第12章 婚后生活(3)

Of course，I did not expect，even at the beginning，to find a new element in any large quantity，as the minerals had already been analyzed with some precision.At least，I thought there might be as much as one percent of the unknown substance in the minerals.But the more we worked，the clearer we realized that the new radioactive element could exist only in quite minute proportion and that，in consequence，its activity must be very great.Would we have insisted，despite the scarcity of our means of research，if we had known the true proportion of what we were searching for，no one can tell；all that can be said now is that the constant progress of our work held us absorbed in a passionate research，while the difficulties were ever increasing.As a matter of fact，it was only after several years of most arduous labor that we finally succeeded in completely separating the new substance，now known to everybody as radium.Here is，briefly，the story of the search and discovery.

As we did not know，at the beginning，any of the chemical properties of the unknown substance，but only that it emits rays，it was by these rays that we had to search.We first undertook the analysis of a pitchblende from St.Joachimsthal.Analyzing this ore by the usual chemical methods，we added an examination of its different parts for radioactivity，by the use of our delicate electrical apparatus.This was the foundation of a new method of chemical analysis which，following our work，has been extended，with the result that a large number of radioactive elements have been discovered.

最初的时候，我并没有指望这种矿石中含有较多数量的新元素，这是因为它早已被人多次研究分析过了。我开始的估计是，这种矿石中的新元素的含量不会超过百分之一。随着研究的不断深入，我们发现其真实的含量要远远地小于百分之一，所以这种新元素的放射性非常强。假如从开始我们就知道这种元素的含量微乎其微的话，那就真不知道自己还能否有决心、有勇气继续下去，因为我们的设备很差且又经费不足。现在回想起来，总是觉得幸亏自己不知道难度会这么大，决心才会很大，虽然真正干起来之后困难重重，但研究成果的不断显现，使我的劲头儿大增，也就不去想那些困难了。经过数年的勤奋努力之后，我们终于将这种新元素分离了出来，它就是今天众人皆知的镭。现在我将我们的研究情况和发现它的情况作一下简略的介绍。

开始进行研究时，我们对这种未知元素的任何化学性质都不了解，仅仅知道它的放射性非常强，于是我们就牢牢抓住这条唯一的线索进行研究。首先就是想办法将铀沥青矿从圣约阿希姆斯塔尔运过来，并对它进行分析研究。除了利用常见的化学分析方法之外，我们还运用我们发明出来的精密计电器，精确地测量这一元素不同部位的放射性。这种方法后来成为一种全新的化学分析法的基础，并且在我们之后，这一分析法被逐渐地进行改进和完善，被许多人采用，他们也因此发现了另外几种放射性元素。

In a few weeks we could be convinced that our prevision had been right，for the activity was concentrating in a regular way.And，in a few months，we could separate from the pitchblende a substance accompanying the bismuth，much more active than uranium，and having well defined chemical properties.In July，1898，we announced the existence of this new substance，to which I gave the name of polonium，in memory of my native country.

While engaged in this work on polonium，we had also discovered that，accompanying the barium separated from the pitchblende，there was another new element.After several months more of close work we were able to separate this second new substance，which was afterwards shown to be much more important than polonium.In December，1898，we could announce the discovery of this new and now famous element，to which we gave the name of radium.

However，the greatest part of the material work had yet to be done.We had，to be sure，discovered the existence of the remarkable new elements，but it was chiefly by their radiant properties that these new substances were distinguished from the bismuth and barium with which they were mixed in minute quantities.We had still to separate them as pure elements.On this work we now started.

We were very poorly equipped with facilities for this purpose.It was necessary to subject large quantities of ore to careful chemical treatment.We had no money，no suitable laboratory，no personal help for our great and difficult undertaking.It was like creating something out of nothing，and if my earlier studying years had once been called by my brother-in-law the heroic period of my life，I can say without exaggeration that the period on which my husband and I now entered was truly the heroic one of our common life.

研究进行了没几个星期，我们便坚信了我们的预测是正确的，因为那个未知新元素的放射性在按照一定的规律增强。又过了几个月后，我们便将一种同铋相混合的元素从铀沥青中分离出来，其放射性远远超过铀元素，这种新元素带有明确的化学性质。1898年7月，我们便对外公布了这种新元素的存在，并为它命名为钋①，以此来怀念我的祖国波兰。

发现钋的同时，我们又发现从铀沥青里分离出的钡盐中含有另外一种未知的元素。通过几个月的紧张工作，我们终于将第二种新元素分离出来了，并且后来才知道它比钋更重要。1898年12月，我们公布了这一发现，并命名这种新元素为镭。

虽然我们确信已经发现了这两种新元素，但仍旧还有许多实际的工作需要去做，因为我们只是凭借放射性的特性从铋盐与钡盐中发现了微乎其微的新元素，现在还需要以纯元素的形式将它们分离出来。我们很快便投入到了这项工作中去。

但是，这项工作却并不容易，因为我们的设备太差，而且还需要大量的原矿进行化学分析。我们既没有钱来购买原矿，也没有实验室去做分析实验，更没有助手相帮。我们要白手起家，一切从头干起。如果像我的姐夫所说的那样，我在巴黎的早期学习时期是我一生中英勇顽强的时期的话，我则敢不夸张地说，我与皮埃尔共同从事这项研究的时期就是我们共同生活中的最伟大、最英勇的时期。

We knew by our experiments that in the treatment of pitchblende at the uranium plant of St.Joachimsthal，radium must have been left in the residues，and，with the permission of the Austrian government，which owned the plant，we succeeded in securing a certain quantity of these residues，then quite valueless，and used them for extraction of radium.How glad I was when the sacks arrived，with the brown dust mixed with pine needles，and when the activity proved even greater than that of the primitive ore！It was a stroke of luck that the residues had not been thrown far away or disposed of in some way，but left in a heap in the pine wood near the plant.Some time later，the Austrian government，on the proposition of the Academy of Science of Vienna，let us have several tons of similar residues at a low price.With this material was prepared all the radium I had in my laboratory up to the date when I received the precious gift from the American women.