居里夫人自傳 第30章 美國之行 (5)
    SeveralmeetingsorganizedinmyhonorbytheAmericanwomen'sorganizationshaveparticularlyinterestedtheAmericanpublic.IhavealreadymentionedthemeetingoftheUniversityWomenatCarnegieHallofNewYork;asimilarmeetingwasheldatChicago,whereIwasalsoreceivedbytheAssociationofPolishWomen.Iwasalsogreetedbywomen'sorganizationsintheCarnegieInstituteofPittsburgh,andbyadelegationofCanadianuniversitywomenatBuffalo.Inallthesemeetingsitwasimpossiblenottorecognizethesincerityoftheemotioninthewomenwhogavemetheirbestwishes,atthesametimeexpressingtheirconfidenceinthefutureoffeminineintelligenceandactivity.Ididnotfeelanyoppositionbetweenthesefeministicaspirationsandthemasculineopinion.AsfarasIcouldnotice,themeninAmericaapproveoftheseaspirationsandencouragethem.ThisisaveryfavorableconditionforthesocialactivityoftheAmericanwomenwhichrevealsitselfinastronginterestinworkforeducation,forhygiene,andfortheimprovementofconditionsoflabor.Butanyotherunselfishpurposemayrelyontheirsupport,asisprovedbythesuccessofMrs.Meloney'splan,andbythesympathythisplanencounteredinwomenofallsocialconditions.

    Icouldnot,tomydeepregret,givetimeenoughtothevisittolaboratoriesandscientificinstitutes.Thesetoobriefvisitswereofgreatinteresttome.Ifoundeverywherethegreatestcarefordevelopingscientificactivityandforimprovingthefacilities.Newlaboratoriesareinbuilding,andinolderlaboratoriesverymodernequipmentmaybefound.TheavailableroomnevergivesthatimpressionofinsufficiencyfromwhichwesuffertooofteninFrance.Themeansareprovidedbyprivateinitiativeexpressedingiftsandfoundationsofvariouskinds.ThereexistsalsoaNationalCouncilofResearchestablishedbyprivatefundsforstimulatingandimprovingscientificwork,andforassuringitsconnectionwithindustry.

    IhavevisitedwithspecialinteresttheBureauofStandards,averyimportantnationalinstitutionatWashingtonforscientificmeasurementsandforstudyconnectedwiththem.ThetubesofradiumpresentedtomewereattheBureau,whoseofficialshadkindlyofferedtomakethemeasurements,andtotakecareofthepackinganddeliverytotheship.

    newlaboratoryhasbeencreatedatWashingtonforresearchesonverylowtemperatureswiththeuseofliquidhydrogenandliquidhelium.Ihadthehonorofdedicatingthislaboratorytoitsservice.

    IhadthegreatpleasureofmeetingintheirlaboratoriesseveralveryimportantAmericanscientificmen.ThehoursIspentintheircompanyareamongthebestofmytravel.

    TheUnitedStatespossessesseveralhospitalsforradiumtherapy.Thesehospitalsaregenerallyprovidedwithlaboratoriesfortheextractionofradiumemanationwhichissealedupinsmalltubesformedicaluse.Theseinstitutionsownimportantquantitiesofradium,haveaverygoodequipment,andtreatagreatnumberofpatients.Ihavevisitedsomeofthem,andthismademefeelmoredeeply,ifpossible,theregretofnothavinginFranceevenonenationalinstitutecapableofrenderingthesameservices.Ihopethatthislackwillbefilledinthenearfuture.

    TheindustryofradiumhasbeenstartedinFrance,butitisinAmericathatithashaditsgreatestdevelopment,owingtothepresenceofasufficientsupplyoftheorecarnotite.Iwasverymuchinterestedinmyvisittothemostimportantofthefactories,andIgladlyrecognizethespiritofinitiativeinthisundertaking.ThefactoryownsacollectionofdocumentaryfilmswhichenableonetoappreciatetheeffortmadeeachdayincollectingtheorescatteredintheimmensefieldsofColorado,incarryingandconcentratingthisoreoriginallyverypoorinradium.Ontheotherhand,themeansofextractionofradiumarestillthesamewhichhavebeendescribedinearlierchapters.

    Thegreatestcourtesywaspaidmeinmyvisittotheradiumplantandlaboratory.Ifoundthesamereceptionatafactoryofmesothoriumwhichpresentedmewithsomematerial,andwheretheofficialsexpressedthedesiretohelpinmyscientificwork.

    Tomakecompletethesetravelimpressionsitwouldbenecessarytospeakofthenatureofthecountry.Irecoilbeforethetask,beingincapableofexpressinginafewwordstheimmensityandthevarietyofthespaceswhichopenedbeforemyeyes.Thegeneralimpressionisoneofunlimitedpossibilitiesforthefuture.IkeepaparticularlyvividremembranceofthegreatfallsofNiagara,andofthemagnificentcolorsoftheGrandCanyon.

    OnJunethIembarkedinNewYorkonthesameshipwhichhadbroughtmetotheUnitedStateslessthantwomonthsbefore.Iwouldnottaketheliberty,aftersoshortaperiodoftime,ofgivinganopiniononAmericaandtheAmericans.IwouldonlysayhowdeeplyIhavebeentouchedbythewarmreceptionwhichwastenderedeverywheretomeandmydaughters.Ourhostswantedtomakeusfeelthatwewerenotwithstrangers;and,ontheotherhand,manyofthemassuredmethattheyfeltinentirelyfriendlysurroundingswhenonthesoilofFrance.IgotbacktoFrancewithafeelingofgratitudeforthepreciousgiftoftheAmericanwomen,andwithafeelingofaffectionfortheirgreatcountrytiedwithoursbyamutualsympathywhichgivesconfidenceinapeacefulfutureforhumanity.

    皮埃爾·居裡傳
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