第三十六章 Henri Poincaré and Marie Curie’s Recommendation Letter for Albert Einstein
(1911)
Herr Einstein is one of the most original minds that we have ever met. In spite of his youth he already occupies a very honorable position among the foremost savants of his time. What we marvel at him， above all， is the ease1 with which he adjusts himself to new conceptions and draws all possible deductions from them. He does not cling to classical principles， but sees all conceivable possibilities when he is confronted with a physical problem. In his mind this becomes transformed into an anticipation of new phenomena that may some day be verified in actual experience.... The future will give more and more proofs of the merits of Herr Einstein， and the University that succeeds in2 attaching him to itself may be certain that it will derive honor from its connection with the young master.
Henri Poincaré
Marie Curie
Herr [德语] 先生 (= Mr.)
savant n. 博学之士
conception n. 构思
cling to 依附
confront v. 遇到，面对
conceivable adj. 可预测到的
anticipation n. 期待
verified adj. 得到证实
中译 普旺加莱与居里夫人为爱因斯坦写的推荐书
（1911年）
爱因斯坦先生是我们所曾见过最具有独创性的才子之一。尽管他年纪尚轻，却已在当代最杰出的学者之间占有至为崇高的地位。尤其使我们惊叹的是他非常容易适应新的概念，并从中得出各种可能的推论。当他遇到一个物理学问题时，他不拘泥于权威性的原理，却能看到一切可以想象的可能性。这一点在他脑中得到融会贯通，使他预见到许多有朝一日终将在实际生活中获得证实的新现象……爱因斯坦先生的才华将来一定能得到更多的证明。凡是能罗致这位青年学者的大学，必将获得附骥之荣。
亨利·普旺卡莱
玛丽·居里
原来如此！
物理学家爱因斯坦（Albert Einstein， 1879-1955）对人类最伟大的贡献是他创立的狭义相对论和广义相对论（The Special and General Theories of Relativity）。他在三十岁时已在国际学术界有一定地位，却仍未获聘大学教席。法国数学家普旺加莱（Henri Poincaré， 1854-1912）与镭（radium）元素的发现者居里夫人（Marie Curie， 1869-1934）联名向瑞士苏黎世联邦技术学院（Federal Institute of Technology at Zurich）写了本推荐信后，爱因斯坦于1912年获该学院聘任。
作者单刀直入，以简洁手法推崇爱因斯坦的学术地位，强调他的创新才华。推荐信必然是每多溢美之词，本信似乎并不例外。然而，今天回顾爱因斯坦这位伟人的成就，可以肯定写信的两位大科学家采用的完全是实事求是的写法。
妙笔生花 信中内容铺排，层次分明，先后有序：
1. 介绍爱因斯坦的才华：one of the most original minds ...
2. 他在学术界的地位：honourable position
3. 他的优异特质：adjusts to new conceptions... / sees all conceivable
possibilities / anticipation of new phenomena...
4. 对其未来贡献极有信心：The future will give proofs of the merits 其中也有赞赏的语句，包括one of the most original minds / foremost savants / adjusts...at ease / the University...will derive honour 等。
增值英语
1 ...the ease with which he adjusts himself to new conceptions...
句式 ease 解作“从容，轻松，容易”，常见于介词短语，如 at ease； with ease：
The ballistic officer detonated the bomb with ease. 那拆弹专家从容地引爆炸弹。
I feel at ease with him. 我跟他相处得很自然轻松。
句式 with which he... 是个定语从句，修饰名词 the ease，with 是介词。下面的两组例句与 with which 属于同一类型，句中的介词 (to， on) 可以放在关系代词 (which， who) 之前，也可以放在定语从句之后：
This is the dictionary to which the teacher often refers.
This is the dictionary (which) the teacher often refers to.
这字典是老师常常提及的那一本。
You are the person on whom we pin all our hopes.
You are the person (whom) we pin all our hopes on.
你是我们寄托所有希望的人。
2 the university that succeeds in attaching him...
句式 succeed in + n. / v-ing 解作“（在某方面）得到成功”。注意 succeed 不能后接不定式：
He succeeds in developing good relations with his clients. 他成功地跟客户建立起良好关系。
She succeeds in human relations. 她在人际关系方面取得成功。
句式 注意名词 success 的拼写和用法：success in + n. / v-ing
His success in developing good relationship with clients brings him equal success in business. 他在与客户建立良好关系的成功带来事业上同样的成功。
I wish you every success. 我祝你事事成功。
