那封信与原子弹

Sir:

总统先生：

Some recent work by E.Fermi and L. Szilard², which has been communicated to me in manuscript, leads me to expect that the element uranium may be turned into a new and important source of energy in the immediate future. Certain aspects of the situation which has arisen seem to call for watchfulness and, if necessary, quick action on the part of the Administration. I believe therefore that it is my duty to bring to your attention the following facts and recommendations:

E. 费米和 L. 西拉德的一些最新研究已以手稿形式告知于我，使我预计铀元素在不久的将来可能成为一种新的重要能源。目前出现的局势中的某些方面似乎要求政府保持警惕，并在必要时迅速采取行动。因此，我认为有责任提请您注意以下事实和建议：

In the course of the last four months it has been made probable - through the work of Joliot in France³ as well as Fermi and Szilard in America - that it may become possible to set up a nuclear chain reaction in a large mass of uranium,by which vast amounts of power and large quantities of new radium-like elements would be generated. Now it appears almost certain that this could be achieved in the immediate future.

在过去四个月里，通过法国约里奥以及美国费米和西拉德的工作，以下这一点已变得很有可能：在大量的铀中引发核链式反应或许将成为可能，由此将产生巨大的能量和大量新的类镭元素。现在看来，几乎可以肯定这能在不久的将来实现。

This new phenomenon would also lead to the construction of bombs, and it is conceivable - though much less certain - that extremely powerful bombs of a new type⁴ may thus be constructed. A single bomb of this type, carried by boat and exploded in a port, might very well destroy the whole port together with some of the surrounding territory. However, such bombs might very well prove to be too heavy for transportation by air⁴.

这一新现象也会导致炸弹的制造，而且可以设想——尽管远没有那么确定——由此可以制造出一种新型的极强炸弹。一枚这种炸弹若由船只运载并在港口引爆，很可能摧毁整个港口以及周围的部分地区。不过，这种炸弹很可能过于沉重，无法用飞机运输。

The United States has only very poor ores of uranium in moderate quantities. There is some good ore in Canada and the former Czechoslovakia, while the most important source of uranium is Belgian Congo⁵.

美国只有数量有限、品位极低的铀矿石。加拿大和前捷克斯洛伐克有一些优质矿石，而最重要的铀来源是比属刚果。

In view of this situation you may think it desirable to have some permanent contact maintained between the Administration and the group of physicists working on chain reactions in America. One possible way of achieving this might be for you to entrust with this task a person who has your confidence⁸ and who could perhaps serve in an inofficial capacity. His task might comprise the following:

鉴于这一情况，您或许会认为有必要在政府与在美国从事链式反应研究的物理学家群体之间保持长期联系。一种可行的办法是，您将此任务委托给一位您信任、或许能以非官方身份行事的人。他的任务可包括以下内容：

I understand that Germany has actually stopped the sale of uranium from the Czechoslovakian mines which she has taken over⁶. That she should have taken such early action might perhaps be understood on the ground that the son of the German Under-Secretary of State, von Weizsäcker⁷, is attached to the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Institut in Berlin⁷ where some of the American work on uranium is now being repeated.

据我所知，德国实际上已经停止出售其所接管的捷克斯洛伐克矿山的铀。德国之所以如此早地采取行动，或许可以这样理解：德国副国务秘书冯·魏茨泽克的儿子在柏林的威廉皇帝研究所工作，而美国关于铀的部分研究目前正在那里被重复。