虽然我们一心想要将全部精力都投入到实验研究中去，并且在生活上一直克勤克俭，但是，到了1900年左右，我们还是不得不想办法来维持生活了。对于能在巴黎获得一个好些的教职，皮埃尔是不抱太大希望的，尽管这种职位薪酬并不丰厚，但还是能够满足一个没有其他经济来源而又对生活水平要求不高的家庭的生活所需的。他没有在巴黎高等师范学校和巴黎高等综合工艺学校接受过教育，因此缺少这类重点大学对它们的毕业生的支持，这些支持往往是决定性的。
In spite of our desire to concentrate our entire effort on the work in which we were engaged， and in spite of the fact that our needs were so modest， we were forced to recognize， toward 1900， that some increase in our income was indispensable. Pierre Curie had few illusions about his chances of obtaining an important chair in the University of Paris， which would， even though it meant no large salary， have sufficed for the small needs of our family， and enabled us to live without a supplementary revenue.Since he was neither a graduate of the Normal School nor of the Polytechnic， he lacked the support， often decisive， which these big schools give their pupils；
本来，他可以凭借自己的业绩谋求的一些职位，都被别人抢占了，甚至根本没有人想起过他。1898年初，巴黎大学物理化学讲座的主讲教授萨莱去世，因此这一教席出现了空缺，皮埃尔便去申请这一职位，但却无功而返。这次失败使他坚信了自己同升迁无缘。1900年3月，他出任巴黎高等综合工艺学校辅导教师，但是也只有半年时间。
1900年春天，一个意料之外的消息突然传来了：日内瓦大学聘请皮埃尔担任物理学讲座教授。日内瓦大学校长以非常诚挚的态度向他发出了这一邀请，并强调说他将为能够请到他这样著名的科学家来他们学校任教而做出特殊的努力。校长声称，他们将会给皮埃尔以优厚的待遇，还将为他建立一个物理实验室，用来满足我们的科研需求，而且还同时聘请我到那个实验室去工作。这一建议当然值得我们好好地考虑。所以，我们便去参观了日内瓦大学，并在那里受到了非常热烈的欢迎。
对于我们来说，下定决心前往日内瓦大学关系重大。日内瓦大学提供给我们的物质待遇十分丰厚，并且那里的生活环境清幽，如同田园一般。皮埃尔非常想去，但是考虑到镭研究正处于关键的时期，最后他还是婉言谢绝了。因为他确实非常担心，环境的改变会令镭研究中断。
and the posts to which he might justly have aspired， because of his achievements， were given to others， without anyone's even thinking of him as a possible candidate. At the beginning of 1898， he asked， without success， for the Chair of Physical Chemistry left vacant by the death of Salet， and this failure convinced him that he had no chance of advancement.He was appointed， however， in March， 1900， to the position of assistant professor(repetiteur)in the Polytechnic School， but he kept his post only six months.
In the spring of 1900， there came an unexpected offer， that of the Chair of Physics in the University of Geneva. The doyen of that University made the invitation in the most cordial manner， and insisted that the University was ready to make an exceptional effort to secure a scientist of such high repute.The advantages of this position were that the salary was larger than the average one， that it carried the promise of the development of a Physics Laboratory adequate to our needs， and that an official position for me would be provided in this laboratory.Such a proposition merited a most careful consideration， so we made a visit to the University of Geneva， where our reception was the most encouraging possible.
This was a grave decision for us to make. Geneva presented material advantages， and the opportunity of a life comparable in its tranquillity with that in the country.Pierre Curie was， therefore， tempted to accept， and it was only our immediate interest in our researches in radium that made him finally decide not to.He feared the interruption of our investigations which such a change must involve.
正在这个时候，巴黎大学出现了P.C.N.[13]课程中物理课教席的空缺，皮埃尔便对这一职位提出了申请，亨利·普安卡雷不希望皮埃尔离开巴黎，由于他的鼎力相助，皮埃尔得以获得了这一教席。这个时候，我也接受了聘请，到塞弗尔女子高等师范学校去讲授物理课程。
因此，我们留在了巴黎，收入也得到了提高。不过，这却极大地影响了我们的研究工作。皮埃尔有两处教学任务，并且P.C.N.的课是大课，学生非常多，备起课来既费时又费力。而我也必须拿出很多时间去为塞弗尔女子高等师范学校的课程做准备，还要组织学生们进行实验，因为我觉得她们的操作能力很不足。
虽然在巴黎大学拥有了新职位，但皮埃尔并没有得到相应的实验室，他只有一间小小的办公室与一间供他讲课用的大教室。这间大教室在巴黎大学内的一幢附属建筑物里（位于居维埃街12号）。但是，皮埃尔是肯定需要独自进行研究的，并且，他在巴黎大学担任了新职，于是他就更加坚定不移地挑选出一些学生，指导他们来进行研究，这样做也是由当时放射性研究大有进展的现状所决定的。所以，他开始四处奔走，想要争取到大一些的能够用来进行实验的场所。只要是做过这类申请的人都非常清楚其中的艰难，包括行政审批、财政困难在内的阻碍不一而足，为了达到目的，你必须一次又一次地写信并且奔走，四处求人帮助，这个过程使人心烦气馁，并且皮埃尔又最讨厌做这种事情，所以他更是被搞得精疲力尽，垂头丧气。除此以外，他还必须经常在P.C.N.和一直被我们占用为实验室的物理和化学学校的那个木棚之间穿梭往来。
另外，在这个时候，我们的研究工作必须要用工业手段来对原材料进行处理，否则就不能取得进展。由于想出了一些权宜之计并有一些自愿的人相帮，这一问题总算得到了解决。
At this moment the Chair of Physics in the physics， chemistry and natural history course at the Sorbonne， obligatory for students of medicine， and familiarly known as P. C.N.， was vacant； he applied， and was appointed， due to the influence of Henri Poincare， who was anxious to free him from the necessity of quitting France.At the same time I was given charge of the physics lectures in the Normal School for Girls at Sevres.
So we remained in Paris， and with our income increased. But we were at the same time working under increasingly difficult conditions.Pierre Curie was doing double teaching； and that in the P.C.N.， with its very large number of students， fatigued him greatly.As for myself， I had to give much time to the preparation of my lectures at Sevres， and to the organization of the laboratory work there， which I found very insufficient.
Moreover， Pierre Curie's new position did not bring with it a laboratory； a little office and a single work room were all that he had at his disposition in the annex（12 rue Cuvier)of the Sorbonne， which served as teaching quarters for the P. C.N.And yet he felt it absolutely necessary to go ahead with his own work.In fact， the rapid extension of his investigations in radioactivity had made him determine that in his new position at the Sorbonne he would receive students and start them in research.He therefore took steps to find larger available working quarters.Those who have taken similar steps realize the wall of financial and administrative obstacles against which he was throwing himself， and realize the large number of official letters， visits， and of requests the least success entailed.All this thoroughly wearied and discouraged Pierre Curie.He was obliged， too， constantly， to keep traveling back and forth between the laboratories of the P.C.N.and the hangar of the School of Physics where we still continued our work.
And besides these difficulties， we found that we could not make further progress without the aid of industrial means of treating our raw material. Fortunately certain expedients and generous assistance solved this question.
早在1899年，皮埃尔就用一种临时装置成功地对第一次工业处理实验进行了组织，这个装置是由化学品研究中心提供的，他和该中心在制作精密天平的时候有过联系。他同德比埃纳在技术上对工业方法提炼镭的实验做过细致的研究，所以在实验正式进行时，效果是非常不错的。当然，因为做这种化学实验要求非常小心、细致，所以必须培养一些专门人才。
在我们的研究工作的带动下，国外也开始进行一些类似的实验。对此，皮埃尔的态度绝对是大公无私的。在征得我的同意后，他决定不凭借我们的发现来获取任何物质利益，因此我们没有申请任何专利，并且毫无保留地对我们研究的所有成果以及镭的提炼方法进行了公布。除此之外，我们还向那些对此感兴趣的人们提供了他们所需要的全部资料。对于制镭工业，这是大有好处的，因此，这一工业在法国，继而在国外快速地发展起来，它为科学家及医生们提供了需要的产品。直到今天，制镭工业仍旧几乎一成不变地在延续使用我们运用过的方法。[14]
尽管我们所应用的工业处理原材料的方法收到了不错的效果，但是由于能力有限，我们很难继续进行下去。法国企业家阿尔梅·德·里斯勒对这个实验很感兴趣，1904年的时候，他便想到要兴建一座大型制镭工厂，用来向医生们提供镭产品，因为当时有很多的文章在介绍镭在生物与治疗上的效用，医生们对此非常感兴趣。在当时，他的这一想法可以说是非常大胆。由于雇用了一些接受过我们的培训的人——尤其是奥德潘与达纳——来进行这种精细的工作，所以他这个计划实行得很成功。因此，镭便开始正式地在市场上进行销售，但售价也确实昂贵，这是它的制作过程十分复杂，并且原材料的价格也很快被拍高的缘故。[15]
As early as 1899 Pierre Curie succeeded in organizing a first industrial experiment， using for it a chance installation placed at his disposition by the Central Society of Chemical Products， with which he had had relations in connection with the construction of his balances. The technical details had been arranged very successfully by Andre Debierne， and the operations brought good results， even though it had been necessary to train a special personnel for this chemical work which demanded special precautions.
Our investigations had started a general scientific movement， and similar work was being undertaken in other countries. Toward these efforts Pierre Curie maintained a most disinterested and liberal attitude.With my agreement he refused to draw any material profit from our discovery.We took no copyright， and published without reserve all the results of our research， as well as the exact processes of the preparation of radium.In addition， we gave to those interested whatever information they asked of us.This was of great benefit to the radium industry， which could thus develop in full freedom， first in France， then in foreign countries， and furnish to scientists and to physicians the products which they needed.This industry still employs today， with scarcely any modifications， the processes indicated by us.
Even though our industrial experiment yielded good results， again our slender resources made it difficult to make further progress. Inspired by our attempt， a French industrial， Armet de Lisle， had the idea， which seemed daring at that epoch， of founding a veritable radium factory that would furnish this product to physicians， whose interest in the biological effects of radium and its possible therapeutic applications had been aroused by the publication of various investigations.The project proved a success because he could employ men already trained by us in the delicate processes of this manufacture.Radium was then regularly placed on sale， at a high price， it is true， because of the special conditions under which it had to be made， and because， too， of the immediate rise in the cost of the minerals necessary to its production.
在此，我想深切地对阿尔梅·德·里斯勒表示感谢，他主动地向我们提供了帮助，无私地将他的工厂中的一小块地方划给我们使用，还资助了部分经费让我们用于在那儿进行的研究。除此之外，其他的一些资金均是来自于一些补助，或是由我们自己筹备的，其中最大的一笔是1902年由科学院给的，高达两万法郎。
这样，我们便逐渐从以前所拥有的铀沥青矿中提炼出一定数量的镭，用来供我们研究所用。从原矿石中对含镭的钡盐进行提炼的过程是在工厂里进行的，我则负责在实验室里进行精炼与部分结晶的工作。1902年，我成功地将一分克的纯氯化镭提炼了出来，这样就能够获得镭元素的光谱。我首次将镭元素的原子量测了出来，它的数值远远高于钡的数值。这样，镭的化学新元素地位就被确认了，不会再有人对此进行质疑。
就此，我于1903年完成了我的博士论文。
到了后来，为实验室所提炼的镭的数量就增多了。1907年，我便能够对镭的原子量进行了第二次测定，这一次更为精确，测出的结果为225.35，而现在所用的镭原子量为226。我还同德比埃纳共同提炼出了纯金属镭。被我提炼出的镭共有1克多一点，在皮埃尔的支持下，我将它们全部放到实验室里用来使用。
纯净镭的放射能力比我们原来的估计要高。在同样的重量下，纯净镭的放射能力要比铀的大一百万倍。依此类推，铀沥青矿石中所含有的镭和铀的比例大概是三分克比一吨。这两种物质之间的关系十分紧密，在矿石中，它们总是同时出现。今天，我们知道矿石中的镭是由铀衰变而成的。
I should like to express， here， our appreciation of the spirit in which Armet de Lisle offered to cooperate with us. In an entirely disinterested manner he placed at our disposition a little working place in his factory and a part of the means necessary for us to use it.Other funds were added either by ourselves， or came through subventions， of which the most important， accorded in 1902 by the Academy of Sciences， amounted to 20，000 francs.
It was in this way that we were able to utilize the ore we had acquired little by little in the preparation of a certain quantity of radium， which we used constantly in our research. The radium-bearing barium was extracted in the factory， and I carried on its purification and fractional crystallization in the laboratory.In 1902 I succeeded in preparing a decigramme of chloride of pure radium which gave only the spectrum of the new element， radium.I made a first determination of the atomic weight of this new element， an atomic weight much higher than that of barium.Thus the chemical individuality of radium was completely established， and the reality of radioelements was a known fact about which there could be no further controversy.
I based my doctor's thesis， presented in 1903， on these investigations.
Later， the quantity of radium extracted for the laboratory was increased， and in 1907 I was able to make a second and more precise determination of the atomic weight as 225. 35-one accepts now the number 226.I succeeded， too， jointly with Andre Debierne， in obtaining radium in the state of metal.The total quantity of radium I prepared and gave to the laboratory， in agreement with Pierre Curie's desire， amounted to more than a gramme of radium element.
The activity of pure radium exceeded all our expectations. For equal weights this substance emits a radiation more than a million times more intense than uranium.To offset this， the quantity of radium contained in uranium minerals is scarcely more than three decigrammes of radium to the ton of uranium.There is a very close relation between these two substances.In fact， we know today that radium is produced in the minerals at the expense of uranium.
对于皮埃尔来说，到P.C.N.任教的那几年，是非常艰难的。那么多必须要面对的劳心事，令他忙得不可开交，但又只有将精力集中于一个固定的目标才会使他觉得快乐。课程太多，体力消耗过大，使他不堪重负，经常感到浑身酸痛。
对他而言，他迫切需要减轻教学任务，节省体力，以保证身体健康。所以，当巴黎大学矿物学讲座出现教授位置空缺时，他就下定决心对这一职位进行申请，并且他完全有资格胜任的，因为在这方面，他有很深的造诣，而且还就晶体物理方面发表过重要文章。但是，他却没能够获得委任。
在这么艰难的时期，他竟然凭借超常的努力完成并且发表了好几项研究，有的是他单独做的，有的是和人合作完成的。主要包括：感应放射性研究（部分同德比埃纳合作，部分同达纳合作）；镭射线和X射线于电解质液体中所引起的导电性研究；镭射气的衰减律以及镭射气同其沉淀物的放射性常数研究；镭对热量释放的发现（同拉波德合作）；镭射气于空气中漫射的研究（同达纳合作）；温泉所产生气体的放射性研究（同拉波德合作）；镭射线生理影响的研究（同亨利·贝克莱尔合作）；镭射气生理效应的研究（同布萨尔与巴尔塔扎尔合作）；对决定磁性常数仪器的简介（同什纳沃合作）。
The years that followed his nomination to the P. C.N.were hard for Pierre Curie.He had to face the many anxieties incident to the organization of a complicated system of work when his happiness depended on his being able to concentrate his efforts on a single determined subject.The physical fatigue due to the numerous courses he was obliged to give was so great that he suffered from attacks of acute pain， which in his overtaxed condition became more and more frequent.
It was therefore vitally important， if he was to spare his energy and keep his health， that the burden of his professional duties be lightened. He decided to apply for the Chair of Mineralogy， which was vacant， at the Sorbonne， for which he was entirely qualified because of his profound knowledge and his important publications on the theories of the physics of crystals.Yet his candidacy failed.
During this painful period he nevertheless managed， by a truly superhuman effort， successfully to complete and publish several investigations that he had made either alone or in collaboration： Investigations on induced radioactivity(in collaboration with A. Debierne).Investigations on the same subject(in collaboration with J.Danne).Investigations on the conductibility provoked in dielectric liquids by the rays of radium and the Roentgen rays.Investigations on the law of the decrease of the emanation of radium and on the radioactive constants that characterize this emanation and its active deposit.Discovery of the liberation of heat produced by radium(in collaboration with A.Laborde).Investigations on the diffusion of the emanation of radium in the air(in collaboration with J.Danne).Investigation on the radioactivity of gases from thermal springs(in collaboration with A.Laborde).Investigation on the physiological effects of radium rays(in common with Henri Becquerel).Investigation on the physiological action of the radium emanation(in common with Bouchard and Balthazard).Notes on the apparatus for the determination of magnetic constants(in common with C.Cheneveau).
上述对放射性进行的种种研究都是基础性的，涵盖的范围十分广泛，其中有好几项是对镭射气进行研究的。这种气体是由镭产生的一种奇异的气体，镭所具有的大部分强烈的放射性都是由它产生的。经过深入的研究，皮埃尔揭示出了这种镭射气能够自行衰变，继而消失的状况，并且它的衰变过程有着自己的一定规律，而不受到外界的任何影响。在今天，一般情况下，镭射气都是由细小的玻璃瓶来收集的，医生们经常用它来治病。由技术角度来看，用它来直接治疗比用镭更加方便。但是，凡是医生们要使用镭射气的时候，就必须查阅数学图表，来对镭射气每天的衰减数量进行了解。虽然被密封在细小的玻璃瓶里，但镭射气是照样衰减的。一些泉水之所以因为能够治病而名气大振，也是由于泉水中含有少量镭射气的缘故。
在皮埃尔的研究中，尤其以发现了镭可以产生热量最为惊人。通常情况下，虽然镭的表面没有显示出什么变化，但它每小时所产生的热量却足以将与它本身重量相等的冰块融化。如果将这热量保护好使其不向外面消散的话，镭本身就会发热，温度可以高达10℃，高于它周围空气的温度。这种现象是完全不同于当时的科学实验数据的。
最后，关于镭的生理效用的各项实验研究我不能不提及，因为它具有明显的消肿作用。
为了对吉塞尔发表不久的这项研究结果进行验证，皮埃尔主动将自己的胳膊伸出接受镭的照射长达几个小时。结果，他的皮肤受到伤害，就像是灼伤一样，并且向四周扩展，过了好几个月才得以恢复。亨利·贝克莱尔在将一支装有镭盐的玻璃管放到西服背心口袋里时，也曾意外地被灼伤过。他跑过来对我们讲述镭对他的伤害时，又喜又怒地叫嚷道：“我真爱它，可又恨它。”
All these investigations in radioactivity are fundamental and touch very varied subjects. Several have as their aim the study of the emanation， that strange gaseous body that radium produces and which is largely responsible for the intense radiation commonly attributed to the radium itself.Pierre Curie demonstrated by a searching examination the rigorous and invariable law according to which the emanation destroys itself， no matter what the conditions are in which it finds itself.Today the emanation of radium， harvested in tiny phials， is commonly employed by physicians as a therapeutic agent.Technical considerations make its employment preferable to the direct use of radium， and in this case no physician can proceed without consulting the numerical chart which tells how much of this emanation has disappeared each day， despite the fact that it is cloistered in its little glass prison.It is this same emanation that is found in small quantities in mineral waters， and that plays a part in their curative effects.
More striking still was the discovery of the discharge of heat from radium. Without any alteration in appearance this substance releases each hour a quantity of heat sufficient to melt its own weight of ice.When well protected against this external loss， radium heats itself.Its temperature can rise 10 degrees or more above that of the surrounding atmosphere.This defied all contemporary scientific experience.
Finally， I cannot pass in silence， because of their various repercussions， the experiments connected with the physiological effects of radium.
In order to test the results that had just been announced by F. Giesel， Pierre Curie， voluntarily exposed his arm to the action of radium during several hours.This resulted in a lesion resembling a burn， that developed progressively and required several months to heal.Henri Becquerel had by accident a similar burn as a result of carrying in his vest pocket a glass tube containing radium salt.He came to tell us of this evil effect of radium， exclaiming in a manner at once delighted and annoyed： "I love it， but I owe it a grudge！"
在了解到镭的生理效应如此大后，皮埃尔便着手同医生们合作，共同对动物进行实验。镭疗方法的起步点就是这些实验研究。实验开始时所使用的镭都是由皮埃尔提供的，目的是治疗狼疮和其他一些皮肤病。就这样，通常被称为“居里疗法”的镭疗法，作为医学上的重要分支，就在法国应运而生了，后来经过一些法国医生（例如丹洛斯、威克汉姆、多光尼西和德格莱等）的研究，这一疗法得到了更大的发展。[16]
同时，国外也在积极地发展放射学研究，新的发现不停地涌现出来。许多科学家积极地对其他放射性元素进行寻找，并在这期间运用了我们所发明的新的化学分析法。据此，人们很快便发现了由工业大规模地制造，在医学上被经常使用的新钍，以及放射性钍、镤、锕等物质。到如今，我们已经知道的放射性元素有三十多种，其中有三种是射气。在这三十多种放射性元素中，镭仍旧占据着最为重要的地位，因为它具有很强的放射性，而它的衰减蜕变则在几年中都非常缓慢。
Since he realized the interest in these physiological effects of radium， Pierre Curie undertook， in collaboration with physicians， the investigations to which I have just referred， submitting animals to the action of radium emanation. These studies formed the point of departure in radium therapy.The first attempts at treatment with radium were made with products loaned by Pierre Curie， and had as their object the cure of lupus and other skin lesions.Thus radium therapy， an important branch of medicine， and frequently designated as Curie-therapie， was born in France， and was developed first through the investigations of French physicians(Danlos， Oudin， Wickham， Dominici， Cheron， Degrais， and others).
In the meantime the great impetus given to the study of radioactivity abroad led to a rapid succession of new discoveries. Many scientists engaged in the search for other radio elements， using the new method of chemical analysis， with the aid of radiation， that we had inaugurated.Thus were found the mesothorium now used by physicians and manufactured industrially， radio-thorium， ionium， protoactinium， radio-lead， and other substances.At present we know， in all， about thirty radio elements(among which three are gases， or emanations）， but among them all radium still plays the most important part， because of the great intensity of its radiation， which diminishes only extremely slowly during the course of years.
1903年，是放射学这门新学科在发展中十分重要的一年。这一年，在法国，对镭所进行的研究刚刚结束，皮埃尔就发现了一种惊人的现象：这种新元素可以在表面没有任何损伤的情况下散发出热量。在英国，拉姆塞与索迪宣布了一个重大发现：通过他们的观察可知，镭能够持续不断地发出氦气，这就说明原子一定是能够变化的。如果我们将镭盐加热到它的熔点后将它密存于完全真空状态的玻璃管里，然后再次加热，令它放出少量的氦气，便可以运用光谱仪来对氦气的存在进行确定了。这个重要实验被反复做了很多次，镭可以放出氦气这一论断完全得到了证实。它为我们提供了原子能够变化的第一个例证。当然，对于这种变化，我们是无法控制的，但却推翻了原子不能够被改变的理论。
吕特福和索迪将这些情况与我们以前所知道的情况进行了综合概括，并提出了今天已为大家所接受的放射蜕变的理论。从这一理论可以看出，任何放射性元素，即使是它表面上没有任何变化，它的内部也都在自行蜕变，速度越快，放射性就越强。[17]
The year 1903 was especially important in the development of the new science. In this year the investigation of radium， the new chemical element， was achieved， and Pierre Curie demonstrated the astonishing discharge of heat by this element， which nevertheless remained unaltered in appearance.In England， Ramsay and Soddy announced a great discovery.They proved that radium continually produces helium gas and under conditions that force one to believe in an atomic transformation.If， indeed， radium salt heated to its melting point is confined for some time in a sealed glass tube， entirely emptied of air， one can， in reheating it， make it throw off a small quantity of helium， easy to measure and to recognize from the character of its spectrum.This fundamental experiment has received numerous confirmations.It furnished us the first example of a transformation of atoms， independent， it is true， of our will， but at the same time it reduces to nothing the theory of the absolute fixity of the atomic edifice.
All these facts， along with others formerly known， were made the object of a synthesis of the highest value， in a work by E. Rutherford and F.Soddy， who proposed a theory of radioactive transformations， today universally adopted.According to this theory， each radio element， even when it appears unchanged， is undergoing a spontaneous transformation， and the more rapid the transformation， the more intense is the radiation.
放射性原子通过两种方式蜕变：一是原子自身发射出一个速度飞快并且带有正电的粒子，即α射线；二是原子自身发射出在现代物理学中我们已经十分熟悉的电子，即β射线。电子在速度不是很快时，它的质量仅是原子量的一千八百分之一，不过当它的速度同光速接近时，它的质量便会大为增加。各种放射性原子，不管是通过哪一种方式蜕变之后，剩下的原子就不会再和原来的原子相同了。剩下的原子还会不断蜕变，蜕变得直到它不再具有任何放射性，成为一个稳定的原子为止。这种原子就是非放射性元素。
所以，α射线与β射线都是经过原子分裂得来的。γ射线则与α射线和β射线不同，它是由原子蜕变所产生的一种与光相似的辐射。这些射线都具有很强的穿透性能，近些年来一直被用于治疗疾病。[18]
所以，放射性元素分为好几族，每一族中的元素均由它前面的一个元素蜕变而来，而铀和钍为每一族中的原始元素。我们尤其可以证实，铀产生了镭，而镭又产生了钋。既然每个放射性元素都由其母体产生，又自行蜕变并且产生其他放射性元素，那么，这些元素同其母体并存时，它的数量就不会超过固定的比例。正是因为这样，在原始的矿石中，镭和铀的数量才有着一种固定不变的比例。
A radioactive atom can transform itself in two ways： it can expel from itself an atom of helium， which， thrown off at an enormous speed and with a positive charge， constitutes an Alpha ray. Or， instead， it can detach from its structure a much smaller fragment， one of those electrons to which we have become accustomed in modern physics， and whose mass， 1800 times smaller than that of an atom of hydrogen when its speed is moderate， grows excessively when its speed approaches that of light.These electrons， which carry a negative charge， form the Beta rays.Whatever the detached fragment， the residual atom no longer resembles the primitive atom.Thus when the atom of radium has expelled an atom of helium， the residue is an atom of gaseous emanation.This residue changes in its turn， and the process is not arrested until the attainment of a last residue which is stable and does not give off any radiation.This stable matter is inactive matter.
Thus the Alpha and Beta rays result from the fragmentation of atoms. Gamma-rays are a radiation analogous to light， which accompanies the cataclysm of the atomic transformation.They are very penetrating， and are the ones most used in the therapeutic methods so far developed.
We can see in all this that radio elements form families， in which each member derives from a preceding member by direct descent the primary elements being uranium and thorium. We can in particular prove that radium is a descendant of uranium， and that polonium is a descendant of radium.Since each radio element， at the same time that it is formed by the mother substance， destroys itself， it cannot accumulate in the presence of this mother substance beyond a determined proportion， which explains why the relation between radium and uranium remains constant in the very ancient unaltered minerals.
放射性元素的这一自行蜕变是按照一定规律进行的，这个规律被称为“指数定律”。根据这一定律，每个放射性元素的重量减少到它原来的一半时所需要的时间被称为“半衰期”，而任何一个放射性元素的半衰期都是不会变的。知道了半衰期，便能够确定出某个元素的种类，绝对不会有差错。每个元素的半衰期都不相同，测定的方法也有所不同。铀的半衰期为几十亿年，镭的则大约为一千六百年，它的射气周期不到四天，由镭射气直接蜕变而来的元素中，甚至有的半衰期都不到一秒。这种指数定律表明蜕变是依照概率规律产生的，有着一种深远的哲学意义。到现在，决定蜕变的因素还是个谜团，我们还不清楚它是由原子外的偶然情况还是由内部的不稳定性造成。总而言之，到目前为止，不管外在的什么干预都不能有效地对这种变化产生影响。
这些飞速的发现把我们所熟知的物理学与化学所遵循的各种科学性观念推翻了。刚开始，这些发现还受到质疑，可是后来大部分科学家都热情地承认了它们的可信性。与此同时，皮埃尔的名声也在法国和国外大振。早于1901年，法国科学院就授予过他拉卡兹奖了。1902年，曾经在以前多次给予他宝贵支持的马斯卡尔支持他对法国科学院院士进行申请。皮埃尔很为难，因为他认为院士的遴选不应该靠竞选者本人四处活动，对在巴黎的院士们逐个拜访来进行。但是，在马斯卡尔的多次友好相劝下，特别是科学院物理所的全体同仁早就声明要一致推荐他成为院士，他也就提出了自己的申请，但却未能成功，直到1905年，他才最终被接纳为院士，但在成为院士还不到一年时，他就不幸遭遇车祸身亡了。他还在一些其他国家的院校以及科学界当选，并被许多大学授予名誉博士学位。
The spontaneous destruction of radio elements takes place according to a fundamental law， called the exponential law， according to which the quantity of each radio element diminishes by one-half in a time always the same， called a period， this time-period making it possible to determine without ambiguity the element under consideration. These periods， which can be measured by diverse methods， vary greatly.The period of uranium is several billions of years； that of radium is about 1600 years； that of its emanation a little less than four days； and there are among the following descendants some whose period is the small fraction of a second.The exponential law has a profound philosophic bearing； it indicates that the transformation is produced according to the laws of probability.The causes that determine the transformation are a mystery to us， and we do not yet know if they derive from causal conditions outside the atom， or from conditions of internal instability.In many cases， up to the present， no exterior action has shown itself effective in influencing the transformation.
This rapid succession of discoveries which overthrew familiar scientific conceptions long held in physics and chemistry did not fail to meet， at first， with doubts and incredulity. But the great part of the scientific world received them with enthusiasm.At the same time Pierre Curie's fame grew in France and in foreign countries.Already in 1901 the Academy of Sciences had awarded him the Lacaze prize.In 1902， Mascart， who had many times given him most valuable aid， decided to propose him as a member of the Academy of Sciences.It was not easy for Pierre Curie to agree to this， believing， as he did， that the Academy should elect its members without the necessity of any preliminary solicitation or paying of calls.Nevertheless， because of the friendly insistence of Mascart， and above all because the Physics Section of the Academy had already declared itself unanimously in his favor， he presented himself.In spite of this， however， he failed of election， and it was only in 1905 that he became a member of the Institute， a membership which did not last even a year.He was also elected to several academies and scientific societies in other countries， and given an honorary doctor's degree by several universities.
1903年期间，应英国皇家学会的邀请，皮埃尔和我一起前往英伦做关于镭的报告，并且受到了热烈的欢迎。他非常高兴能够在伦敦见到开尔文爵士。开尔文爵士向来都对皮埃尔怀有深情，虽然他当时年龄很大了，但对科学却始终保持着很大的关注。这位知名度很高的科学家经常自豪地将皮埃尔送给他的装有镭盐的玻璃瓶拿出来给人看。在那里，我们还见到了其他一些著名的科学家：如克鲁克斯、拉姆塞、德瓦等。德瓦还与皮埃尔合作，发表了一篇关于低温条件下镭放出的热量与镭盐产生氮气的研究报告。
几个月以后，皮埃尔和我接受了伦敦皇家学会授予的戴维奖章。差不多与此同时，我们两人和贝克莱尔一起获得1903年度的诺贝尔物理学奖。由于健康问题，我们没有能够参加12月份在斯德哥尔摩举行的颁奖仪式，直到1905年6月，我们才到瑞典首都领取了这一奖项，在领奖仪式上，皮埃尔发表了讲话。在那里，我们受到了热烈的欢迎，并欣赏了瑞典夏季的美丽风光。
对于我们来说，获得诺贝尔奖真是一件不平凡的大事，这是因为这个新近成立的诺贝尔基金会（成立于1901年），具有崇高的威望。就经济方面来讲，哪怕是只有一半的奖金，其数额也大得吓人。在这之后，保尔·朗之万便替代了皮埃尔在物理和化学学校里面的教学任务。朗之万是皮埃尔的学生，是一位非常有才气的物理学家。[19]皮埃尔还专门聘请了一位教辅人员，协助他进行实验研究。
During 1903 we went to London at the invitation of the Royal Institution， before which my husband was to lecture on radium. On this occasion he had a most enthusiastic reception.He was especially happy to see here again Lord Kelvin， who had always expressed an affection for him， and who， despite his advanced age， preserved an interest， perennially young， in science.The illustrious scientist showed， with touching satisfaction， a glass vial containing a grain of radium salt that Pierre Curie had given him.We met here also other celebrated scientists， as Crookes， Ramsay， and J.Dewar In collaboration with the latter， Pierre Curie published investigations on the discharge of heat by radium at very low temperatures， and upon the formation of helium in radium salt.
A few months later the Davy medal was conferred upon him(and also upon me)by the Royal Society of London， and at almost the same time， we received， together with Henri Becquerel， the Nobel prize for physics. Our health prevented us from attending the ceremony for the awarding of this prize in December， and it was only in June， 1905， that we were able to go to Stockholm where Pierre Curie gave his Nobel lecture.We were most cordially received and had the felicity of seeing the admirable Swedish nature in its most brilliant aspect.
The award of the Nobel prize was an important event for us because of the prestige carried by the Nobel foundation， only recently founded（1901). Also， from a financial point of view， the half of the prize represented an important sum.It meant that in the future Pierre Curie could turn over his teaching in the School of Physics to Paul Langevin， one of his former students， and a physicist of great competence， He could also engage a teaching assistant to aid him in his work.
然而，媒体对这件幸福的大事的大肆宣扬很快便让我们不堪重负，因为对此，我们既不习惯又没有心理准备。每天前来拜访我们的人从不间断，信件也像雪片一样飞来，有的约稿，有的邀请做报告，令我们应接不暇，既浪费了时间，又使自己疲惫不堪。皮埃尔是一个和蔼的人，他不喜欢对别人的请求一口拒绝，但是他也非常清楚，这样下去也不是个办法，不仅他的身体承受不了，而且清醒的头脑与研究的思绪也都被搅乱了。在写给纪尧姆的一封信中，他说：“他们老是要我写文章、做报告，如果时间就这么一年一年的过去，即便是那些让我写文章做报告的人也会惊讶地看到我的年华竟然被虚度，什么都没有干成。”
与此同时，他在写给古伊的几封信中也发出了同样的感慨；古伊将这些信转交给了我，在此，我应该向古伊表示诚挚的感谢。
像您所看到的那样，此刻幸运眷顾了我们，不过，这幸福的来临却也将无尽的烦恼带给了我们。我们还从来没有像现在这样的不得安宁。有些日子，我们甚至连喘口气的时间都没有。我们可都是曾经梦想着要远离人群，到荒郊野外生活的人呀。
1902年3月20日
But at the same time the publicity this very happy event entailed bore very heavily on a man who was neither prepared for it， nor accustomed to it. There followed an avalanche of visits， of letters， of demands for articles and lectures， which meant a constant enervation， fatigue， and loss of time.He was kind and did not like to refuse a request； but on the other hand， he had to recognize that he could not accede to the solicitations that overwhelmed him without disastrous results to his health， as well as to his peace of mind， and his work.In a letter to Ch.Ed.Guillaume， he said： "People ask me for articles and lectures， and after a few years are passed， the very persons who make these demands will be astonished to see that we have not accomplished any work."
And in other letters of the same period， written to E. Gouy， he expressed himself as follows：
"20 March 1902"
"As you have seen， fortune favors us at this moment； but these favors of fortune do not come without many worries. We have never been less tranquil than at this moment.There are days when we scarcely have time to breathe.And to think that we dreamed of living in the wild， quite removed from human beings！"
我亲爱的朋友：
我早就想写信给您了。请您原谅我如此拖沓。可要是知道我此刻的日子是多么的荒唐和愚蠢，您就不会责怪我了。您已经看到了，镭成了现在的热门话题。这在一时间带给了我们种种的好运，令我们声名鹊起，因此，世界各国的记者与摄影师也都到处跟着我们：他们甚至于将我女儿和保姆的谈话都作为新闻来炒作，连我们家的黑白花猫也都成为新闻明星了。除此之外，还有许多人请我们捐款。索要签名的人、权势贵族，甚至有时还有一些科学家也会找上门来，使得我们在洛蒙街的家都不像个家了。并且，在实验室里也无法安心地进行工作。每天晚上还要对大量的信件进行回复。我真是有点不胜其烦，整天都昏昏沉沉的。如果这么的折腾，能够让我获得一个大学的教席与一间实验室的话，那还可以说得过去。可是说实话，教席之事还在计划之中，而一时半会儿，实验室也仍旧没个踪影。我倒是希望先有实验室，但里亚德院长却认为应该趁着这个劲头儿先建立一门与法兰西学院相似的新课程，并且暂时不要明确大纲。这样一来，我每年都要编写教材，那就为我增添了许多麻烦。
1904年1月22日
我不得不放弃了瑞典之行。就像您所见到的那样，我们已经完全将瑞典科学院的规定违反了。说实话，我的身体实在太差了，稍微累一点就受不了。我妻子的健康状况和我一样。我都不敢想过去的那些从事繁忙的研究工作的日子了。
说起研究工作，我现在什么都没做。每天只是讲课，指导学生，对仪器设备进行安装，并应付那些登门拜访却又没有什么要紧事的人，这些使我虚度时光，没有做成一点有意义的事情。
1905年1月31日
"22 January 1904"
"MY DEAR FRIEND：
"I have wanted to write to you for a long time； excuse me if I have not done so. The cause is the stupid life which I lead at present.You have seen this sudden infatuation for radium， which has resulted for us in all the advantages of a moment of popularity.We have been pursued by journalists and photographers from all countries of the world； they have gone even so far as to report the conversation between my daughter and her nurse， and to describe the black-and-white cat that lives with us...Further， we have had a great many appeals for money...Finally， the collectors of autographs， snobs， society people， and even at times， scientists， have come to see us-in our magnificent and tranquil quarters in the laboratory-and every evening there has been a voluminous correspondence to send off.With such a state of things I feel myself invaded by a kind of stupor.And yet all this turmoil will not perhaps have been in vain， if it results in my getting a chair and a laboratory.To tell the truth， it will be necessary to create the chair， and I shall not have the laboratory at first.I should have preferred the reverse， but Liard wishes to take advantage of the present moment to bring about the creation of a new chair that will later be acquired for the university.They are to establish a chair without a fixed program， which will be something like a course in the College de France， and I believe I shall be obliged to change my subject each year， which will be a great trial to me."
"31 January 1905"
"……I have had to give up going to Sweden. We are， as you see， most irregular in our relations with the Swedish Academy； but， to tell the truth， I can only keep up by avoiding all physical fatigue.And my wife is in the same condition； we can no longer dream of the great work days of times gone by.
"As to research， I am doing nothing at present. With my course， my students， apparatus to install， and the interminable procession of people who come to disturb me without serious reason， the days pass without my having been able to achieve anything useful at this end."
我亲爱的朋友：
我们对于您今年没能来我们家感到非常遗憾，希望十月份能够和您见面。如果不经常见面，人到最后就会失去了自己最亲密的、最要好的朋友了，那样就只能去见其他一些没有什么关系的人，因为他们容易见到。
虽然我们仍旧忙碌，但却没做任何有意义的事情。我已经有一年多没进行研究了，但我也没有一点时间是属于自己的。显然，我还没有找到能够防止我们的时间被弄得支离破碎的办法，但是我必须找到它。因为理性地看，这可是有关生死存亡的大事。
1905年7月25日
明天，我要讲授的课程就会正式开始，但是实验室还没有彻底准备好，所以我的心里不是很高兴。我们在索邦上课，但实验室却在居维埃街。除此之外，还有几门其他课程也在我们上课的教室进行，我只能在上午利用这间教室好好地备备课。
虽然还没有卧床不起，但是我的健康状况却不是很好，老是感觉浑身无力，连实验研究也无法进行了。我的妻子则和我不同，她倒是充满活力的。除了照顾两个女儿之外，她还要到塞弗尔女子高等师范学校去讲课，另外，还要去实验室做实验，非常忙碌。她要比我强得多，每天有大半天的时间都在实验室里做实验或对学生进行指导。
1905年11月7日
总体来看，虽然受到外界多种多样的干扰，但是通过共同努力，我们的生活仍旧像以往那样简单而又离群索居。在快到1904年年底的时候，我们家又增添了一名新成员，二女儿艾娃·德尼斯在克勒尔曼大街我们的寓所里诞生了。同我们来往的朋友不多，只有皮埃尔的父亲一直和我们住在一起。
"25 July 1905"
"My DEAR FRIEND：
"We have regretted so much being deprived of your visit this year， but hope to see you in October. If we do not make an effort from time to time， we end by losing touch with our best and most congenial friends， and in keeping company with others for the simple reason that it is easy to meet them.
"We continue to lead the same life of people who are extremely occupied， without being able to accomplish anything interesting. It is now more than a year since I have been able to engage in any research， and I have no moment to myself.Clearly I have not yet discovered a means to defend ourselves against this frittering away of our time which is nevertheless extremely necessary.Intellectually， it is a question of life or death."
"7 November 1905"
"I begin my course tomorrow but under very bad conditions for the preparation of my experiments. The lecture room is at the Sorbonne， and my laboratory is in the rue Cuvier.Besides， a great number of other courses are given in the same lecture room， and I can use it only one morning for the preparation of my own.
"I am neither very well， nor very ill； but I am easily fatigued， and I have left but very little capacity for work. My wife， on the contrary， leads a very active life， between her children， the School at Sevres， and the laboratory.She does not lose a minute， and occupies herself more regularly than I can with the direction of the laboratory in which she passes the greater part of the day."
To sum up： despite these outside complications， our life， by a common effort of will， remained as simple and as retired as formerly. Toward the close of 1904 our family was increased by the birth of a second daughter.Eve Denise was born in the modest house in Boulevard Kellermann， where we still lived with Doctor Curie， seeing only a few friends.
大女儿长大了，开始成为父亲的朋友。皮埃尔很注重对她的培养和教育，并且只要有空闲的时候就总要带她出去散步，尤其是在假日里。他经常和她一本正经地交谈，回答她提出的全部问题，并且因为她的头脑越来越聪明而十分高兴。在早年，孩子们受到了父亲细心的体贴与关爱，皮埃尔从来都是不知疲倦地试着去了解这些小东西们，因为他想尽可能地把最好的东西都给她们。
随着皮埃尔在国外的声望逐渐增高，虽然在法国皮埃尔受到的崇敬姗姗来迟，但是它总算是到来了。45岁时，他在法国科学家中名列前茅，但是，在教学岗位上，他的地位仍旧很低。这种非正常的状态引发了公众的反对。趁着这股舆论力量，巴黎科学院的里亚德院长最后提出要在巴黎大学创建出一个新的教席。1904至1905学年里，皮埃尔被巴黎大学理学院授予正教授头衔。一年以后，他完全离开了物理和化学学校，在那里的职位则由保尔·朗之万接替。
虽然巴黎大学设立了新教席，但在开始时也存在不小的困难。开始时的计划是只设讲座而没有实验室。皮埃尔觉得接受了这个新的职位却有可能失去目前他所使用的聊胜于无的实验室，而又没有新的实验室给他，这是没有办法接受的。所以，他便写信给上级，决定仍旧留在P.C.N，而不接受新职。由于态度坚定，他获得了成功。除去设立了一个新教席之外，巴黎大学还为他划拨了一笔经费，用来创建实验室和聘请工作人员。实验室的编制包括一名主任、一名助教与一名实验室杂役。实验室的主任由我担任，对于这个安排，皮埃尔也感到非常满意。
As our elder daughter grew up， she began to be a little companion to her father， who took a lively interest in her education and gladly went for walks with her in his free times， especially on his vacation days. He carried on serious conversations with her， replying to all her questions and delighting in the progressive development of her young mind.From their early age， his children enjoyed his tender affection， and he never wearied of trying to understand these little beings， in order to be able to give them the best he had to give.
With his great success in other countries， the complete appreciation of Pierre Curie in France， however tardily， did at last follow. At forty-five he found himself in the first rank of French scientists and yet， as a teacher， he occupied an inferior position.This abnormal state of affairs aroused public opinion in his favor， and under the influence of this wave of feeling， the director of the Academy of Paris， L.Liard， asked Parliament to create a new professorship in the Sorbonne， and at the beginning of the academic year 1904-1905 Pierre Curie was named titular professor of the Faculty of Sciences of Paris.A year later he definitely quitted the School of Physics where his substitute， Paul Langevin， succeeded him.
This new professorship was not established without a few difficulties. The first project had provided for a new chair， but not for a laboratory.And Pierre Curie felt that he could not accept a situation which involved the risk of losing even the mediocre means of work that he then had， instead of offering better ones.He wrote， therefore， to his chiefs， that he had decided to remain at the P.C.N.His firmness won the day.To the new chair was added a fund for a laboratory and personnel for the new work(a chief of laboratory， a teaching assistant， and a laboratory boy).The position of chief of laboratory was offered to me， which was a cause of very great satisfaction to my husband.
尽管我们在物理和化学学校的条件很艰难，但在那里我们却伴随着实验研究度过了幸福的日日夜夜，现在一旦离开，不可避免的会有一种恋恋不舍之情。那间属于我们的木棚实验室尤其令我们难以割舍。这座木棚又存在了几年，但却日益破败，有时候，我们还回去看一看它。后来，物理和化学学校为了修建新校舍，就不得不拆掉它了，不过我们保留了几张它的照片。进行拆除的那一天，忠实的佩蒂告知了我。那时，皮埃尔已经不在了。唉！我孤身一人过去看了它最后一眼。黑板上，仍然留有那个可以称为是这个木棚的灵魂的人的笔迹，木棚里的每一个角落似乎都留有他的痕迹，物是人非，现实中的一切就像噩梦一样，我真想看到那个高大的身影出现在我的眼前，真想再听到他那熟悉的声音。
虽然创办新讲座的决议被大学委员会通过了，但是他们并没有考虑要同时创建一个实验室，而如果想要进一步对放射性这门新科学进行研究，实验室却是必不可少的。皮埃尔仍旧保留着在P.C.N.的那个小实验室，并且又借用了学校里的一个单独的大教室，还在院子里搭建了拥有两个房间的小屋与一个工作间。
想到这就是法国对皮埃尔的最后帮助，不免令人感到伤心。一个20岁便崭露头角的法国一流的科学家却没有一个较好的可供实验研究用的实验室，听起来简直令人感到不可思议。当然，假如他能够多活几年，是迟早会拥有令自己满意的工作条件的，不过，在他47岁英年早逝的时候，却仍旧未能如愿，这难道不让人感到痛心吗？因为条件所限，一个为了伟大的事业宁愿无私奉献的科学家，却不能实现自己的科学梦想，这难道不令他遗憾终生吗？国家的巨额财富——它优秀的孩子的才华、毅力与勇气——就这么不可挽回地浪费掉了，令人回想起来好不痛心！
It was not without regret that we left the School of Physics， where we had known such happy work days， despite their attendant difficulties. We had become particularly attached to our hangar， which continued to stand， though in a state of increasing decay， for several years， and we went to visit it from time to time.Later it had to be pulled down to make way for a new building for the Physics School， but we have preserved photographs of it.Warned of its approaching destruction by the faithful Petit， I made my last pilgrimage there， alas， alone.On the blackboard there was still the writing of him who had been the soul of the place； the humble refuge for his research was all impregnated with his memory.The cruel reality seemed some bad dream； I almost expected to see the tall figure appear， and to hear the sound of the familiar voice.
Even though Parliament had voted the creation of a new chair， it did not go so far as to consider the simultaneous founding of a laboratory which was， nevertheless， necessary to the development of the new science of radioactivity. Pierre Curie therefore kept the little workroom at the P.C.N.， and secured as a temporary solution of his difficulty the use of a large room， then not being used by the P.C.N...He arranged， too， to have a little building consisting of two rooms and a study set up in the court.
One cannot help feeling sorrow in realizing that this was a last concession， and that actually one of the first French scientists never had an adequate laboratory to work in， and this even though his genius had revealed itself as early as his twentieth year. Without doubt if he had lived longer， he would have had the benefit of satisfactory conditions for his work， but he， was still deprived of them at his death at the premature age of forty-eight.Can we fully imagine the regret of an enthusiastic and disinterested worker in a great work， who is retarded in the realization of his dream by the constant lack of means？ And can we think without a feeling of profound grief of the waste-the one irreparable one-of the nation's greatest asset： the genius， the powers， and the courage of its best children？
在皮埃尔的心里，一直希望能够拥有一座好的实验室。1903年，当他名声大振时，迫于压力，他的领导要求他接受荣誉骑士勋章，他坚持自己一贯的做派，婉言谢绝了这一殊荣，像上一次他给物理和化学学校校长写信对教育棕榈奖章进行谢绝一样，他又写信对荣誉骑士勋章进行了谢绝，他对于荣誉的态度始终没有改变。我引述他这封信中的一段话如下：
请代我向部长表示谢意，并请向部长先生转告，我不需要任何的奖赏，只希望能给我一个急需的实验室。
被聘为巴黎大学教授之后，皮埃尔需要准备开设一门新课。课程内容的范围很广并由他自己决定，所以他有充分的自由对教材进行选择。利用这一良机他回到了自己所热爱的课题上来，他将对称性定律、矢量和张量场研究等选定为部分教材内容，并将这些概念应用到晶体物理学中。他想办法对自己的讲课内容加以充实，使他的这门课程能够成为一个完整的晶体物理学课程，因为在法国还很少有人问津这一课题，所以它更为有用。除此之外，他还对放射性进行讲授，并对这一新领域里的科学发现和这些发现带来的科学革命进行阐述。
虽然他备课非常繁忙，身体又不好，但他仍旧继续留在实验室里进行研究。实验室的组织管理在日渐好转。由于地方扩大了些，他能够接收几个学生共同进行研究。他同拉波德合作，对矿泉水以及泉水中释放出的气体的放射性进行了研究，并发表了研究报告，这同时也是他的最后一份研究报告。
Pierre Curie had always in mind his urgent need for a good laboratory. When， because of his great reputation， his chiefs felt obliged to try to induce him， in 1903， to accept the decoration of the Legion d'Honneur， he declined that distinction， remaining true to the opinion already referred to in a preceding chapter.And the letter he wrote on this occasion was inspired by the same feeling as that in the one previously quoted， when he wrote to his director to refuse the palmes academiques.I quote an extract： "I pray you to thank the Minister， and to inform him that I do not in the least feel the need of a decoration， but that I do feel the greatest need for a laboratory."
After he was named professor at the Sorbonne， Pierre Curie had to prepare a new course. The position had been given a very personal character and a very general scope.He was left great freedom in the choice of the matter he would present.Taking advantage of this freedom he returned to a subject that was dear to him， and devoted part of his lectures to the laws of symmetry， the study of fields of vectors and tensors， and to the application of these ideas to the physics of crystals.He intended to carry these lessons further， and to work out a course that would completely cover the physics of crystallized matter which would have been especially useful because this subject was so little known in France.His other lessons dealt with radioactivity， set forth the discoveries made in this new domain， and the revolution they had caused in science.
Even though he was very much absorbed in the preparation of his course， and often ill， my husband continued， nevertheless， to work in the laboratory， which was becoming better and better organized. He had a little more space now， and could receive a few students.In collaboration with A.Laborde， he carried on investigations in mineral waters and gases discharged from springs.This was the last work he published.
His intellectual faculties were at this time at their height. One could but admire the surety and rigor of his reasoning on the theories of physics， his clear comprehension of fundamental principles， and a certain profound sense of phenomena which he had by instinct， but which he perfected during the course of a life entirely consecrated to research and reflection.His skill in experiment， remarkable from the beginning， was increased by practice.He experienced the pleasure of an artist when he succeeded with a delicate installation.He enjoyed， too， devising and constructing new apparatus， and I used jokingly to tell him that he would not be happy unless he made at least an attempt of this kind once every six months.His natural curiosity and vivid imagination pushed him to undertakings in very varied directions； he could change the object of his research with surprising ease.
当时，他的才华已经登峰造极。我们十分钦佩他深邃并且精辟的物理学理论，以及他中肯的演绎和对基本原理透彻的理解。在观察大自然的种种现象时，他天生地就拥有超凡的能力，又因为他毕生都在从事实验研究，所以他有着令人叹服的独特见解。他像艺术家那样对待他试制的精密仪器，并且乐此不疲。有时我会因此和他开玩笑说如果每半年不弄出个新仪器来，他就会心痒难耐。他生来就好奇而又有丰富的想象力，这令他得以同时涉足不同的领域，因此在改变研究课题时显得得心应手，这是其他人很难做到的。
要发表研究报告时，他非常诚实、严谨且又一丝不苟。即便是他的研究报告已经非常完美，他却仍旧要以审视的目光对它进行修改，字斟句酌，如果有看上去不清楚的地方，就必须将它弄得无可挑剔才肯罢休。下面是他就这一点上的说法：
在进行未知现象的研究时，我们可以先做一些普通的假设，然后根据实验结果去逐渐地向前推进。这种按部就班而又稳妥可靠的做法的效果当然是缓慢的。相反，我们也能够做出一些大胆的设想，先将现象的机理确定。这种方法的优点是能够对某些实验进行设想，特别是能够有利于推论，使它通过一种图像而变得不那么抽象。与之相反的，通过实验结果来对一个复杂理论进行寻找，那是难以想象的。精确的假设虽然含有一部分真理，但是必然又存在有一部分错误。并且这一部分真理即便是存在的话，也只不过是部分一般性见解，有一天还要回过头来对它重新进行审视。
虽然他会毫不犹豫地提出部分假设，但是在没有证实无误之前他是肯定不会提前发表的。他讨厌仓促地对研究报告进行发表，而是喜欢先找很少的几位研究人员进行平心静气的讨论。当放射性研究达到顶峰的时候，他却想到要暂时将这一方面的研究放下，重新将他中断了的晶体物理学研究拾起。另外，他还希望分析研究一些不同的理论问题。在讲课时，皮埃尔更是精益求精，认真负责，不管是对课程一般标准的要求还是讲课的方法，他都认为应该以同实验与大自然的接触为基础。当成立学院教授委员会时，他希望同仁们能够接受自己的观点，并且发表声明说：“科学教育应该成为男子中学与女子中学的主修课程。”但他又说道：“这么一个提议是不会获得通过的。”
He was scrupulously careful of scientific probity and of complete accuracy in his publications. These are very perfect in form， and none the less so in those parts where he applies the critical spirit to himself， expressing his determination never to affirm anything that does not seem entirely clear.He expresses his thought on this point in the following words： "In the study of unknown phenomena， one can make very general hypotheses and then advance step by step with the help of experience.This method of progress is sure but necessarily slow.One can， on the contrary， make daring hypotheses in which he specifies the mechanism of phenomena.Such a method of procedure has the advantage of suggesting certain experiments， and， above all， of facilitating reasoning by rendering it less abstract through the employment of an image.But on the other hand， one cannot hope thus to conceive a complex theory in accord with experiment.The precise hypothesis almost certainly includes a portion of error along with a portion of truth.And this last portion， if it exists， forms only a part of a more general proposition to which it will be necessary in the end to return."
Moreover， even though he never hesitated to make hypotheses， he never permitted their premature publication. He could never accustom himself to a system of work which involved hasty publications， and was always happier in a domain in which but a few investigators were quietly working.The considerable vogue of radioactivity made him wish to abandon this field of research for a time， and to return to his interrupted studies of the physics of crystals.He dreamed also of making an examination of diverse theoretical questions.
He gave much thought to his teaching， which constantly improved， and which suggested to him ideas on the general orientation of studies and on methods of teaching， which he believed should be based on contact with experience and nature. He hoped to see his views adopted by the Association of Professors as soon as it was formed， and to obtain the declaration"that the teaching of the sciences must be the dominant teaching of both the boys'and girls'lycees.""But， "he said， "such a notion would have little chance of success."
这个时候正是皮埃尔生命中大出成果的时期，可惜却接近了尾声。正当他能够期盼今后的工作不会再像从前那样步履维艰的时候，他那辉煌的科学生涯却也戛然而止了。
1906年，皮埃尔由于过度劳累而感觉身体不适，所以我们在复活节期间带着两个孩子共同前往什弗勒兹山谷去过假期。这两天假期是美妙而又温馨的，在暖融融的太阳的照耀下，在亲人的身边休憩，皮埃尔的心情十分放松、舒畅，他带着两个女儿在草地上游戏，并和我谈论着当前和未来。
回到巴黎，他出席了物理学会的一次会议与晚餐会。席间，他同亨利·普安卡雷坐在一起，就教学方法同他谈了很久。当我们徒步走在回家的路上时，他仍然在继续高谈他理想中的文化，对于他的看法，我表示赞同，这使他显得十分高兴。
第二天，1906年4月19日，他出席了巴黎大学理学院教授委员会会议，并诚恳地同教授们就委员会应采取的方针进行了交谈。在会议结束后他走出会场，正穿过多菲纳街的时候，从新桥方向驶过来一辆运货马车，将他撞倒在地，马车的车轮从他头上碾过，导致他脑骨碎裂，当场死亡。一个优秀的人就这么离去了，人们寄于他身上的科学希望也随之破灭。在他的书房里，被他从乡间采摘回来的水毛茛仍旧盛开着，可是主人却再也回不来了。
But this last period of his life， so fecund， was， alas， soon to end. His admirable scientific career was to be suddenly broken at the very moment when he could hope that the years of work to come would be less hard than those which had preceded.
In 1906， quite ill and tired， he went with me and the children to spend Easter in the Chevreuse Valley. Those were two sweet days under a mild sun， and Pierre Curie felt the weight of weariness lighten in a healing repose near to those who were dear to him.He amused himself in the meadows with his little girls， and talked with me of their present and their future.
He returned to Paris for a reunion and dinner of the Physics Society. There he sat beside Henri Poincare and had a long conversation with him on methods of teaching.As we were returning on foot to our house， he continued to develop his ideas on the culture that he dreamed of， happy in the consciousness that I shared his views.
The following day， the 19th of April， 1906， he attended a reunion of the Association of Professors of the Faculties of the Sciences， where he talked with them very cordially about the aims which the Association might adopt. As he went out from this reunion and was crossing the rue Dauphine， he was struck by a truck coming from the Pont Neuf， and fell under its wheels.A concussion of the brain brought instantaneous death.So perished the hope founded on the wonderful being who thus ceased to be.In the study room to which he was never to return， the water buttercups he had brought from the country were still fresh.
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