I first met Albert Einstein in 1935 , at the famous Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, N. J. He had been among the first to be invited to the Institute, and was offered carte blanche as to salary. To the director’s dismay, Einstein asked for an impossible sum: it was far too small. The director had to plead with him to accept a larger salary.

　　I was in awe of Einstein, and hesitated before approaching him about some ideas I had been working on. When I finally knocked on his door, a gentle voice said, “Come ”—with a rising inflection that made the single word both a welcome and a question. I entered his office and found him seated at a table, calculating and smoking his pipe. Dressed in ill-fitting clothes, his hair characteristically awry , he smiled a warm welcome . His utter naturalness at once set me at ease.

　　As I began to explain my ideas, he asked me to write the equations on the blackboard so he could see how they developed. Then came the staggering — and altogether endearing — request:“ Please go slowly. I do not understand things quickly. ”This from Einstein! He said it gently, and I laughed. From then on, all vestiges of fear were gone .

　　閱讀自測

　　Ⅰ. Fill in the blanks with proper words of the passage:

　　1. If I have to describe Albert Einstein in a single word, I would choose_______ ( 單 純) .

　　2. Caught in a_______ ( 傾盆大雨) , I have got a bad cough.

　　3. In the hometown of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, there are many _______ ( 軼事) about him.

　　4. To my _______ ( 沮喪) , my father doesn’t buy me the Walkman I like best. 5. Helen Keller is so strong-minded a person that I am _______ ( 敬畏) her.

　　Ⅱ. Questions :

　　After reading this passage , do you have a new understanding of this famous person, Albert Einstein? If yes, then what is it?

　　參考答案

　　Ⅰ. 1. simplicity 2. downpour 3. anecdotes 4. dismay 5 . in awe of Ⅱ. Yes, I have a new understanding of him. I find he is not only a great scientist but also a simple man. He is polite and kind to the young people. Also he is a little humorous.

　　參考譯文

　　愛因斯坦軼事

　　阿 爾伯特· 愛因斯坦是世界上最偉大的科學家之一, 然而如果要用一個詞來形容他的 話, 那就是單純。還是看一段他的軼事吧。一次, 愛因斯坦遇上了傾盆大雨, 他便摘下帽子 把它夾在上衣里。問他為什么這樣做, 他的解釋真是妙極了: 大雨會淋壞帽子, 而頭發淋一 下卻無傷大雅。他具有一把抓住事物核心的天賦, 而且對美有著獨特的感受, 這是他探索 重大科學發現的訣竅所在。

　　我第一次見阿爾伯特· 愛因斯坦是1935 年, 在新澤西州普林斯頓鎮著名的高等研究 院。他是首批被邀請到研究院工作的, 院方給予的待遇是一張簽好字的空白支票。令院長 沮喪的是, 愛因斯坦的要求讓你難以接受: 他索要甚少。院長不得不懇求他多索要一些薪 水。

　　我敬畏愛因斯坦, 在就我所做的研究向他請教之前, 我都感到忐忑不安。最終, 我敲響 了他辦公室的門,“ 進來”, 一個溫柔的聲音說道——— 那種升調使得這個簡單的詞語既表示歡 迎又含有疑問。我走進辦公室, 看到他坐在桌子旁邊, 一邊正計算著什么, 一邊還抽著煙 斗。愛因斯坦不修邊幅, 頭發蓬亂, 頗有特色, 他微笑著向我表示熱烈歡迎。那種輕松自如 的神態, 立刻讓我覺得很放松。

　　我正要向他解釋我的想法, 他讓我把等式寫在黑板上, 以便他能看清楚等式的演算過 程。然后他提了一個令人吃驚的——— 又讓人喜愛的——— 請求:“ 請慢點寫, 我反應慢。”這 話竟出自愛因斯坦! 他說話如此斯文, 我笑了。自那一刻起, 我對愛因斯坦一點都不覺得 害怕了。