качестве|. His task might comprise |содержать в себе| the following:
a) to approach Government Departments, keep them informed of the further development, and put forward recommendations for Government action, giving particular attention to the problem of securing a supply of uranium ore for the United States.
b) to speed up the experimental work, which is at present being carried on within the limits of the budgets of University laboratories, by providing funds, if such funds be required, through his contacts with private persons who are willing to make contributions for this cause, and perhaps also by obtaining the co-operation of industrial laboratories which have the necessary equipment.
I understand that Germany has actually stopped the sale of uranium from the Czechoslovakian mines which she has taken over |захватила|. That she should have taken |То, что Германия предприняла| such early action might perhaps be understood on the ground |на почве того| that the son of the German Under-Secretary of State, von Weizsäcker, is attached to the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Institut in Berlin where some of the American work on uranium is now being repeated.
Yours very truly,
Albert Einstein
Ричард Фейнман. Еще один физик, еще один Нобелевский лауреат, человек, которого привычно называть «гений». Фейнман родился в 1918 году, а в 1944-м его отобрали для участия в «Манхэттенском проекте» по разработке атомной бомбы – том самом, на котором настаивал Эйнштейн в письме выше. У Ричарда Фейнмана была любовь всей его жизни – Арлин, и до отъезда в Лос-Аламос – местечко, где физики со всех США корпели над оружием будущего, Фейнман женился на Арлин.
Нет, никакого хэппи-энда в этой истории любви нет. Арлин была смертельно больна туберкулезом. Все родичи Фейнмана были против этого брака, но Фейнман плюнул на всех и все равно женился на своей Арлин (он частенько потом так делал. Почитайте его биографию). В июне 1945 года Арлин умерла, и спустя 16 месяцев Фейман написал ей письмо, которое было вскрыто только после смерти самого Ричарда Фейнмана в 1988 году.
Итак. Физик Ричард Фейнман и его письмо жене Арлин. Письмо несколько напыщенное и слезливое и не вполне в духе того, что писал Фейнман после (а он был очень веселым и остроумным товарищем), но кто я такой, чтобы ставить ему эту напыщенность в упрек?
D’Arline, |сокращение Dear|
I adore you, sweetheart.
I know how much you like to hear that – but I don’t only write it because you like it – I write it because it makes me warm all over inside to write it to you.
It is such a terribly long time since I last |в последний раз| wrote to you – almost two years but I know you’ll excuse me because you understand how I am, stubborn and realistic; and I thought there was no sense to writing.
But now I know my darling wife that it is right to do what I have delayed in doing |откладывал, чтобы сделать|, and that I have done so much in the past. I want to tell you I love you. I want to love you. I always will love you.
I find it hard to understand in my mind what it means to love you after you are dead – but I still want to comfort |утешать, успокаивать| and take care of you – and I want you to love me and care for me. I want to have problems to discuss with you – I want to do little projects with you. I never thought until just now that we can do that. What should we do. We started to learn to make clothes together – or learn Chinese – or getting a movie projector. Can’t I do something now? No. I am alone without you and you were the “idea-woman” and general instigator |вдохновитель| of all our wild adventures.
When you were sick you worried because you could not give me something that you wanted to and thought I needed. You needn’t have worried. Just as I told you then there was no real need because I loved you in so many ways so much. And now it is clearly even more true – you can give me nothing now yet |но все же| I love you so that you stand in my way |стоишь на пути| of loving anyone else – but I want you to stand there. You, dead, are so much better than anyone else alive.
I know you will assure me that I am foolish and that you want me to have full happiness and don’t want to be in my way. I’ll bet you are surprised that I don’t even have a girlfriend (except you, sweetheart) after two years. But you can’t help it |ничего не можешь с этим поделать|, darling, nor can I – I don’t understand it, for |здесь – потому что| I have met many girls and very nice ones and I don’t want to remain alone – but in two or three meetings they all seem ashes |пеплом|. You only are left to me. You are real.
My darling wife, I do adore you.
I love my wife. My wife is dead.
Rich.
PS Please excuse my not mailing this – but I don’t know your new address.
Воннегут – один из самых известных писателей 20 века (прочтите его «Бойню номер 5». Отличная книга). В 2006 году, когда Воннегуту было уже очень-очень много лет, Мисс Локвуд, учительница английского языка в старших классах, попросила своих учеников написать Воннегуту письма, где они могли бы расспросить его о
