A Brief History of time --- Stephen Hawking
☞ Chapter 2 Space and time
1. elliptical adj. 椭圆的；言辞晦涩的
1. having the shape of an ellipse
He discovered the elliptical orbits of planets in 1609. 他在1609年发现行星的轨道是椭圆的。
2.elliptical speech or writing is difficult to understand because more is meant than its actually said
The language is often elliptical and ambiguous. 语言经常是隐晦和模棱两可的。
ellipse n. 椭圆形
2. rest ¹ n. （常见意思略： 放松；剩余部分）
词组汇集：
put/set sb's mind at rest 使某人放心
come to rest 停止运动；目光停留
The aircraft skidded across the runway and finally came to rest in a cornfield. 飞机滑过跑道，最后在玉米地里停了下来。
My eyes came to rest on a photograph of a young man. 我的目光停留在一个年轻人的身上。
give it a rest 【口】安静一下
give sth a rest 【口】暂停某事
at rest 安息，长眠；静止的，不动的
and all the rest of it 【口】诸如此类，不一而足
I was playing the rent and the bills and all the rest of it.我要付房租，账单等等。
and the rest 【口】不止吧
lay/put sth to rest 【正式】使某事平息下来
The minister resigned, and the government hoped that the scandal would finally be laid to rest. 部长辞了职，政府希望这下丑闻终于要平息了。
2.1 .rest ² v. support 支撑某物
lean:rest against/on sth
3. irrational adj. not based on clear thoght 不合理的,荒谬的
SYN: unreasonable OPP: rational
an irrational fear of flying 对飞行非理性的恐惧
4.variation n. difference （相似物体之间的）差异（ 数量形式的）变化变动 ；（音乐中的）变奏曲
There is a great deal of variation among the responses. 反应各不相同。
Bach's Goldberg variations 巴赫的《哥德堡变奏曲》
5.propagate v. spread an idea 传播（信仰，观点）；繁殖SYN: reproduce
The group launched a website to propagate its ideas.
Propagate your plants in fresh soil.
6. magnetism n. 磁性；某人的吸引力，诱惑力
personal magnetism 个人魅力
magnetize v. 使有磁性，使磁化； 强烈吸引，迷住
magneto n. 尤指汽车引擎内永磁电机，磁石发电机
7. equation n. 等式 方程式；综合考虑的影响因素; 相似 联系
The tourist industry forms a crucial part of the region's economic equation.
The equation of violence with power 暴力与权力之间的联系
equate v. 使等同
equate to sth 相当于；等于
8. crest
n. top point of something （山峰或波浪的）顶峰; 徽饰； 鸟的羽毛
It took us over an hour to reach the crest of hill.
coat of arms: school/ family crest 校徽、族徽
exotic birds with colourful crests 羽冠鲜艳多彩的珍禽
be on/riding the crest of a wave 极其成功，在顶峰时期的
v. 正式 到达山顶
They crested a wooded hill shortly before sunset. 就在太阳快要落山之前，他们登上了一座树木茂盛的小山巅。
9. 专业名词积累
infrared 红外线
ultraviolet 紫外线
wavelengths 波长
electromagnetic adj. 磁力的
The special theory of relativity 狭义相对论
The general theory of relativity 广义相对论
10. hitherto adv. up to this time 【正式】迄今，至今
hitherto unknown 迄今为止不为人知的
11. postulate
v. 【 正式 】suggest that sth. might have happened or be true 假定 ；假设
关联词：hypothesize
It has been postulated that the condition is inherited. 有人认为这种疾病是遗传的。
n. 假定假设，公理（被人为理所当人的事实）
关联词: hypothesis
the basic postulates of Marxism 马克思主义的基本假设
12. intrinsic adj. being part of the nature 本质的，内在的，固有的
✿原文：Only light, or other waves that have no intrinsic mass, can move at the speed of light.
翻译：只有光和其他没有内禀质量的波才能以光速运动。
OPP: extrinsic
intrinsic nature/quality/value/property of sth
There is nothing in the intrinsic nature of the work that makes it more suitable for woman.这项工作本质上没有什么使得它更适合女性来做。
Flexibility is intrinsic to creative management. 灵活变通使创新管理的基本特质。
intrinsically adv. Science is seen as intrinsically good.
13. pulse
✿原文：Each observer could use radar to say where and when an event took place by sending out a pulse of light or radio waves.
n. 脉搏；节奏；脉冲（课文中的意思）；心态；豆子
课文摘录语：Each observer could use radar to say where and when an event took place by sending out a pulse of light or radio waves。
词组：take sb's pulse 给某人把脉 pulse rate 脉率
Her pulse raced with excitement. 她激动地脉搏急速跳动。
Clinton had an uncanny ability to sense the pulse of the nation. 克林顿拥有洞察民众心态的神奇本领。
v. 搏动，震动 ；（感情等）洋溢，充满; 点动食物搅拌机
She felt the blood pulsing through her veins. 她觉得血液冲击着自己的血管。
Excitement pulsed through the crowd. 兴奋情绪传遍人群。
Pulse several times until the mixture looks like oatmeal. 点动数次i，直到混合物看上去和燕麦粉差不多。
14. velocity n. 【 术语】速度；高速
The speedboat reached a velocity of 120 mph. 快艇的时速达到120英里。
Martinez had good velocity on his fastball. 马丁内斯的快球速度极快。
15. Sphere n. 球；（活动、工作、知识的）范围
in the .....sphere : television's increasing role in the political sphere 电视在政治领域中越来越重要的作用。
public/private sphere
sb's/sth's sphere of influence 某人或某物的势力范围
补充：① -sphere suffix 【术语】（围绕地球大气的）层 the atmosphere 大气层
② spherical adj. 球形的，球状的 SYN: round
16. geodesic adj. 【 术语 】relating to the shortest possible line between two points on a curved surface 测地线的，大地线的(曲面上两点间距离最短的线)
拓展: geocentric adj. 以地球为中心的
geodestic dome 网格球形穹顶
17. two-dimensional 二维的，缺乏深度的
dimension
n. ①形势或品质的方面或部分 SYN: aspect
②大小，尺寸 length, height, width, depth
③ 空间 的维度
the moral dimension of world politics 世界政治的道德方面
the exact dimensions of the room 房间确切的大小
fourth dimension 四维
Spatial dimension 空间坐标
18. arena n. （四周设有座位供比赛或表演的）场地
a sports arena 运动场
Woman are entering the political arena in larger numbers. 越来越多的女性进入政界。
American economic activity in the international arena.美国在国际舞台上的经济活动。
19. a cesium clock 铯原子钟 仪器仪表
原文：In effect, the meter is defined to be the distance traveled by light in 0.000000003335640952 second, as measured by『 a cesium clock』. (The reason for that particular number is that it corresponds to the historical definition of the meter – in terms of two marks on a particular platinum bar kept in Paris.)
科普：选0.000000003335640952 second 的原因？
是历史上对米的定义---按照保存在巴黎的特定铂棒上的两个刻度之间的距离。
又叫原子铯钟，一种精密的计时器具。日常生活中使用的时间准到1分钟也就够了。它们要求时间要准到千分之一秒，甚至百万分之一秒。为了适应这些高精度的要求，人们制造出了一系列精密的计时器具，铯钟就是其中的一种。铯钟又叫"铯原子钟'。它利用铯原子内部的电子在两个能级间跳跃时辐射出来的电磁波作为标准，去控制校准电子振荡器，进而控制钟的走动。这种钟的稳定程度很高，目前，最好的铯原子钟达到500万年才相差1秒。广泛使用在天文、大地测量和国防建设等各个领域中。
对于大铯钟这样的一级时间标准，世界上只有少数几个国家的时频实验室拥有，而且，有的还不能长期可靠地工作。但是，对于世界上大多数没有大铯钟的实验室也可以有自己的时间尺度。其方法是:用多台商品型铯钟(目前5071A型小铯钟的准确度为1×10-12)构成平均时间尺度。你的实验室的小铯钟越多，你的时间尺度的稳定性就越好。
19². the Michelson-Morley experiment （在文中出现多次）
TheMichelson–Morley experimentwas performed over the spring andsummer of 1887 byAlbert A. MichelsonandEdward W. Morleyat what is nowCase
Western Reserve UniversityinCleveland,Ohio,and published in November of the same year.[1]Itcompared the speed of light in perpendicular directions, in an attempt todetect therelative motionof matter through the stationaryluminiferous aether("aether wind"). The resultwas negative, in that the expected difference between the speed of light in thedirection of movement through the presumed aether, and the speed at rightangles, was found not to exist; this result is generally considered to be thefirst strong evidence against the then-prevalentaether theory, and initiated a line ofresearch that eventually led tospecial relativity,which rules out a stationary aether.[A 1]The experiment has been referred to as "the moving-off point for the theoretical aspects of the Second Scientific Revolution".
Michelson–Morleytype experiments have been repeated many times with steadily increasingsensitivity. These include experiments from 1902 to 1905, and a series ofexperiments in the 1920s. More recentoptical resonatorexperiments confirmed the absence ofany aether wind at the 10−17level.Togetherwith theIves–StilwellandKennedy–Thorndike experiments, Michelson–Morley type experiments form one of thefundamentaltests of special relativitytheory. 【摘录自维基百科】
20. stub one's toe on the stone
踢石头反伤了自己的脚
狭义相对论---没有东西走得比光锥更快
Day 6
■ 课文细节■ : 结合Annie 音频(小词，词组)
1.What happens to a body [when a force does act on it] is given by Newton's second law.
it指body 受力物体;act on 指力作用在物体上
2.Aristotle believed in a preferred state of rest, which any body would take up if it were not driven by some force or impulse.
take up: ①采取...立场(政治上) ②文中是指进入一种...状态
preferred: 倾向，更容易出现的状态(rest)
3. It follows from... 从...中推出
4.hold (结论)成立
5. evenly spaced 均匀分布(这里spaced是v. 把...分开来)
6. Times 时间;次数
7. the law of propagation of light 光线传播的理论
※propagation also means 政治上的宣传
8. Put an end to 结束了...
9. object 仅仅指对象
body 形状，质量
10. speed it up 给...加速
11. Cone 三角锥
12. arbitrary ①没有理由的，无需解释的
e.g: He makes unpredictable, arbitrary decisions. 他做的决定难以预料，主观武断。
②专制的，专横的
e.g: the arbitrary power of officials 官员的专职权利
14. distinction 指性质上区别，范围比different 大
15. Occur 更多的指事情发生的本身
而happen 指出现
e.g: It's uncommon occurs. 这件事不常发生。
15. hail 赞扬，歌颂
e.g: He is being hailed a hero for saving a young child from drowing. 因救起一名落水儿童，他被誉为英雄。
［其他意思: 招手;向...喊; 下雹］
相关词组: hail from 来自，出生于 (＋ place)
16. in inverse proportion to 与...成反比
* to be directly/inversely proportional to sth 与某事物成正/反比
※ The proportion of men to woman in the college has changed dramatically over the year. 近年来，这个学院的男女生比例出现了剧变。
Day 7 Summary
It is an another difficult task for me, compared with the last three days. I find the Science Book seems less unreadable, for A Brief History of Time is more difficult to understand. But There is no such a word " give up" in my dictionary. The only thing I could do is face the difficulty. This article is the same as the science Book in some extent. They both have a clear timer shaft. The diffierece between two articles are the professional terms.
I'm so thankful to Annie's audio file. For learning well, I borrow some books from the library in order to help my understanding. And This is really helpful to me. Anyway, I'm not afraid it now.
I want to do my best on my studying plan, and I look up any information about it. But I also find some better takenotes from others. What I learn from them is to find any opportunities to develop yourself. Life is limited, but our brain is infinite. Predessors create a wonderful world for us, and we use these existing knowledge to explore unknown universe.
I still seen powerful words from this article.That is, cultivate a good habit and keep it. You never know what will happen next time. When you can't change the outside world, change yourself.
遇见一群优秀的人，让你发现生活并不只是三点一线，原来，我们的生活也可以有一抹亮色。追求更高的自己，our mind is like a sponge , ready to absorb anything. 好奇，好问，好斗...在有限的生命中体验一番从未体验过的经历。
