Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 705.

FREE – READING PASSAGE

It is advisable that you read the following passage about one of the world ever greatest scientists who has contributed much to our beautiful life. Try to do practice on translation.

(By Niels Bohr and I. I. Rabi)

With the death of Albert Einstein, a life in the service of science and humanity which was as rich and fruitful as any in the whole history of our culture has come to an end. Mankind will always be indebted to Einstein for the removal of the obstacles to our outlook which were involved in the primitive notions of absolute space and time. He gave us a world picture with a unity and harmony surpassing the boldest dreams of the past. Einstein's genius, characterized equally by logical clarity and creative imagination, succeeded in remolding and widening the imposing edifice whose foundations had been laid by Newton's great work. Within the frame of the relativity theory, demanding a formulation of the laws of nature independent of the observer and emphasizing the singular role of the speed of light, gravitational effects lost their isolated position and appeared as an integral part of a general kinematics description, capable of verification by refined astronomical observations.

Moreover, Einstein's recognition of the equivalence of mass and energy should prove an invaluable guide in the exploration of atomic phenomena.

Indeed, the breadth of Einstein's views and the openness of his mind found most remarkable expression in the fact that, in the very same years when he gave a widened outlook to classical physics, he thoroughly grasped the fact that Planck's discovery of the universal quantum of action revealed an inherent limitation in such an approach. With unfailing intuition Einstein was led to the introduction of the idea of the photon as the carrier of momentum and energy in individual radiative processes. He thereby provided the starting point for the establishment of consistent quantum theoretical methods which have made it possible to account for an immense amount of experimental evidence concerning the properties of matter and even demanded reconsideration of our most elementary concepts.

The same spirit that characterized Einstein's unique scientific achievements also marked his attitude in all human relations. Notwithstanding the increasing reverence which people everywhere felt for his attainments and character, he behaved with unchanging natural modesty and expressed himself with a subtle and charming humor. He was always prepared to help people in difficulties of any kind, and to him, who himself had experienced the evils of racial prejudice; the promotion of understanding among nations was a foremost endeavor. His earnest admonitions on the responsibility involved in our rapidly growing mastery of the forces of nature will surely help to meet the challenge to civilization in the proper spirit.

To the whole of mankind Albert Einstein's death is a great loss, and to those of us who had the good fortune to enjoy his warm friendship it is a grief that we shall never more be able to see his gentle smile and listen to him. But the memories he has left behind will remain an ever-living source of fortitude and encouragement.

Chemical reactions occur continuously in the atmosphere, in factories, in vehicles, in the environment, and in our bodies. In a chemical reaction, one or more kinds of matter is changed into a new kind-or several new kinds-of matter. A few common chemical reactions are shown here. Life as we know it could not exist without these processes: plants could not photosynthesize, cars could not move, pudding could not thicken, muscles could not burn energy, glue could not stick, and fire could not burn.