I have previously mentioned MTW’s Gravitation. This general relativity textbook, co-authored by Charles W. Misner, Kip S. Thorne, and John Archibald Wheeler, is hailed as the “Bible” of gravitation. Ever since I first saw information about it, I have been unable to get it out of my mind, always hoping to find the Chinese edition translated in Taiwan. Unfortunately, due to various factors in the mainland, it was difficult to fulfill my wish. By circumventing the firewall to access PChome Global Shopping and combining various methods, I finally managed to purchase this “Bible”!
This book also set several records for my book purchases:
1. The thickest book (a masterpiece of 1300 pages);
2. The most expensive book (200+ RMB);
3. The book with the highest shipping cost (200+ RMB);
4. The book with the most complicated purchasing process.
......
Overall, this book cost me over 400 RMB and three weeks of waiting. Some readers might notice that the cost far exceeds the price of the book itself, making it seem like a poor value. Yes, in fact, I know that from a cost perspective, this is the least “value-for-money” book I have ever bought, and the translation quality is only average. However, I believe that the value of knowledge is infinite. Of course, most importantly, what I bought is not just a book, but a belief and a source of motivation. It will provide me with a powerful drive to study theoretical physics deeply. I have invested in it, and I intend to get even more back from it! ^_^
Regarding the translation of this book, my personal view is: it is understandable. At first glance, the Chinese version seems a bit unfamiliar; the translated language is somewhat “literary” and feels a bit stiff. This might be due to different usage habits in Taiwan, but I think the main reason lies in the original version. I speculate that the writing philosophy of the original was “even if a professor just reads this book aloud, it would be a brilliant lecture.” Therefore, the language style is accessible and easy to understand, with a large number of metaphors. When translated literally, it becomes what it is now. In fact, although it lacks the formal feel of a typical textbook, one can put oneself in those shoes: if we were to take a course on gravitation, the words to be spoken are exactly the text in the book!
Regarding this book, I also have a very grand plan. I will tell everyone more about it at an appropriate time.
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