25 Famous Letters. Книга для чтения на английском языке

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The Einstein–Szilаrd letter

Old Grove Rd.Nassau PointPeconic, Long Island

August 2nd, 1939

F.D. Roosevelt,President of the United States,White House Washington, D.C.

Sir:

Some recent work by E. Fermi and L. Szilard, which has been communicated to me in manuscript, leads me to expect that the element uranium may be turned into |превращен| a new and important source of energy in the immediate |ближайшем| future. Certain aspects of the situation which has arisen seem to call for watchfulness |призвать к бдительности| and, if necessary, quick action on the part of the Administration |Правительства|.

I believe therefore that it is my duty to bring to your attention the following facts and recommendations:

In the course of the last four months it has been made probable |сделано возможным| – through the work of Joliot in France as well as Fermi and Szilard in America – that it may become possible to set up a nuclear chain reaction in a large mass of uranium by which vast amounts of power and large quantities of new radium-like |радий-подобных| elements would be generated.

Now it appears almost certain that this could be achieved in the immediate future.

This phenomenon would also lead to the construction of bombs, and it is conceivable |возможно| – though much less certain – that extremely powerful bombs of a new type may thus be constructed.

A single bomb of this type, carried by boat and exploded in a port, might very well destroy the whole port together with some of the surrounding territory. However, such bombs might very well prove |вполне могут оказаться| to be too heavy for transportation by air.

The United States has only very poor ores |руды| of uranium in moderate quantities. There is some good ore in Canada and the former Czechoslovakia, while the most important source of uranium is Belgian Congo.

In view of this situation you may think it desirable to have some permanent contact maintained |поддерживаемый| between the Administration and the group of physicists working on chain reactions in America. One possible way of achieving this might be for you to entrust with this task a person who has your confidence and who could perhaps serve in an inofficial capacity |в неофициальном качестве|.