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The Discovery of New Worlds, 40. A Great Mistake

40. A Great Mistake

"The lamp burns low, and through the casement bars Grey morning glimmers feebly. " —BROWNING. "The great Columbus of the heavens,"—so they called Copernicus, the man who about this time discovered as much about the heavens as Columbus had discovered about the earth. For he found that for all these hundreds of years the whole world had been labouring under a wrong idea about the relation of the earth to the sun,—that the wise and clever men of the past had made a great mistake.

Let us see how this man, Copernicus, discovered the truth.

He was born in distant Poland in the year 1473, just about the time when Prince Henry was busy sending out his Portuguese ships into the Sea of Darkness to find the Cape of Good Hope. When he died—an old man of seventy—Vasco da Gama had found the route to India by the Cape, Columbus had discovered America, Balboa had seen the Pacific Ocean, Magellan had sailed round the world, Cortes had conquered Mexico, and Pizarro had conquered Peru. Men were stretching out their hands for a new earth. This man was to show them a new heaven.

As a boy, Copernicus showed great taste for mathematics and astronomy; and such was his ability that he was sent to Rome to lecture on the stars to the students there. But he soon returned to his home in Poland, for he wished to learn more of the sun, moon, and stars, and to have plenty of time for quiet study. The old astronomers told him that the earth was fixed and motionless, while the sun, moon, and stars moved right round her once every twenty-four hours. In this way they accounted for the changes of night and day, darkness and light.

But this theory did not satisfy Copernicus at all. He was convinced that the old astronomers were wrong. And yet it seemed almost easier to believe that he himself was wrong than that all the clever men who had lived before him had made such a mistake. He worked on and on, pondering, observing, making instruments to try and learn more about the heavenly bodies. At last one day there flashed into his mind this idea. Was it possible that the earth was not fixed and motionless after all? Could it be that the earth moved round the sun, and the sun did not move round the earth?

There was an old Greek philosopher who had lived twenty centuries before, and he had hinted that this was the case. Eagerly Copernicus turned to the old Greek writings. With breathless interest he read again of this suggestion that the earth was not fixed, but moving. Feverishly he worked out his observations on this new theory. It is impossible to imagine the amazement and wonder that filled his mind at the discovery of what is to us to-day a well-known fact. We know now that day and night are caused by the earth revolving on its own axis, turning first one side to the sun and then the other; that the earth, apparently so still and motionless beneath our feet, is really moving round and round at a pace that no train can touch for speed.

As this fact burst on the mind of Copernicus, he was awestruck.

He did not make known his discovery at once: he went on working as before, until he became more and more certain that he was right.

When at last he proclaimed his discovery, he was simply laughed at.

As Columbus had been ridiculed for suggesting that the world was round as he stood before the King and Queen of Spain, so Copernicus was scoffed at for his suggestion that the earth moved round the sun.

"He is suffering from delusions of too childish a character," cried his friends. "Think how absurd a jest,— That neither heavens nor stars do turn at all, Nor dance about this great round Earthy Ball, But the Earth itself, this massy globe of ours, Turns round but once every twice twelve hours. " So scoffed the poets at the man who had toiled for thirty-six long years at his theory before he gave it to the world.

Fortunately some believed in him, and persuaded him to write a book about it. While he sat day after day writing his book, he suffered many things from ignorant folk, who looked with horror on this man who affirmed that the earth was moving. When at last it was finished Copernicus was an old man, worn out with work, anxiety, and pain. One of his faithful disciples took the precious manuscript to a printing-press at Nuremberg.

But when it became known that the book was actually being printed, all the ignorance and jealousy of his countrymen burst forth. Men tried to get at the press to destroy the book. The printers worked with a loaded pistol ready at their side, while two faithful friends guarded the manuscript day and night.

The excitement of the author was intense: it utterly broke him down. He became very ill, and it was feared that he would never see his book in print. It was the 23rd of May 1543. Copernicus was sinking rapidly. Silence reigned in the sick-room, where he lay dying. His book had not come.

Suddenly the flicker of a smile lit up the old man's face. The sound of a horse's hoofs was coming nearer and ever nearer. Another minute and the printed book containing his life's work was gently laid in his almost nerveless hands. His wasted fingers grasped the volume for which he had longed and waited. He had not lived his life in vain. Sinking back with a deep sigh of satisfaction, he murmured faintly the pathetic words, only caught by those near him: "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace. "

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40. A Great Mistake 40. Ein großer Irrtum 40. Un gran error 40. Une grande erreur 40. Un grande errore 40.大きな過ち 40. Um grande erro 40. Büyük Bir Hata 40. Велика помилка 40.大错特错

"The lamp burns low, and through the casement bars Grey morning glimmers feebly. |light source||||||window frame||||faintly shines| |||||||窓枠||||| |||||||||||brillitos| "La lampada arde bassa, e attraverso le inferriate del battente il grigio mattino si illumina debolmente. " —BROWNING. "The great Columbus of the heavens,"—so they called Copernicus, the man who about this time discovered as much about the heavens as Columbus had discovered about the earth. |||||||||Copérnico||||||||||||||||||| For he found that for all these hundreds of years the whole world had been labouring under a wrong idea about the relation of the earth to the sun,—that the wise and clever men of the past had made a great mistake. Scoprì infatti che per tutte queste centinaia di anni il mondo intero si era fatto un'idea sbagliata del rapporto tra la terra e il sole, e che gli uomini saggi e intelligenti del passato avevano commesso un grande errore.

Let us see how this man, Copernicus, discovered the truth.

He was born in distant Poland in the year 1473, just about the time when Prince Henry was busy sending out his Portuguese ships into the Sea of Darkness to find the Cape of Good Hope. When he died—an old man of seventy—Vasco da Gama had found the route to India by the Cape, Columbus had discovered America, Balboa had seen the Pacific Ocean, Magellan had sailed round the world, Cortes had conquered Mexico, and Pizarro had conquered Peru. ||||||||||||||||||||||||Balboa||||||||||||Cortés|||||Pizarro||| Men were stretching out their hands for a new earth. This man was to show them a new heaven.

As a boy, Copernicus showed great taste for mathematics and astronomy; and such was his ability that he was sent to Rome to lecture on the stars to the students there. Da ragazzo, Copernico mostrò un grande gusto per la matematica e l'astronomia; e tale era la sua abilità che fu inviato a Roma per tenere lezioni sulle stelle agli studenti del luogo. But he soon returned to his home in Poland, for he wished to learn more of the sun, moon, and stars, and to have plenty of time for quiet study. The old astronomers told him that the earth was fixed and motionless, while the sun, moon, and stars moved right round her once every twenty-four hours. In this way they accounted for the changes of night and day, darkness and light. ||||explained|||||||||| In questo modo si spiegavano i cambiamenti della notte e del giorno, del buio e della luce.

But this theory did not satisfy Copernicus at all. He was convinced that the old astronomers were wrong. And yet it seemed almost easier to believe that he himself was wrong than that all the clever men who had lived before him had made such a mistake. He worked on and on, pondering, observing, making instruments to try and learn more about the heavenly bodies. |||||reflexionando|||||||||||celestiales| At last one day there flashed into his mind this idea. Was it possible that the earth was not fixed and motionless after all? Could it be that the earth moved round the sun, and the sun did not move round the earth?

There was an old Greek philosopher who had lived twenty centuries before, and he had hinted that this was the case. Eagerly Copernicus turned to the old Greek writings. With breathless interest he read again of this suggestion that the earth was not fixed, but moving. Con un interesse senza fiato, lesse di nuovo di questo suggerimento che la terra non era fissa, ma in movimento. Feverishly he worked out his observations on this new theory. con fervor||||||||| It is impossible to imagine the amazement and wonder that filled his mind at the discovery of what is to us to-day a well-known fact. We know now that day and night are caused by the earth revolving on its own axis, turning first one side to the sun and then the other; that the earth, apparently so still and motionless beneath our feet, is really moving round and round at a pace that no train can touch for speed. Oggi sappiamo che il giorno e la notte sono causati dalla terra che ruota sul proprio asse, girando prima da un lato verso il sole e poi dall'altro; che la terra, apparentemente così ferma e immobile sotto i nostri piedi, in realtà si muove in continuazione a un ritmo che nessun treno può toccare per velocità.

As this fact burst on the mind of Copernicus, he was awestruck. |||||||||||filled with wonder

He did not make known his discovery at once: he went on working as before, until he became more and more certain that he was right. Non rese subito nota la sua scoperta: continuò a lavorare come prima, finché non divenne sempre più certo di avere ragione.

When at last he proclaimed his discovery, he was simply laughed at.

As Columbus had been ridiculed for suggesting that the world was round as he stood before the King and Queen of Spain, so Copernicus was scoffed at for his suggestion that the earth moved round the sun. |||||||||||||||||||||||||嘲笑された||||||||||| ||||ridiculizado||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

"He is suffering from delusions of too childish a character," cried his friends. ||||delirios|||||||| "Soffre di manie di carattere troppo infantile", gridano gli amici. "Think how absurd a jest,— That neither heavens nor stars do turn at all, Nor dance about this great round Earthy Ball, But the Earth itself, this massy globe of ours, Turns round but once every twice twelve hours. " |||||||||||||||||||||||||||heavy and solid||||||||||| ||||冗談|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||maseca||||||||||| "Pensate che scherzo assurdo: né il cielo né le stelle girano, né danzano intorno a questa grande palla rotonda della Terra, ma la Terra stessa, questo nostro globo massiccio, gira solo una volta ogni due dodici ore". " So scoffed the poets at the man who had toiled for thirty-six long years at his theory before he gave it to the world. |嘲笑った||||||||苦労した||||||||||||||| |se burlaron||||||||||||||||||||||| Così si burlavano i poeti dell'uomo che aveva lavorato per trentasei lunghi anni alla sua teoria prima di darla al mondo.

Fortunately some believed in him, and persuaded him to write a book about it. While he sat day after day writing his book, he suffered many things from ignorant folk, who looked with horror on this man who affirmed that the earth was moving. |||||||||||||||ordinary people|||||||||asserted||||| Mentre stava seduto giorno dopo giorno a scrivere il suo libro, subì molte angherie da parte della gente ignorante, che guardava con orrore quest'uomo che affermava che la terra si muoveva. When at last it was finished Copernicus was an old man, worn out with work, anxiety, and pain. Quando finalmente fu terminato, Copernico era un uomo anziano, logorato dal lavoro, dall'ansia e dal dolore. One of his faithful disciples took the precious manuscript to a printing-press at Nuremberg. ||||discípulos|||||||||| Uno dei suoi fedeli discepoli portò il prezioso manoscritto a una tipografia di Norimberga.

But when it became known that the book was actually being printed, all the ignorance and jealousy of his countrymen burst forth. ||||||||||||||||||||estalló| Ma quando si seppe che il libro veniva effettivamente stampato, esplose tutta l'ignoranza e la gelosia dei suoi compatrioti. Men tried to get at the press to destroy the book. Gli uomini hanno tentato di arrivare alla stampa per distruggere il libro. The printers worked with a loaded pistol ready at their side, while two faithful friends guarded the manuscript day and night. |los impresores||||||||||||||guardaban||||| I tipografi lavoravano con una pistola carica pronta al fianco, mentre due fedeli amici sorvegliavano il manoscritto giorno e notte.

The excitement of the author was intense: it utterly broke him down. L'eccitazione dell'autore è stata intensa: lo ha completamente abbattuto. He became very ill, and it was feared that he would never see his book in print. Si ammalò gravemente e si temette che non avrebbe mai visto il suo libro stampato. It was the 23rd of May 1543. Era il 23 maggio 1543. Copernicus was sinking rapidly. Copernico stava affondando rapidamente. Silence reigned in the sick-room, where he lay dying. |reinó|||||||| Nella stanza del malato, dove giaceva morente, regnava il silenzio. His book had not come. Il suo libro non era arrivato.

Suddenly the flicker of a smile lit up the old man's face. ||destello||||||||| Improvvisamente il guizzo di un sorriso illuminò il volto del vecchio. The sound of a horse's hoofs was coming nearer and ever nearer. |||||cascos|||||| Il rumore degli zoccoli di un cavallo si avvicinava sempre di più. Another minute and the printed book containing his life's work was gently laid in his almost nerveless hands. ||||||||||||||||sin nervios| Un altro minuto e il libro stampato contenente il lavoro di una vita fu delicatamente posato nelle sue mani quasi senza forze. His wasted fingers grasped the volume for which he had longed and waited. ||||||||||anhelado|| Le sue dita sciupate afferrarono il volume che aveva tanto desiderato e atteso. He had not lived his life in vain. Non ha vissuto la sua vita invano. Sinking back with a deep sigh of satisfaction, he murmured faintly the pathetic words, only caught by those near him: "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace. " ||||||||||||||||||||||allow|||||| ||||||||||||||||||||||dejas que||||parta en paz|| Sprofondato in un profondo sospiro di soddisfazione, mormorò debolmente le patetiche parole, colte solo da chi gli era vicino: "Signore, lascia che il tuo servo se ne vada in pace". "