艾薩克·牛頓爵士不為人知的一面：英語精讀講義

A list of the most influential people of all time wouldn't be complete without Sir Isaac Newton. 片語搭配

史上最具影響力人物榜單上，絕對少不了艾薩克·牛頓爵士。

Newton's laws are tied to almost everything we see in everyday life.

牛頓定律與我們日常生活中看到的幾乎所有事物都息息相關。

They help us understand how cars work,

它們幫助我們了解汽車如何運作，

how baseballs move,

棒球如何運動，

how anything moves.

以及任何事物如何移動。

Yet there was a secret side to the 17th century scientist,

然而，這位17世紀的科學家還有著不為人知的一面，

which will become clear by the end of this story. 表達脈絡

聽完這個故事，你就會恍然大悟。

By his mid-20s, 文法

20多歲時，

Newton had already invented calculus.

牛頓就已經發明了微積分。

Not bad for the son of an illiterate farmer. 語氣意圖

對於一個文盲農民的兒子來說，這相當了不起。

He would never meet his father, 文法

他從未見過自己的父親，

who died three months before his birth on Christmas Day 1642

他的父親在1642年聖誕節他出生前三個月就去世了，

in the small English village of Woolsthorpe Manor in the county of Lincolnshire.

地點在林肯郡渥斯索普莊園的一個英國小村莊。

He was a premature baby and so small,

他是個早產兒，個頭非常小，

he was later told he could fit inside a quart mug.

後來有人告訴他，他當時能被塞進一個一夸脫的馬克杯裡。

He barely survived.

他勉強活了下來。

When Newton was three,

牛頓三歲時，

his mom remarried and moved to a nearby village to live with a wealthy clergyman.

母親改嫁，搬到了附近的一個村莊，與一位富有的牧師同住。

Newton was left behind in the care of his grandparents. 講解

牛頓被留下來由祖父母撫養。

That abandonment scarred him. 慣用語

這種被拋棄的感覺給他留下了心理陰影。

Years later,

多年後，

he wrote a list of his sins,

他寫下了一份自己的罪過清單，

recalling an outburst from childhood,

回憶起童年時的一次情緒爆發，

"Threatening my father and mother Smith to burn them and the house over them."

「威脅我的繼父史密斯和母親，要連同房子把他們一起燒死。」

He was a curious child,

他是個好奇心很重的孩子，

more interested in mechanics than making friends. 文法

對機械的興趣遠大於交朋友。

He carved this sundial as a nine-year-old.

他九歲時雕刻了這個日晷。

When he was 12,

12歲時，

he enrolled at a local grammar school. 文化背景

他進入了當地的文法學校就讀。

His signature can still be seen by a windowsill of the King's School today.

至今在國王學校的窗台上，還能看到他的簽名。

After the death of his stepdad,

繼父去世後，

his mother tried to remove him from school so he could be a farmer,

母親試圖讓他退學回家當農民，

a prospect that he dreaded. 表達脈絡

這是他非常害怕的前景。

Luckily,

幸運的是，

the schoolmaster convinced his mother to send him back to class, 片語搭配

校長說服了他的母親讓他重返課堂，

where he gained the knowledge necessary to enter the University of Cambridge in 1661,

在那裡他學到了必要的知識，並於1661年進入劍橋大學，

paying his way by working as a valet. 慣用語

靠做僕役來支付學費。

Although he studied the works of the ancient Greek philosophers, 文法

儘管他學習了古希臘哲學家的著作，

he questioned their theories,

他卻對他們的理論提出了質疑，

writing in his notebook in Latin,

並在筆記本上用拉丁文寫道，

"Plato is my friend, 表達脈絡

「柏拉圖是我的朋友，

Aristotle is my friend,

亞里斯多德是我的朋友，

but my best friend is truth."

但我最好的朋友是真理。」

He vowed to find the truth through rigorous scientific experimentation.

他發誓要通過嚴謹的科學實驗來尋找真理。

His time as an undergrad was unremarkable,

他的本科時光平淡無奇，

but the extraordinary circumstances that happened next would set the stage for his greatest achievements. 慣用語

但接下來發生的非凡事件將為他最偉大的成就奠定基礎。

Shortly after receiving his bachelor's degree in 1665, 文法

1665年他獲得學士學位後不久，

the bubonic plague ravaged Europe and would take the lives of an estimated one out of every four people in London. 片語搭配

黑死病席捲歐洲，奪去了倫敦估計四分之一人口的生命。

The pandemic forced Newton to work from his childhood home for the next two years

這場瘟疫迫使牛頓在接下來的兩年裡只能在童年的家中工作，

and would lead to his most amazing breakthroughs.

這也促成了他最驚人的突破。

He used a prism to discover that white light and sunlight is made up of the colors of the rainbow. 片語動詞

他用稜鏡發現白光和陽光是由彩虹的顏色組成的。

The widely held belief at the time was Aristotle's theory that color was a mix of black and white.

當時普遍流行的觀點是亞里斯多德的理論，即顏色是黑白的混合。

To prove his theory,

為了證明自己的理論，

Newton built a reflecting telescope that used mirrors rather than lenses,

牛頓製造了一架反射望遠鏡，它使用鏡子而不是透鏡，

leading to a more accurate image.

從而產生了更清晰的圖像。

That's a whole lot safer than the time he stuck a sewing needle into his eye socket to figure out if altering his eye shape would change his perception of color. 講解

這可比他有一次把縫衣針插進眼眶，想看看改變眼球形狀是否會改變他對顏色的感知要安全得多了。

Outside the family home was also an apple tree,

在他家老宅外還有一棵蘋果樹，

the famous apple tree.

那棵著名的蘋果樹。

Legend has it that Newton was sitting beneath the tree when an apple bonked him on the head, 表達脈絡

傳說牛頓當時正坐在樹下，一個蘋果砸中了他的頭，

prompting him to think about gravity,

促使他開始思考引力，

the force that brings things down.

也就是把物體向下拉的力量。

There's no evidence to suggest the fruit actually fell on his head, 片語搭配

沒有證據表明蘋果真的砸在了他的頭上，

but he did ask the question that helped unlock our understanding of the universe. 文法

但他確實提出了那個幫助我們解開宇宙之謎的問題。

Could the same force reach all the way to the moon?

同樣的力量能一路延伸到月球嗎？

He reasoned that the same gravitational pull kept the moon orbiting around Earth rather than wandering off, 講解

他推斷，同樣的引力使月球繞著地球運行而不是游蕩開來，

and he believed this could also explain the movement of our planets in the solar system.

他相信這也同樣能解釋太陽系中行星的運動。

The mathematics at the time wasn't sophisticated enough to determine the motion of these objects, 文法

當時的數學還不夠先進，無法計算出這些物體的運動，

so Newton invented his own form of math,

於是牛頓發明了他自己的數學形式，

calculus.

微積分。

There was a dispute over who actually invented calculus

關於誰真正發明了微積分存在爭議，

when German mathematician Gottfried Leibniz published his paper on calculus in 1684.

1684年，德國數學家戈特弗里德·萊布尼茲發表了他的微積分論文。

Newton claimed he'd done the same work 20 years earlier.

牛頓聲稱他在20年前就做了同樣的工作。

The thing is, 表達脈絡

事情是這樣的，

Newton was so secretive that he hadn't actually made his efforts public because he couldn't stand the scrutiny of his work. 用詞

牛頓性格非常孤僻，他其實並沒有公開他的研究成果，因為他受不了別人對他作品的審查。

When Leibniz appealed to the Royal Society in London,

當萊布尼茲向倫敦皇家學會申訴時，

Newton wielded his influence as the scientific academy's president to get it to side with him. 講解

牛頓利用他作為該科學院院長的影響力，讓學會站在了他這一邊。

Most historians agree that the two discovered calculus independently.

大多數歷史學家同意，這兩人是各自獨立發現微積分的。

In 1667,

1667年，

after the end of the plague,

瘟疫結束後，

he returned to the university to continue his research as a fellow. 用詞

他回到大學作為研究員繼續他的研究。

He was a workaholic.

他是個工作狂。

Sometimes he'd forget to eat.

有時他甚至會忘記吃飯。

Just two years later,

僅僅兩年後，

while still in his mid-20s,

仍在20多歲的時候，

he obtained one of the most prestigious academic posts in the world,

他獲得了世界上最負盛名的學術職位之一，

the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics,

盧卡斯數學教授席位，

later held by none other than Stephen Hawking. 慣用語

後來擔任這一職位的正是大名鼎鼎的史蒂芬·霍金。

Yet he was indifferent to his students.

然而，他對自己的學生漠不關心。

One time when no one showed up for class,

有一次沒人來上課，

he's said to have lectured to an empty room. 文法

據說他就對著空教室講課。

His true passion lay in research. 片語搭配

他的真正熱情在於研究。

In 1687,

1687年，

he published his masterpiece,

他出版了他的傑作，

The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy,

《自然哲學的數學原理》，

often referred to simply as Principia, 片語搭配

通常簡稱為《原理》，

one of the most important works ever written.

這是有史以來最重要的一部著作。

This was his own first edition copy.

這是他自己的第一版副本。

It was here that he laid out his law of universal gravitation, 片語動詞

正是在這裡，他提出了他的萬有引力定律，

as well as his three laws of motion.

以及他的運動三定律。

The first describes how an object acts when no force is acting upon it.

第一定律描述了物體在沒有受力情況下的狀態。

For example,

例如，

a rocket stays still until a force is applied to it.

火箭在受力之前保持靜止。

The second law tells us that the more mass an object has, 文法

第二定律告訴我們，物體的質量越大，

the more force it'll take to move it.

移動它所需的力就越大。

A larger rocket requires more fuel to make it accelerate. 文法

更大的火箭需要更多的燃料才能加速。

The final law states that for every action, 文化背景

最後一條定律指出，每一個作用力，

there is a reaction.

都有一個反作用力。

The engine produces hot exhaust gases,

發動機產生高溫廢氣，

which flow through the rear of the rocket.

廢氣從火箭尾部噴出。

In reaction,

作為反作用，

a thrusting force is produced,

產生了一種推力，

pushing the rocket skywards.

將火箭推向天空。

Newton may be considered one of the greatest scientists the world has ever known, 表達脈絡

牛頓可能被認為是世界上有史以來最偉大的科學家之一，

yet he actually contributed more words to theology.

但實際上他在神學上留下的文字更多。

Newton believed the Bible provided the code to the natural world,

牛頓相信《聖經》提供了自然世界的密碼，

and by carefully studying the holy texts,

通過仔細研究這些神聖的文本，

he could predict the future.

他就能預測未來。

He believed the apocalypse would happen in the year 2060,

他認為世界末日將發生在2060年，

with the caveat, 用詞

並附帶說明，

"It may end later,

「它可能會晚點結束，

but I see no reason for its ending sooner." 片語搭配

但我看不出有任何理由會提前結束。」

He foresaw a period marked by war and catastrophe, 文法

他預見到一個以戰爭和災難為標誌的時期，

followed by the second coming of Christ and the beginning of a new divine era.

隨後是基督的第二次降臨和一個新的神聖時代的開始。

His religious side was largely hidden from the public all the way until 1936,

他的宗教面貌一直對公眾嚴格保密，直到1936年，

when Sotheby's auctioned off his theological manuscripts. 片語動詞

當蘇富比拍賣行拍賣了他的神學手稿。

They ended up in the hands of a Jewish scholar before being given to the state of Israel. 慣用語

它們最終落入了一位猶太學者之手，然後被捐贈給了以色列國。

7,500 pages in Newton's own handwriting.

7500頁全是牛頓的親筆手稿。

He did hold unorthodox views of Christianity by rejecting the Trinity, 文化背景

他確實持有非正統的基督教觀點，他拒絕三位一體，

the belief in the Father,

即對聖父、

Son,

聖子、

and the Holy Spirit,

和聖靈的信仰，

and also fought against the attempt by King James II to Catholicize the universities, 文化背景

他還反對詹姆斯二世國王將大學天主教化的企圖，

which got him elected as a member of Parliament, 文法

這讓他當選為議會議員，

where he served two brief terms.

他在那裡擔任了兩個短暫的任期。

Apparently,

顯然，

the only thing he said on the record was to request that a window be closed. 用詞

記錄在案的他唯一說過的話，是要求把一扇窗戶關上。

Newton also had another unknown side to him.

牛頓還有另一個不為人知的一面。

He spent 25 years secretly studying alchemy, 文化背景

他花了25年時間秘密研究鍊金術，

the search for a method to turn common metals into gold.

尋找一種將普通金屬變成黃金的方法。

This is a manuscript where Newton wrote down a recipe

這是一份手稿，上面寫有牛頓記錄的配方，

thought to be a step toward concocting the mythical philosopher's stone, 講解

被認為是邁向煉製神話中魔法石的一步，

now popularized in the Harry Potter series.

這個概念現在在《哈利波特》系列中變得家喻戶曉。

Alchemists believed it could even help humans achieve immortality.

鍊金術士相信它甚至可以幫助人類實現長生不老。

Unfortunately,

不幸的是，

Newton may have gotten mercury poisoning from all the time spent in the laboratory. 文法

牛頓可能因為長時間待在實驗室裡而汞中毒。

Examinations of his hair after his death found high levels of the toxic compound,

他死後對他頭髮的檢查發現了高水平的這種有毒化合物，

which scholars believe could explain his mental breakdown in 1693,

學者們認為這可以解釋他在1693年的精神崩潰，

when he lost grip on reality. 慣用語

當時他失去了對現實的掌控。

He wrote letters accusing the few friends he had of conspiring against him. 文法

他寫信指責他為數不多的幾個朋友密謀反對他。

He suffered from insomnia and oppression.

他遭受著失眠和壓抑的折磨。

The personal crisis lasted a year and a half.

這場個人危機持續了一年半。

Not too long after,

沒過多久，

he ended his 30-year career at Cambridge.

他結束了在劍橋30年的職業生涯。

In 1696,

1696年，

he moved to London to help run the Royal Mint.

他搬到倫敦，協助管理皇家造幣廠。

Britain's finances were in ruins because of the rampant practice of clipping off pieces of coins. 講解

由於當時猖獗的剪取硬幣邊緣金屬的行徑，英國的財政狀況一片狼藉。

Counterfeiting was also an issue.

偽造硬幣也是個大問題。

Newton used a scientific precision to improve the accuracy of coin making as warden and then master of the Mint. 文化背景

牛頓運用科學的精確性，作為造幣廠的監管乃至後來的廠長，提高了硬幣製造的精準度。

He also took it upon himself to prosecute culprits, 慣用語

他還親自出馬起訴罪犯，

some of whom ended up hanging from the gallows. 文法

其中一些人最終被送上了絞刑架。

His later years would be spent further cementing his reputation,

他的晚年時光都花在了進一步鞏固自己的聲譽上，

and sometimes that meant trying to erase his rivals from the history books. 慣用語

有時這意味著試圖從歷史書中抹去他的競爭對手。

Another ugly dispute involved a brilliant scientist named Robert Hooke,

另一場醜陋的爭端涉及一位名叫羅伯特·虎克的傑出科學家，

who contended he was the one who gave Newton the notion that led to his theory of gravity and wanted credit.

虎克聲稱是他給了牛頓啟發，促成了他的引力理論，並希望得到認可。

In response, Newton is accused of using his powers as president of the Royal Society 文法

作為回應，牛頓被指控利用其作為皇家學會主席的權力，

to get rid of the only known portrait of Hooke. 片語動詞

銷毀了已知唯一的一幅虎克的畫像。

None exists to this day.

直到今天都不存在他的畫像。

Newton succeeded in getting the legacy he wanted.

牛頓成功地留下了他想要的遺產。

In 1705,

1705年，

Queen Anne of England knighted him during a royal visit to the University of Cambridge, 文化背景

英國安妮女王在對劍橋大學進行皇家訪問期間授予他騎士頭銜，

making him Sir Isaac Newton,

使他成為了艾薩克·牛頓爵士，

a complicated man who remained reclusive yet desperately wanted to be remembered, 表達脈絡

一個極其複雜的人，他保持孤僻，卻又極其渴望被世人銘記，

who threw himself into his work at the cost of all hobbies and never married, 講解

他全身心投入工作，犧牲了所有的愛好，並且終生未婚，

who was a man of science and also a man of faith. 表達脈絡

他是一個科學界的人，同時也是一個有信仰的人。

Newton died in his sleep on March 20,

牛頓在3月20日於睡夢中離世，

1727 and was buried at Westminster Abbey.

那是1727年，他被安葬在西敏寺。

The Latin inscription on his grave reads,

他墓碑上的拉丁文碑文寫著，

"Here lies that which was mortal of Isaac Newton." 用詞

「艾薩克·牛頓的凡軀長眠於此。」

His immortal legacy continues to mold our modern world. 表達脈絡

他的不朽遺產繼續塑造著我們的現代世界。

The English poet Alexander Pope was so moved by Newton's accomplishments, 文法

英國詩人亞歷山大·蒲柏被牛頓的成就深深打動，

he wrote the famous epitaph,

寫下了著名的墓誌銘，

"Nature and Nature's laws lay hid in night.

「自然與自然定律隱藏在黑夜之中。

God said,

上帝說，

"Let Newton be," 文化背景

『讓牛頓降生吧！』

and all was light."

於是世界迎來了一片光明。」

For NewsThink,

這裡是NewsThink，

I'm Cindy Pom.

我是Cindy Pom。