大学英语精读第四册 Unit9 The Education of a Physicist

Idlywatchingfishswimminginapondandallowingthemindtowandercanleadtosomesurprisingresult.Unit9TheEducationofaPhysicistTwoincidentsfrommychildhoodgreatlyenrichedmyunderstandingoftheworldandsentmeonacoursetobecomeatheoreticalphysicist.IrememberthatmyparentswouldsometimestakemetovisitthefamousJapaneseTeaGardeninSanFrancisco.Oneofmyhappiestchildhoodmemoriesisofcrouchingnexttothepond,fascinatedbythebrilliantlycoloredcarpswimmingslowlybeneaththewaterliliesInthesequietmoments,Ifeltfreetoletmyimaginationwander;Iwouldaskmyselfsillyquestionsthatonlyachildmightask,suchashowthecrapinthatpondwouldviewtheworldaroundthem.Ithought,Whatastrangeworldtheirsmustbe!Livingtheirentirelivesintheshallowpond,thecarpwouldbelievethattheir“universe”consistedofthedarkwaterandthelilies.Spendingmostoftheirtimemovingaroundforfoodonthebottomofthepond,theywouldbeonlydimlyawarethatanalienworldcouldexistabovethesurface.ThenatureofmyworldwasbeyondtheircomprehensionIwasintriguedthatIcouldsitonlyafewinchesfromthecarp,yetbeseparatedfromthembyaveryhugegap.ThecarpandIspentourlivesintwodistinctuniverses,neverenteringeachother’sworld,yetwereseparatedbyonlythethinnestbarrier,thewater’ssurface.Ionceimaginedthattheremaybecarp“scientists”livingamongthefish.Theywould,Ithoughtlaughatanyfishwhoproposedthataparallelworldcouldexistjustabovethelilies.Toacarp“scientist”,theonlythingsthatwererealwerewhatthefishcouldseeortouch.Thepondwaseverything.Anunseenworldbeyondthepondmadenoscientificsense.OnceIwascaughtinarainstorm.Inoticethatthepond’ssurfacewasbombardedbythousandsoftinyraindrops.Thepond’ssurfacebecameturbulent,andthewaterlilieswerebeingpushedinalldirectionsbywaterwaves.Takingshelterfromthewindandtherain,Iwonderedhowallthisappearedtothecarp.Tothem,thewaterlilieswouldappeartobemovingaroundbythemselves,withoutanythingpushingthem.Sinethewatertheylivedinwouldbeappearinvisible,muchliketheairandspacearoundus,theywouldbebaffledthatthewaterliliescouldmovearoundbythemselves.Theirscientists,”Iimagined,wouldmakeupacleverinventioncalleda“force”inordertohidetheirignorance.Unabletocomprehendthattherecouldbewavesontheunseensurface,theywouldconcludethatliliescouldmovewithoutbeingtouchbecauseamysteriousinvisibleentitycalledaforceactedbetweenthem.Themightgivethisillusionimpressive,loftynames(suchasaction–at-a-distance,ortheabilityoftheliliestomovewithoutanythingtouchingthem).OnceIimaginedwhatwouldhappenifIreacheddownandliftedoneofthecarp“scientists”outofthepond.BeforeIthrewhimbackintothewater,hemightstrugglefuriouslyasIexaminedhim.Iwonderedhowthiswouldappeartotherestofcarp.Tothem,itwouldbeatrulyunsettlingevent.Theywouldfirstnoticethatoneoftheir“scientists”haddisappearedfromtheiruniverse.Simplyvanished,withoutleavingatrace.Wherevertheywouldlook,therewouldbenoevidenceofthemissingcarpintheiruniverse.Then,secondslater,whenIthewhimbackintopond,the“scientist”wouldabruptlyreappearoutofnowhere.Totheothercarp,itwouldappearthatamiraclehadhappened.Aftercollectinghiswits,the“scientist”wouldtellatrulyamazingstory.“Withoutwarning,”hewouldsee,“Iwassomehowliftedoutoftheuniverse(thepond)andhurledintoamysteriousworld,withblindinglightsandstrangelyshapedobjectsthatIhadneverseenbefore.Thestrangestofallwasthecreaturewhoheldmeprisoner,whodidnotresembleafishintheslightest.Iwasshockedtoseethatithadnofinswhatsoever,butneverthelesscouldmovewithoutthem.Itstruckmethatthefamiliarlawsofnaturenolongerappliedinthisotherworld.Then,justassuddenly,Ifoundmyselfthrownbackintoouruniverse.”(Thisstoryofcourse,ofajourneybeyondtheuniversewouldbesofantasticthatmostofthecarpwoulddismissitasutternonsense.)Ioftenthinkthatwearelikethecarpswimmingcontentedlyinthatpond.Weliveoutourlivesinourown“pond”confidentthatouruniverseconsistofonlythosethingswecanseeortouch.Likethecarp,ouruniverseconsistofonlythefamiliarandthevisible.Wesmuglyrefusetoadmitthatparalleluniversesordimensionscanexistnexttoours,justbeyondourgrasp.Ifourscientistsinventconceptslikeforces,itisonlybecausetheycannotvisualizetheinvisiblevibrationsthatfilltheemptyspacearoundus.Asecondincidentfrommychildhoodalsomadeadeep,lastingimpressiononme.WhenIwas8yearsold,Iheardastorythatwouldstaywithmefortherestofmylife.Iremembermyschoolteacherstellingtheclassaboutagreatscientistwhohadjustdied.Theytalkedabouthimwithgreatreverence,callinghimoneofthegreatestscientistsinallhistory.Theysaidthatveryfewpeoplecouldunderstandhisideas,butthathisdiscoverieschangedtheentireworldandeverythingaroundus.Ididn’tunderstandmuchofwhattheyweretryingtotellus,butwhatmostintriguedmeaboutthismanwasthathediedbeforehecouldcompletehisgreatestdiscovery.Theysaidhespentyearsonthistheory,butdiedwithhisunfinishedpapersstillsittingonhisdesk.Iwasfascinatedbythestory.Toachild,thiswasagreatmystery.Whatwashisunfinishedwork?Whatwasinthosepapersonhisdesk?Whatproblemcouldpossiblebesodifficultandsoimportantthatsuchagreatscientistwoulddedicateyearsofhislifetoitspursuit?Curious,IdecidetolearnallIcouldaboutAlbertEinsteinandhisunfinishedtheory.IstillhavewarmmemoriesofspendingmanyquitehoursreadingeverybookIcouldfindaboutthisgreatmanandhistheories.WhenIexhaustedthebooksinourlocallibrary,Ibegantovisitlibrariesandbookstoresacrossthecity,eagerlysearchingformoreclues.IsoonlearnedthattheunfinishedpapersonEinstein