欧美文化博览 阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦(34)

He accepts an invitation to speak at Gttingen University, essentially¹, a dress rehearsal² for the Prussian Academy.

他接受了哥廷根大学的邀请发言,从本质上讲,这是一次为普鲁士学院的彩排。

Einstein is up at the board writing his equations and trying to describe his problem.

爱因斯坦在董事会写他的方程式并试图描绘出他的问题。

In the audience is one of the greatest mathematicians³ of all time--David Hilbert.

在观众中有一位伟大的数学家——大卫·希尔伯特。

Hilbert sits there and listens very carefully to Einstein.

希尔伯特坐在那里仔细听着爱因斯坦的讲话。

He thinks I can solve the problem.

他认为我能解决这个问题。

I can do it better than Einstein.

我能做的比爱因斯坦更为出色。

There is always this worry that you might get scooped⁴.

你总是可能有各种担心。

You become a little bit paranoid, or sometimes, a lot paranoid.

你变得有点偏执,有时,很多偏执。

There's always the feeling I have when I have a good idea which is that well,

我总是有这种感觉，当我有一个很好的主意, 好吧,

if I've had this good idea,

如果我有了这个好主意,

that probably means that someone else is gonna have,

这可能意味着别人也可能会有。

or has had this good idea, too.

或者他也有了这个好主意。

Einstein goes back to Berlin and Hilbert goes into his own office.

爱因斯坦回到柏林而希尔伯特进入自己的办公室。

And Hilbert sits there and thinks and tries to race Einstein to the big prize of General Relativity.

希尔伯特坐在那里思考,试图与爱因斯坦争夺广义相对论的诺贝尔奖。

He was one of the greatest mathematicians of his time.

他是一位伟大的数学家。

A controversy⁵ between the two giants, a giant of physics and a giant of mathematics.

两大巨头之间的争论,物理学和数学上的两位巨人。

Hilbert, the nasty guy here, who thinks he can beat Einstein, starts working.

希尔伯特这个可恶的家伙在这里出现,认为他能击败爱因斯坦,于是他开始工作。

1 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

2 rehearsal   

n.排练，排演；练习

参考例句：

• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。
• You can sharpen your skills with rehearsal.排练可以让技巧更加纯熟。

3 mathematicians   

数学家( mathematician的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Do you suppose our mathematicians are unequal to that? 你以为我们的数学家做不到这一点吗？ 来自英汉文学
• Mathematicians can solve problems with two variables. 数学家们可以用两个变数来解决问题。 来自哲学部分

4 scooped   

v.抢先报道( scoop的过去式和过去分词 )；（敏捷地）抱起；抢先获得；用铲[勺]等挖（洞等）

参考例句：

• They scooped the other newspapers by revealing the matter. 他们抢先报道了这件事。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The wheels scooped up stones which hammered ominously under the car. 车轮搅起的石块，在车身下发出不吉祥的锤击声。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。