万物简史 第64期:事物的测定(22)

In 1781 Herschel became the first person in themodern era to discover a planet. He wanted to call itGeorge, after the British monarch, but wasoverruled. Instead it became Uranus.

1781年，赫歇尔成为现代行星发现者的先驱。他曾想把自己发现的行星命名为英国君王的名字——乔治，但当时那样做是允许的。所以那颗行星被更名为天王星。

But of all that Michell accomplished, nothing wasmore ingenious or had greater impact than amachine he designed and built for measuring themass of the Earth. Unfortunately, he died before he could conduct the experiments and boththe idea and the necessary equipment were passed on to a brilliant but magnificently retiringLondon scientist named Henry Cavendish.

然而，在米歇尔的成就当中，最精巧或最有影响的莫过于他自己设计、自己制作的一台用于测量地球质量的仪器。不幸的是，他生前没能完成这项试验。这项试验以及必要的设备都传给了一位杰出而又离群索居的伦敦科学家，他的名字叫亨利·卡文迪许。

Cavendish is a book in himself. Born into a life of sumptuous privilege—his grandfathers weredukes, respectively, of Devonshire and Kent—he was the most gifted English scientist of hisage, but also the strangest. He suffered, in the words of one of his few biographers, fromshyness to a "degree bordering on disease." Any human contact was for him a source of thedeepest discomfort.

卡文迪许本身就是一部书。他生于一个生活奢华的权贵家庭--祖父和外祖父分别是德文郡公爵和肯特公爵--是那个年代最有才华而又极其古怪的英国科学家。几位作家为他写过传记。用其中一位的话来说，他特别腼腆，"几乎到了病态的程度"。他跟任何人接触都会感到局促不安。

Once he opened his door to find an Austrian admirer, freshly arrived from Vienna, on the frontstep. Excitedly the Austrian began to babble out praise. For a few moments Cavendish receivedthe compliments as if they were blows from a blunt object and then, unable to take any more,fled down the path and out the gate, leaving the front door wide open. It was some hoursbefore he could be coaxed back to the property. Even his housekeeper communicated with himby letter.

有一回，他打开房门，只见前门台阶上立着一位刚从维也纳来的奥地利仰慕者。那奥地利人非常激动，对他赞不绝口。一时之间，卡文迪许听着那个赞扬，仿佛挨了一记闷棍;接着，他再也无法忍受，顺着小路飞奔而去，出了大门，连前门也顾不得关上。几个小时以后，他才被劝说回家。连他的管家都要以书信的方式跟他交流.