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Marie Curie and the Science of Radioactivity

居禮夫人與放射性科學

MARIE SKLODOWSKA CURIE opened up the science of radioactivity. She is best known as the discoverer of the radioactive elements polonium and radium and as the first person to win two Nobel prizes. For scientists and the public, her radium was a key to a basic change in our understanding of matter and energy. Her work not only influenced the development of fundamental science but also ushered in a new era in medical research and treatment.

瑪莉‧斯多沃斯卡‧居禮(Marie Sklodowska Curie)開啟了放射性科學這項研究。她最大的成就為發現放射性元素－釙(polonium)、鐳(radium)，同時也是首位兩座諾貝爾獎得主。對於科學家及大眾而言，她所發現的放射性元素─鐳，改變了我們對物質及能源的根本認知。她的成就不僅在基礎科學的發展上造成影響，更引領醫學研究與治療進入一個新的世代。

X-rays and Uranium Rays

MARIE CURIE'S CHOICE of a thesis topic was influenced by two recent discoveries by other scientists. In December 1895, about six months after the Curies married, German physicist Wilhelm Roentgen discovered a kind of ray that could travel through solid wood or flesh and yield photographs of living people's bones. Roentgen dubbed these mysterious rays X-rays, with X standing for unknown.In recognition of his discovery, Roentgen in 1901 became the first Nobel laureate in physics.

X射線與鈾(uranium)射線

瑪莉‧居禮(Marie Curie)在選擇論文主題時，受到了其他科學家在近期發表的兩項研究所影響。西元1895年12月，大約是居禮(Curie)結婚後的六個月，德國物理學家威廉‧倫琴(Wilhelm Roentgen)發現了一種射線，該射線能夠穿透實木或肉體並產生出活人骨骼圖像。倫琴(Roentgen)將這神祕的光線稱為X射線，X代表未知。為了表揚他的發現，倫琴(Roentgen)在西元1901年成為第一位諾貝爾物理學獎得主。

In early 1896, only a few of months after Roentgen's discovery, French physicist Henri Becquerel reported to the French Academy of Sciences that uranium compounds, even if they were kept in the dark, emitted rays that would fog a photographic plate. He had come upon this discovery accidentally. Despite Becquerel's intriguing finding, the scientific community continued to focus its attention on Roentgen's X-rays, neglecting the much weaker Becquerel rays or uranium rays.

西元1896年初，在倫琴(Roentgen)發現X射線僅數個月後，法國物理學家亨利‧貝可勒爾(Henri Becquerel)向法國科學院(French Academy of Sciences)報告，即使將鈾化合物置於黑暗中，也會放射出能使感光板變黑的射線，這是他意外獲得的發現。儘管貝可勒爾(Becquerel)的發現耐人尋味，當時科學界只專注在倫琴的X射線，並沒有放太多注意力在貝可勒爾鈾射線上面。

THE IGNORED URANIUM RAYS appealed to Marie Curie. Since she would not have a long bibliography of published papers to read, she could begin experimental work on them immediately. The director of the Paris Municipal School of Industrial Physics and Chemistry, where Pierre was professor of physics, permitted her to use a crowded, damp storeroom there as a lab.

這被忽視的鈾(uranium)射線吸引了瑪莉‧居禮(Marie Curie)。在沒有足夠文獻的情況下，她直接著手進行實驗。巴黎市立工業物理與化學學院(Paris Municipal School of Industrial Physics and Chemistry)，同時是皮埃爾‧居禮(Pierre Curie)擔任物理學教授任職處，該學院校長允許她使用一間狹擠又潮濕的儲藏室作為實驗室。

A clever technique was her key to success. About 15 years earlier, Pierre and his older brother, Jacques, had invented a new kind of electrometer, a device for measuring extremely low electrical currents. Marie now put the Curie electrometer to use in measuring the faint currents that can pass through air that has been bombarded with uranium rays. The moist air in the storeroom tended to dissipate the electric charge, but she managed to make reproducible measurements.

她成功的關鍵在於熟練的技巧。約15年前，皮埃爾(Pierre)和他哥哥雅各(Jacques)發明出一種新的驗電器用以測量極低的電流。瑪莉‧居禮(Marie Curie)將驗電器用來測量在空氣中與鈾(uranium)放射線產生作用的微弱電流。儲藏室裡潮濕的空氣往往會使電荷散失，但是她仍設法創造出可重複使用的測量方式。