杨振宁先生写给清华学生的邮件

在清华刚开始进实验室做科研时，刚满 20 岁愣头愣脑地给先生发邮件问怎么才能得诺贝尔奖。这段文字振聋发聩，让我收益至今。

I don't think my own research has changed anyone's life except mine.  Moreover,  however,  I think if you set out to do something like that,  you are likely to end up very disappointed in your life.  For me,  research is a game I play with Nature.  Every time,  I am asking Nature a question.  She must answer my questions, but often her answers are obscure,  and to clarify her answers I must ask more questions.  Occasionally one will learn something by doing this game which is far more important than the original question you had wanted to have answered. These things are seldom very dramatic, but subtle.  You must have keen eyes and intuition to sense when there is something there that no one had anticipated.

“我并不认为我的研究改变了除我以外任何人的人生。而且，若你一开始就抱着改变世界的目的去做研究，恐怕终其一生都会深感失望。于我而言，研究是一场与自然的对话。每一次探索，都是向自然发问。她必会回应，但答案常隐于幽微之处，需以更多问题去照亮。偶尔，你会在这场对话中领悟到远比初始问题更为深刻的奥秘——这些启示往往并非石破天惊，而是微妙幽隐的。唯有具备敏锐的双眼和直觉，方能感知那无人预见、却已悄然存在的真理。”