很多小夥伴都想讀英文原著學英語，可每次看兩頁就放棄。為了幫助大家從閱讀中找到樂趣，曉梅老師就帶大家一起讀英文原著，
看看有意思的故事，學學地道表達，分析長難句。先從A Short History of Nearly Everything《萬物簡史》開始。這本書從宇宙大爆炸開始講現代科學史，穿插了很多科學家的生平故事，妙趣橫生。本書作者Bill Bryson喜歡用口語化的語言敘述，因而裡面的英語要比一般的原著通俗易懂。今天讀第4章物理學家亨利·卡文迪什的片段。卡文迪什是德文郡公爵的孫子，德文郡公爵的宅邸就是位於英格蘭峰區（Peak District，離謝菲爾德不遠）的Chatsworth House，中國學生叫“達西莊園”，《傲慢與偏見》裡達西先生家的莊園就是這裡，英國版電影《傲慢和偏見》也在這裡取過景。亨利·卡文迪什沒在達西莊園住過，但現在裡面收藏有他的筆記和書本。家裡有這般豪宅的公子哥兒，竟然是個極度害怕社交的科學家。我們來看看他到底有多怪。
卡文迪什的社交恐懼症
Cavendish is a book in himself. Born into a life of sumptuous privilege - his grandfathers were dukes, respectively, of Devonshire and Kent - he was the most gifted English scientist of his age, but also the strangest. He suffered, in the words of one of his few biographers, from shyness to a 'degree bordering on disease'. Any human contact was for him a source of the deepest discomfort.
卡文迪什本身就是一本書。出身高貴（他的祖父和外祖父分別是德文郡和肯特郡公爵）的他是當時英國最有天賦的科學家，但也是最古怪的一個。用他少有的幾個傳記作者之一的話說，他靦腆到“幾乎病態的地步”。他跟任何人接觸都會感到侷促不安。
亨利·卡文迪什
Once he opened his door to find an Austrian admirer, freshly arrived from Vienna, on the front step. Excitedly, the Austrian began to babble out praise.
一次他打開房門，看到一位來自奧地利的仰慕者，剛從維也納到來，站在門前臺階上。那位奧地利人看到他非常興奮，對他讚不絕口。
For a few moments, Cavendish received the compliments as if they were blows from a blunt object and then, unable to take anymore, fled down the path and out the gate, leaving the front door wide open. It was some hours before he could be coaxed back to the property. Even his housekeeper communicated with him by letter.
一開始卡文迪什像捱了一記悶棍一樣接受著稱讚，但過了一會兒，他實在受不了，就順著小路飛奔而去，奪門而逃，連前門也顧不得關。幾個小時以後，他才被勸說回家。就連他的管家也要寫信跟他交流。
Although he did sometimes venture into society - he was particularly devoted to the weekly scientific soirees of the great naturalist Sir Joseph Banks - it was always made clear to the other guests that Cavendish was on no account to be approached or even looked at.
雖然他有時也會冒險社交——尤其熱心於偉大的博物學家約瑟夫·班克斯爵士組織的每週科學聚會——但其他客人都知道絕不要接近或者甚至看卡文迪什一眼。
約瑟夫·班克斯爵士
Those who sought his views were advised to wander into his vicinity as if by accident and to 'talk as it were into vacancy'. If their remarks were scientifically worthy they might receive a mumbled reply, but more often than not they would hear a peeved squeak (his voice appears to have been high pitched) and turn to find an actual vacancy and the sight of Cavendish fleeing for a more peaceful corner.
若有人想了解他的觀點，就要看上去很意外地走到他附近，“像跟空氣說話一樣”跟他對話。如果這個人說的話有科學價值，他可能會聽到嘟嘟噥噥的回應，但一般情況下只會聽到惱怒的尖叫聲（他的音調似乎很高），結果一回頭髮現確實只有空氣，而卡文迪什正在逃向更安靜的角落。
詞彙與短語
1. be born into/to/of something，在某種情況下或者家庭中出生。
One-third of all children are born into single-parent families. 三分之一的孩子出生在單親家庭。
2. blunt，[blʌnt]，adj. 鈍的；（說話）直白的。
Sharpen all your blunt knives. 把你所有的鈍刀打磨鋒利。
To be blunt, many of the candidates cannot read or write. 坦率地說，許多候選人既不會讀也不會寫。
3. flee，[fliː]，v. 逃跑，過去式和過去分詞都是fled。
Many German artists fled to America at the beginning of World War II. 許多德國藝術家在第二次世界大戰開始時逃往美國。
4. on no account/not on any account，（不管任何情況下）絕不能……。
On no account must you disturb me. 你絕不能打擾我。
5. vicinity，[vəˈsɪnəti]，n. 鄰近，附近
The stolen car was found in the vicinity of the station. 被盜的汽車在車站附近被找到了。
詞彙與短語14.m4a1:39
來自鳴謙英語
