Prof. Brown:Good morning, everybody.Welcome to Physics 101. My name is Ed Brown, and I will be your professor for this semester. Since today is our first class, I wanted to give you an overview of what this course will look like, how you will be graded, and what we will cover this semester.
Matt: Will we be focusing more on theoretical physics or experimental physics, Professor?
Prof. Brown:This is an introductory course, and my aim is to give you a broad overview of the field of physics. The term “ physics” encompasses many different areas of research and study, and I hope this course will provide you with conceptual understanding of physics, which will prove useful whether or not you choose to further your study in this field.
Prof. Brown:We will begin the course by looking at the fundamental concepts of physics, then by the middle of the semester we will begin exploring the more theoretical side of physics. It is essential that you first have a firm grasp of the fundamentals, so that you can better understand the theoretical concepts when we get to them.
Matt: Will we learn about black holes, wormholes, and string theory?
Prof. Brown:We will learn about the general theory of relativity, including black holes. We will also explore developing theories in quantum mechanics, such as string theory. We will discuss some hypothetical features of space-time, like wormholes.
Prof. Brown:We will also explore some of the more influential developments in the fields of thermodynamics, electromagnetism, and nuclear physics, all of which have had significant impacts on modern life. Now, I am going to have the TAs pass out the syllabus for this class, so you can see how this course will be graded.
Matt: Oh man, looks like this isn’t gonna be the easy A I thought it’d be!
词汇注释
introductory adj.介绍性的
encompass v.包括
conceptual adj.概念上的
fundamental adj.基本的
grasp n.理解
relativity n.相对论
black hole n.黑洞
quantum mechanics n.量子力学
hypothetical adj.假设的, 假定的
thermodynamics n.热力学
electromagnetism n.电磁; 电磁学
nuclear physics n.核子物理学
参考译文
Prof. Brown: 大家早上好，欢迎来学习《物理101》课程，我叫Ed Brown，这学期是你们的老师。因为今天是第一节课，我想给你们介绍下这门课程的概括，你们如何结业，以及这学期要学的内容。
Prof. Brown: 教授，我们会着重学理论物理还是实验物理？
Prof. Brown: 这是门介绍性的课程，我的目标是给你们打开物理学领域的视野。“物理”这一术语包括许多不同领域的研究和学习，我希望这门课程会让你从概念上明白物理，无论你们将来是否继续学习这一领域，这都是很有用的。
Prof. Brown: 我们先来看下物理的基本概念，到期中的时候我们会拓展更多理论方面的知识。很有必要先理解物理学的基本知识，以便当我们学习理论知识时能更好地理解。
Matt:我们会学习黑洞，蛀洞和弦理论吗？
Prof. Brown: 我们会学习相对论的大体理论，包括黑洞，也会学习量子力学的正在发展的理论，比如弦理论。也会谈论到时空的猜想理论，比如蛀洞。
Prof. Brown: 我们也会探索热力学，电磁学和核子物理学中有影响力的发展，这些对现代生活都有重要影响。现在我把课程提纲发给你们，以便你们能了解这门课程是如何结业的。
Matt: 喔，看上去这不是我原以为轻易就能拿到A的课程。
