艾萨克·牛顿爵士

1659年一个狂风大作的秋日清晨，英格兰东海岸的林肯郡。

It's a blustery autumn morning in 1659 in Lincolnshire on the East Coast Of England.

在一间饱经风霜的小农舍里，17岁的少年坐在木桌前全神贯注地读着一本翻旧的书。

Inside a small, weathered farmhouse, a 17 year old youth sits at a wooden table engrossed in a well worn book.

时钟报时声响起。

The clock chimes the hour.

他叹了口气，合上书站起身来。

With a sigh, he closes the book and gets to his feet.

该去干活了。

It's time to go to work.

他套上靴子和外套，把书塞进口袋，悄悄从前门溜了出去。

He pulls on his boots and coat, tucks the book into his pocket, and slips out of the front door.

踏入院子的瞬间，冷空气刺痛了他的脸颊，前方地平线上朝阳初升。

The cold air stings his face as he steps into the yard, the sun just rising on the horizon ahead.

爱犬相伴身侧，他穿过大门踏上小径，这条小路贯穿他本该引以为豪的家族土地。

His dog by his side, he heads through the gate and up the path that runs through the land he is meant to be so proud of.

但这不过是一片贫瘠的田地拼凑而成，庄稼艰难生长，边界围墙亟待修缮。

But it's little more than a patchwork of barren fields, the crops struggling, the boundary walls in need of repair.

六年前，继父去世后，母亲让他辍学来经营农场。

Six years earlier, after his stepfather's death, his mother pulled him out of school to run the farm.

家人指望他把这片土地变成家庭的稳定收入来源，但显然他并非务农之才。

He's being relied upon to make this land a source of stability for his family, but it's clear he's no farmer.

他只想读书、研究、发明创造。

All he wants is to read, to study, to invent.

他穿过一片田地，走向那棵枝繁叶茂的大橡树，羊群正在树下漫无目的地吃草。

He crosses a field towards the huge, spreading oak tree, where the sheep are grazing aimlessly.

他本该检查羊群状况，但每次试图靠近时，它们要么绊他的脚，要么就突然跑开。

He's meant to check them over, but somehow they always get under his feet or dart away when he tries to get near them.

少年沮丧地穿过犁沟纵横的大麦田，干枯的麦秆在风中起伏摇摆。

Despondent, the teen heads up through the furrowed barley fields, their dry stalks bending and bowing in the wind.

随着每一步上山，他的呼吸变得越来越急促。

With each step up the hill, his breath grows more shallow.

到达山顶时，他停下了脚步。

At the top, he pauses.

在他脚下，整个农场一览无余，灰蒙蒙的云层下是一片衰败的景象。

Below him, the entire farm stretches out, a landscape of decay beneath a gray, cloudy sky.

他坐在潮湿的土地上，任凭狂风呼啸，从夹克口袋中抽出那本书。

He sits on the damp earth as the wind howls around him, pulling the book from his jacket pocket.

但还没读完一页，马蹄声就打断了他的阅读。

But before he's finished a page, he is interrupted by the sound of hooves.

远处，一名骑马的男子正逐渐靠近。

In the distance, a man on horseback is approaching.

男孩跳了起来，认出那个绝不会认错的轮廓——正是他的叔叔。

The boy jumps up, recognizing his uncle's unmistakable silhouette.

年长的男人翻身下马，咧嘴笑着，随后说出了少年最渴望听到的好消息。

The older man dismounts, grinning, and then shares the best news the youth could hope to hear.

叔叔已经说服了他母亲，农场可以交给别人来打理。

His uncle has convinced his mother that someone else can manage the farm.

明天，他终于可以重返校园了。

Tomorrow, he can return to school after all.

起初，男孩简直不敢相信自己听到的话。

To begin with, the boy can't believe what he's hearing.

但片刻之后，他猛地抱住叔叔，然后欢叫着冲下山坡，他的狗绕着他兴奋地转圈奔跑。

But after a moment, he flings his arms around his uncle, then runs down the hill shouting for joy, his dog racing in circles around him.

多年来第一次，失败的阴霾终于消散。

For the first time in years, the weight of failure has lifted.

虽然这是这位年轻人人生道路上的关键分岔口，但这一刻也将引领他揭开宇宙最伟大的奥秘。

And though it's a crucial fork in the road for this young man, it's also a moment that will lead to the unlocking of some of the universe's greatest mysteries.

因为这个男孩就是艾萨克·牛顿。

Because this boy is Isaac Newton.

通过重返校园，他即将成为科学史上最重要的名字之一。

And by returning to his education, he is now on his way to becoming one of the most important names in the history of science.

艾萨克·牛顿被视为有史以来最具影响力的物理学家和数学家之一——根据传说，这很大程度上要归功于一颗从树上掉落的苹果。

Isaac Newton stands as one of the most influential physicists and mathematicians of all time, much of it, according to the legend, thanks to an apple falling from a tree.

但这个故事还有 8 个元素需要翻译，请提供当前批次的 JSON 数组内容。

But beyond the famous anecdote is the story of a polymath whose work revolutionized our grasp of how the universe works.

作为物理学和天文学学者，他的发现重塑了我们对引力、运动和光的理解。

As a scholar of physics and astronomy, his discoveries reshaped our understanding of gravity, motion, and light.

而他发展的微积分彻底改变了数学的面貌。

And his development of calculus changed the face of mathematics.

但他隐秘的宗教信仰和通过科学解码上帝计划的执念，使他与同侪格格不入。

But his secretive religious beliefs and obsession with decoding god's plans through science set him apart from his peers.

学术竞争、积怨和剽窃指控为他赢得了复杂且常令人畏惧的名声。

Rivalries, grudges, and accusations of plagiarism earned him a complex, often fearsome reputation.

有人敬爱他，有人嘲讽他，艾萨克·牛顿的一生充满开创性成就与个人冲突。

Loved by some, derided by others, Isaac Newton led a life of groundbreaking achievements and personal conflict.

但他最具持久影响力的发现是什么？为何这些发现如此具有争议性？

But what were his most enduring discoveries, and why were they so controversial?

他为何选择退出科学界？

Why did he step away from science?

他对神秘炼金术的痴迷背后又隐藏着什么？

And what was behind his fascination with the arcane art of alchemy?

我是约翰·霍普金斯。

I'm John Hopkins.

这里是纽瑟网络，为您带来《艾萨克·牛顿爵士简史》。

From the Neuser Network, this is A Short History of Sir Isaac Newton.

1642年，在距离伦敦以北约160英里的林肯郡小村庄伍尔索普，

It's 1642 in the tiny Lincolnshire hamlet of Woolsthorpe, about 160 miles north of London.

地主夫妇牛顿家正期待着新生儿的降临。

A land owning couple, the Newtons, are expecting a baby.

但就在孩子即将出生前，艾萨克·牛顿先生去世了。

But shortly before the child is due, Mr Isaac Newton dies.

他的妻子继承了家族土地，但几乎没有什么财富。

His wife is left with the family land but little wealth.

她的孩子在圣诞节那天早产，但如此虚弱以至于没人指望他能活下来。

Her baby arrives prematurely on Christmas Day, but is so frail that he isn't expected to survive.

仍在悲痛中的汉娜以他父亲的名字为他命名，同时也将他出生在如此重要的宗教节日视为神圣的征兆。

Hannah, still grieving, names him after his father but also sees his birth on such a religiously significant day as a divine sign.

这个早期迹象预示了强烈的宗教信仰将深刻影响小艾萨克的一生。

It's an early indicator of the strong faith that will go on to shape much of little Isaac's life.

三岁时，艾萨克的母亲嫁给了当地教区长。

When he is three, Isaac's mother marries the local rector.

尽管她把儿子留给祖母照顾，但这种遗弃对他造成了深远影响。

Though she leaves her son to be cared for by his grandmother, the abandonment deeply affects him.

博士。

Doctor.

帕特里夏·法尔是历史学家、剑桥大学研究员，也是《艾萨克·牛顿的伦敦生涯》一书的作者。

Patricia Farrar is a historian, fellow of Cambridge University, and author of Life Isaac Newton's London Career.

他年轻时对继父怀有强烈怨恨。

When he was younger, he was very resentful of his stepfather.

我一点都不喜欢他，对他夺走母亲的行为怀有极大的怨恨。

I didn't like him at all, so resented him enormously for taking his mother away.

说真的，这根本不需要心理学家来分析。

Mean, you don't have to be a psychologist to work that out.

艾萨克就读于当地的文法学校，他的学术才华和机械技能尤为突出。

Isaac attends the local grammar school, where his academic brilliance and mechanical skills stand out.

经常当同学们在外玩耍时，他却待在室内，全神贯注地读书或忙于发明创造。

Often, while his classmates play outside, he stays indoors, absorbed in books or busy with inventions.

他似乎不仅非常聪明，动手能力也极其出色。

He seems to have been very, very skilled with his hands as well as being very clever.

上学时，他制作过诸如小风车之类的玩意儿——里面有只老鼠跑动带动风车叶片旋转。

When he was at school, he made things like a little windmill with a mouse running around inside it that turned the wings of the windmill.

他还做过小推车和四轮马车模型。

And he made little carts and wagons.

他制作了许多日晷仪。

He made lots of sundials.

他在机械方面极具天赋。

He was very mechanically gifted.

尽管艾萨克已展现出活跃无拘的才智迹象，他周围的世界却受严格的清教徒价值观塑造。

Though Isaac is already showing signs of a vibrant, unrestricted intellect, the world around him is shaped by strict Puritan values.

随着英国内战结束，以奥利弗·克伦威尔为代表的新政府推行严苛的宗教法令。

As the English civil wars end, a new government, best characterized by Oliver Cromwell, instigates harsh religious laws.

许多酒馆和剧院被迫关闭。

Many inns and theaters are shut down.

体育活动遭到压制。

Sports are discouraged.

星期日被定为严格安息日。

Sundays are days of strict rest.

甚至连圣诞节的庆祝活动也被明令禁止。

Even the festivities of Christmas are banned.

1653年，艾萨克的继父去世了。

Then, in 1653, Isaac's stepfather dies.

母亲坚持让他辍学经营家庭农场，这意味着他珍视的学术世界瞬间化为泡影。

His mother insists he leave school to run the family farm, which means that his cherished academic world vanishes in an instant.

于是他离开了学校，回到了家中。

And then he left school, and he went back home.

有个著名的故事，说他被派去和人一起看守羊群，结果他开始写数学公式，羊全都跑光了。

And there is a famous story about how he was sent out with somebody to watch over the sheep, and then he started writing mathematical formulae, and the sheep all ran away.

到17岁时，显然务农并不适合他。

By 17, it's clear that farming isn't for him.

多亏他叔叔的干预，他得以重返校园。

Thanks to the intervention of his uncle, he returns to school.

这被证明是正确的决定。

It proves the right decision.

1661年，他获得了剑桥大学的入学资格，打算从事神职工作。

In 1661, he earns a place at Cambridge University, with an eye to pursuing a career in the priesthood.

和当时所有学生一样，他学习拉丁语、希腊语、神学和哲学这些被视为知识基础的传统课程。

Like all students of the time, he studies the classical curriculum Latin, Greek, theology, and philosophy, which are considered the essential foundations of knowledge.

当时男性只能从事三种职业。

There were only three professions that a man could go into.

当时有医学、教会和法律三种职业。

There was medicine, there was a church, and there was law.

所以这三种职业都需要大学文凭。

So those were the three professions for which you needed a university qualification.

尽管他全身心投入学习，但正是在大学期间，牛顿与一位名叫约翰·威肯斯的学生建立了深厚友谊，这段情谊持续了多年。

Though he dedicates himself fully to his studies, it's at university that Newton develops a strong friendship that will last for many years, with another student by the name of John Wickens.

两人关系亲密，在威肯斯担任牛顿助手的约二十年里，他们一直同住。

The two become close and will share living accommodation for around twenty years, while Wickens works as Newton's assistant.

但有些事情牛顿只愿在日记中坦白。

But there are some things that Newton will only admit to his diaries.

他在大学期间开始记笔记，列出自己所有的罪过。

When he was at university, he started keeping notebooks and listing all his sins.

有些是非常琐碎的事，比如偷了个苹果。

Some of them were very petty things like stealing an apple.

还有些是他指控自己犯下的性方面的不诚实行为。

The others were where he was accusing himself of sexual disliars.

他谴责自己内心极度邪恶。

He was accusing himself of being deeply wicked.

所以他非常清教徒化，这是他在清教徒环境中长大的结果。

So he was very puritanical, which he'd been brought up among the Puritans.

当时在英格兰，牛津和剑桥是全国仅有的两所大学。

At this time in England, Oxford and Cambridge are the country's only two universities.

与欧洲的学府相比，它们的声誉不佳，课程设置陈旧过时，仍以古代文献为基础。

Compared to institutions in Europe, they have a poor reputation, with outdated medieval curricula based on ancient texts.

大部分教学内容都围绕亚里士多德的著作展开。

Much of the teaching centers on the work of Aristotle.

根据这位希腊哲学家的观点，恒星、行星以及月球以上的一切都是纯净、永恒且不变的，以完美的圆周运动运行。

According to the Greek philosopher, the stars, planets, and everything above the moon are pure, eternal, and unchanging, moving in flawless circles.

这些特质——可预测性、稳定性和秩序——被认为更接近神的完美。

These qualities, predictability, stability, and order, are considered closer to the perfection of god.

相比之下，地球是不完美且混乱的，处于不断变化之中，容易发生改变和衰败。

In contrast, Earth is imperfect and chaotic, in constant flux, prone to change and decay.

然而，牛顿从小接受这些观念熏陶，因此他另寻能吸引他注意力的思想。

Newton, though, has been brought up on these concepts, so he looks elsewhere for ideas to hold his attention.

尽管他深入研究其他更新颖的理论，但对课程内容的漠视使他最初被视为差生。

Though he delves into studying other, newer theories, his disregard for the curriculum means he is initially considered a weak student.

直到他遇到了一位特别投缘的导师。

That is, until he makes the acquaintance of one particularly sympathetic mentor.

他找到了一位教授——巴罗教授来教导他。

He found a professor, Professor Barrow, to teach him as well.

他开始大量研习数学和天文学，涉猎所有感兴趣的领域。

And he started studying a lot of mathematics and astronomy, whatever he was interested in.

牛顿知道行星绕太阳运行，但有个问题始终困扰着他。

Newton knows the planets orbit the sun, but one question still puzzles him.

是什么力量维持着它们的运动？

What keeps them moving?

他研究了笛卡尔的学说，后者认为虽然上帝启动了宇宙运转，但之后便自行运作。

He considers the work of Rene Descartes, who argues that while god set the universe in motion, it now runs on its own.

还有意大利天文学家兼物理学家伽利略·伽利莱，他在本世纪初曾描述过行星变化无常、杂乱无章的运动。

And then there's the Italian astronomer and physicist Galileo Galilei, who earlier in the century wrote of the changeable, disorganized movement of the planets.

虔诚的牛顿在这些思想中找到了自己的道路。

Newton, deeply religious, finds a path through these ideas.

对他来说，上帝不仅是遥远的观察者，而是积极参与天上人间一切事务的存在。

To him, god is not just a distant observer but actively involved in everything, both in heaven and on earth.

他相信运动定律和万有引力并非单纯的机械原理。

He believes that the laws of motion and gravity aren't simply mechanical.

它们反映了神圣的秩序，是上帝存在的不间断证明。

They reflect divine order, a constant reminder of god's presence.

但他不愿仅依赖信仰。

But he doesn't want to rely on faith alone.

他寻求证据，寻找清晰的数学证明来揭示上帝如何通过精确法则运行宇宙。

He seeks proof, clear mathematical evidence that can reveal how God's universe operates through precise laws.

然而命运弄人，1665年瘟疫席卷英格兰，迫使剑桥大学关闭。

Then, in a twist of fate, in 1665, the plague sweeps across England, forcing Cambridge University to close.

牛顿退隐到他在伍尔索普的家族宅邸，在那里他的研究变得更加与世隔绝。

Newton retreats to his family home in Wolsthorpe, where his study becomes even more isolated.

他全身心投入数学、光学以及运动与引力定律的研究中。

He immerses himself in mathematics, light, optics, and the laws of motion and gravity.

正是在这里，坐在一棵苹果树下，他经历了一个灵感迸发的时刻，这将永远改变科学的发展进程。

It is here, sitting under an apple tree, that he experiences a moment of inspiration that will change the course of science forever.

对牛顿了解不多的人，都知道比格尔的故事。

People who don't know much about Newton, they all know about Biegel's story.

直到他80岁左右去世前几年，才有人知道苹果树的故事。

Nobody knew anything about the apple tree story until he was about 80, a few years before he died.

他将这个故事分别告诉了四个人。

And he told the story to four separate people.

我们无从考证这个故事的真实性。

We have no idea if it's true.

这个故事源自他本人，但或许是他事后杜撰的。

He originated it, but perhaps he invented it in hindsight.

他说的是，当时他正坐在苹果树下，看到一颗苹果朝地面坠落。

So what he said was that he was sitting under the apple tree and he saw an apple fall towards the ground.

他心想，为什么苹果会往下掉呢？

He thought to himself, why is that apple going down?

为什么它不是往上或往旁边飞？

Why isn't it going up or sideways?

所以也许整个宇宙中存在一种让物体相互靠近的力。

So perhaps there's a force throughout all the universe that brings things together.

例如，太阳与地球相互吸引，月球与地球相互吸引，正是这同一种力，同一种重力作用，使得苹果会坠向地球表面。

So for instance, the sun and the earth are attracted to each other, the moon and the earth are attracted to each other, and that's the same force, same power of gravity that obliges the apple to fall down towards the surface of the Earth.

十二月，Noiser播客网络将迎来繁忙的一个月，一档全新节目即将上线。

This December on the Noiser Podcast Network, it's a busy month with the launch of a brand new show.

跟随大卫·苏切特爵士一起聆听《查尔斯·狄更斯鬼故事集》，精选狄更斯最令人毛骨悚然的诡异故事。

Join Sir David Suchet for Charles Dickens Ghost Stories, a selection of Dickens' most spine tingling tales.

简·奥斯汀作品《傲慢与偏见》的终章：当一切尘埃落定，傲慢会成为真爱的阻碍吗？

In Jane Austen stories, Pride and Prejudice concludes: When all said and done, will pride get in the way of true love?

《简史》将带我们游览威尼斯的历史运河，穿越纽伦堡审判的法庭。

Short History Of takes us onto the historic canals of Venice and beyond the courtrooms of the Nuremberg trials.

在真实生存故事中，我们将跟随一架紧急直升机坠入拉布拉多海，并穿越巴塔哥尼亚的山间小径。

On real survival stories, we'll follow an emergency chopper as it goes down in the Labrador Sea and traverse the mountain by trails of Patagonia.

在《福尔摩斯探案集》中，福尔摩斯将破解《六座拿破仑半身像》中一系列神秘的雕塑相关案件。

In Sherlock Holmes' short stories, Holmes unpicks a mysterious string of sculpture related crimes in The Adventure of the Six Napoleons.

《真实独裁者》回归，带来让·贝德尔·博卡萨的非凡故事。

And Real Dictators Returns, with the extraordinary story of Jean Bedell Boccassa.

提前在Noiser Plus上无广告观看所有这些节目及更多内容。

Get all of these shows and more early and ad free on Noiser Plus.

如果你还在寻找圣诞礼物，不妨买一本《古罗马简史》，各大书店均有售。

And if you're still on the hunt for Christmas presents, then why not grab a copy of A Short History of Ancient Rome, available in all good bookshops.

苹果故事是否基于事实或虚构已无关紧要。

Whether or not the Apple story is based in fact or fiction is largely irrelevant.

此时，伽利略已经证明所有物体无论质量如何都以相同速度下落。

By now, Galileo has already demonstrated that all objects, regardless of mass, fall at the same rate.

但牛顿想要更进一步推进这个想法。

But Newton wants to take the idea further.

他热衷于探索物体的大小和质量如何影响其运动。

He's interested in exploring how size and mass influence an object's motion.

通过摆锤和下落物体的实验，他试图理解将它们拉向地面的那种力量。

Experimenting with pendulums and falling objects, he tries to make sense of whatever force is pulling them to the ground.

他发现通过缩短测量间隔时间，可以获得更精确的结果。

He finds that by shortening the time intervals between measurements, he can obtain more precise results.

他不再测量物体在一秒内下落的距离，而是开始测量其在几分之一秒内的下落距离。

Instead of measuring how far an object falls in one second, he sets about measuring it in fractions of a second.

最终，他将时间间隔缩短到几乎为零。

Eventually, he gets the interval down to almost zero.

这促使他发展了微积分这一革命性的数学新分支，使他能够确定物体在任何给定时刻的下落速度，甚至预测行星在其轨道上的精确位置。

This leads him to develop calculus, a revolutionary new branch of mathematics that allows him to determine the exact speed of a falling object at any given moment or even predict the precise position of a planet in its orbit.

这一突破为理解运动和引力开辟了全新的途径。

The breakthrough opens up entirely new ways to understand motion and gravity.

他将研究成果传阅给几位朋友，但此后便暂时未再深入思考微积分。

He circulates his findings to a handful of friends, but after that, he doesn't give calculus much more thought for now.

他对于解释自己的想法或使其更通俗易懂毫无兴趣。

He wasn't very interested at all in explaining his ideas or making them any simpler.

因此在相当长的时间里，它只对那些已经是熟练大学数学家的人产生非常有限的影响。

So for quite a long time, it only had a very limited impact on people who were already skilled university mathematicians.

很长一段时间里都没人知道这件事。

Nobody knew about it for a long while.

后来逐渐有人开始解读它。

Then gradually, other people started interpreting it.

牛顿将注意力转向光学，于1666年开始进行自己的实验。

Shifting his attention to optics, Newton begins his own experiments during the 1666.

由于缺乏剑桥大学现成的资源，他在家中搭建了实验装置，其中一些比其他更具危险性。

Lacking the resources that were readily available at Cambridge, he sets up tests at home, some of which are more dangerous than others.

渴望理解视觉与光之间的联系，牛顿进行了一项大胆实验：用一根称为探针的钝头长针抵住自己眼球后部。

Eager to understand the connection between vision and light, Newton conducts a bold experiment that involves pressing a long, blunt needle called a bodkin against the back of his eye.

他通过闭眼来限制光的参与。

By keeping his eyes closed, he limits the involvement of light.

因此当他看到闪光和色斑时，推断这些现象是由视网膜受刺激引起的，认识到视觉不仅受光影响也受压力影响。

So when he sees flashes and spots of color, he deduces they are caused by manipulating the retina, that vision is affected by pressure as well as by light.

对色彩着迷的他转而更细致地研究棱镜。

Fascinated by color, he pivots into exploring prisms more carefully.

当光线穿过棱镜时，他观察到光线如何分解成光谱，从而得出一个创新性发现。

Shining a light through one, he observes how it splits into a spectrum, leading him to an innovative discovery.

阳光并非如先前认为的那样是单一颜色，而是彩虹所有颜色的混合。

Sunlight isn't a single color as previously thought, but a mix of all the colors of the rainbow.

到1667年9月，瘟疫已消退到足以让剑桥大学重新开放。

By September 1667, the plague has subsided enough for Cambridge to reopen.

在老友约翰·威肯斯的陪伴下，牛顿带着关于光的新理论重返大学。

Alongside his old friend, John Wickens, Newton returns to the university full of new ideas about light.

他当选为院士并成为数学教授。

He is elected a Fellow and becomes a professor of mathematics.

这是一个享有声望的职位，意味着除了学习和研究外，他还需承担教学责任，尽管有报道称他的讲座听众寥寥。

It's a prestigious role and means that as well as learning and studying, he also has teaching responsibilities, though it's reported that his lectures aren't well attended.

但现在他面临着一个两难抉择。

But now he faces a dilemma.

作为大学研究员，他不仅要立誓独身，还必须签署《三十九条信纲》——英国国教的官方宗教教义。

As a fellow of the university, he must not only take a vow of celibacy, but also subscribe to the 39 Articles, the official religious doctrines of the Church of England.

这些教义的核心是三位一体信仰，即上帝以圣父、圣子和圣灵三种位格存在，三者既独立又同等神圣。

Central to these doctrines is belief in the Trinity, in which God exists as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each distinct yet equally divine.

问题在于，牛顿私下里拒绝接受这一观念。

The problem is that privately, Newton rejects this idea.

他的信仰要求圣父至高无上，而耶稣虽然重要，却并不与圣父平等。

His faith dictates that God the Father is supreme, and Jesus, while important, is not equal to him.

毫无疑问他是个虔诚的基督徒。

There's no doubting that he is a devout Christian.

但根据现行教义，他同时也是个异端分子。

But according to the current doctrine, he is also a heretic.

如果他的信仰被发现，他的职业生涯可能会毁于一旦。

If his belief is discovered, his career could be ruined.

然而签署《三十九条信纲》是所有研究员的强制要求。

Yet subscribing to the Articles is mandatory for all fellows.

牛顿必须找到变通之法。

Newton must find a way around.

不知何故——没人确切知道过程——他竟获得了国王的特许，使他不必签署《三十九条信纲》，而通常这是每位剑桥研究员必须履行的义务。

Somehow, nobody knows exactly how, somehow he got a dispensation from the King so that he didn't have to subscribe to the 39 Articles, because normally it was a requirement that every Cambridge fellow had to do that.

无论他如何做到的，现在他终于能继续研发一件关键设备，这件设备连接着他两大兴趣领域——光与行星：望远镜。

However he managed it, he is now able to pursue his development of a key piece of equipment that connects his twin interests of light and the planets: the telescope.

几十年前，伽利略曾研制出能将观测物体放大20倍的装置。

Decades earlier, Galileo worked on a device which could magnify observed objects by up to 20 times.

但其玻璃透镜会使不同颜色的光以微小角度差折射，这种现象称为色差，会导致物体边缘显得模糊。

But its glass lenses bend different colors of light at slightly different angles, a phenomenon known as chromatic aberration that makes the edges of objects appear blurry.

基于棱镜实验的成果，牛顿现在创造出了用反射镜替代透镜的望远镜。

Building on his prism experiments, Newton now creates a telescope that uses mirrors instead of lenses.

这一新设计解决了困扰早期版本的问题，能够提供更清晰锐利的图像，并显著提升放大效果。

This new design eliminates the issue that dogged earlier versions and is able to deliver crisp, sharp images with significantly better magnification.

借助这台改良后的新仪器，月球上的环形山、木星的条纹带和土星的光环都能清晰聚焦，比以往任何时候都更为清楚。

With his new and improved apparatus, the craters of the moon, Jupiter's bands, and Saturn's rings come into sharp focus, far clearer than ever before.

这一开创性设计令牛顿的导师巴罗教授惊叹不已。

This pioneering design astonishes Newton's mentor, Professor Barrow.

因此，牛顿不仅迅速在剑桥获得认可，还在新成立的皇家学会赢得声誉。

As a result, Newton swiftly gains recognition not only at Cambridge but also at the newly formed Royal Society.

皇家学会由查理二世于1660年复辟王位时创立。

The Royal Society was founded in 1660 by Charles II when he came back to the throne.

它最初是一群曾驻牛津的朋友们迁至伦敦后组建的团体。

And it was a group of friends who had been based at Oxford and came down to London.

成员包括如今更以建筑闻名的克里斯托弗·雷恩、罗伯特·波义耳，以及发明气泵的罗伯特·胡克等人。

People like Christopher Wren, who's more famous now as an architect, Robert Boyle and Robert Hook, who developed the air pump.

当时的学会更像是一个绅士俱乐部。

And it was more like a gentleman's club.

1672年11月16日，年方29岁的艾萨克·牛顿站在伦敦皇家学会的门槛前。

It's 11/16/7129 year old Isaac Newton is on the doorstep of the Royal Society in London.

沉重的橡木门在他身后吱呀关闭，将繁忙街道上马车辚辚的喧嚣隔绝在外。

The heavy oak doors creak closed behind him, shutting out the clatter of horse drawn carriages on the busy street beyond.

他跟随门房穿过建筑，空气中萦绕着烟斗的余味。

He follows a porter through the building, where the scent of pipe smoke lingers in the air.

牛顿的脚步声在木地板上回响，他沿着烛光摇曳的走廊前行，登上一段楼梯来到演示厅。

Newton's footsteps sound against the wooden floor as he makes his way down the candlelit hallway and up a flight of stairs to a demonstration room.

当他走近时，一扇巨大的双开门被缓缓打开。

A large set of double doors are opened as he approaches.

室内数十位学者与绅士在他入场穿过大厅时陷入寂静。

Inside, dozens of scholars and gentlemen fall silent as he enters and crosses the floor.

在木质镶板房间的尽头，摆着一张长橡木桌，他的朋友兼导师巴罗教授正立于桌后。

At the far end of the wood paneled room is a long oak table, behind which stands his friend and mentor, professor Barrow.

负责筹备此次演示的巴罗点头致意，双手摊开指向面前的设备——牛顿的望远镜。

Having been charged with setting this demonstration up, Barrow nods a greeting and spreads his hands, indicating the equipment in front of him, Newton's telescope.

牛顿停在桌前，烛光映照着仪器的每一处曲线和表面。

Newton stops in front of the table, the candlelight catching every curve and surface of the apparatus.

他的双手在设计上方悬停片刻。

His hands hover above his design for a moment.

随后他以熟练的从容做出细微调整，绅士们纷纷围拢观看。

Then with practiced ease, he makes small adjustments as gentlemen gather around to watch.

牛顿全神贯注于工作的精妙细节，几乎没注意到他们。

Newton, absorbed in the intricacies of his work, barely notices them.

但当门打开并宣布贵宾到来时，他立刻挺直了身子。

But when the door opens and the guest of honor is announced, he immediately straightens.

头戴标志性长卷假发的查理二世国王在随从陪同下走了进来。

Distinctive in his long, tightly coiled wig, King Charles II enters accompanied by attendants.

牛顿从望远镜旁退后一步，在国王走近时鞠躬致意。

Newton steps back from his telescope, offering a bow as the king approaches.

当牛顿展示设计特点并回答几个问题时，君主脸上交织着好奇与期待的神情。

The monarch's expression is a mix of curiosity and expectation as Newton shows him the features of his design and answers a few questions.

国王俯身通过望远镜的目镜观察，脸上看不出任何表情。

The king leans down to peer through the telescope's eyepiece, his face unreadable.

随后，他直起身来，露出了微笑。

Then, standing back, he smiles.

房间里掀起一阵兴奋的窃窃私语，牛顿长舒一口气，与巴罗交换了一个克制的胜利眼神。

A wave of excited chatter ripples through the room, and Newton exhales, sharing a glance of muted triumph with Barrow.

国王点头表示认可，随后转身大步离开了房间。

With a nod, the king seals his approval before turning and striding back out of the room.

他的发明消息迅速传开。

The news of his invention spreads quickly.

尽管皇家学会花了几个月时间，但牛顿很快就被选为会员。

And though it takes the Royal Society a few months, soon Newton is elected as a member.

这是他最初引起皇家学会注意并一举成名的事迹。

It was what first made him famous when he came to the notice of the Royal Society.

确实如此。

And it was.

这确实是一个非凡的发明。

It was an extraordinary invention.

它只有六英寸长，但能放大150倍。

It was only six inches long, but it magnified 150 times.

因此它比其他更长的望远镜效果更好。

So it was better than the other longer telescopes.

它更优越的原因在于使用了反射镜而非透镜。

The reason it was better was that he used mirrors instead of lenses.

这就是光学原理的全部内容。

So that's all to see optics.

它曾在皇家学会展示过。

And it was shown at the Royal Society.

他在剑桥发明了它，然后四处炫耀自己发明了这个新望远镜。

He invented it in Cambridge, and then he went around sort of boasting about how he'd invented this new telescope.

不久之后，牛顿向皇家学会提交了一篇关于光的论文。

Not long afterwards, Newton sends a paper on light to the Royal Society.

然而非但没有获得认可，反而引发了争议。

But instead of approval, it sparks controversy.

科学家同行罗伯特·胡克对牛顿的研究提出了批评。

Fellow scientist Robert Hooke criticizes Newton's work.

但这并非因为他认为牛顿错了。

But it's not that he thinks he's wrong.

情况比那更糟糕。

It's worse than that.

胡克质疑的是，在他看来，牛顿的观点与自己的理论出奇地相似。

What Hook takes issue with is the fact that, according to him, Newton's ideas are suspiciously similar to his own theories.

可以说他深受伤害，因为他是个敏感的人。

You could say he was hurt quite deeply because he was sensitive.

其他人则说他四处剽窃他人的创意。

What other people say is that he went around stealing other people's ideas.

他对胡克的反应总是特别敏感，因为当牛顿用棱镜展示光的彩虹时，胡克早已通过两片薄玻璃板产生了类似的圆形彩虹现象。

He was always very sensitive about Hook's reaction because when Newton used imprisonment and showed the rainbow of light, Hook had already done something very similar by having two thin planes of glass which generate a circular rainbow.

这现象现在被称为牛顿环，但实际上是由胡克发现的。

And that's now called Newton's Rings, but it's actually Hook who discovered it.

两人之间的争执升级，他们交换了一系列愤怒的信件。

The dispute between the two men escalates, and they exchange a series of angry letters.

胡克继续坚称他的工作为牛顿的许多发现奠定了基础。

Hook continues to insist his work laid the foundation for many of Newton's discoveries.

尽管牛顿继续否认这一点，但他还是推迟了论文的发表。

And though Newton continues to deny it, he nevertheless delays publication of his paper.

到了17世纪70年代中期，牛顿感到被背叛和低估，对这场持续的纷争感到厌倦。

Feeling betrayed and undervalued by the mid-1670s, Newton is weary of the ongoing feud.

他退出了科学界，并发誓再也不写论文。

He withdraws from the scientific community and vows never to write another paper again.

正是在此时，牛顿回归到他一直珍视的另一个研究领域：炼金术。

It's now that Newton returns to another field of study he has always cherished: alchemy.

对他而言，这不仅仅是将贱金属转化为黄金那么简单。

For him, it's not merely about turning base metals into gold.

这是一门掌握着理解自然界奥秘的科学。

It's a science that holds the secrets to understanding the natural world.

炼金术士们相信他们能将一种元素转化为另一种元素，这一切都源于对贤者之石的追寻——这种传说中的物质据传能赋予人永生。

Alchemists believe they can change one element into another, all in the hope of uncovering the Philosopher's Stone, a legendary substance rumored to grant eternal life.

炼金术确实非常重要。

Alchemy was really important.

许多炼金术实验构成了现代化学的基础，这些并非全是无稽之谈。

A lot of alchemical experiments are the basis of modern chemistry, and it's not all rubbish at all.

他在剑桥时曾大量研究炼金术。

He worked on alchemy a lot when he was at Cambridge.

事实上，他留下的炼金术手稿比其他任何主题都多。

In fact, he's left more manuscripts on alchemy than on anything else.

但他的炼金术在某种程度上也支撑了他的宇宙目标理论。

But his alchemy also sort of underpinned his goal theory of the universe.

他有个观点，认为宇宙某种程度上像一个生命体。

He had this idea that the universe is sort of like a living being.

但实践炼金术充满危险。

But practicing alchemy is fraught with danger.

这项研究被视为异端，因为它试图操纵自然并挑战神的权威。

The study is deemed heretical as it attempts to manipulate nature and challenge god's authority.

炼金术士因追求隐秘知识而面临严厉惩罚，甚至可能被处决。

Alchemists face severe penalties, possibly even execution, for their pursuit of hidden knowledge.

还存在身体上的危险。

And there are also physical dangers.

水银等有毒物质、不可预测的爆炸以及持续的中毒威胁始终存在。

Toxic materials like mercury, unpredictable explosions, and the constant threat of poisoning are ever present.

然而尽管风险重重，牛顿仍被揭示统御天地之精神力量的承诺所吞噬。

Yet despite the risks, Newton is consumed by the promise of uncovering the spiritual forces that govern both the heavens and the earth.

艾萨克·牛顿所有的研究，在他看来都是为了更接近上帝。

All the research that Isaac Newton did, he saw as being in order to get closer to God.

他信仰虔诚，解读世界、诠释分析世界对他而言正是全部意义所在。

He was religious, and that was the whole point for him, of deciphering the world, of interpreting, of analyzing the world.

核心目的是破译上帝的蓝图，即上帝对世界的规划。

The whole point was to decipher God's blueprint, God's plan for the world.

他一直隐居到1684年8月，直到天文学家爱德华·哈雷的来访重新点燃了他对主流科学研究的兴趣。

He remains in seclusion until August 1684, when a visit from astronomer Edward Halley reignites his interest in more mainstream scientific work.

哈雷带着一个无法证明的理论来到牛顿在剑桥的家中。

Halley arrives at Newton's Cambridge home with a theory he can't prove.

他认为存在一种将行星拉向太阳的力，并指出克里斯托弗·雷恩爵士和牛顿的对手罗伯特·胡克都持此观点。

He believes a force pulls planets towards the sun and explains that both Sir Christopher Wren and Newton's rival, Robert Hook, share this belief.

和他们一样，哈雷也未能证实这个理论。

Like him, they have also failed to prove it.

一提到胡克，牛顿立刻来了兴趣。

At the mention of Hook, Newton's interest is sparked.

出于对自身能力的自信，牛顿承诺会提供必要的计算来支持哈雷的理论。

Confident in his own abilities, Newton promises to provide the necessary calculations to support Hallie's theory.

牛顿的重大突破是发现彗星也和行星一样沿椭圆轨道运行。

Newton's big breakthrough was when he found that comets were also moving ellipses like planets.

包括皇家天文学家约翰·弗拉姆斯蒂德在内的许多人都认为，当彗星接近太阳时，彗星和太阳都具有磁性。

So what a lot of people believed, including the astronomer Royal John Flamsteed, is that when a comet approaches the sun, the comet and the sun are both magnetic.

因此当彗星越靠近太阳时会被排斥，然后再次返回，这就是为什么你总能两次看到同一颗彗星。

So as the comet gets nearer to the sun, it's repelled, and then it moves back again, which is why you always see the same comet twice.

而牛顿证明的是，彗星并非被排斥，而是绕行一周，在太阳背后完成环绕后再返回。

And what Newton proved was it's not repelled, but the comet goes round and it goes right round behind the sun and then comes back again.

所以你第二次看到它时，其实是它正在返回的路径上。

So it's on its return path that you're seeing it for the second time.

经过大量研究，牛顿准备公布他的发现。

After extensive research, Newton is ready to present his findings.

1686年4月，他向皇家学会提交了一份500页的手稿。

In April 1686, he submits a 500 page manuscript to the Royal Society.

这部题为《自然哲学的数学原理》（简称《原理》）的著作，提出了具有革命性意义的观点。

Titled The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy, or simply The Principia, it introduces ideas which are nothing short of revolutionary.

这不仅标志着牛顿重返科学学术前沿，更是物理学领域发展的重要篇章。

It marks not only Newton's return to the forefront of scientific scholarship, but also a major chapter in the development of the field of physics.

运动有三定律。

There's three laws of motion.

第一定律是：如果一个物体在运动，它将保持相同的运动状态，除非受到外力作用。

The first one is that if something's moving, it'll go on moving in the same way unless there's a force against it.

以台球为例，当它在桌面上滚动时，亚里士多德学派认为它最终会停下来，因为这是它的本性。

If you've got a billiard ball, for example, rolling along a table, what the Aristotelians thought was eventually it would come to a halt because that was in its nature.

但第一运动定律指出并非如此，必须存在外力作用。

What the first law of motion says no, there has to be a force.

如果没有摩擦力或其他外力作用于台球，球将保持完全相同的运动状态。

If there isn't a force of friction, or if there isn't something pushing a billiard ball, the ball will go on moving exactly the same.

第二定律是一个数学法则，表述为力等于质量乘以加速度。

The second one is a mathematical rule, and it says force equals mass times acceleration.

这基本上符合常识。

It's more or less common sense.

对于一个重物来说，施加的力越大，它的加速就越快。

If you've got a weight, something very heavy, the greater the force we use to push it, the more quickly it will speed up.

第三定律是作用力等于反作用力。

The third law is that action equals reaction.

这意味着如果你思考地球绕太阳运行，我们认为是太阳通过引力吸引地球。

What that means is if you think about the Earth going around the sun, we think of it as the sun attracting the earth by the power of gravity.

但实际上这是一种相互反应。

But actually that's a mutual reaction.

不仅是太阳在吸引地球，地球也在吸引太阳。

Just the sun is attracting the earth, but the earth is also attracting the sun.

所以如果地球不存在，太阳的行为会略有不同。

So if the earth wasn't there, the sun would behave slightly differently.

因此这始终是一种相互作用的力。

So it's always a mutual interaction.

随着《原理》获得关注，牛顿在科学界的地位再次提升。

As the Principia gains attention, Newton's position within the scientific community rises once more.

虽然皇家学会的许多人都对他的想法印象深刻并赞扬他的工作，但并非所有人都抱有同样的钦佩。

Though many at the Royal Society are impressed with his ideas and celebrate his work, not everyone shares in the admiration.

牛顿的对手胡克再次强烈反对，抱怨牛顿的研究与他自己的成果过于相似。

Newton's rival Hook voices strong objections, again complaining about the similarities between Newton's and his own research.

随着紧张局势升级，牛顿的一些同代人开始质疑他是否完全解释了引力的本质。

As tensions rise, some of Newton's contemporaries begin to question whether he has fully explained the nature of gravity.

他自己是否也不确定呢？

Could he himself be unsure?

就在与胡克的争执达到顶峰时，另一场竞争出现了——这次是与一位德国数学家的对决。

Just as the feud with Hook is reaching its peak, another rivalry emerges, this time with a German mathematician.

戈特弗里德·莱布尼茨发表了一篇关于微积分的论文。

Gottfried Leibniz publishes a paper on calculus.

尽管莱布尼茨声称这是独立研究成果，牛顿却坚信自己遭到了剽窃。

And though he claims he developed it independently, Newton is convinced he's been plagiarized.

微积分事件的真相可能是：他和莱布尼茨同时研究这个基础问题，但两人采用了略有不同的解决思路。

What seems to have happened with calculus is that he and Leibniz were both working on the basic problem at the same time, but they approached it from slightly different angles.

这场争论持续发酵，使数学界的学者们分成了对立阵营。

The dispute drags on, dividing scholars in the mathematical field.

再次被孤立后，牛顿开始疏远那些曾经定义他成就的工作。

Alienated again, Newton begins to distance himself from the work that once defined him.

渴望找到新目标的他转向政坛，或许带着讽刺意味地希望摆脱科学界遭遇的种种不快。

Eager to find a new purpose, he turns towards politics, hoping, perhaps ironically, to leave behind the bitterness he encountered in the world of science.

牛顿选择与辉格党结盟。

Newton aligns himself with the Whig Party.

辉格党主张限制君主专制统治，同时推动强化议会权力、宗教自由及普通公民权利。

Advocating limits to the absolute rule of the monarch, the Whigs also push for a stronger parliament, religious freedom, and the rights of ordinary citizens.

1688年，他们领导了光荣革命——这场不流血的政变用新教统治者威廉三世和玛丽二世取代了天主教国王詹姆斯二世。

In 1688, they lead the Glorious Revolution, a bloodless coup which replaces the Catholic King James II with Protestant rulers William III and Mary II.

这场变革将权力从君主转移至议会，成为辉格党的重大胜利。

This shifts power from the monarchy to Parliament, marking a major victory for the party.

时年四十多岁的牛顿于1689年1月成为国会议员，代表剑桥大学选区。

Now in his mid-40s, Newton becomes a Member of Parliament in January 1689, representing the constituency of Cambridge University.

很奇怪的是，剑桥大学和牛津联合会直到1950年都各自拥有两名专属下议院议员。

So it's very odd that Cambridge University and Oxford Unions, until 1950, they each had two MPs of their own.

这与剑桥郡的地理位置或毕业生无关。

It wasn't based on the geography of Cambridge Yorks or graduates.

他实际上贡献甚微。

He didn't actually contribute very much.

他曾两次担任议员。

He was twice MP.

据记载，他唯一做过的事就是在某次会议上要求打开一扇窗户。

All he seems to have done is ask for a window to be opened on one occasion.

他的政治生涯相对平淡。

His political career remains relatively quiet.

他首次议会任期于1690年结束，且未寻求连任。

His first term in parliament ends in 1690, and he doesn't seek reelection.

雪上加霜的是，这段时间他遭遇了一系列个人挫折。

It doesn't help that around this time, he experiences a number of personal setbacks.

他成年后关系亲密的母亲去世了。

His mother, with whom he became very close in adulthood, dies.

更雪上加霜的是，他的密友、助手兼室友约翰·威肯斯也离开了剑桥。

On top of that, his confidant, assistant, and roommate, John Wickens, leaves Cambridge.

尽管两人有着深厚的私人情谊，但他们几乎完全失去了联系，余生仅通过寥寥几封信件往来。

Despite their deep personal bond, the two appear to lose touch almost entirely, exchanging no more than a few letters over the rest of their lives.

牛顿陷入了深深的绝望。

Newton is plunged into deep despair.

1693年，牛顿经历了一次精神崩溃。

In 1693, Newton experiences a nervous breakdown.

他开始行为失常，给哲学家约翰·洛克和著名博学者兼日记作家塞缪尔·佩皮斯等朋友寄去奇怪的信件，指控他们密谋反对自己。

He begins acting erratically, sending strange letters to friends like the philosopher John Locke and renowned polymath and diarist Samuel Pepys, accusing them of conspiring against him.

本就性格孤僻的牛顿更加与世隔绝，断绝了与仅存几位熟人的联系。

Already a solitary figure, Newton isolates himself even more, cutting ties with his few remaining acquaintances.

他再次转向炼金术寻求慰藉。

Once again, he seeks solace in alchemy.

怀着重新燃起的热情回归炼金术，或许是个人丧失感驱使，他对意义的追寻将其引向了宗教预言等晦涩深奥的研究领域。

Returning to it with renewed fervor, his quest for meaning, perhaps spurred by personal loss, leads him into obscure and esoteric areas of study such as that of religious prophecy.

他所做的一件事是，如果你思考一下，可以利用布鲁姆利定律来预测未来何时会发生日食等天文事件。

So one of the things he did was, if you think about you can use the law of Brumley to predict when eclipses and other like that, other astronomical events are going to happen in the future.

如果你手头有古代文献记载着‘今日有日食’，那么你就可以通过实际日食来推断文献的年代。

If you've got documents from the past which say, oh, there was an eclipse today, then you can use the actual eclipse to date the document.

因此，他深入研究古代文明，并推算出所有这些事件发生的具体时间表。

So what he did was go back into ancient civilisations and he worked out all the timetables of when all these events had happened.

就这样，他以这种方式改写了史前史。

And so he rewrote prehistory in that way.

他非常感兴趣的另一样东西是《圣经》，尤其是《但以理书》和宗教预言。

The other thing he was very interested in was the Bible and in particular the book of Daniel and religious prophecies.

因此他对666（兽的数字）很感兴趣，也对所罗门王圣殿的尺寸着迷。

So he was interested in six sixty six, the number of the beast, and he was interested in the dimensions of King Solomon's temple.

他绘制了一张图表，详细标注了所有测量数据。

There's a diagram he made showing all the measurements.

他认为那是宇宙的尺度或圣殿的比例。

And he thought that that was a measure of the universe or the proportions of the temple.