1 FAMILIAR EXAMPLES OF RELATIVITY 1
Does every Statement have a Meaning? 1
Right and Left 1
Is it Day or Night just now? 3
Who is bigger? 3
The Relative seems Absolute 4
The Absolute proves to be Relative 6
"Common Sense"tries to protest 8
2 SPACE IS RELATIVE 9
The same Place or not? 9
How does a Body move in Reality? 12
Are all Points of View equivalent? 13
Rest is found! 15
The Laboratory at Rest 16
Is the Train moving? 16
Rest is lost for good 19
The Law of Inertia 21
Speeds too are relative! 23
3 THE TRAGEDY OF LIGHT 23
Light does not spread instantaneously 23
Can the Speed of Light be altered? 24
Light and Sound 25
The Principle of Relativity of Motion seems to be shaken 26
"World Ether" 29
A difficult Situation arises 31
Experiment must decide 32
The Principle of Relativity triumphs 34
Out of the Frying Pan into the Fire 35
4 TIME PROVES TO BE RELATIVE 37
Is there in Fact a Contradiction? 37
We go on a Train Journey 39
"Common Sense"in Disgrace 40
Time suffers the same Fate as Space 43
Science Triumphs 46
Speed has a Limit 47
Earlier and Later 50
5 CLOCKS AND RULERS PLAY TRICKS 52
We get on the Train again 52
Clocks go slow systematically 56
The Time Machine 58
Journey to a Star 61
Objects get shortened 64
Velocities play Tricks 68
6 WORK CHANGES MASS 72
Mass 72
Mass increases 73
How much does a Gram of Light cost? 76
SUMMING UP 78
APPENDIX:The Year of Dr.Einstein 83
参考译文 116
译注后记 171