第269期
2010.11.12出刊

by Nadia Chung

　　Fame and fortune came to Alfred Nobel, a 19th-century Swedish chemist, when he invented dynamite, a highly explosive mixture that was safer to handle and use than gunpowder. Nobel acknowledged the destructive potential of dynamite, yet he believed it would pave the way for world peace. However, the invention he had hoped would end all wars came to be used as a lethal weapon by people with different intentions from his own.
　　In 1888, French newspapers mistook the death of Nobel's brother for Alfred's. One obituary printed, "The merchant of death is dead." As a pacifist, Alfred Nobel sorely regretted the use and impact of his inventions in war. About a year before his lonely death in Italy on December 10, 1896, Nobel had drawn up a will establishing the now famous Nobel Prize. The will stipulated that the largest part of his estate be used to set up a foundation that would award prizes annually to those who "have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind" in the fields of physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace. This shocked relatives who were expecting a share of his legacy, and many wanted to contest the document. But on December 10, 1901, the fifth anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death, the first set of Nobel Prizes was finally awarded. Journalists now introduce the Nobel laureates and their contributions to the world every October, with the awards ceremony being held on December 10.

1. acknowledge vt. 承認
例: Jim acknowledged that his mistake had led to the failure of the mission.
（吉姆承認他的疏失導致這次任務的失敗。）

2. potential n. 潛力
例: Edward showed his potential to become an inventor when he was a child.
（艾德華小時候就展現出成為發明家的潛能。）

3. pave the way for...　　為……鋪路
例: The decision paved the way for a future merger with another company.
（這個決定為日後與別家公司的合併案鋪路。）

4. intention n. 意圖
have no intention of V-ing　　無意／不想……
例: Marty had no intention of dating Claire. He just wanted to be friends.
（馬帝不想和克萊兒約會。他只想和她做朋友。）

5. mistake A for B　　將 A 誤認為 B
例: A man on the street mistook me for Jolin and asked for my autograph.
（路上一名男子誤將我認作 Jolin，還向我要簽名。）

6. impact n. 影響
have an impact on...　　對……有影響
例: The war in the Middle East has had an impact on oil prices.
（中東的戰爭對油價造成了影響。）

7. draw up...　　擬定……
例: By the end of the day, you need to have a new contract drawn up for the client.
（你在今天之前必須擬定好一份新的合約給客戶。）

8. stipulate vt. 規定（為意志動詞）
stipulate + that + S + (should) + V　　規定……
例:The rules stipulated that all participants answer the questions without using calculators.
（比賽規定所有參賽者不得使用計算機作答。）

9. award A to B　　將 A 頒給 B
例: The teacher awarded a prize to the most improved student.
（老師頒獎給進步最多的學生。）

10. confer vt. 給予，賦予；授予（學位等）
例: The Ivy League university conferred an honorary master's degree on the actor.
（長春藤盟校授予該演員榮譽碩士的學位。）

11. contest vt. 質疑；抗辯
例: The children contested the existence of Santa Claus.
（孩子們質疑是否真的有聖誕老公公。）

12. contribution n. 貢獻
make a contribution to...　　對……有貢獻
例: There's no denying that Albert Einstein made great contributions to physics.
（愛因斯坦對物理學貢獻良多，這點誰都不能否認。）

1. chemist n. 化學家
2. dynamite n. 炸藥
3. explosive a. 爆炸的 & n. 炸藥
4. mixture n. 混和物
5. gunpowder n. 火藥
6. destructive a. 毀滅性的
7. invention n. 發明物（可數）；發明（不可數）
8. lethal a. 致命的；毀滅性的
9. obituary n. 訃聞
10. merchant n. 商人
11. pacifist n. 和平主義者
12. sorely adv. 痛苦地，悲傷地
13. will n. 遺囑
14. establish vt. 設立
= set up...
15. estate n. 財產
16. foundation n. 基金會
17. legacy n. 遺產
18. anniversary n. 週年紀念日
19. journalist n. 新聞從業人員（如記者、編輯等）
20. laureate n. 重要獎項（由指諾貝爾獎）得獎者

　　阿爾弗雷德•諾貝爾是 19 世紀瑞典的化學家，他因為發明炸藥（一種比火藥在操作上和使用上更為安全的高爆炸性混和物）而名利雙收。諾貝爾承認炸藥具有毀滅性，但他相信這東西可以為世界帶來和平。然而事與願違，他的發明被人拿來當成致命的武器，這跟他的本意相去甚遠。
　　1888 年，法國的報紙把諾貝爾的兄弟死訊誤認為是他本人。有一則訃聞這麼寫道：『死亡販售者已身亡。』身為和平主義者，阿爾弗雷德•諾貝爾很遺憾他的發明被用於戰爭，以及對戰爭所帶來的影響。1896 年 12 月 10 日他孤獨地在義大利去世，他在死前一年擬定遺囑，設立了現在眾所皆知的諾貝爾獎。遺囑規定他大部分的財產要用來成立基金會，用來每年頒獎給在物理界、化學界、醫學界、文學界以及和平領域中『對人類有重大貢獻』的人。這讓認為自己有望分得一分遺產的親戚甚為震驚，有許多親戚想要對這份文件提出抗辯。但 1901 年 12 月 10 日諾貝爾逝世 5 週年之際，第一屆諾貝爾獎終於頒發。每年 10 月的時候，新聞記者向全世界介紹諾貝爾獎的各項得主，以及他們對世界的貢獻，而頒獎典禮則於每年的 12 月 10 日舉行。