Science is boring? Not during nobel week, when the recipients of the highest honors in chemistry, medicine and physics are announced. The 2006 winners were named last week, continuing a tradition begun in 1901, five years after Swedish dynamite inventor Alfred Nobel died, leaving $9 million and instructions to start annual prizes to honor achievements in those three scientific fields as well as in literature and peace. (Recipients of those awards will be announced this week, along with the winner in economics, a prize created in 1969.) The stories behind this year's science winners are particularly compelling. It was a banner year for the Americans, and there were family ties as well as years-old feuds. Here's the scoop.

　　说诺贝尔奖得主

　　科学枯燥乏味么?在揭晓化学、生理学或医学以及物理学领域最高荣誉得主的诺贝尔周，答案是否定的：2006年度的获奖者名单已于上周公布，这项沿袭至今的传统始于1901年.瑞典炸药发明家艾尔弗雷德·诺贝尔逝世5年后。艾尔弗雷德·诺贝尔身后留下900万美元，并要求设立每年颁发一次的奖项。表彰在这3个自然科学以及文学和和平领域取得的成就。本年度诺贝尔自然科学奖得主的幕后故事尤为引人注目。这是美国人春风得意的一年;获奖者中有的有家族渊源，有的是多年的老对头。以下就是本刊的独家新闻。