HOW EINSTEIN DISCOVERED THE LAW OF RELATIVITY
I first met Einstein2 in 1926. The great scientist had been invited to California3 to lecture.
I received a telephone call from Universal studios,4 saying that Professor Einstein would like to meet me; I was so thrilled I gladly accepted the invitation. So we met at the Universal studios for lunch, the Professor, his wife, his secretary and his Assistant Professor.5 Mrs Einstein spoke English very well, in fact better than the Professor. She was extremely proud of him and frankly enjoyed being the wife of the great physicist. She did not even try to hide the fact.
After lunch, while Einstein was being shown around the studio, Mrs Einstein took me aside and whispered: "Why don't you invite the Professor to your house? I know he will be delighted to have a nice quiet chat with just ourselves." It was to be a small affair, and I invited only two other friends. At dinner she told me the story of the morning when the theory of relativity first came to his mind.
"The Doctor6 came down in his dressing-gown as usual for breakfast but he hardly touched a thing. I thought something was wrong so I asked what was troubling him. 'Darling!' he said, 'I have a wonderful idea.' And after drinking his coffee, he went to the piano and started playing. Now and again he stopped, reached for his pencil, made a few notes, then repeated: 'I've got a wonderful idea, a marvelous7 ideal' "I said: 'What's the matter with you? Why don't you tell me what it is?'
"He said, 'I can't tell you yet. I still have to work it out.'"
She told me he continued playing the piano and making notes for half an hour, then he went upstairs to his study, telling her that he did not want anyone to disturb him, and remained there for two weeks.
"Each day I sent him up his meals," she said, "and in the evening he walked a little for exercise,8 then returned to his work again."
"At last," she said, "he appeared looking very pale and tired. In his hand he held two sheets of paper. 'That's it!' he told me, putting the sheets of paper on the table. And that was his theory of relativity."
(Adapted)
NOTES
1.Charles Spencer Chaplin, an American actor and film director, was born in 1889 in a poor family in the London East End and at an early age became famous all over the world as a comedian. His most famous films are "A Dog's Life", "The Kid", "The Gold Rush", "City Lights", "Modern Times", and "Limelight". He died in 1977.
2.Albert Einstein, 1879-1955, a great man of science, made famous by his theories of relativity. He was born in Ulm, Germany; received a Nobel prize in physics in 1921, for his work in quantum theory. In 1933 he had to leave his country because of the nazis; he went to the USA where he became a professor at Princeton University.
3.California: the most important of the Pacific States, USA, its capital is Sacramento. The state has several universities.
4.Universal studios: the Universal Film studios in Hollywood.
5.Assistant Professor (AmE): (BrE) Senior Lecturer доцент
6.Doctor: the highest degree given by a university; eg Doctor of (Medicine, Law, etc
7.marvelous (AmE): (BrE) marvellous. It should be noted that there are certain differences in spelling usage between American and British English. Compare:
| AmE: | traveler; | dialog; | color; | BrE: | traveller; | dialogue; | colour; |
| neighbor; | theater; | defense; | neighbour; | theatre; | defence; | ||
| organize, | etc. | organise, | etc. |
8.exercise: моцион In this meaning the noun is uncountable.
VOCABULARY
discover vt 1. открывать, находить discover an island (a new continent; a new deposit of oil, coal, gold, etc); 2. обнаруживать; раскрывать discover a mistake (the truth, facts, etc) We discovered that it was too late to catch the train;discovery n открытиеPhr make a discovery сделать открытие
law n 1. закон; правило Laws tell people what they must do and what they must not do.Phr observe (break) the law соблюдать (нарушать) закон; 2. право, юриспруденция international law, law of nations международное право; law merchant торговое право; 3. право (как предмет науки) study law; a law department; a law student
first adv 1. впервые, первый раз When did you first meet him (= When did you meet himfor the first time)?Phr at first первое время, сначала I didn't like the placeat first; 2. первым делом, сначала First we shall have lunch and then talk.Phr firstof all прежде всего, в первую очередь
scientist n ученый;science n наука;scientific а научный
invite vt приглашать invite sbto dinner (one's house, a conference, the cinema, etc); He invited me to take part in the experiment.
receive vt 1. получать receive a letter (an invitation, an answer; money, news, etc); 2. принимать (кого-н) receive a visitor (delegation, guest, etc);reception n 1. получение; 2. прием, принятиеPhr hold a reception устроить прием
accept vt принимать, одобрять (соглашаться) accept help (money, a plan, an offer, a suggestion, an invitation; prices, etc);acceptanceп. принятие; одобрение;(un)acceptable а (неприемлемый The price for the goods is acceptableto us.
proud а гордый a proud man (look, etc)Phr be proudof sb (sth) He is proudof his son;pride n Phr take pridein sb (sth) гордиться кем-н (чем-н)
frank а искренний, откровенный, открытый a frank face (look, smile, etc)Phr be frankwith sb быть искренним (откровенным) с кем-н; frankly adv откровенноPhr frankly speaking откровенно говоря
hide vt/vi (hid, hidden) прятать(ся), скрывать(ся) hide a letter (a book; one's feelings; the truth; a person, etc); What is he hiding from us? Where is she hiding?
whisper vi/vt шептать, говорить шепотом You don't have to whisper, say it out loud; whisper sthin sb's ear;whisper n шепотPhr ina whisper шепотом
affair n дело; занятие Don't discuss your personal affairs with strangers.Phr international affairs международные дела; home (domestic) affairs внутренние дела; public affairs общественные дела; Ministry of Foreign Affairs Министерство иностранных дел; Ministry of Home Affairs Министерство внутренних дел
hardly adv 1. едва, с трудом Не was so tired that he could hardly move; 2. едва ли, вряд ли; мало, редко This is hardly the truth. She hardly ever goes visiting now.
touch vt 1. трогать, дотрагиваться, прикасаться Не didn't let anybody touch his books. He touched meon the shoulder (arm). She hasn't even touched the food; 2. (рас)трогать, (раз)волновать Her sad story touched us deeply; touchy а обидчивый She is very touchy;touching a трогательный a touching story (incident, episode, etc)
trouble vt/vi беспокоить(ся), тревожить(ся) What is troubling you? Don't troubleabout it;trouble n беспокойство; неприятности Не is having a lot of troublewith his car.Phr bein trouble быть в беде; get into trouble попасть в беду; get sbout of trouble вызволить кого-н из беды; give trouble причинять беспокойство
reach vt/vi 1. достигать; добираться (до) reach home (school, the Institute, a town, the station, etc); The news reached them on the next day. He has reached good results.Phr reach an agreement достичь соглашения; His words reached my ears; 2. доставать, дотягиваться (до) Can you reach the ceiling?Phr reachfor sth протягивать руку за чем-н
disturb vt мешать, беспокоить Don't disturb him when he is at work.
remain vi оставаться After the fire very little remained of the house. He remained unchanged (unhurt, etc).Phr It remains to be seen. Мы еще посмотрим.
appear vi 1. появляться Не appeared quite unexpectedly; 2. появляться, возникать Many new towns have appeared in the North of our country; 3. выходить, издаваться; появляться (в печати) When did this newspaper first appear?
disappear vi исчезать;appearancen1. появление; возникновение; 2. внешность, внешний вид His appearance was very unusual.
hold vt (held) 1. держать (в руке) hold a bag (a book, newspaper, cigarette, etc); 2. занимать, держать, удерживать (место, позицию) Phr hold first (second, etc) place(in sth) занимать, держать первое (второе и т. п.) место (в чем-н); 3. проводить (собрание, конференцию и т. п.) hold a meeting (conference, competition, exhibition, etc)
WORD COMBINATIONS
I'd (he'd, etc) = I would (he would, etc) like (to do sth)мне (ему и т. п.) хотелось бы (что-н сделать)
show sb around (about) (a factory, a place, a town, etc) показать кому-н завод (город и т. п.)
take sb aside отвести, отозвать кого-н в сторону
be delighted (with sb/sth) восторгаться, восхищаться (кем-н/чем-н)
now and again = now and then то и дело, время от времени
make notes делать заметки
work sth out 1. решить, разрешить что-н; 2. разработать что-н
that's it (вот и) всё; вот именно
EXERCISES
COMPREHENSION