評(píng)論
打印
Sure, you think the world is full of solid objects.
世界充滿了固體物質(zhì)，你可能對(duì)此深信不疑。
You think theradio you're listening to is solid.
你會(huì)以為，你正在聽的收音機(jī)是固體的；
You think the floor you'restanding on or the chair you're sitting in is solid.
你正站在上面的地板是固體的；你正坐在上面的椅子是固體的。
Heck, you probably think that you yourself are a solid object. Wrong.
嘿，你可能說，我自己也是固體呀。可惜，你錯(cuò)了。
One of the strangest things modern atomic theory has shownus is that what we commonly take to be the world of solidobjects is for the most part empty space.
現(xiàn)代原子理論帶給我們最大的驚奇是，通常被認(rèn)為是固體的東西其實(shí)大部分都是空隙。
That's right.
確實(shí)是這樣。
Even something as reliable as a table, a brick, a baseball, even yourbody, is by and large just empty space.
即使是像桌子，磚頭，棒球，甚至你的身體，這些看起來實(shí)實(shí)在在的東西，其主要構(gòu)成都是空隙。
Why is that?
為什么這么說呢？
It's because you, the baseball, and everything else is made up of atoms.
這是因?yàn)槟阋埠?，棒球也好，其它的任何東西也好，都是由原子構(gòu)成的，
And atoms themselves are mostly empty space…
而原子本身大部分都是空隙。
But wait! What about the protons and neutrons and stuff?
不過，等一下！你可能會(huì)問，不是還有質(zhì)子、中子嗎？
Well, they're in there, but only in the very center. That's called the nucleus.
它們又在哪里呢？別著急，它們還是在那里，不過只在正中間一點(diǎn)點(diǎn)地方。所以它們被稱為原子核。
An atom's nucleus is surrounded by a cloud of orbiting electrons.
原子核的周圍環(huán)繞著一團(tuán)按軌道運(yùn)行的電子群。
Virtually all the mass of the atom—the stuff and not the fluff-is in the nucleus.
事實(shí)上，粗略地說，原子的重量就是原子核的重量，
And the nucleus is incredibly tiny compared tothe overall size of the atom.
盡管與整個(gè)原子相比，原子核小得不可思議。
In fact, it's about a hundred thousand times smaller.
具體地說，原子核比原子小十萬倍。
It's like aspeck of dust floating around inside a cathedral.
形象地說，原子核與原子就如同一粒漂浮的微塵與大教堂，
In between the dust speck and the cathedral walls is nothing but space.
而灰塵和教堂的墻壁之間沒有任何東西-全是空隙。
So you are made up of things that are mostly empty space, with occasional specks floating inthem.
所以你就是由這樣的東西構(gòu)成的：它們基本上都是空隙，幾顆微塵漂浮其間。
Does it make you feel kind of empty, too?
這是否讓你感到某種空虛？
Don't worry. Every other object in the world,from a pebble to Mount Everest, is the same way.
別擔(dān)心。世上所有一切，從小小的鵝卵石到巍巍喜馬拉雅山，也都是這樣構(gòu)成的。
