Unit 9A - The Education of a Physicist
Idly watching fish swimming in a pond and allowing the mind to wander can lead to some surprising results.
The Education of a Physicist
Micho Kaku
Two incidents from my childhood greatly enriched my understanding of the world and sent me on a course to become a theoretical physicist.
I remember that my parents would sometimes take me to visit the famous Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco. One of my happiest childhood memories is of crouching next to the pond, fascinated by the brilliantly colored carp swimming slowly beneath the water lilies.
In these quiet moments, I felt free to let my imagination wander; I would ask myself silly questions that only a child might ask, such as how the carp in that pond would view the world around them. I thought, what a strange world theirs must be!
Living their entire lives in the shallow pond, the carp would believe that their "universe" consisted of the dark water and the lilies. Spending most of their time moving around for food on the bottom of the pond, they would be only dimly aware that an alien world could exist above the surface. The nature of my world was beyond their comprehension. I was intrigued that I could sit only a few inches from the carp, yet be separated from them by a very huge gap. The carp and I spent our lives in two distinct universes, never entering each other's world, yet were separated by only the thinnest barrier, the water's surface.
I once imagined that there may be carp "scientists" living among the fish. They would, I thought, laugh at any fish who proposed that a parallel world could exist just above the lilies. To a carp "scientist," the only things that were real were what the fish could see or touch. The pond was everything. An unseen world beyond the pond made no scientific sense.
Once I was caught in a rainstorm. I noticed that the pond’s surface was bombarded by thousands of tiny raindrops. The pond’s surface became turbulent, and the water lilies were being pushed in all directions by water waves. Taking shelter from the wind and the rain, I wondered how all this appeared to the carp. To them, the water lilies would appear to be moving around by themselves, without anything pushing them. Since the water they lived in would appear invisible, much like the air and space around us, they would be baffled that the water lilies could move around by themselves.
Their "scientists," I imagined, would make up a clever invention called a "force" in order to hide their ignorance. Unable to comprehend that there could be waves on the unseen surface, they would conclude that lilies could move without being touched because a mysterious invisible entity called a force acted between them. They might give this illusion impressive, lofty names (such as action-at-a-distance, or the ability of the lilies to move without anything touching them).
Once I imagined what would happen if I reached down and lifted one of the carp "scientists" out of the pond. Before I threw him back into the water, he might struggle furiously as I examined him. I wondered how this would appear to the rest of the carp. To them, it would be a truly unsettling event. They would first notice that one of their "scientists" had disappeared from their universe. Simply vanished, without leaving a trace. Wherever they would look, there would be no evidence of the missing carp in their universe. Then, seconds later, when I threw him back into the pond, the "scientist" would abruptly reappear out of no where. To the other carp, it would appear that a miracle had happened.
After collecting his wits, the "scientist" would tell a truly amazing story. "Without warning," he would say, "I was somehow lifted out of the universe (the pond) and hurled into a mysterious world, with blinding lights and strangely shaped objects that I had never seen before. The strangest of all was the creature who held me prisoner, who did not resemble a fish in the slightest. I was shocked to see that it had no fins whatsoever, but nevertheless could move without them. It struck me that the familiar laws of nature no longer applied in this other world. Then, just as suddenly, I found myself thrown back into our universe."(This story, of course, of a journey beyond the universe would be so fantastic that most of the carp would dismiss it as utter nonsense.)
I often think that we are like the carp swimming contentedly in that pond. We live out our lives in our own "pond," confident that our universe consists of only those things we can see or touch. Like the carp, our universe consists of only the familiar and the visible. We smugly refuse to admit that parallel universes or dimensions can exist next to ours, just beyond our grasp. If our scientists invent concepts like forces, it is only because they cannot visualize the invisible vibrations that fill the empty space around us.
A second incident from my childhood also made a deep, lasting impression on me. When I was 8 years old, I heard a story that would stay with me for the rest of my life. I remember my schoolteachers telling the class about a great scientist who had just died. They talked about him with great reverence, calling him one of the greatest scientists in all history. They said that very few people could understand his ideas, but that his discoveries changed the entire world and everything around us. I didn't understand much of what they were trying to tell us, but what most intrigued me about this man was that he died before he could complete his greatest discovery. They said he spent years on this theory, but he died with his unfinished papers still sitting on his desk.
I was fascinated by the story. To a child, this was a great mystery. What was his unfinished work? What was in those papers on his desk? What problem could possibly be so difficult and so important that such a great scientist would dedicate years of his life to its pursuit? Curious, I decided to learn all I could about Albert Einstein and his unfinished theory.
I still have warm memories of spending many quiet hours reading every book I could find about this great man and his theories. When I exhausted the books in our local library, I began to visit libraries and bookstores across the city, eagerly searching for more clues. I soon learned that the unfinished papers on Einstein's desk were an attempt to construct what he called the unified field theory, a theory that could explain all the laws of nature, from the tiniest atom to the largest galaxy. However, being a child, I didn't understand that perhaps there was a link between the carp swimming in the Tea Garden and the unfinished papers lying on Einstein's desk. I didn't understand that higher dimensions might be the key to solving the unified field theory.
Nevertheless, I could see that this story was far more and more exciting than any murder mystery and more important than anything I could ever imagine. I decided that I would try to get to the root of this mystery, even if I had to become a theoretical physicist to do it.
参考译文——一个物理学家受过的教育
一边呆呆地看着鱼儿在池塘里游水，一边让思绪联翩，可能会带来一些令人惊奇的结果。
一个物理学家受过的教育
米基奥·凯科（加来道雄）
我孩提时代发生的两件事大大加深了我对这个世界的理解，还把我送上了成长为理论物理学家的道路。
我记得父母亲有时带我到坐落在旧金山的有名的日本茶园去玩。我记忆中儿时最快乐的事情之一是，自己蹲在池塘边，沉醉于观看那些在睡莲下缓缓游动的色彩斑斓的鲤鱼。
在这样的一些安静时刻，我听凭自己的想像力漫游；我常常会问自己只有小孩才会问的愚蠢问题，比如说，池塘里的鲤鱼会怎样看待它们周围的世界。我心里在想，他们的世界肯定千奇百怪！
鲤鱼一生生活在浅浅的池塘中，他们会认为他们的"天地"是由暗色的水和睡莲组成的。他们大部分时间都在游来游去寻找池塘底上的食物，所以至多只会模模糊糊地觉得水面上方可能有一个陌生的世界。他们不理解我的世界的本质。我可以坐在距鲤鱼只有几英寸的地方，但却被一条鸿沟与他们分隔开来，对此我深感好奇。鲤鱼和我生活在两个不同的天地中，都永远不会进入对方的世界，但把双方隔离开来的只是一道最薄的障碍--水面。
我曾想像过，鱼群中也许会有鲤鱼"科学家"。我想，他们会嘲笑那些提出就在睡莲上方可能存在另一个平行的世界这种看法的鱼儿。对鲤鱼"科学家"来说，只有鱼儿能看到或能碰到的才是真实的东西。池塘就是一切。从科学的角度看，要说池塘外有一个没有见过的世界，那是没有道理的。
有一次我遇上暴风雨。我看到万千小雨点连续击打池塘的水面。水面汹涌澎湃，睡莲被波浪冲得向四面散去。我一边躲避风雨，一边在纳闷鲤鱼是怎样看待这一切的。在他们看来，睡莲似乎是自己在不停漂移，没有什么东西推着它们动。正如我们看不见周围的空气和空间那样，他们也看不见自己生活在其中的水，所以对睡莲能自己不停移动这一点他们会感到迷惑不解。
我曾设想，他们的"科学家"为了掩饰自己的无知会编造出叫作"力"的巧妙谎话。他们无法理解在看不见的水面上会有波浪，于是断定，睡莲之所以能在没有外物触碰的情况下移动是因为有一种叫做力的看不见的神秘实体在它们之间起着作用。他们也许会给这种错误观念起一些令人敬畏的、冠冕堂皇的名字（比如远距离活动，或者睡莲在没有任何东西触碰的情况下移动之能耐）。
有一次我设想，如果我把手伸进水去，从池塘里捞出一个鲤鱼"科学家"来，那将会怎样。在我把他扔回水里去之前，我细细观察他时他也许会拼命挣扎。我不知道其他鲤鱼会怎样看待这事。他们会觉得这是一件真正令人不安的事件。他们先是察觉他们的一位"科学家"从他们的世界中消失了。就这么突然不见了，无影无踪。不管他们往哪儿找，在他们的世界中都看不到失踪鲤鱼的踪迹。然后，不过片刻功夫，我把他扔回了池塘，其时那位"科学家"不知从什么地方突然重又冒了出来。在其余那些鲤鱼看来，这是发生了奇迹。
"科学家"镇定下来后，会讲一个真正令人惊异的故事。他说："在预先毫不知情的情况下，我就不知怎的被人从这个世界（池塘）提了起来，扔进了一个神秘世界，那里有令人眩目的灯火，有我过去从未见过的奇形怪状的物件。最奇怪的是扣留我的那个怪物，一点也不像鱼。见它身上压根儿没长鳍但却能移动，我感到十分震惊。我突然想到，熟悉的自然法则在另一个世界里不再适用了。后来，也是那么突然，我被扔回了我们的世界。"（当然，这个关于去别的世界旅行的故事太荒诞，大多数鲤鱼会把它当作无稽之谈而不予理会。）
我常想我们就像在池塘里心满意足地游水的鲤鱼。我们在自己的"池塘"里度过一生，确信我们的世界仅仅是由我们看得到或摸得着的那些东西组成的。与鲤鱼一样，我们认为我们的世界只有熟知的和看得见的东西。我们自我陶醉地拒不承认在我们近旁，就在我们抓不到摸不着的地方可能存在其它相似的世界或维。假若我们的科学家发明了像力这样的概念，那只是因为他们不能想像我们周围的空间充斥着看不见的振动。
我儿时发生的第二件事也给我留下了深刻持久的印象。我八岁时听到了一个终生难忘的故事。我记得老师们向班上的同学讲了一位刚去世的伟大科学家的事。他们怀着极其崇敬的心情谈论他，称他为有史以来最伟大的科学家之一。他们说没有多少人能理解他的思想，但是他的种种发现改变了整个世界和我们周围的一切。对于他们试图告诉我们的这番话，我有许多地方都不太懂，但此人最让我感到好奇的是，他在完成他最重大的发现前去世了。他们说他花了多年时间研究这一理论，但未完成的论文还搁在书桌上他就去世了。
这个故事深深吸引住了我。对孩子来说，这是个巨大的谜。他尚未做完的是些什么工作？他书桌上的那些论文里写些什么？什么问题会那么难，那么重要，以致于如此伟大的一位科学家花多年时间去研究它？由于好奇，我决定尽力弄清阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦其人和他还未完成的理论。
我现在仍能激动地忆起，那时我花了好多时间安静地阅读我能找到的有关这个伟人和他理论的所有书籍。我读完了邻近图书馆的藏书，就开始去市里别的图书馆和书店，急切地搜寻更多线索。不久我便获悉，爱因斯坦书桌上未完成的论文旨在建立一种他称之为统一场论的理论，这种理论能够解释所有自然法则，从最小的原子到最大的星系。不过，当时我还是个孩子，不懂得茶园里游水的鲤鱼和爱因斯坦书桌上未完成的论文之间也许有关联。我不懂得高维也许是解决统一场论的关键。
但是，我懂得这个故事比任何凶杀疑案作品都惊心动魄得多，比任何我能想像的事物都重要。我决心想方设法揭开这个谜的谜底，哪怕我得为此做一个理论物理学家。
Key Words:
wander ['wɔndə]
vi. 徘徊，漫步，闲逛，迷路，蜿蜒
brilliantly ['briljəntli]
adv. 辉煌地，光亮地，灿烂地
carp [kɑ:p]
n. 鲤鱼 vi. 吹毛求疵
distinct [dis'tiŋkt]
adj. 独特的，不同的，明显的，清楚的
separated ['sepəreitid]
adj. 分居；分开的；不在一起生活的 v. 分开；隔开
universe ['ju:nivə:s]
n. 宇宙，万物，世界
pond [pɔnd]
n. 池塘
v. 筑成池塘
shallow ['ʃæləu]
adj. 浅的，薄的
n. 浅滩，浅处
theoretical [θiə'retikəl]
adj. 理论上的
intrigued
adj. 好奇的；被迷住了的 v. 引起…的兴趣；使迷惑
invisible [in'vizəbl]
adj. 看不见的，无形的
n. 隐形人(或物
ignorance ['ignərəns]
n. 无知
mysterious [mis'tiəriəs]
adj. 神秘的，不可思议的
parallel ['pærəlel]
adj. 平行的，相同的，类似的，并联的
n.
illusion [i'lu:ʒən]
n. 幻觉，错觉，错误的信仰(或观念)
lofty ['lɔfti]
adj. 高的，高超的，傲慢的
invention [in'venʃən]
n. 发明，发明物，虚构，虚构物
shelter ['ʃeltə]
n. 庇护所，避难所，庇护
v. 庇护，保护，
touched [tʌtʃt]
adj. 受感动的 adj. 精神失常的
resemble [ri'zembl]
vt. 相似，类似，像
fantastic [fæn'tæstik]
adj. 极好的，难以置信的，奇异的，幻想的
unsettling [ʌn'setliŋ]
adj. 使人不安的；（消息）扰乱的 v. 动乱不定；心
evidence ['evidəns]
n. 根据，证据
v. 证实，证明
pond [pɔnd]
n. 池塘
v. 筑成池塘
prisoner ['prizənə]
n. 囚犯
miracle ['mirəkl]
n. 奇迹
abruptly [ə'brʌptli]
adv. 突然地，莽撞地，陡峭地，不连贯地
dismiss [dis'mis]
vt. 解散，开除，逃避，（法律）驳回
carp [kɑ:p]
n. 鲤鱼 vi. 吹毛求疵
invisible [in'vizəbl]
adj. 看不见的，无形的
n. 隐形人(或物
refuse [ri'fju:z]
v. 拒绝
n. 垃圾，废物
parallel ['pærəlel]
adj. 平行的，相同的，类似的，并联的
reverence ['revərəns]
n. 敬畏，尊敬，尊严 v. 尊敬，敬畏，崇敬 Reve
universe ['ju:nivə:s]
n. 宇宙，万物，世界
intrigued
adj. 好奇的；被迷住了的 v. 引起…的兴趣；使迷惑
invent [in'vent]
vt. 发明，创造，捏造
incident ['insidənt]
n. 事件，事变，插曲
adj. 难免的，附带
visible ['vizəbl]
adj. 可见的，看得见的
understand [.ʌndə'stænd]
vt. 理解，懂，听说，获悉，将 ... 理解为，认为<
dedicate ['dedikeit]
vt. 献出，提献辞，致力于
unified
adj. 统一的；一致标准的 v. 统一；使一致（uni
unfinished [,ʌn'finiʃt]
adj. 未完成的
galaxy ['gæləksi]
n. 银河，一群显赫之人
construct [kən'strʌkt]
vt. 构筑，建造
n. 构想
mystery ['mistəri]
n. 神秘，秘密，奥秘，神秘的人或事物
theoretical [θiə'retikəl]
adj. 理论上的
nevertheless [.nevəðə'les]
adv. 仍然，不过
conj. 然而，不过
curious ['kjuəriəs]
adj. 好奇的，奇特的
参考资料：
- 大学英语精读(第三版) 第四册:Unit9A The Education of a Physicist(1)_大学教材听力 - 可可英语
- 大学英语精读(第三版) 第四册:Unit9A The Education of a Physicist(2)_大学教材听力 - 可可英语
- 大学英语精读(第三版) 第四册:Unit9A The Education of a Physicist(3)_大学教材听力 - 可可英语
- 大学英语精读(第三版) 第四册:Unit9A The Education of a Physicist(4)_大学教材听力 - 可可英语
- 大学英语精读(第三版) 第四册:Unit9A The Education of a Physicist(5)_大学教材听力 - 可可英语
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