第5章 敲石头的人 The Stone-Breakers · 第2讲S2

1. 讲稿里说 Playfair 是 Hutton 的 'Boswell'，这个词现在到底指代什么样的人？为什么用福尔摩斯和华生的关系来举例？
2. 老师，'prose' 在中文里通常翻译成散文，但讲稿里说它指'非诗歌的一切文体'，那它和中文里的'散文'具体有什么区别？
3. 这里有个词 'silken prose'，讲稿解释 'silk' 是丝，那为什么用 'silken' 来形容文章写得通顺？这个词有什么特殊的感情色彩吗？
4. 地质学会成立时故意把聚餐费定得很高（hefty 15 shillings），说是为了 'discourage those whose qualifications were merely cerebral'，这句话到底是在讽刺哪些人？
5. 为什么 Playfair 能比其他人更准确地理解 Hutton 的理论？讲稿里提到的 'at Hutton's elbow' 这个细节说明了什么？

1. What does the term 'Boswell' mean in this context, and why is the relationship between Holmes and Watson used as an example?
2. The transcript says 'prose' refers to all non-poetic writing, but how is it different from the Chinese concept of 'essay' or 'prose'?
3. Why is 'silken prose' used to describe Hutton's writing as smooth and fluent, and what nuance does the word 'silken' add?
4. The Geological Society set a high fee to 'discourage those whose qualifications were merely cerebral'. Who exactly were they trying to keep out?
5. Why was Playfair able to understand Hutton's theories better than others, and what does the phrase 'at Hutton's elbow' imply about their relationship?

1 00:00:05,710 --> 00:00:06,010 Luckily, 2 00:00:06,150 --> 00:00:09,730 Hought on had a Boswell in the form of John Playfair, 3 00:00:09,870 --> 00:00:13,050 a professor of mathematics at the University of 4 00:00:13,050 --> 00:00:14,970 Edinburgh,and a close friend, 5 00:00:15,210 --> 00:00:17,990 who could not only write silken prose, 6 00:00:18,270 --> 00:00:21,350 but,thanks to many years at Hought on's elbow, 7 00:00:21,630 --> 00:00:24,790 actually understood what Hought on was trying to say, 8 00:00:24,970 --> 00:00:26,270 most of the time. 9 00:00:27,860 --> 00:00:35,630 Boswell Luckily,Hought on had a Boswell. 10 00:00:36,150 --> 00:00:39,050 幸运的是,Hought on 有自己的 Boswell。 11 00:00:39,050 --> 00:00:44,050 Boswell 是什么人呢他是一个传记作家 James Boswell 12 00:00:44,050 --> 00:00:49,290 他为英国作家 Samuel Johnson 写了一部传记使得约翰 13 00:00:49,290 --> 00:00:53,977 逊就 Johnson 成为英国人家喻户晓的人物传记写得非 14 00:00:53,977 --> 00:00:58,970 常的传神很详细因此那个 Boswell 也成为世界文堂上 15 00:00:58,970 --> 00:01:03,370 最著名的传记作家 Boswell 现在已经成为一个代名词 16 00:01:03,370 --> 00:01:08,990 表示忠实生动地记录自己崇拜对象的人比如福尔摩斯 17 00:01:08,990 --> 00:01:10,770 探案集里的华生医生 18 00:01:10,970 --> 00:01:15,110 他把自己和福尔摩斯破的那些案子写成小说, 19 00:01:15,250 --> 00:01:19,030 正是他的作品让福尔摩斯得以声名远播, 20 00:01:19,190 --> 00:01:20,810 为他带来了不少客户。 21 00:01:21,110 --> 00:01:23,030 有一次福尔摩斯感慨说, 22 00:01:23,170 --> 00:01:25,810 I am lost without my Boswell。 23 00:01:26,210 --> 00:01:27,930 要是没有我的 Boswell, 24 00:01:28,150 --> 00:01:29,610 我都不知道该怎么办。 25 00:01:29,610 --> 00:01:35,010 这里就是把华生比作自己的 Boswell 那这里 Hart on 的 26 00:01:35,010 --> 00:01:40,290 这个 Boswell 是 John Playfair 就是我们在这一章的第 27 00:01:40,290 --> 00:01:42,930 一课里面提到的那个人他是 28 00:01:43,410 --> 00:01:47,150 Profess or of Mathematics at the University of 29 00:01:47,150 --> 00:01:51,450 Edinburgh and a close friend 是一个数学教授同时也是 30 00:01:51,450 --> 00:01:56,850 Hart on 的密友 who could not only write silken prose but 31 00:01:56,850 --> 00:01:59,670 thanks to many years at Hart on's elbow 32 00:02:02,790 --> 00:02:05,410 他不仅 33 00:02:06,310 --> 00:02:12,890 文章写得非常好 silken 这个词 silk 是丝那么 silk 指的 34 00:02:12,890 --> 00:02:19,110 是文章写得非常的通顺写得行云流水一般 prose 如果 35 00:02:19,110 --> 00:02:24,110 去查词典的话会告诉你是散文但实际上这个散文并不 36 00:02:24,110 --> 00:02:29,390 是我们中文里边说的那个散文它是指除了诗歌以外的 37 00:02:29,390 --> 00:02:35,010 一切的文体都叫 prose 就是没有押韵的一切的非诗歌 38 00:02:35,010 --> 00:02:39,630 的文体都叫 prose 所以我们这里就笼统地翻译成文章 39 00:02:39,630 --> 00:02:45,610 就可以了文章写得非常的通顺畅达不仅文章写得好而 40 00:02:45,610 --> 00:02:48,650 且呢他还 actually understood what Hutton was trying 41 00:02:48,650 --> 00:02:52,970 to say most of the time 而且大部分情况下他都明白 42 00:02:52,970 --> 00:02:58,530 Hutton 到底想要表达什么这是因为多年来他一直是在 43 00:02:58,530 --> 00:03:03,930 Hart on 的身边 elbow 其实是这个轴这个部位 at 44 00:03:03,930 --> 00:03:08,370 someone's elbow means around someone In 1802, 45 00:03:08,610 --> 00:03:12,770 five years after Hart on's death Playfair produced a 46 00:03:12,770 --> 00:03:15,770 simplified exposition of the Hart onian 47 00:03:15,770 --> 00:03:20,090 principlesent itled Illustrations of the Hart onian 48 00:03:20,090 --> 00:03:24,880 Theory of the Earth 五年以后他就写出了 produced 就完 49 00:03:24,880 --> 00:03:30,890 成了拿出来了一部 simplified 是简写的 exposition 50 00:03:30,890 --> 00:03:35,220 means a clear and detailed explanation of something 就 51 00:03:35,220 --> 00:03:37,490 是解释说明他 52 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:42,880 就出了一本简写版解释霍顿的原理他的 53 00:03:42,910 --> 00:03:49,050 这本书呢 ent itledtitle 这个词 title 指的是书名或片 54 00:03:49,050 --> 00:03:53,710 名那么 in title 就是以什么为名这本书名为 55 00:03:53,710 --> 00:03:58,210 Illustrations of the Hart oneo Theory of the Earth 霍顿 56 00:03:58,210 --> 00:04:03,930 的地球理论的说明 illustration 有两个意思一个是插 57 00:04:03,930 --> 00:04:09,290 图插画还有一个就是说明阐述的意思在这里应该是说 58 00:04:09,290 --> 00:04:11,770 明阐述而不是插画 The 59 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:16,140 book was gratefully received by those who took an 60 00:04:16,140 --> 00:04:17,820 active interest in geology 61 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:32,420 这本书受到了对地质学非常感兴趣的人们的欢迎 62 00:04:32,420 --> 00:04:36,840 grateful 就是大家都要感激他写了这样一本书人们才 63 00:04:36,840 --> 00:04:43,060 能够理解 Hudson 到底讲了些什么那 which in 1802 这个 64 00:04:43,060 --> 00:04:46,940 which 指的是是 those who took an active interest in 65 00:04:46,940 --> 00:04:52,540 geology 有那些对地质学非常感兴趣的人在当时在 66 00:04:52,540 --> 00:04:57,880 1802 年还不太多 was not a large number that however was 67 00:04:57,880 --> 00:05:03,700 about to change 然而这种情况很快就要改变 In 68 00:05:04,940 --> 00:05:10,720 the winter of 180713 like minded souls in Londongot 69 00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:12,420 together at the Freemasons 70 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:17,160 Tavern at Long Ark in Covent Garden to form a dining club 71 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:22,300 to be called the Geological Societylike minded means 72 00:05:22,300 --> 00:05:28,800 similar mindedlike 是指相似的 souls 并不是指灵魂其 73 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:34,640 实这里就是 people 有十三个志同道合的人们在伦敦 74 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:36,760 got together at Freemasons 75 00:05:36,860 --> 00:05:41,960 Tavern Tavern 是小酒馆的意思在一家小酒馆聚会 76 00:05:44,150 --> 00:05:50,850 他们就成立了一个晚餐俱乐部, 77 00:05:50,970 --> 00:05:54,770 这个俱乐部名字就叫 Geological Society, 78 00:05:55,270 --> 00:05:58,110 Society 是协会,地质协会。 79 00:05:59,170 --> 00:06:02,990 The idea was to meet once a month to swap geological 80 00:06:02,990 --> 00:06:06,830 notions over a glass or two of Madeira and a convivial 81 00:06:06,830 --> 00:06:10,830 dinner.Convivial means very friendly and happy, 82 00:06:10,970 --> 00:06:11,790 relaxing 83 00:06:12,470 --> 00:06:16,950 在第四章的第一课我们学过了就是当时讲到法国派往 84 00:06:16,950 --> 00:06:21,930 秘鲁的科考队是 the least convivial 是最没有友善欢 85 00:06:21,930 --> 00:06:26,190 乐的气氛的因为对里边的成员一直吵架什么的 86 00:06:26,790 --> 00:06:30,170 Swap means exchange Notions means ideas 87 00:06:30,710 --> 00:06:34,290 最初的想法就是每个月聚会一次 88 00:06:34,850 --> 00:06:40,270 大家开开心心的吃顿饭喝杯酒然后交流一下地质方面 89 00:06:40,270 --> 00:06:41,490 的 notions, 90 00:06:41,510 --> 00:06:47,110 ide as 交流一下地质学方面的思想想法 the price of the 91 00:06:47,110 --> 00:06:50,590 meal was set at ……（后略，完整文稿见视频页字幕）