileged information

防泄漏人员和别的神秘信息的拥有者那样相信科学家的说法--

-but I couldn't for the life of me conceive how any human mind could work out what spaces thousands of miles below us,

但是,我无论如何也无法想像,人的脑子怎么能确定在离我们几千公里下面的地方是个什么样子,是由什么构成的,

that no eye had ever seen and no X ray could penetrate, could look like and be made of. To me that was just a miracle.

而那可是肉眼根本看不见、X射线也穿不透的呀。在我看来,那简直是个奇迹。,

That has been my position with science ever since.",

自那以后,这一直是我对待科学的态度。"

重点单词   查看全部解释    
discrete [di'skri:t]

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adj. 不连续的,离散的

联想记忆
penetrate ['penitreit]

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v. 穿透,渗透,看穿

联想记忆
illustrated ['iləstreitid]

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n. 有插画的报章杂志 adj. 有插图的 v. 阐明;

 
honesty ['ɔnisti]

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n. 诚实,正直

 
planet ['plænit]

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n. 行星

 
bulk [bʌlk]

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n. 体积,容积,大批,大块,大部分
vt.

联想记忆
scholarly ['skɔləli]

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adj. 学究气的,学者派头的 名词scholar的形容

 
import [im'pɔ:t]

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n. 进口,进口商品,意义
v. 进口,输入

联想记忆
arcane [ɑ:'kein]

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adj. 神秘的,秘密的,鲜为人知的

联想记忆
pole [pəul]

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n. 杆,柱,极点
v. (用杆)支撑

 

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