居里夫人自傳 第17章 婚後生活 (10)
    Neartheendoftheyear,IwasproposedforthedecorationoftheLegionofHonor.Asimilarproposalwasmadeearlierinfavorofmyhusband,who,however,beingopposedtoallhonorarydistinctions,didnotacceptthenomination.AsmyhusbandandIweretoounitedinallthingsformetoactdifferentlyfromhiminthismatter,Ididnotacceptthedecoration,inspiteoftheinsistenceoftheMinistry.Atthattimealso,severalcolleaguespersuadedmetobeacandidateforelectiontotheAcademyofSciences,ofParis,ofwhichmyhusbandwasamemberduringthelastmonthsofhislife.Ihesitatedverymuch,assuchacandidacyrequires,bycustom,agreatnumberofpersonalvisitstoAcademymembers.However,Iconsentedtooffermyselfacandidate,becauseoftheadvantagesanelectionwouldhaveformylaboratory.Mycandidacyprovokedavividpublicinterest,especiallybecauseitinvolvedthequestionoftheadmissionofwomentotheAcademy.ManyoftheAcademicianswereopposedtothisinprinciple,andwhenthescrutinywasmade,Ihadafewvoteslessthanwasnecessary.Idonoteverwishtorenewmycandidacy,becauseofmystrongdistasteforthepersonalsolicitationrequired.Ibelievethatallsuchelectionsshouldbebasedwhollyonaspontaneousdecision,withoutanypersonaleffortsinvolved,aswasthecaseforseveralAcademiesandSocietieswhichmademeamemberwithoutanydemandorinitiativeonmypart.

    Asaresultofallthecaresdevolvingonme,Ifellseriouslyillattheendof,when,forthesecondtime,Ireceived,thistimealone,theawardoftheNobelprize.Thiswasaveryexceptionalhonor,ahighrecognitionofthediscoveryofthenewelementsandofthepreparationofpureradium.SufferingthoughIwas,IwenttoStockholmtoreceivetheprize.Thejourneywasextremelypainfulforme.IwasaccompaniedbymyeldestsisterandmyyoungdaughterIrene.TheceremonyofdeliveryoftheNobelprizesisveryimpressive,havingthefeaturesofanationalsolemnity.Amostgenerousreceptionwasaccordedme,speciallybythewomenofSweden.Thiswasagreatcomforttome,butIwassufferingsomuchthatwhenIreturnedIhadtostayinbedforseveralmonths.Thisgraveillness,aswellasthenecessitiesofmychildren'seducation,obligedmetomovemyhomefromSceauxtoParis.

    DuringtheyearIhadtheopportunityofcollaboratinginthecreationofalaboratoryofradiumatWarsaw.ThislaboratorywasfoundedbytheScientificSocietyofWarsawwhichofferedmeitsdirection.IcouldnotleaveFrancetogobacktomynativecountry,butIwillinglyagreedtooccupymyselfwiththeorganizationofthestudiesinthenewlaboratory.In,havingimprovedmyhealth,IwasabletoattendaninaugurationfeteinWarsaw,whereatouchingreceptionwasgiven,leavingmeanunforgettablememoryofnationalsentimentwhichsucceededincreatingusefulworkunderparticularlydifficultpoliticalconditions.

    Whilestillonlypartiallyrecoveredfrommyillness,IrenewedmyeffortsfortheconstructionofasuitablelaboratoryinParis.Finallyitwasarrangedfor,andworkbeganin.ThePasteurInstitutewishedtobeassociatedwiththislaboratory,and,inaccordwiththeUniversity,itwasdecidedtocreateanInstituteofRadium,withtwolaboratories,oneofphysicsandoneofbiology,thefirsttobedevotedtostudiesofthephysicalandchemicalpropertiesoftheradioactiveelements,thesecondtothestudyoftheirbiologicalandmedicalapplications.But,becauseofthelackoffinancialmeans,theconstructionworkproceededveryslowly,andwasnotyetentirelyfinishedwhenthewarbrokeoutin.
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