在1942年,美国政♥府♥把当时世界上最优秀的科学家召集到了洛斯.阿♥拉♥莫斯,
这是一个位于新墨西哥州的偏远地方。他们的这项事业,代号♥为“曼哈顿项目”,
他们的任务是: 建造第一件核武器。
其中许多科学家是来自中欧地区的移♥民♥。
他们中的一位是年轻的波兰裔数学家,斯塔尼斯劳.乌莱姆。
这是关于他的故事。
他在此后的几大纯理论数学领域中,都有开拓性功绩。
“数论”,“群论”,“拓扑学理论”
他还发现了了“乌莱姆现象”,并提出了“蒙特卡罗计算法”。
1944年8月,美国新墨西哥州
So we have a method of solving neutron fusion…
所以,我们有了解决中子聚变的方法…
Tell me, Stan,
告诉我,斯坦,
what’s the point of hiking when you have these fantastic new binoculars?
你有了这些超棒的新型望远镜,徒步旅行还有什么意义?
(说话的这位就是“计算机之父”、“博弈论之父”约翰·冯·诺依曼)
The air around here gives me headaches.
这里的氛围让我头疼。
Don’t get a stroke.
你别再中风了。
It would be a loss given your special mind.
考虑到你的特殊头脑,这将是一个损失。
Oh.
哦。
Do you know this one?
你听过这个笑话吗?
A religious man wants to know whether sex on Sabbath is a sin.
一个有宗教信仰的人想知道,安息日的性行为是否有罪。
Somehow he’s not sure if sex is work or pleasure.
不知何故,他不确定,性♥爱♥是工作呢,还是乐趣。
So he goes to a priest.
于是,他去找牧师。
And the priest reads for hours in the Bible.
牧师翻开圣经,一读就是几个小时。
Then he says, “My son,
然后他说,“我的孩子,
after a long Bible reading,
在长时间地阅读圣经之后,
I’m sure sex is work,
我肯定,性♥爱♥就是工作,
and therefore not allowed on Sunday.”
因此,在周日进行是不允许的。”
The man thinks, “What does this priest actually know about sex?”
男人想:“这个牧师,对性到底懂什么?”
So he goes to a minister,he gets the same answer,
于是他去找一位牧师,得到了同样的答案,
but he still is not convinced.
但他还是不相信。
Then he looks for the ultimate authority:
然后他寻找终极权威:
a man with thousands of years of knowledge.
一个拥有上千年知识的人。
A rabbi.
一个拉比。
The rabbi looks at him and then says…
拉比看着他,然后说…
“My son, sex is clearly pleasure.”
“孩子,性♥爱♥显然是一种快乐。”
“How can you be so sure if nobody else is?” the man asks.
“别人都不确定,你怎么能这么确定?”男人问。
The rabbi turns to him and goes…
拉比转向他说…
“Oh, if sex would be work, my wife would leave it to the maid.”
“哦,如果做♥爱♥也是工作,我妻子会把它留给女佣的。”
That’s right.
这就对了。
By the way, have you found a way to calculate the impact yet?
顺便问一下,你找到计算冲击波的方法了吗?
We’re still struggling with the final stages of the chain reactions.
我们还在努力研究,“链式反应”的最后阶段。
Transfer me into your group.
把我转到你们的小组吧。
I could solve it in a heartbeat.
我只要琢磨一下,就能解决。
数学家的历险
1941年六月,美国堪布里奇,哈佛大学
Operator. How can I help?
接线员。请问能帮你什么?
Can you please connect me with Lvov in Poland?
你能帮我接通,波兰的利沃夫吗?
Certainly, sir.
当然了,先生。
Thank you.
谢谢你。
I got math class…
我得去上数学课…
There’s no connection at the moment.
目前,还是联♥系♥不上。
Oh.
哦。
Are the lines still up?
线路还是通着吗?
I have no information about that, sir.
我得不到任何讯息,先生。
Thank you.
谢谢你。
Shouldn’t you be in bed?
你该上♥床♥睡觉了。
I have to finish my essay about Lvov.
我得完成关于利沃夫的论文。
Uh-huh.
好吧。
Stasiu?
斯塔修?
I don’t want to tell them that I’m Jewish.
我不想告诉别人,我是犹太人。
Well, then don’t.
好吧,那就别告诉。
There are wonderful things to say about Lvov.
关于利沃夫,有很多精彩的事情可以写。
Tell them about your brother,a brilliant mathematician,
跟他们说说你哥哥,一位杰出的数学家,
and his friends from the Scottish cafe.
还有他在苏格兰酒馆的朋友们。
Cheer up.
高兴点儿。
I don’t like it here.
我不喜欢这里。
I have a surprise for you.
我有个惊喜给你。
What surprise?
什么惊喜?
From Stefka?
来自斯特夫卡?
Hm?
嗯?
– Oh, come on. – Wait.
-哦,快说吧。 -等一下。
Out loud, please.
请大声念出来。
Okay, I’ll read it aloud.
好吧,我大声读出来。
Read it.
读吧。
“Dear brothers.
“亲爱的兄弟。
I hope you’re both well and not teasing each other too much.
我希望你们都很好,不要老是互相挤兑。
Stasio, I’m very proud of you.
斯塔修奥,我为你感到骄傲。
So are Mom and Dad.
爸爸妈妈也是。
I’m sending the photo you asked for.
我把你要的照片发给你。
Please thank Johnny for his help with the bank.
请感谢约翰尼在银行的帮助。
Dad is still working.
爸爸还在工作。
Everything is fine in Lvov.
利沃夫一切都很好。
The Russians don’t do much,they bring food and supplies.
俄♥国♥人做的不过分,他们带来食物和补给。
Also Mom is getting better.
妈妈也越来越好了。
The new doctor is helping her a lot…”
新来的医生,帮了她很多忙…”
If everything’s fine why aren’t they coming?
如果一切都好,他们为什么不来这里?
Stefania will come.
斯蒂凡妮会来的。
She told me so.Mom also feels better.
她是这么告诉我的。妈妈也感觉好多了。
But we can’t rush it.
但我们不能着急。
All you can do is work hard at school and get good grades.
你所能做的就是,在学校努力学习,取得好成绩。
Understand?
明白吗?
Understand.
明白。
Go to sleep.
睡觉去吧。
Calculus is the boring part of mathematics.
微积分是数学中枯燥的部分。
But you can do fascinating things with it.
但你可以用它做一些有趣的事情。
You can, for example, compose music.
例如,你可以作曲。
And even, more importantly,
甚至,更重要的是,
go to Las Vegas and win card games.
去拉斯维加斯赢牌。
I’ll show you something.
我给你们露一手。
Gambling is all about probability.
赌博是关于概率的。
Here are 33 cards.
这里有33张牌。
Twenty-two are black
23张黑色的
and only 11 are red.
只有11张红色的。
Now, George,
现在,乔治,
let’s imagine that your job is to find the red cards.
假设你的目的是找出红牌。
For every dollar you bet,
你每赌一块钱,
I would give you double the amount if you win.
如果你赢了,我就给你双倍的钱。
A quick digression:
说个题外话:
if your budget is one dollar,how much money you could possibly win?
如果你的预算是1美元,你能赢多少钱?
– It doubles every time, right? – Uh-huh.
-每次都翻倍,对吧? —嗯。
I can’t do that in my head.I’m not a genius.
我没法心算。我不是天才。
2,048.
But…
但是…
how do you know whether you should keep playing?
你怎么知道,自己是否应该继续玩下去?
I go with my gut.
我相信我的直觉。
Think of it.
再想想。
Thirty-three cards.Eleven are red.
33张牌。11张是红色的牌。
One in every three is red, right?
每三张就有一张是红色的,对吧?
Which means that your chances of losing
这意味着你输的几率
are twice as likely than winning.
是赢的两倍。
Try.
试试看。
And I’ve got a higher chance with the second card I pick.
我抽到第二张牌的概率更高。
Exactly.
没错。
But it doesn’t matter how it turns out.
但结果如何,并不重要。
Every game you play tells you something.
你玩的每一场牌局,都能告诉你一些东西。
Just play more card games.
多玩纸牌吧。
And learn mathematics.
还要学数学哦。
Let’s continue next time.
我们下次继续。
– Goodbye, Mr. Ulam. – Goodbye.
-再见,乌莱姆先生。 -再见。
Here.
给你。
Did you have a chance to think about my friends from Poland?
你有没有想过我在波兰的朋友们?
We could use them here.They are willing to teach.
我们可以在这里雇他们。他们愿意教书。
I’ve made some calls,but it’s not looking promising.
我打了几个电♥话♥,但情况不太乐观。
And with the recent situation between Germany and Russia,
鉴于最近德国和俄♥罗♥斯♥之间的局势,
things could get more difficult.
事情可能会变得更加困难。
– What do you mean? – You haven’t heard?
-什么意思? -你还没听说吗?
Hitler’s invaded Russia.
希♥特♥勒♥入侵俄♥国♥了。

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