出哪些文字优美的英文科学巨著？
魏剑峰 2小时前 136 科学 要求 1，文字优美 2，巨著 3，有英文版 0 赞 0 踩 其他回答 當然是這本了：堪稱量子力學「聖經」的存在。這本書非常重視正則量子化，也就是從哈密頓力學出發構造量子力學。跟着作者，從開頭幾個實驗出發考察經典物理，一步一步地改造經典力學，到最後把量子力學建立起來，這個過程即使說是享受也一點不爲過。另外，此書也算是路徑積分量子化的發端之一（更早是在狄拉克的一篇論文裏），費曼後來的工作也是借鑑與此。
拋開專業性，英文本身也是亮點，此書語言之優雅、行文之嚴謹絲毫不遜色於《經濟學人》等常被用作英語學習的典範素材。然而這本書又較後者更爲淺顯，超過四六級的詞彙都沒幾個，拿來學英語也不賴。事實上，狄拉克的作品大都有這種筆鋒簡練的風格——概念清晰、開門見山、文字精準、邏輯性強，——即便是論文，可讀性也非常高。
私心上，我很想向非物理專業的人推薦這本書。雖然沒有經典力學基礎會錯過很大一部分精彩的內容，但這本書寫的還是非常“通俗”易懂的。即便只是想要科普性的瞭解量子力學，跳過書中一些複雜的公式和數學推導，也仍然可以學到不少東西：比如對量子理論的概況，又比如物理學家是如何在實驗和舊理論的基礎上創造新理論等等。 热心网民 2小时前 0条评论 0 赞 0 踩 A Short History of Nearly Everything
这本可以算是科普巨著，作者Bill Bryson 是个非常有意思的老头，在旅游文学，语言学和科普文学方面都有很高的造诣。A Short History of Nearly Everything （万物简史）就是他的一个代表作。书的脑洞非常大，从细胞，恐龙，进化，宇宙到数学物理化学地理等一系列你所可以想像的到的学科都包含在里面，而且写得一点也不枯燥！我第一次看到有人能把一本科普书写得如此通俗易懂又文笔优美，字里行间还时不时带有英国式的冷幽默与美国式的插科打诨。
上几段节选感受一下大神的文笔吧
书的序言：（感受一下加粗的句子，前三段的生词够很多人学一阵子了）
Welcome. And congratulations. I am delighted that you could make it. Getting here wasn't easy, I know. In fact, I suspect it was a little tougher than you realize.
To begin with, for you to be here now trillions of drifting atoms had somehow to assemble in an intricate and intriguingly obliging manner to create you. It's an arrangement so specialized and particular that it has never been tried before and will only exist this once. For the next many years (we hope) these tiny particles will uncomplainingly engage in all the billions of deft, cooperative efforts necessary to keep you intact and let you experience the supremely agreeable but generally underappreciated state known as existence.
Why atoms take this trouble is a bit of a puzzle. Being you is not a gratifying experience at the atomic level. For all their devoted attention, your atoms don't
actually care about you indeed,don't even know that you are there. They don't even know that they are there. They are mindless particles, after all, and not even themselves alive. (It is a slightly arresting notion that if you were to pick yourself apart with tweezers, one atom at a time, you would produce a mound of fine atomic dust, none of which had ever been alive but all of which had once been you.) Yet somehow for the period of your existence they will answer to a single overarching impulse: to keep you you...
讲早期科学家研究遭遇的艰辛与不公：
Alexander Von Humboldt, yet another friend, may have had Agassiz at least partly in mind when he observed that there are three stages in scientific discovery: first,
people dent that it is true; then they deny that it is important; finally they credit the wrong person.
将科普上升到哲学的高度：
It is easy to overlook this thought that life just is. As humans we are inclined to feel that life must have a point. We have plans and aspirations and desires. We want to take constant advantage of all the intoxicating existence we've been endowed with. But what's life to a lichen? Yet its impulse to exist, to be, is every bit as strong as ours - arguably even stronger. If I were told that I had to spend decades being a furry growth on a rock in the woods, I believe I would lose the will to go on. Lichens don't. Like virtually all living things, they will suffer any hardship, endure any insult, for a moment's additional existence. Life, in short, just wants to be. But - and here's an interesting point - for the most part it doesn't want to be much.
这是一本能让你脑洞大开的书，它不仅仅告诉你宇宙有多大，原子有多小，更重要的是，它还能告诉你应该怎样去保持求知欲，怎样对世界充满好奇心。而好奇心，是这个星球上的文明赖以发展至今的最宝贵的东西。 魏剑峰 2小时前 0条评论 0 赞 0 踩 登录后可回答 提交回答
