張超 供稿

One day Albert Einstein had to be in bed， because he was ill. His father went to town on business. In a shop window， he noticed a small compass. His father thought， “Ah， that might interest Albert， perhaps the little box with the ‘magic’ needle will catch his attention for a while.”

一天，阿爾伯特·愛因斯坦因病臥床。他的父親進城出差，在一家商店窗口，他注意到一個小小的指南針。父親心想：“啊，這枚指南針興許會使阿爾伯特感興趣的，也許這個裝有‘魔力’針的小盒子可以幫他解悶的?！?/p>

Einstein’s father bought the simple pocket compass home. “See what I have bought for you， my boy. A mysterious2 box with a magic needle.”

愛因斯坦的父親把這枚簡單的袖珍指南針買回家?！昂⒆樱纯次医o你買的什么。這是一個擁有魔力針的神奇盒子?！?/p>

Albert took the box and put it in his palm. He turned it one way， then another. Anyway the needle returned gently to point in the same direction.

阿爾伯特接過盒子捧在手里，他朝一個方向轉動它，接著又朝向另一個方向轉動。但不管他怎樣轉動，指南針總是輕輕地回到同一個方向。

Albert lay in bed with the compass. Slowly he turned it. He tapped it. No matter what he did， the needle always swung3 around to point north.

阿爾伯特捧著指南針躺在床上。他慢慢地轉動，輕輕敲打，但是無論他怎樣擺弄，指針卻總是會回到原來指北的位置。

For the first time， he sensed that there were things in nature that could not be seen， could not be touched—could hardly be imagined. There had to be something in space to move the little needle！And space was empty！His uncle had said so. But then space could not be empty if it had a force that could pull a compass needle.

他第一次感覺到在自然界中有某種看不到、摸不著、甚至是難以想象的東西存在。太空中肯定存在使小磁針轉動的的力量。太空中什么也沒有，他的叔叔也曾這樣說過?？墒侨绻惺裁戳α课裴樀脑?，那太空就不可能是空的。

His compass became his dearest and fascinating thing. It was the compass that introduced to him the world of science.

他的指南針成了他最珍愛而又吸引人的東西。是這枚指南針為他打開了科學世界的大門。