A New Toy for Curie’s Daughter 居里女儿的新玩具（在线收听）

[00:02.02]A New Toy for Curie’s Daughter 居里女儿的新玩具

[00:06.62]Pierre Curie made a trip to London to receive the Davy Medal.

[00:11.09]This great honor had been awarded to Pierre and Marie by the Royal Society of London.

[00:16.68]When he came home, Marie and little Irene met him at the door of the apartment.

[00:21.81]Irene, who had been told that her father was bringing home a prize,

[00:25.96]danced up and down with excitement.

[00:28.39]“Papa!” she cried, after he had lifted her up and kissed her.

[00:32.86]“Let me see it, let me see it!”

[00:34.60]Her father rummaged in the valise he had been carrying.

[00:37.68]“Where did I put that thing?” he explained.

[00:40.51]“I’m sure I brought it home with me —I think.”

[00:43.59]“Is this it, Pierre?”

[00:45.21]Marie had picked up a rather heavy package that lay under Pierre’s hat on the table.

[00:49.92]“Yes, that’s it.” Pierre unwrapped the package and lifted the leather lid of the case.

[00:55.50]He held up a heavy gold medal on which were engraved the names: PIERRE AND MARIE CURIE.

[01:01.29]“Why, it’s a great big gold penny!” Irene cried.

[01:04.92]“It’s pretty, isn’t it, Mé?”

[01:07.86]“Yes, it’s very pretty,” Marie answered.

[01:10.69]“But what on earth will we do with it?”

[01:13.33]“Perhaps we could put it on the table here, for a paper weight,” Pierre suggested.

[01:18.26]“Or maybe we could —well—hang it on the wall.”

[01:22.08]He took up the medal to see how it would look over the mantel.

[01:25.59]It slipped out of his hands and fell to the floor with a thud.

[01:28.97]Irene darted to pick it up and stood feeling the ridges in the engraving.

[01:33.46]Then, laughing with glee, she began to roll it along the carpet like a hoop.

[01:37.83]A happy smile spread over Pierre Curie’s gentle face.

[01:41.87]“See, Irene loves her new toy,” he said to Marie.

[01:45.71]“So, we have found a use for the medal after all.”

[01:48.66]You see, the Curies never take fame too seriously,

[01:51.82]they are famous and admired by many.

[01:54.35]Fame usually comes to those who are thinking about something else

[01:57.95]—very rarely to those who say to themselves, “

[02:00.81]now let us be a celebrated individual!”