搜索
Unit4ForceofNature1.WhileIwasateenagergrowingupinNewRochelle,NewYork,IhaduponmybulletinboardaphotoofMarieCuriesittingunderanelmtree,herarmswrappedaroundherdaughters,two-year-oldEveandnine-year-oldIrene.Ididn'tknowverymuchaboutCuriebeyondthebasics:Sheandherhusbandhaddiscoveredradioactivity.ShewasthefirstpersontowintwoNobelprizes.Shewasbrilliant,single-minded,alegend.Iwasjustagirlwithlittledirection,moredrawntowordsandmade-upstoriesthantoformulasandlabexperiments.2.Lookingback,IthinkIadmiredthatphotosomuch,notbecauseofMarieCurieandwhatshestoodforbutbecausesheseemedsoexotic—ormaybebecauseofhowherarmsencircledhergirls.Myownmotherlayinthehospital,recoveringfromagraveinjuryinacarcrash.Iwantedhertoholdme,butshecouldn't.So,instead,IidolizedMarie,whoinmymindbecamethestrongestandmostcapablewomanintheworld.3.Likeanygirl'sfantasy,minecontainedatleastashredoftruth.MarieCurie'sowndaughtersgrewintoaccomplishedwomenintheirownright,thoughtheirmotherwasobsessivelyengagedinherresearchbeforetheywereborn.Curiewaswhatwemighttodaycallasuper-competentmulti-tasker:Herworkrevolutionizedthestudyofatomicenergyandradioactivity,andshe'soneofapitifulfewfemalescientistswhomschoolchildreneverstudy.Alsoshewasawomandrivenbypassions,fightingbattlesmuchofherlifewithwhatadoctornowwouldprobablydiagnoseasseveredepression.Intheend,hermostbrilliantdiscoveryprovedfatalforbothherandherhusband.4.WhenCuriewas10yearsold,in1878,hermotherdiedoftuberculosis.ThePolishgirlthenknownasManyaSklodowskacarriedonwithherschoolworkasifnothinghadhappened,butformonthsshe'dfindplacestohidesoshecouldcryhereyesout.5.Atage18,shelandedajobasgovernesstoawealthyfamilynearWarsaw.ShewoundupfallinginlovewithCasimirZorawski,anaccomplishedstudentof19withwhomshesharedaloveofnatureandscience.ButwhenCasimirannouncedthatheandManyawantedtomarry,hisfatherthreatenedtodisinherithim.Shewasbeneathhisstation,poor,acommonnursemaid.Definitelyno.Fouryearsdraggedby.Finally,ManyatoldCasimir,Ifyoucannotdecide,Icannotdecideforyou.Inwhatstillseemstomearemarkableactofcourage,ManyathengatheredhermeagersavingsandtookatraintoParis,whereshechangedhername,enrolledattheSorbonne—andwalkedintohistory.6.In1893,shebecamethefirstwomantoearnadegreeinphysicsattheSorbonne.Ifyouhaveeverseenthe1943filmMadameCurie,youknowthebroadbrushstrokesofherearlyexperimentstofindamysterious,hiddennewelement.There'sasceneinwhichactressGreerGarson,asMarie,stirsaboilingvat,herfaceglisteningwithsweat.Lateatnight,Marieandherhusband,Pierre,enterthelabtoseeatinyluminousstaincongealedinadish.Oh,Pierre!Coulditbe?exclaimsMarieastearsrolldownhercheeks.Yes,thiswasit—radium!7.Therealitywasalotgrittier—andalotlessromantic.MarieandPierre,whomshemarriedin1895,didindeedworksidebysidelateintothenight.ButtheirlabwassoshabbyanddankthattheirdaughterIrene,atagethree,calleditthatsad,sadplace.Andoneprominentscientistsaidthathadhenotseentheworktable,hewouldhavethoughthewasinastable.8.Intime,theCuriesbecameworldfamous,especiallyaftertheywonaNobelPrizeinphysicsin1903forthediscoveryofradioactivity.TheywerethetoastoftheEuropeanscientificcommunity,fetedlavishlyandvisitedathomeinParisbyacolyteswhocamefromasfarawayasNewZealandtopayhomage.9.FortheCuries,though,theirtriumphcontainedtheseedsoftheirtragedy.Remember,theyworkedaroundradioactivitynearlyeveryday.EvenbeforewinningtheNobel,Pierrewasseverelyillfromexposuretothisfierceenergy.Hehadopensoresonhishandsandfingers,andincreasingdifficultywalking.In1906,hefellintothepathofawagondrawnbytwohugedrafthorses,andawheelranoverhishead.Hediedinstantly.10.Yearslater,EveCurie,scarcelyayearoldwhenherfatherdied,wrotethatPierre'sdeathmarkedthedefiningmomentinhermother'slife:MarieCuriedidnotchangefromahappyyoungwifetoaninconsolablewidow.Themetamorphosiswaslesssimple,moreserious.Acapeofsolitudeandsecrecyfelluponhershouldersforever.Mariewasjust38.TheSundayafterthefuneral,insteadofstayingwithfamilyandfriends,sheretreatedtothelab.InherdiaryshewrotePierre:Iwanttotalktoyouinthesilenceofthislaboratory,whereIdidn'tthinkIcouldlivewithoutyou.11.TheworkthatMarieandPierrehadbegunwentonafterhisdeath.AsecondNobelinchemistrywenttoMariealoneforisolatingtheelementsradiumandpolonium.12.WiththeonsetofWorldWarIin1914,sherecognizedthatmobileX-ray8unitscouldsavelivesinbattlefieldhospitals,sosheestablishedafleetofthesevehicles,knownaspetitesCuries,orlittleCuries.SheandIrenedroveonethemselves.13.LatershewentbacktotheRadiumInstitutesheestablished,teaching,travelingandlecturinguntilherdeath,atage66,onJuly4,1934.Thecausewasaplasticperniciousanemia,mostlikelyduetoherlong,devastatingexposuretoradiumandotherradioactiveelements.14.TheMarieCuriethatIdiscoveredwasnoiconbutaflesh-and-bloodwoman.Sheconqueredhugeprofessionalobstaclesbutpaidaterriblepersonalprice.Iknownowhowcomplexherlifewas--trulygloriousandtragic.1.十几岁的时候，我生活在纽约州新罗谢尔市。我的记事牌上贴着一张玛丽·居里的照片，她坐在一棵榆树下面，怀里抱着女儿，两岁的爱娃和九岁的爱莲。对居里夫人我所知甚少，除了一些基本的东西：她和丈夫发现了放射性。她是荣获两项诺贝尔奖的第一人。她聪慧、执着，简直是一个传奇。我当时还是一个小姑娘，还几乎没有人生的方向，与其说对公式和实验室里的实验好奇，还不如说对文字和编造出来的故事更有兴趣。2.回想起来，我认为自己十分欣赏那张照片，并非因为那是玛丽·居里以及她所象征的东西，而是因为她的那种异国情调，或者也许是