欧美文化博览 阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦(33)（在线收听）

Hilbert thought that physics was much too important to be left to the physicists,

希尔伯特认为物理太重要了,这些物理学家必须留下,

so the mathematicians should take care of it.

因此数学家们应该照顾好它。

Stakes are very high here.

赌注很高。

All or nothing. To unlock the secret of light,

拥有一切或一无所有。揭开光的神秘,

to unlock the secret of gravity.

揭开重力的秘密。

Nobody can ever say that Einstein is not a fantastic mathematician because at that moment the problem is distilled into pure mathematics.

没有人说爱因斯坦不是一位神奇的数学家,因为在那一刻问题被净化成纯粹的数学。

Several times, Einstein thought he had it.

爱因斯坦认为有好几次他就是这样。

When he submitted one of the versions to the Prussian Academy,

当他向普鲁士学院提交了一个版本,

he wrote his son in Switzerland,

他给在瑞士的儿子写信,

you know, you will later understand this was a great day that changed history and your father was,you know, producing it.

你知道,你以后会明白这是一个改变历史的伟大日子,你父亲,你知道,是这一切的缔造者。

But it turned out again to be an erroneous version,

但是很快结果再次变成一个错误的版本,

he had to change it a week later once more.

一个星期后他不得不再一次进行修改。

He had tried many alleys before and they turned out to be deadends.

他尝试过许多方法不过结果都是死路一条。

How long do you wait developing this idea, writing the paper,

在出版前你花多少时间等待开发这个想法,开始写论文,

working out all the consequences before publishing it?

计算出所有的后果吗?