A note that Albert Einstein gave to a courier in Tokyo, briefly describing his theory on happy living, has surfaced after 95 years and is up for auction in Jerusalem.
95年前,阿爾伯特•愛因斯坦在東京時曾經(jīng)給一個郵遞員寫過一個字條,簡要描述了他的幸福生活理論。如今,這一字條浮出水面,并將在耶路撒冷拍賣。
The year was 1922, and the German-born physicist, most famous for his theory of relativity, was on a lecture tour in Japan.
這張字條是愛因斯坦在1922年寫的,當(dāng)時他正在日本做巡回講座。這位德國出生的物理學(xué)家最著名的就是他的相對論。
He had recently been informed that he was to receive the Nobel Prize for physics, and his fame outside of scientific circles was growing.
在那之前不久,愛因斯坦被告知將獲得諾貝爾物理學(xué)獎,他在科學(xué)圈外的名氣正與日俱增。
A Japanese courier arrived at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo to deliver Einstein a message. The courier either refused to accept a tip, in line with local practice, or Einstein had no small change available.
一位日本郵遞員到東京帝國酒店給愛因斯坦送信。這位郵遞員按本地慣例謝絕了小費,也可能是愛因斯坦手邊沒有零錢。
Either way, Einstein didn't want the messenger to leave empty-handed, so he wrote him two notes by hand in German, according to the seller, a relative of the messenger.
字條的賣家介紹稱,不管當(dāng)時是哪種情況,愛因斯坦不想讓郵遞員空手離去,所以他就用德文手寫了兩張字條。字條的賣家是那位郵遞員的親戚。
"Maybe if you're lucky those notes will become much more valuable than just a regular tip," Einstein told the messenger, according to the seller, a resident of the German city of Hamburg who wished to remain anonymous.
據(jù)賣家稱,愛因斯坦對郵遞員說,“如果你幸運的話,這些字條可能會比尋常小費有價值得多。”賣家是德國漢堡市一位不愿透露姓名的居民。
One note, on the stationary of the Imperial Hotel Tokyo, says that "a quiet and modest life brings more joy than a pursuit of success bound with constant unrest."
其中一句話是寫在一張東京帝國酒店便簽紙上的:“平靜樸素的生活帶來的快樂比追逐成功、永無安寧的生活帶來的快樂更多。”
The other, on a blank piece of paper, simply reads: "where there's a will, there's a way."
另外一句話寫在一張空白紙上:“有志者事竟成。”
It is impossible to determine if the notes were a reflection of Einstein's own musings on his growing fame, said Roni Grosz, the archivist in charge of the world's largest Einstein collection, at Jerusalem's Hebrew University.
耶路撒冷希伯來大學(xué)的檔案保管員羅尼•格羅茨掌管著全世界最大的愛因斯坦藏品。格羅茨說,無法確定這些字條是否反映了愛因斯坦對自己與日俱增名氣的反思。
While the notes, previously unknown to researchers, hold no scientific value, they may shed light on the private thoughts of the great physicist whose name has become synonymous with genius, according to Grosz.
研究人員此前對這些字條一無所知。格羅茨說,盡管這些字條沒有科學(xué)價值,但可能有助于人們了解這位偉大物理學(xué)家的私人想法。愛因斯坦的名字已經(jīng)成為天才的代名詞。
"What we're doing here is painting the portrait of Einstein -- the man, the scientist, his effect on the world -- through his writings," said Grosz.
格羅茨說:“我們這里所做的就是通過愛因斯坦的文字勾勒出他的形象——作為男人和科學(xué)家的愛因斯坦,以及他對世界的影響。”
"This is a stone in the mosaic."
“這些字條就是構(gòu)成愛因斯坦馬賽克肖像畫的一塊石頭。”
The two notes will go on sale on Tuesday at the Winner's auction house in Jerusalem, alongside other items including two letters Einstein wrote in later years.
這兩張字條周二將在耶路撒冷的贏家拍賣行進(jìn)行拍賣,一起拍賣的其他物品還包括愛因斯坦在晚年寫的兩封信。