雙語暢銷書《艾倫圖靈傳》第9章:退隱山林(86)

A mathematical model of the growing embryo will be described.

描述胚胎生長的數學模型，

This model will be a simplification and an idealization, and consequently a falsification.

該模型是經過簡化、理想化和假設化的，

It is to be hoped that the features retained for discussion are those of greatest importance in the present state of knowledge.

我希望首先討論我們現有認識中，那些最爲重要的特徵。

The result was applied mathematics par excellence.

這項研究，再一次漂亮地運用了數學。

Just as the simple idea of the Turing machine had sent him into fields beyond the boundaries of Cambridge mathematics, so now this simple idea in physical chemistry took him into a region of new mathematical problems.

曾經的圖靈機，使圖靈邁出了劍橋的數學邊界，而這個簡單的物理化學想法，又把他引入了一個新的數學問題。

But this time at least it was all his own work. No one else could make a mess of it for him.

但是這一次，這些完全是由圖靈自己研究出來的，再也沒有任何人，會給他找麻煩了。

Even with immense simplifications, the mathematical equations corresponding to a soup of only four interacting chemical solutions, were still too intractable.

然而，儘管經過了極大的簡化，但是四種化學物質的相互反應，相應的數學方程仍然十分難解。

The problem was that chemical reactions were 'non-linear'.

問題在於化學反應是非線性的。

The equations for electricity and magnetism were 'linear', meaning that if two electromagnetic systems were superimposed (as for example when two radio transmitters radiated simultaneously), then the effects would simply be additive.

電磁方程是線性的，也就是說，如果兩個電磁系統相互疊加（比如兩個無線電臺同時發射無線電），那麼結果僅僅是相加，

The two transmitters would not interfere with each other.

兩個發射臺不會相互影響。

But chemistry was quite different. Double the concentration of reactants, and the reaction might go four times as fast.

但是化學則很不一樣，反應物濃度增加一倍，反應速度可能會變成四倍，

Superimpose two solutions, and anything might happen!

如果疊加兩個溶劑，那就什麼事情都有可能發生。