| Anyone who has ever gone to school is probably aware that Isaac Newton formed his theory of gravity after seeing an apple fall from a tree. This story is allegedly true. 凡是上过学的人大概都知道这个典故：艾萨克·牛顿在看到从树上掉下的苹果后，就创立了著名的万有引力学说。这故事据说是真的。 What is certain, however, is that few people in history have had a greater impact on the development of science and mathematics. 不过，可以确定的是，历史上很少有人能同时在科学和数学领域的发展上有比牛顿更大的影响力。 Newton was born on Christmas Day 1642, in the rural English county of Lincolnshire. 1642年的圣诞节，牛顿出生在英国林肯郡的乡间。 His father died before his birth, and his mother's remarriage to a man who did not want him around meant that Isaac's early years were spent in the care of his grandmother. 由于他父亲在他出生前就去世了，而他母亲改嫁后的丈夫又很嫌弃他，艾萨克在祖母的照顾下度过了他的童年时光。 At age 12, he was sent away to school in the town of Grantham. 在他十二岁那年，他被送到格兰瑟姆的一所学校读书。 Living in the house of an apothecary called Clark, young Isaac showed a keen interest in the man's chemistry books and laboratory. 少年艾萨克住在一位名叫克拉克的药剂师家，他对克拉克的化学书籍和实验室表现出浓厚的兴趣。 He also built devices to amuse Clark's stepdaughter, including floating lanterns and a windmill run by a live mouse. 他还制作了一些小设备逗克拉克的继女高兴，包括浮水灯笼及用老鼠跑步所带动的风车。 Newton was said to be attracted to the girl, but she later married someone else, while he remained single all his life. 据说牛顿被这女孩所吸引，但她后来还是嫁给了别人，而牛顿则终生未娶。 |
