Einstein for a Day

Albert Einstein, one of the world's most brilliant and respected scientists, is best known (больше всего известен) for formulating the theory of relativity which played a critical (очень важный) part (роль) in the development of atomic energy. What may not be widely known is that Einstein had a fine sense (превосходное чувство) of humor.

There is an amusing (забавный) story about Einstein's visiting universities in a car driven by a chauffeur, giving lectures (to give lectures – читать лекции) on relativity. One day the chauffeur said: «Mr. Einstein, I've heard you give this lecture about 30 times. I know it by heart, and I am sure I could give it myself.» «Well, I'll give you a chance», said Einstein. «They won't recognize me at the school. When we get there, I'll put on your cap and you introduce yourself as me and give the lecture.»

The chauffeur gave Einstein's lecture without making a single mistake. On finishing, he started to leave (собирался уходить), but one of the professors stopped him to ask a complex question. The chauffeur thought fast (быстро сообразил). «That problem is so trivial», he said, «I'm surprised that you have to ask me. In fact (по существу), to show you how simple it is, I'm going to ask my chauffeur to come up here and answer your question.»

The Return of the Dirigibles

When it comes to technology (когда речь идет о технике,…), people are not inclined (to be inclined – быть склонным к…) to return to the past. Yet (однако (и все же)), some exceptions do exist. Such is the attitude (отношение) at present (в настоящее время) towards (к) dirigibles. Having abandoned (to abandon – отказываться; оставлять) the skies more than 40 years ago, they have suddenly begun to reappear (вновь появляться). Designers (конструкторы) have once again sat down (зд.: принялись) to design (проектировать) this kind of transportation. Their use can still be limited, but there is no doubt (сомнение) that dirigibles are coming back (возвращаются).

Why is dirigible attractive? What do you do with it? As its cruising speed is about 60 miles per hour, it is too slow to be used as a passenger carrier. But it is cheaper to operate than a helicopter, comfortable and capable of flying for several days. The craft's large size and staying power (dirigibles have remained in skies for as long as a week) make it ideally suited for exploration.

Their use in countries that have large territories and are rich in forests and are planning to explore (разведывать (напр., местонахождения)) and exploit (разрабатывать (с целью последующей эксплуатации)) new regions is most promising (перспективный). They may be used to make a geological survey (проводить геологическую разведку (съемку)) and to make maps (составлять карты), to look for (искать) off-shore (прибрежный; находящийся в открытом море) oil (нефть) and minerals (полезные ископаемые), to take tourists to roadless (труднодоступный, буквально «бездорожный»), but beautiful places, to deliver (доставлять) heavy loads (тяжелые грузы) to remote (отдаленный) regions and bring the products (изделия, продукция) back (забирать). They have a potential use as a flying platform. In general (в принципе (в целом)), their possibilities are endless. They do not need expensive (дорогостоящий) runways (runway – взлетно-посадочная полоса (ВПП)) required by cargo (транспортный, грузовой) planes.

Besides (кроме того), the technological possibilities of manufacturing these crafts have changed. In 1920 and 1930s the dirigibles were manned (пилотировать) by a big crew (экипаж). Today being equipped with (оборудованный, оснащенный) electronic control (электронная система управления) they can be operated by three pilots.

The modern dirigibles have one more important advantage over older models — that of complete (полный) safety (безопасность) in flight, for (так как), instead of (вместо) hydrogen (водород), they are filled (to fill – наполнять, заполнять) with helium which does not burn. The craft is 200 feet long and is made of superstrong (сверхпрочный) materials.

In the future it may be possible to build a dirigible with a metal hull (корпус, оболоча) that could carry (перевозить) hundreds of passengers and transport cargo around the world. In fact (по существу), it is probably (по-видимому, вероятно) as (в качестве) a cargo (грузовой) vehicle (ЛА) that (it is … that … - усилительная конструкция, переводится на русский язык «именно», «как раз», «только» и т.д.) the dirigible will have the best chance to find its use.

When certain types of weather prevent (мешать кому-то делать что-то) the pilot from seeing the ground, additional radio transmitters let him make his approach to an airport by simply watching his flight instruments and his radio receiver indicators. These receivers help the pilot descend (снижаться) on the runway, thus landing (осуществляя таким способом посадку) at an airport even though (хотя; даже если) he cannot see the ground.

At the world's larger air terminals (аэропорты) airplanes are provided with radar guidance (наведение по радару) as another (еще один) means of guiding the pilot to the destination. With the help of an electronic transponder (ответчик; ретранслятор) in each airplane which shows it on the radar screen, radar controllers (оператор; диспетчер) guide (вести, наводить) hundreds of airplanes to landing (посадка (ЛА)).

Because of (благодаря) the great improvement (улучшение, усовершенствование; прогресс) in electronic and radio navigation equipment, flying to where you are going is done as efficiently as the birds do it and much more (гораздо более) scientifically.

Laser

In the «War of Worlds» written before the turn of the last century H. Wells told a fantastic story of how Martians almost invaded (invade – вторгаться; захватывать, оккупировать) our Earth. Their weapon was a mysterious «sword (меч) of heat». Today Wells' sword of heat has come to reality (реализоваться) in the laser. The name stands for (to stand for – означать, символизировать) light amplification by stimulated emission (испускание; излучение) of radiation.

Laser, one of the most sophisticated (сложный, новейший) inventions (изобретения) of man, produces (создавать, производить) an intensive (зд.: мощный) beam of light of a very pure (чистый) single (один, единственный) colour. It represents the fulfilment of one of the mankind's oldest dreams of technology to provide¹ a light beam intensive enough (достаточно интенсивный (мощный); enough ставится в английском языке после определяемого слова) to vaporize the hardest (hard - твердый) and most heat-resistant materials. It can indeed make (в значении «заставлять») lead (свинец) run (течь) like water, or, when focused (будучи сфокусированным), it can vaporize any substance on the earth. There is no material unamenable² to laser treatment and laser will become (несомненно (наверняка) станет – будущее + Present Perfect) one of the main technological tools quite soon.

The applications of laser in industry and science are so many and so varied as to suggest magic3. Scientists in many countries are working at a very interesting problem: combining the two big technological discoveries of the second half of the 20th century — laser and thermonuclear reaction — to produce a practically limitless source of energy. Physicists of this country have developed large laser installations to conduct physical experiments in heating thermonuclear fuel with laser beams. There also exists an idea to use laser for solving the problem of controlled thermonuclear reaction. The laser beam must heat the fuel to the required temperature so quickly that the plasma does not have time to disintegrate (распадаться; расщепляться). According to current (современный, текущий) estimates, the duration (длительность) of the pulse (импульс) has to be approximately a billionth of a second.

The light capacity (мощность) of this pulse would be dozens of times greater than the capacity of all the world's power plants. To meet such demands in practice, scientists and engineers must work hard as (так так) it is clear that a lot of difficulties are to be encountered (to encounter – (неожиданно) встретить, столкнуться с…) on route⁴.

The laser's most important potential may be its use in communications. The intensity of a laser can be rapidly changed to encode (кодировать; шифровать) very complex (сложный) signals. In principle, one laser beam, vibrating a billion times faster than ordinary radio waves, could (мог бы – сослагательное наклонение) carry the radio, TV and telephone messages (сообщения) of the world simultaneously (одновременно). In just (всего) a fraction of a second, for example, one laser beam could (сослагательное наклонение) transmit (передавать) the entire (весь, полный) text of the Encyclopaedia Britannica.

Besides, there are projects to use lasers for long distance communication (связь) and for transmission of energy to space stations, to the surface (поверхность) of the Moon or to planets in the Solar system. Projects have also been suggested (to suggest – предлагать; предполагать) to place (размещать, помещать) lasers aboard (на борту) Earth satellites nearer to the Sun in order (чтобы) to transform (преобразовывать) the solar radiation into laser beams, with this transformed energy subsequently (последовательно) transmitted to the Earth or to other space bodies. These projects have not yet (в отрицат. предложении – «пока еще не…») been put into effect⁵, because of (из-за, вследствие) the great technological difficulties to be overcome and, therefore, the great cost involved. But there is no doubt that in time⁶ these projects will be realized and the laser beam will begin operating in outer space as well.

Notes to the Text

1. to provide — получать 2. unamenable — неподдающийся 3. «is to suggest magic — можно принять за чудо

4. on route — на пути 5. put into effect — осуществлять 6. in time — со временем