Marie Curie

Marie Curie was born in Warsaw on 7^th of November 1867. her father was a teacher of science and mathematics at school in town, and from him little Marya Sklodovska ― which was her Polish name ― learned her first lessons in science. Marya’s wish was to study at the Sorbonne in Paris and after many years of waiting she finally left her native land in 1891.

Once in Paris Marya began a course of hard study and simple living. She decided to work for two Master’s degrees ― one in Physics, the other in Mathematics. Thus she had to work twice as hard as the ordinary student. Yet she had not enough money to live on. She lived in a bare attic in the poorest quarter of Paris. Night after night, after her hard day’s works at the University, she would climb to her poorly furnished room and work at her books for hours. Her meals were poor, sometimes no more than a bag of cherries, which she ate as she studied. Though she was often weak and ill under this hard mode of life, she worked in this way for four years. She chose her course and nothing could turn her from it.

Among many scientists Marya met and worked with in Paris was Pierre Curie. Pierre Cutie, born in 1859 in Paris, was the son of doctor, and from childhood he liked science. At sixteen he was a Bachelor of Science and he took his Master’s degree in Physics when he was eighteen. When he met Marya Sklodovska he was thirty five years old and was famous throughout Europe for his discoveries in magnetism. But in spite of the honour he brought to France by his discoveries, the French Government could only spare him a very meagre salary as a reward, and the University of Paris refused him a laboratory of him own for his researches.

Pierre Curie and Marya Sklodovska , both of whom loved science more than anything else, very soon became the closest friends. They worked together constantly and discussed many problems of their researches. After little more than a year they fell in love with each other, and in 1895 Marya Sklodovska became Mme Curie. Their marriage was not only to be a very happy one but also one of the greatest scientific partnerships.

Notes

a teacher of science ― преподаватель естественных наук (химия физика биология)

master’s degree ― учебная степень магистра

under this hard mode of life ― при такой тяжелой жизни

a Bachelor of Science ― бакалавр естественных наук (звание присваиваемое после окончания университета

spare him a very meager salary ― (зд.) платило ему мизерное жалованье

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