本文是美国著名物理学家弗里曼·戴森为《发现的乐趣》一书作的序。该书由张郁乎翻译，湖南科学技术出版社2005年出版（新浪爱问有电子版下载）。我发现，这个序跟我国许多翻译作品一样存在较严重的质量问题，因此特在这里发个对照版，供大家参考和指正。
THIS SIDE IDOLATRY
【张译】这样的一种偶像崇拜
【我译】我的偶像崇拜
“I DID LOVE the man this side idolatry as much as any,” wrote the
Elizabethan dramatist Ben Jonson. “The man” was Jonson’s friend
and mentor William Shakespeare. Jonson and Shakespeare were both
successful playwrights. Jonson was learned and scholarly; Shake-
speare was slapdash and a genius. There was no jealousy between
them. Shakespeare was nine years older, already filling the London
stage with masterpieces before Jonson began to write. Shakespeare
was, as Jonson said, “honest and of an open and free nature,” and
gave his young friend practical help as well as encouragement. The
most important help that Shakespeare gave was to act one of the lead-
ing roles in Jonson’s first play, Every Man in his Humour, when it was
performed in 1598. The play was a resounding success and launched
Jonson’s professional career . Jonson was then aged twenty-five, Shake-
speare thirty-four. After 1598, Jonson continued to write poems and
plays, and many of his plays were performed by Shakespeare’s com-
pany. Jonson became famous in his own right as a poet and scholar,
and at the end of his life he was honored with burial in Westminster
Abbey. But he never forgot his debt to his old friend. When Shake-
speare died, Jonson wrote a poem, “To the Memory of My Beloved
Master , William Shakespeare,” containing the well-known lines:
【张译】
“我确实仰慕这个人，我对他的仰慕，就像人们的那种偶像崇拜。”伊丽莎白一世时代的戏剧家本·琼森（Ben Jonson）写道。“这个人”是琼森的良师益友，威廉·莎士比亚（William Shakespeare）。琼森和莎士比亚都是卓有成就的剧作家。琼森是富有学者气质的饱学之士；莎士比亚是即兴的，是个天才。他们之间没有妒忌。莎士比亚年长九岁，在琼森开始写作之前就已经以其杰作称雄伦敦的舞台。正如琼森所说，莎士比亚是个“正直的人，具有开放和由的天性”，他既给他年轻的朋友提供实际的帮助，又给他鼓舞。莎士比亚给琼森的最大帮助是在琼森的第一部戏剧—— 《人人高兴》*——中出演主角。这部戏剧于年1598上演，获得了极大的成功，标志着琼森职业生涯的开始。那年琼森 25岁，莎士比亚34岁。1598年后，琼森继续创造诗歌和戏剧，他的许多戏剧都是由莎士比亚的剧团演出的。琼森以诗人和学者的身份著名于世，逝世后获得了安葬于威斯敏斯特教堂 **的殊荣。但他对老朋友的情义，从未忘怀。莎士比亚去世时，琼森写了一首诗，《怀念我所敬爱的大师，威廉·莎士比亚》，诗中有这样的名句：
* Every Man in His Humour ，这是一部喜剧。——译者
** Westminster Abbey，英国名人墓地。——译者
【我译】
伊莉莎白一世时代的剧作家本·琼森（Ben Jonson）曾这样写道：“我对此人的仰慕，确实不亚于任何偶像崇拜。” “此人”指的是约翰逊的良师益友——威廉·莎士比亚。琼森和莎士比亚都是成功的剧作家。琼森是一位饱学之士，很有学者气质；而莎士比亚则是个天才，不拘细节。他们彼此不嫉妒。莎士比亚年长9岁，在琼森开始写剧本前，他的不朽名剧就已经在伦敦的舞台上到处演出了。正如琼森所言，莎士比亚“待人真诚，本性坦率而自由”，并给他这位年轻朋友提供了切实的帮助和鼓励。莎士比亚提供的最重要的帮助是，在琼森创作的第一个剧本《人各有癖》（Every Man in his Humour）于1598年首演时，他担任了剧中的一位主角。这部戏获得了轰动性的成功，为琼森开启了职业生涯。当时，琼森25岁，莎士比亚34岁。1598年之后，琼森继续创作诗歌和剧本，而且他的许多戏剧都交给了莎士比亚的剧团演出。琼森凭自己的本事也成了一位著名的诗人和学者，并最终获得了安葬在西敏寺教堂中的荣誉。但是他从未忘记欠他老朋友的那一份情。莎士比亚去世时，琼森写了一首挽诗《缅怀我最敬爱的大师——威廉·莎士比亚》（To the Memory of My Beloved Master），其中包含了下面这些著名的诗行：
He was not of an age but for all time! . . .
Nature herself was proud of his designs
And joyed to wear the dressing of his lines. . . .
Yet I must not give Nature all: thy art,
My gentle Shakespeare, must enjoy a part.
For though the poet’s matter nature be,
His art does give the fashion; and, that he
Who casts to write a living line, must sweat, . . .
For a good poet’s made, as well as born. . . .
【张译】
“他不是属于一个时代，而是属于一切时代。”
“大自然本身也为他的创造而自豪，
高兴地穿上他诗句织就的华裳，……
然而我决不把一切荣誉献给自然：
我尊贵的莎士比亚，你的艺术，
一定得占它一席之地，因为——
追求自然虽然是艺术家的本事，
但他的艺术确实树立了典型，而且那个
写出生动诗句的人，也一定挥汗如雨，……
因为一个杰出诗人的诗句，浑然天成。”
【我译】
他不属于一个时代，而属于所有的世纪！……
自然本身也以他的心裁而得意，
穿着他的诗织华服满心欢喜……
然而我决不把一切都归之于天成：
温柔的莎士比亚，你的工夫也有份。
虽说自然就是诗人的材料，
还得靠人工才能产生形体。谁想要
铸炼出他笔下那样活生生的一句话
就必须流汗……
因为好诗人靠天生也靠炼成。[1]
What have Jonson and Shakespeare to do with Richard Feynman?
Simply this. I can say as Jonson said, “I did love this man this
side idolatry as much as any.” Fate gave me the tremendous luck
to have Feynman as a mentor. I was the learned and scholarly stu-
dent who came from England to Cornell University in 1947 and was
immediately entranced by the slapdash genius of Feynman. With
the arrogance of youth, I decided that I could play Jonson to Feyn-
man’s Shakespeare. I had not expected to meet Shakespeare on
American soil, but I had no difficulty in recognizing him when I
saw him.
【张译】
琼森和莎士比亚与理查德·费曼有什么关系？仅此而已：我可以像琼森那样说，“我的确仰慕这个人，我对他的仰慕，就像人们的那种偶像崇拜。”因为命运的眷顾，我有幸能以费曼为师。我是个学究气的学生，1947年从英国来到康奈尔大学并且立即被天才的费曼接纳。凭着年轻人的自负，我自诩为琼森，而比费曼为莎士比亚。我不曾指望在美洲的土地上遇到莎士比亚，但是如果我看见他，我会一眼认出他来。
【我译】
琼森和莎士比亚跟理查德·费曼能扯得上什么关系呢？答案很简单——我可以学着琼森说：“我对此人的仰慕，确实不亚于任何偶像崇拜。”受命运的眷顾，我有幸拜费曼为师。1947年，我以学生的身份，从英国来到康奈尔大学，自以为有学问，像个学者，并且马上就被费曼这个不拘细节的天才给迷住了。凭着年少时的轻狂，我自诩为琼森，将费曼比作了莎士比亚。我没料到会在美国遇到莎士比亚，但是真看到他时，我毫不费力就将他认了出来。
Before I met Feynman, I had published a number of mathematical
papers, full of clever tricks but totally lacking in importance. When
I met Feynman, I knew at once that I had entered another world.
He was not interested in publishing pretty papers. He was struggling,
more intensely than I had ever seen anyone struggle, to understand
the workings of nature by rebuilding physics from the bottom up.
I was lucky to meet him near the end of his eight-year struggle. The
new physics that he had imagined as a student of John Wheeler seven
years earlier was finally coalescing into a coherent vision of nature,
the vision that he called “the space-time approach.” The vision was
in 1947 still unfinished, full of loose ends and inconsistencies, but
I saw at once that it had to be right. I seized every opportunity to
listen to Feynman talk, to learn to swim in the deluge of his ideas.
He loved to talk, and he welcomed me as a listener. So we became
friends for life.
【张译】
在遇到费曼之前，我已经发表过许多数学论文，这些论文充满了小聪明，但总的来说缺乏重要性。当我遇到费曼时，我立即知道我已经进入另一个世界。他对发表漂亮的论文毫无兴趣。他在为理解大自然的作品而奋斗，试图彻底重建物理学，我还从未见谁有过如此高昂的奋斗热情。我很幸运，在他八年的奋斗接近尾声之时遇见他。七年前当他还是约翰·惠勒的学生时所设想的新物理学，这时终于整合成自然的一个统一图景，他称之为“时空通道”。1947年的时候，这个图景还没有完成，到处是松散的残片，充满着矛盾，但是我当时就看出它一定对。我抓住每一个机会聆听费曼的谈话，学习在他的思想的洪流中游泳。他喜爱谈话，也欢迎我这个听众。于是我们成了终生好友。
【我译】
在遇见费曼之前，我已经发表过多篇数学论文，这些论文尽玩些小技巧，毫无重大意义。我一遇到费曼，马上就知道自己以前处于另一个世界之中。他对发表漂亮的论文毫无兴趣。他奋力抗争，想通过彻底重建物理学，来理解大自然的工作机理；在这方面，他比谁都卖力。我很幸运地在他8年奋战快接近尾声时遇见他。他7年前师从约翰·惠勒（John Wheeler）时所设想的新物理学，这时终于拼合成了一幅关于大自然的和谐图景，他将这一图景称作“时空方法”（the space-time approach）。在1947年的时候，这幅图景还没有最终完工，到处都是未完的收尾工作，矛盾之处比比皆是，但是我一眼就看出它一定是正确的。我抓住一切机会聆听费曼的教诲，学着在他的思想洪流中游泳。他很健谈，也喜欢将我当作倾诉对象。于是我们成了终生的好友。
For a year I watched as Feynman perfected his way of describing
nature with pictures and diagrams, until he had tied down the loose
ends and removed the inconsistencies. Then he began to calculate
numbers, using his diagrams as a guide. With astonishing speed he
was able to calculate physical quantities that could be compared
directly with experiment. The experiments agreed with his numbers.
In the summer of 1948 we could see Jonson’s words coming true:
“Nature herself was proud of his designs/And joyed to wear the
dressing of his lines.”
【张译】
我观察了一年，看着费曼完善他那用图像和图表描述自然的方法，直到他拴住所有松散的残片，驱除了所有的矛盾。然后他利用他的图表为向导，开始计算数字。他能够以惊人的速度计算那些可以和实验直接进行比较的物理量。1948 年的暑假，我们可以看到琼森的诗句成为现实：“就连大自然也为他的设计感到自豪，高兴地穿上他的诗句所织就的华裳。”
【我译】
在一年的时间里，我看着费曼对他用图形和图表来描述自然的方法进行完善，最终将不严密的地方一一收尾，并消除了所有的矛盾之处。然后他在这些图的指引下，开始计算数值。他能够以惊人的速度，计算出可与实验结果直接相比的数值。这些实验所得的结果跟他计算出的数值完全吻合。1948年夏天，我们亲眼看到琼森的话变成了现实：“自然本身也以他的心裁而得意/穿着他的诗织华服满心欢喜。”
During the same year when I was walking and talking with
Feynman, I was also studying the work of the physicists Julian
Schwinger and Sin-Itiro Tomonaga, who were following more con-
ventional paths and arriving at similar results. Schwinger and Tomo-
naga had independently succeeded, using more laborious and
complicated methods, in calculating the same quantities that Feyn-
man could derive directly from his diagrams. Schwinger and Tomo-
naga did not rebuild physics. They took physics as they found it,
and only introduced new mathematical methods to extract numbers
from the physics. When it became clear that the results of their calcu-
lations agreed with Feynman, I knew that I had been given a unique
opportunity to bring the three theories together . I wrote a paper with
the title “The Radiation Theories of Tomonaga, Schwinger and Feyn-
man,” explaining why the theories looked different but were funda-
mentally the same. My paper was published in the Physical Review
in 1949, and launched my professional career as decisively as Every
Man in his Humour launched Jonson’s. I was then, like Jonson,
twenty-five years old. Feynman was thirty-one, three years younger
than Shakespeare had been in 1598. I was careful to treat my three
protagonists with equal dignity and respect, but I knew in my heart
that Feynman was the greatest of the three and that the main purpose
of my paper was to make his revolutionary ideas accessible to physi-
cists around the world. Feynman actively encouraged me to publish
his ideas, and never once complained that I was stealing his thunder.
He was the chief actor in my play.
【张译】
也是在那一年，我一边和费曼散步、聊天，一边还在研究物理学家施温格和朝永振一郎的著作，他们更多地遵循着传统的路径，并且达到了与费曼相似的结果。施温格和朝永振一郎已经各自独立地取得了成功，在计算相同的物理量时，他们使用了更为费力、更为复杂的方法，而费曼则可以从他的图表直接得出那些量。施温格和朝永振一郎没有重建物理学，他们在撞见物理学时也拿它来用，但是他们仅仅是介绍新的数学方法从物理学中析取数字。他们的计算结果和费曼一致，当这一点渐渐清楚时，我意识到命运已经赐予了我一个独特的机遇，把这三个理论汇到一起。我写了一篇题为《朝永振一郎、施温格和费曼的放射理论》的论文，阐释为什么说这三个理论看起来不同而实质上一样。我的论文发表在 1948年的《物理评论》上，标志着我的职业生涯的开始，对于我来说，其决定性的意义正如同琼森的《人人高兴》。那一年我 25 岁，和琼森一样，而费曼 31 岁，比1588年的莎士比亚年轻 3岁。在我的文章中，我谨慎地对待三个主角，给予他们同等的尊严和崇敬；但我心里知道，费曼是这三人中最伟大的一个，我那篇论文的主要目的，是要让他革命性的思想更易于被世界各地的物理学家接受。费曼积极地鼓励我发表他的思想，而从未抱怨我盗用他的声名。他是我剧本中的主角。
【我译】
就在跟费曼边散步边聊天的那一年，我同时还在钻研物理学家施温格（Julian Schwinger）和朝永振一郎所做的工作，他们走的是一条更传统的路子，并得出了与费曼类似的结果。施温格和朝永振一郎独自取得了成功，他们使用更费力也更复杂的方法，计算出了费曼可以从他的图中直接得出的那些数值。施温格和朝永振一郎并没有重建物理学。他们按物理学原来的样子来理解它，只是引入了一些新的数学方法，以便从物理学中获取数值。当他们的计算结果被表明和费曼的一致时，我知道老天恩赐了我一个独特的机会，可以将这三种理论统一在一起。我写了一篇题为《朝永振一郎、施温格和费曼的辐射理论》（The Radiation Theories of Tomonaga, Schwinger and Feynman）的论文，阐释这三种貌似不同的理论为什么实质上是一样的。我的论文发表在1949 年的《物理评论》（Physical Review）上，它决定性地开启了我的职业生涯，其意义恰如《人各有癖》之于琼森。那一年我25岁，和当时的琼森一样；而费曼才31岁，比1598年的莎士比亚还年轻3岁。我以同样崇敬的态度谨慎地对待三位主角，但我心里明白：这三人中最伟大的还得数费曼，而我那篇论文的主要目的，也是为了让世界各地的物理学家更易于接受他那些革命性的思想。费曼极力鼓动我发表他的思想，从未怨过我抢了他的风头。他才是我这出戏中的头号主角！
One of the treasured possessions that I brought from England to
America was The Essential Shakespeare by J. Dover Wilson, a short
biography of Shakespeare containing most of the quotations from
Jonson that I have reproduced here.1 Wilson’s book is neither a work
of fiction nor a work of history, but something in between. It is based
on the firsthand testimony of Jonson and others, but Wilson used his
imagination together with the scanty historical documents to bring
Shakespeare to life. In particular, the earliest evidence that Shake-
speare acted in Jonson’s play comes from a document dated 1709,
more than a hundred years after the event. We know that Shakespeare
was famous as an actor as well as a writer , and I see no reason to
doubt the traditional story as Wilson tells it.
1. Cambridge University Press, 1932.
【张译】
我从英国带到美国来的一件珍宝，是J ·多佛·威尔逊（J. Dover Wilson）所著的《本色的莎士比亚》*。这是莎士比亚的一个小传，我这里所引琼森的话大部分都是从那儿转引来的。威尔逊的书既不是小说，也不是历史，而是介于两者之间的一个东西。威尔逊所依据的是琼森等人的直接记述，但是威尔逊以他的想象结合稀少的历史文献，复活了莎士比亚。特别是，莎士比亚出演琼森剧作的最早证据，来源于注明为 1709年的一份文献，其时距离那件事已经一百多年了。我们知道，莎士比亚既是一位著名的作家，也是一位著名的演员，我看不出有什么理由去怀疑威尔逊所讲述的那个传统故事。
* The Essential Shakespeare。——译者
【我译】
我从英国带到美国来的一件珍爱之物是J·多佛·威尔逊（J. Dover Wilson）所著的《莎士比亚传略》（The Essential Shakespeare）[2]，这是莎士比亚的一个小传，我这里所引的琼森的话大部分都摘自那里。威尔逊的书既不是虚构的小说，也不是写实的历史，而是介于两者之间。它建立在琼森等人第一手资料的基础上，但是威尔逊在还原莎士比亚生平时，采用了将自己的想象力与稀少的历史文献两相结合的方法。特别值得一提的是，莎士比亚曾出演琼森剧作的最早证据，来自一份1709年的文献，当时距离此事已有100多年了。我们知道，莎士比亚既是一位著名的作家，也是一位著名的演员；我觉得没有理由怀疑威尔逊笔下的这个传统故事是否属实。
Luckily, the documents that provide evidence of Feynman's life and
thoughts are not so scanty. The present volume is a collection of
such documents, giving us the authentic voice of Feynman recorded
in his lectures and occasional writings. These documents are
unofficial, addressed to general audiences rather than to his
scientific colleagues. In them we see Feynman as he was, always
playing with ideas but always serious about the things that
mattered to him. The things that mattered were honesty,
independence, and willingness to admit ignorance. He detested
hierarchy and enjoyed the friendship of ordinary people in all
walks of life. He was, like Shakespeare, an actor with a talent
for comedy.
【张译】
幸运的是，为费曼的生活和思想提供证据的文献并不稀少。眼前的这本书就是这些文献的一个结集，它把费曼记录在他的演讲和随笔中的真实声音展现给我们。这些文献都是非正式的，是面向普通听众发表的演讲，而不是面向他科学界的同事发表的演讲。从这里面我们看到了一个真实的费曼，总是玩着思想的游戏，但是对于他觉得重要的东西又总是那么认真。这些重要的东西是诚实，独立，承认自己的无知。他憎恶等级制度，一生享受着人们的友谊。他像莎士比亚一样，是个有喜剧天赋的演员。
【我译】
幸运的是，为费曼的生平和思想提供佐证的文献没有那么稀少。现在这本书就是这些文献的一个结集，它让我们能听到费曼保存在演讲和随笔中的真实声音。这些文献都是非官方的，面向的对象是普通大众而不是他科学界的同仁。我们可以从中看到本真的费曼——他一直在玩思想游戏，但对自己看重的东西却始终抱着严肃认真的态度。他看重的东西是真诚、独立以及愿意承认自己的无知。他讨厌森严的等级制度，享受与各个阶层的普通人之间的友谊。他跟莎士比亚一样，也是一个有喜剧天赋的演员。[3]
Besides his transcendent passion for science, Feynman had also a
robust appetite for jokes and ordinary human pleasures. Between his
heroic struggles to understand the laws of nature, he loved to relax
with friends, to play his bongo drums, to entertain everybody with
tricks and stories. In this too he resembled Shakespeare. Out of Wil-
son’s book I take the testimony of Jonson:
【张译】
除了对科学的非凡热情，费曼对玩笑以及常人的快乐也有强烈的嗜好。在他为理解自然规律而英勇奋斗的间隙，他喜爱和朋友娱乐消遣，喜爱敲邦戈鼓，喜爱用诡计和故事跟各种人开玩笑。这方面他也和莎士比亚相似。我从威尔逊的书中抄出琼森的一段记述：
【我译】
除了对科学有着异乎寻常的热爱，费曼还对开玩笑乐此不疲，对各种常人的乐趣也兴致盎然。在为理解自然规律而英勇奋斗的余暇，他喜欢与朋友们一起放松，喜欢打他的邦戈鼓，喜欢通过耍花招或讲故事来与大家逗乐。在这方面，他与莎士比亚也有些类似。从威尔逊的书中，我抄摘了琼森下面这段记述：
When he hath set himself to writing, he would join night to
day; press upon himself without release, not minding it till he
fainted: and when he left off, remove himself into all sports and
looseness again; that it was almost a despair to draw him to his
book: but once got to it, he grew stronger and more earnest by
the ease.
【张译】
“他写作时，日以继夜；把自己绷得紧紧的，一点也不放松，他根本想不到放松，直至虚脱；一旦他脱开身后，他又投入各种运动和放松活动；几乎是一种欲望，把他拉向他的书：但是一旦完成，他对悠闲的欲求就会变得更强烈、更热切。”
【我译】
他专心写作时，会夜以继日；一直给自己施压，不到精疲力竭，绝不放松；而一旦从工作中脱开身，他又会全身心地投入各种运动和娱乐之中；这时想将他拉回书桌边基本上是没希望的；但是一旦重新开写，他会因为得到了放松，而变得更强悍更诚心。
That was Shakespeare, and that was also the Feynman I knew and
loved, this side idolatry.2
2. Since I wrote this foreword for the Feynman anthology, The Pleasure of Finding Things Out: The Best Short Works of Richard Feynman, edited by Jeffrey Robbins (Perseus, 1999), many more books about Feynman have been published. One of them is the volume of letters that I reviewed in Chapter 23. As he recedes into history, Feynman seems to rise higher and higher, like Shakespeare, above his contemporaries.
【张译】
这就是莎士比亚，这也就是我所认识、我所热爱的费曼——这样的一种偶像崇拜。
【我译】
这就是莎士比亚，也是我熟知和热爱的费曼——我崇拜的偶像。[4]
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[1] 参考了卞之琳所译的《莎士比亚戏剧集题辞》。—译注
[2] 剑桥大学出版社，1932年。
[3] 原书缺了这一段，为了全文意思的连贯与完整，现根据戴森先生提供给我的完整版补足。—译注
[4] 我为由杰弗里·罗宾斯（Jeffrey Robbins）编辑、珀尔修斯（Perseus）出版社于1999年出版的费曼文集《发现的乐趣：理查德·费曼的最佳短篇作品》（The Pleasure of Finding Things Out: The Best Short Works of Richard Feynman）一书作序后，又出了许多本关于费曼的书，包括我在本书第23章评阅的那本书信集。随着费曼成为历史人物，他似乎也跟莎士比亚一样，地位越来越高，远远超出了他的同时代人。【《发现的乐趣》有中文版，张郁乎译，湖南科学技术出版社，2005年。—译注】