第4章 万物的尺度 The Measure of Things · 第1讲

1. 讲稿里提到 'Let Newton be'，这里的 'be' 是 '存在' 的意思吗？它和平时说的 'Let me be'（让我做我）用法有啥区别？
2. 文中说 'You could certainly do worse than...'，这到底是表示 '别做了，太烂了' 还是 '这主意不错，尽管去做'？
3. 'Infected with a desire' 里的 infected 本来是指传染病，这里用来形容科学家对地球知识的渴望，这种比喻具体想表达啥？
4. 三角测量法 (triangulating) 听起来好复杂，为啥不直接拿尺子量，非要绕个大圈子去测角度再计算距离？
5. 这个法国科考队一路上又是暴民追、队医被杀、队员私奔，状况百出，你觉得这种 '不欢乐' 的经历对最终测出地球周长有帮助吗？

1. In the phrase 'Let Newton be', does 'be' mean 'exist'? How is it different from 'Let me be'?
2. Does the expression 'You could certainly do worse than...' mean 'don't do it, it's terrible' or 'it's a good idea, go for it'?
3. The word 'infected' usually refers to diseases, but here it describes scientists' desire to understand Earth. What exactly is this metaphor trying to convey?
4. Triangulation sounds so complex. Why didn't they just measure the distance directly with a ruler instead of calculating angles?
5. The French expedition faced riots, murder, and desertion. Do you think these chaotic and unpleasant events actually helped them measure the Earth's circumference?

1 00:00:12,660 --> 00:00:13,460 Dear friends, 2 00:00:13,740 --> 00:00:17,720 today marks a new stage in your course of a short history 3 00:00:17,720 --> 00:00:18,800 of nearly everything. 4 00:00:19,500 --> 00:00:22,320 Previously we have been looking deep into space, 5 00:00:22,700 --> 00:00:26,140 and now we will lower our head and focus on the very 6 00:00:26,140 --> 00:00:27,900 planet which is our home, 7 00:00:28,060 --> 00:00:28,820 the Earth. 8 00:00:30,660 --> 00:00:35,640 Part 2.The Size of the Earth.4.The Measure of Things. 9 00:00:36,480 --> 00:00:41,760 十五的策定 Nature and nature's laws lay hid in night. 10 00:00:58,060 --> 00:00:58,540 我们 11 00:00:58,950 --> 00:01:03,550 要注意到这里的位语用的是一般过去式它 12 00:01:03,710 --> 00:01:09,670 是有一定的意义的自然和自然界的规律原本都隐藏在 13 00:01:09,670 --> 00:01:10,770 黑夜之中 14 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:16,420 为什么要翻译成原本呢那就是因为他用的是一般过去 15 00:01:16,420 --> 00:01:17,720 式只 16 00:01:18,230 --> 00:01:23,610 表示过去的状况这是过去式这个样的现在已经不是了 17 00:01:23,610 --> 00:01:27,390 那到底是谁改变了这个情况呢 God 18 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:34,840 said Let Newton be 上帝说让牛顿出世吧可能大家比较 19 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:40,080 熟悉 Let me be 别管我就让我这样吧但是这个 be Let 20 00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:45,680 Newton be 跟 Let me be 那不一样的意思这个 be 是存在 Let 21 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:53,020 Newton be 让牛顿出现吧 And all was light 于是一切都明 22 00:01:53,020 --> 00:01:56,200 亮了起来世间便充满了光明 23 00:01:57,080 --> 00:02:03,060 Alexander Pope is an important British poet He is very 24 00:02:03,060 --> 00:02:07,880 frequently quoted Here are some of his famous quotes To 25 00:02:08,100 --> 00:02:09,120 err is human 26 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:22,460 生气是在拿别人的过错来惩罚自己 27 00:02:23,410 --> 00:02:27,990 这两句相信大家都听过但是恐怕不知道是 Alice Pope 28 00:02:27,990 --> 00:02:34,820 所说的 Alice Pope 为什么要给牛顿这么高的评价我们 29 00:02:34,820 --> 00:02:37,320 读完 Chapter 4 就会明白 If 30 00:02:37,830 --> 00:02:41,530 you had to select the least convivial scientific field 31 00:02:41,530 --> 00:02:42,570 trip of all time, 32 00:02:42,770 --> 00:02:45,670 you could certainly do worse than the French Royal 33 00:02:45,670 --> 00:02:51,070 Academy of Sciences Peruvian Expedition of 1735. 34 00:02:51,770 --> 00:02:55,130 Convivial means friendly and pleasantly cheerful. 35 00:02:55,470 --> 00:02:58,070 For example,a convivial atmosphere, 36 00:02:58,570 --> 00:03:00,010 a convivial party. 37 00:03:00,940 --> 00:03:04,080 Convivial also means friendly and making you feel 38 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:06,800 welcome.充满欢乐气氛的, 39 00:03:06,820 --> 00:03:13,180 热情的假如你要选出一个有史以来最缺乏欢乐气氛最 40 00:03:13,180 --> 00:03:18,260 缺乏友好气氛的科学考察团的话 You could certainly 41 00:03:18,260 --> 00:03:21,560 do worse than the French Royal Academy of Sciences 42 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:24,880 Peruvian Expedition of 1735 43 00:03:25,500 --> 00:03:32,420 我们先看后面的部分 French Royal Academy 法国皇家科 44 00:03:32,420 --> 00:03:37,800 学会的 Peruvian Expedition Peruvian 这里先看到 Peru 45 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:42,940 Peru 是南美洲的秘鲁这个国家 Peruvian 是它的形容词 46 00:03:42,940 --> 00:03:49,340 就是前往秘鲁的一次科考团队 Expedition 指的是科学 47 00:03:49,340 --> 00:03:55,060 考察探险等等那现在我们再来看 You could do worse 48 00:03:55,060 --> 00:03:55,440 than 49 00:03:56,670 --> 00:04:00,210 If you say you could do worse than something It means 50 00:04:00,210 --> 00:04:02,830 that you think someone should do something You think 51 00:04:02,830 --> 00:04:05,170 something is a good idea For example, 52 00:04:05,310 --> 00:04:08,570 if you wanted to see in the dark You could do worse than 53 00:04:08,570 --> 00:04:10,390 follow the examples of moths 54 00:04:11,340 --> 00:04:21,000 假如你想看清黑暗中的东西你就应该像鹅学习这个鹅 55 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:26,280 就是长得有点像蝴蝶的那种昆虫它们是夜行动物 You 56 00:04:26,280 --> 00:04:29,700 could do worse than taking this job It means I think it's 57 00:04:29,700 --> 00:04:33,680 a good idea for you to take this job 我们从字面上可以理 58 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:39,320 解一下这种表达方式的意思 Do worse than taking this 59 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:45,020 job 也就是比起接受这份工作来说其他的选项恐怕是 60 00:04:45,020 --> 00:04:47,920 worse 还是接受这份工作比较好 61 00:04:48,790 --> 00:04:52,290 Now you could certainly do worse than the French Royal 62 00:04:52,290 --> 00:04:53,650 Academy of Sciences 63 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:10,860 如果你要选一个最没有欢乐气氛最不友善的科学考察 64 00:05:10,860 --> 00:05:11,420 团的话 65 00:05:11,980 --> 00:05:18,520 肯定是这个法国科学院的 1735 年举行的秘鲁探险之旅 66 00:05:18,520 --> 00:05:19,380 要胜出了 67 00:05:38,660 --> 00:05:43,800 Hydrologist 是水文学家 Hydro 68 00:05:43,820 --> 00:05:48,560 大家还记得吗这个前缀这是跟水有关的其实也是跟氢 69 00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:51,540 有关 Hydrogen 就是氢气 70 00:05:52,110 --> 00:05:56,930 Peer Booger 这个是法国人的名字所以发音规则跟英语 71 00:05:56,930 --> 00:06:02,350 是不一样的还有这里的 Charles Marie Delacondemaine 72 00:06:02,350 --> 00:06:06,690 也是法语名字 It was a party of scientists and 73 00:06:06,690 --> 00:06:11,590 adventurers A party of means a group of 并不是我们说的 74 00:06:11,590 --> 00:06:16,810 开 party 这种派对 A group of A team of scientists and 75 00:06:16,810 --> 00:06:22,590 adventurers 这个探险队是由科学家和探险家构成的 76 00:06:22,590 --> 00:06:26,430 他们是要 travel to Peruwith the purpose of 77 00:06:26,430 --> 00:06:31,610 triangulating distances through the Andes Peru is a 78 00:06:31,610 --> 00:06:35,710 South American country It's about here Andes, 79 00:06:35,850 --> 00:06:36,790 the 80 00:06:36,950 --> 00:06:42,970 Andes Mountains 就是安地斯山脉是这个位置很长的一 81 00:06:42,970 --> 00:06:49,170 段 The Andes Triangulating 是一种的大地测量法叫做 82 00:06:49,170 --> 00:06:55,910 三角测量法是这样的假如我们要测量这棵树的高度 83 00:06:56,490 --> 00:07:02,090 但是我们不太可能爬到树顶上去量那其实呢有一种方 84 00:07:02,090 --> 00:07:04,090 式我们可以取一个点 85 00:07:05,070 --> 00:07:12,450 然后测量 AD 的距离也就是这个点到树干的距离然后再 86 00:07:12,450 --> 00:07:20,870 测量这个 A E 的这个角度通过三角函数的公式知道了三 87 00:07:20,870 --> 00:07:27,010 角形的一个边以及它的一个角那么其他的各边和各角 88 00:07:27,010 --> 00:07:34,350 就都可以计算出来了这里呢是算高度其实呢土地表面 89 00:07:34,350 --> 00:07:40,030 来计算两点之间的距离也可以采用这种方式虽然是在 90 00:07:40,030 --> 00:07:44,490 平面上但是有的时候某两点之间是很难测量的比如说 91 00:07:44,490 --> 00:07:51,330 这两点之间有一座山那我们就不太可能穿过山去测量 92 00:07:51,330 --> 00:07:56,810 这两个点那这样我们可以取第三个点跟原 ……（后略，完整文稿见视频页字幕）