評論
打印
Galileo, the Stargazer Who Defied the World
伽利略，挑戰世界的觀星人
Henry Thomas and Dara Lee Thomas
亨利·托馬斯 達拉·李·托馬斯
A gay and noisy crowd was gathered in front of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It was mostly composed of professors and students from the University of Pisa, although many townspeople were there as well. A professor of mathematics at the university was about to conduct an experiment which, as they all anticipated, was doomed to end in failure. This young man was brash enough to challenge a theory of the great Aristotle, and now he was going to turn himself into the laughing stock of Pisa.
一大群人興高采烈、熙熙攘攘地聚集在比薩斜塔前。雖然這些人中有許多普通市民，但大部分是來自比薩大學的教授和學生。比薩大學的一位數學教授將要做一項實驗，而在這些觀眾們看來，實驗注定會失敗。這個高傲的年輕人竟然要挑戰偉大的亞里士多德的理論，現在他就要成為整個比薩城的笑柄了。
The young professor calmly mounted the steps of the Tower. He carried a ten-pound shot in one hand and a one-pound shot in the other. In spite of the sneers of his students and the wrath of his fellow professors, he was prepared to prove the theory that two different weights, dropped simultaneously from the same height, would fall to the ground at the same time.
這位年輕的教授從容地走上比薩斜塔。他一只手拿著一個十磅重的鐵球，另一只手拿著一個一磅重的鐵球。盡管學生譏笑，同事憤怒，他已經準備好證明自己的理論——兩個重量不等的重物在同一高度同時釋放后會同時著地。
He released the balls. A gasp of astonishment rose from the crowd. It was unbelievable! The two balls of iron had reached the ground simultaneously.
他放開了兩個球。人群中發出一陣驚嘆聲。真是太不可思議了！兩個鐵球同時著地了。
The young professor was Galileo. And his triumph had a bitter taste.
這個年輕的教授就是伽利略。他的成功帶有苦澀的滋味。
