美国名人氢弹之父爱德华·泰勒.docx

美国名人氢弹之父爱德华泰勒EdwardTeller,1908-2003:"FatheroftheHydrogenBomb"playstopmutemaxvolume00:00-16:20repeatByGeorgeGrow2007-8-18VOICEONE:mFaithLapidus.VOICETWO:AndmSteveEmberwithPEOPLEINAMERICAfromVOASpecialEnglish.Today,wetellaboutEdwardTeller.Hewasoneofthebest-knownAmericanscientistsofthetwentiethcentury.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:EdwardTellerwasoftencalledthe"fatherofthehydrogenbomb."However,hereportedlydidnotlikethatname.Tellerhelpeddevelopthefirstnuclearweapons.Later;hewasanactivistforastrongnationaldefense.HewasanimportantinfluenceonAmerica'sdefenseandenergypolicies.ExpertssayTeller'sstrongsupportfordefenseresultedfromexperiencesthathelpedshapehisopinionofworldevents.OnewastheriseoftheNazipartywhilehelivedinGermanyduringthenineteenthirties.VOICETWO:EdwardTellerwasborninBudapest,Hungaryinnineteen-oh-eight.Hisfatherwasalawyerandhismotherhadstrongmusicalabilities.HisparentsandteachersrecognizedatanearlyagethatEdwardwasexcellentinmathematics.YethisfatherwasunhappywhenEdwardsaidhewantedtobeamathematician.Hetoldhissonthatmathematicianshadtroubleearningmoney.SoEdwardagreedtostudychemistry.HewenttoLeipzig,Germanyforhisuniversityeducation.WhileinGermany,Edwardwasinastreetcaraccident.Oneofhisfeetwascutoff.Hehadtowearaman-made,replacementfootfortherestofhislife.VOICEONE:OneofTeller'sprofessorsinLeipzigwasWernerHeisenberg.Heisenberghelpedinventthetheorycalledquantummechanics.Thistheoryinvolvesthestudyofmatterandradiationatanatomiclevel.Itwasoneofthemostimportanttheoriesintwentiethcenturyscience.Innineteenthirty-two,HeisenbergwontheNobelPrizeforphysicsfordevelopingthetheory.LaterheworkedinGermany'snuclearresearchprogram.EdwardTellerreceivedadoctorateinphysicsfromtheUniversityofLeipziginnineteenthirty.HewasaprofessorattheUniversityofGottingenforthreeyears.Innineteenthirty-three,AdolfHitlerbecameGermany'sChancellor.HitlerandhisNaziPartyorganizedacampaignagainstJewsandotherminorities.ThisforcedTellerandanumberofotherJewishscientiststofleeGermany.Tellerandhiswife,Mid,cametotheUnitedStatesinnineteenthirty-five.TheybecameAmericancitizenssixyearslater.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:Bythelatenineteenthirties,scientistsinseveralcountrieswerelearninghowtosplitthenucleiofatoms.Theydiscoveredthatthisnuclearfissionreleaseshugeamountsofenergyandcouldbeusedtocreateapowerfulnewweapon.SomescientistsintheUnitedStatesfearedthatGermanywasdevelopinganatomicbombandwouldbethefirsttouseitasaweapon.OneofthosewhobelievedthiswasafriendofTeller's,LeoSzilard.LikeTeller;SzilardwasascientistwhohadleftHungaryandcometoliveintheUnitedStates.SzilardbelievedthattheUnitedStatesshouldhaveitsownprogramtodevelopatomicweapons.HewantedtogetAmericanofficialsinterestedinsuchaprogram.Hedecidedtoseekhelpfromtheworld'smostfamousscientist,AlbertEinstein.VOICEONE:Innineteenthirty-nine,SzilardpreparedalettertoPresidentFranklinRooseveltforEinsteintosign.Theletterurgedtheneedforanatomicweaponsprogram.SzilarddecidedtovisitEinsteinathissummerhomenearNewYorkCity.ButSzilardcouldnotdriveacar,soheaskedhisfriendTellertodrivethemtoEinstein'shome.Einsteinsignedtheletter.ItledtoasecretAmericanprogramtodevelopanatomicbomb.ThisprogramwascalledtheManhattanProject.Tocarryouttheprogram,theLosAlamosScientificLaboratorywassecretlyestablishedinthesouthwesternstateofNewMexicoinnineteenforty-two.ThiswasduringWorldWarTwo.TheUnitedStateswantedtobuildanatomicbombbeforeGermanyorJapandid.TellerjoinedtheprojectalongwithAmerica'sothertopscientists.Heandhiswifebroughttheirone-hundred-year-oldpianototheNewMexicodesert.Telleroftenstayeduplate,playingmusicwrittenbyMozartandotherfamouscomposers.VOICETWO:EdwardTellerhopedtodesignahydrogenfusionbomb,adevicehecalledthe"super."Theideaforthehydrogenbombcamefromanotherscientist,EnricoFermi.Fermisuggestedthatthefusionofhydrogenatomsmightcreateanevenmorepowerfulforcethansplittingthem.Tellerquicklyacceptedtheidea.However,thedirectoroftheManhattanProjectdisagreed.J.RobertOppenheimerwantedhisteamofscientiststodevelopanatomicbomb,notahydrogenbomb.TheManhattanprojectsucceededindevelopingtheworld'sfirstatomicbomb.Itsenergycamefromsplittingthenucleiofuraniumatoms.VOICEONE:EdwardTellerwasamongthescientistswhogatheredtoseetheworld'sfirstatomictestexplosion.TheywatchedasahugecloudrosefromtheNewMexicodesertonJulysixteenth,ninetyforty-five.Bythattime,thewarinEuropewasover.TheGermanshadnevercomeclosetocreatinganatomicbomb.ButthewarwithJapancontinued.Inanefforttoendthewar,UnitedStatesplanesdroppedatomicbombsontheJapanesecitiesofHiroshimaandNagasakionAugustsixth.JapansurrenderedwithindaystoendWorldWarTwo.VOICETWO:Afterthewar;EdwardTellertaughtattheUniversityofChicagoinIllinois.Manyscientistswhohelpeddeveloptheatomicbombreturnedtocivilianjobs.Somehadproblemswithmoralissues.Yearslater,TellerwonderediftheUnitedStatescouldhaveshownJapaneseleadersthepoweroftheatomwithoutdestroyingthetwocities.TellersaidheregrettedthatheandotherscientistsdidnotseektodemonstrateAmericanpowerinsomeotherwaytoinfluenceJapantoendthewar.Tellersaid:"Ifwecouldhaveendedthewarbyshowingthepowerofsciencewithoutkillingasingleperson,allofuswouldbehappier;morereasonableandmuchmoresafe."(MUSIC)VOICEONE:Innineteenforty-nine,theSovietUniontesteditsfirstatomicbomb.Suddenly,theUnitedStatesfaceditsownthreatofnuclearattack.EdwardTellerbelievedthecountryneededahydrogenbombfordefense.PresidentHarryTrumanagreed.TellerreturnedtoLosAlamosandworkedtodevelopthehydrogenbomb.ScientiststestedthebombinthePacificOceaninnineteenfifty-two.VOICETWO:AstheUnitedStatesandtheSovietUnionbuiltmorenuclearbombs,EdwardTellercalledforasecondnationalnuclearweaponslaboratory.TheLawrenceLivermoreLaboratoryopenednearSanFranciscozCaliforniainnineteenfifty-two.Tellerworkedasanadvisorthere.Heservedasdirectorfromnineteenfifty-eighttonineteensixty.ThenhebecameaprofessorattheUniversityofCaliforniaatBerkeley.Inthenineteensixties,opponentsoftheVietnamWarcriticizedTellerforhisworkindevelopingnuclearweapons.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:EdwardTellerspenttherestofhislifeonmattersofwarandpeace.HebelievedthatthesecurityoftheUnitedStatesdependedonstrongnationaldefense.Innineteeneighty,TellersaidhebelievednuclearwarwiththeSovietUnionwaspossible.Hesaid:"IcannotjustgobacktophysicsbecauseIbelievethattopreventanotherwarhappenstobe.moreimportant."Inthenineteeneighties,Tellerarguedforamissile-defensesystemfortheUnitedStates.TellerstronglysupportedPresidentRonaldReagan'sproposedStrategicDefenseInitiative.ItcalledforspacesatellitesarmedwithlaserstodestroypossiblenuclearmissilesdirectedattheUnitedStates.Thisprogrambecameknownas"StarWars."Criticssaiditwouldcosttoomuchmoneytodevelopandwouldnotwork.Itwasneverbuilt.However;PresidentBushhasrenewedtheideaofestablishingamissile-defensesystemtoprotecttheUnitedStates.VOICETWO:EdwardTellerreceivedmanyhonorsduringhislife.Intwothousandthree,hewasawardedthePresidentialMedalofFreedom,thenation'shighestcivilianhonor.Thatsameyear,Tellersufferedastroke.HediedathishomeonthecampusofStanfordUniversityinPaloAlto,California.Hewasninety-fiveyearsold.Untilhislastdays,EdwardTellercontinuedtosupporttheideaofasystemtodefendthecountryagainstadangerhehelpedcreate.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:ThisSpecialEnglishprogramwaswrittenbyGeorgeGrowandproducedbyLawanDavis.mFaithLapidus.VOICETWO:AndmSteveEmber.JoinusagainnextweekforanotherPEOPLEINAMERICAprogramontheVoiceofAmerica.