纪录片《费马最后的定理》 第18期 类数公式

Iwasawa theory was supposed to help create something called a class number formula,

伊娃沙娃理论应可帮助创建出称为类数公式的东西，

but several months passed and the class number formula remained out of reach.

但数月过去了，而类数公式仍遥遥无期。

So at the end of the summer of '91 I was at a conference.

91年的夏末，我参加了一个研讨会。

John Coates told me about a wonderful new paper of Matthias Flach, a student of his,

约翰·科茨告诉了我关于他的一位学生马蒂亚斯·弗拉赫写就的一篇精彩论文，

in which he had tackled a class number formula, in fact exactly the class number formula I needed,

其中他生成了一个类数公式，事实上正是我所需要的类数公式。

so Flach, using ideas of Kolyvagin, had made a very significant first step in actually producing the class number formula.

弗拉赫借鉴了科里瓦金的思想，他在产生类数公式的实际过程中迈出了非常具有意义的第一步。

So at that point I thought this is just what I need, this is tailor-made for the problem.

所以在那个时候我想这正是我需要的，正与那问题相契合。

I put aside completely the old approach I'd been trying and I devoted¹ myself day and night to extending his result.

我完全将以前尝试的旧方法弃之一旁，不分昼夜地投入到拓展他研究成果的工作当中。

Andrew was almost there, but this breakthrough was risky² and complicated.

安德鲁几已成功，但这个突破既冒险又复杂。

After six years of secrecy³, he needed to confide⁴ in someone.

经过六年的隐密研究，他需要向某人倾诉。

January of 1993 Andrew came up to me one day at tea,

1993年1月的一天，安德鲁在喝茶时间来找我，

asked me if I could come up to his office, there was something he wanted to talk to me about.

问我能否去一趟他的办公室，在那儿他有事情要和我谈谈。

I had no idea what, what this could be.

我毫无头绪会是什么事。

Went up to his office, he closed the door.

到了他的办公室，他关上门。

He said he thought he would be able to prove Taniyama-Shimura.

他说他认为他能够证实谷山-志村猜想。

I was just amazed, this was fantastic.

我太吃惊了，这太不可思议了。

1 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

2 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

3 secrecy   

n.秘密，保密，隐蔽

参考例句：

• All the researchers on the project are sworn to secrecy.该项目的所有研究人员都按要求起誓保守秘密。
• Complete secrecy surrounded the meeting.会议在绝对机密的环境中进行。

4 confide   

v.向某人吐露秘密

参考例句：

• I would never readily confide in anybody.我从不轻易向人吐露秘密。
• He is going to confide the secrets of his heart to us.他将向我们吐露他心里的秘密。