SOPHIE'S WORLD
(Sofies verden), by Jostein Gaarder (JG), translated from Norwegian into American by Paulette Møller (PM)Guestbook | Guestmap | Discussion forum | Inspired by...
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| CH = chapter, P = page, L = line, C = comment, N = Norwegian, T = (alternative) translation, usually closer to the original text, TTR = Two-Tier Reality (metaphysical system bridging East and West) |
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CHAPTER 35: THE BIG BANG (PP419-427) |
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| C: In which the Major reveals that he is a True Believer in cosmythology | ||||||||
| P419 L6: planet T: ball/globe L13: The universe is inconceivably huge C: infinite L19: A light-year is nearly ten trillion (C: million million) kilometres L24: through the universe T: space L26: Pluto ... the planet farthest out in our solar system C: Pluto is usually / on average / further from the Sun than Neptune | ||||||||
| P420 L3: visualize T: imagine L4: good T: fine L4: But we here on Earth are only just beginning (T: we have just begun) to orient ourselves C: 'we' = Major + Hilde L5: Our own sun is one of 400 billion stars in the galaxy we call the Milky Way C: But see P421 L6: large (T: huge) discus, with our sun situated in one of (its) several spiral arms C: "about three-fifths of its radius from the centre" - Dictionary of Science L13: The distance to ... our nearest neighbour (C: star - Alpha Centauri) is four light-years L19: Incredible T: I am speechless L21: 90,000 light-years wide L22: describing the time (T: saying how long) it takes for light to travel from one end (C: ?!) of the galaxy to the other C: diametrically across the galaxy L28: we can never know what the universe is like now. We only know what it was like then T: how the universe is, only how it was L31: space T: the universe L34: we could compare it to (T: make a comparison with) thunder | ||||||||
| P421 L2: There are about a hundred billion (1011) (of such) galaxies in the universe (C: the observable universe, perhaps, but not the whole infinite universe), and each of these galaxies consists of (C: contains) about a hundred billion stars C: Galaxies contain other material too C: D. of S.: "... some 109 giant clusters called galaxies. Each galaxy contains about 1011 stars". That last figure is only approximate: galaxies come in different shapes and sizes L4(cont): We call the nearest galaxy to the Milky Way the Andromeda nebula. It lies two million light-years from our own galaxy C: D. of S.: " the nearest galaxy ... being some 16 × 105 light-years away" L11: Neanderthals T: ape-men L12: It's amazing T: I am shocked L14: When we receive signals from these galaxies C: Light, rather. No one claims to have received any (communicative) signals yet! L18: comprehend T: grasp L22: All the galaxies ... are moving away from each other (T: one another) at colossal speeds C: Except for those galaxies which are apparently in the process of colliding L25: the distance between the galaxies is increasing all the time T: gradually gets bigger (and bigger) L28: If you have a balloon and you paint black spots on it, the spots will move away from each other (T: one another) as you blow up the balloon C: And they will never collide/merge L30: We say that the universe is expanding C: The observable universe may well be expanding - although an alternative explanation may yet be found for the celebrated 'red shift' of starlight from distant galaxies - but the whole infinite universe cannot sensibly be described as expanding LL33-42: C: Summary account of the Big Bang myth. There may well have been some sort of super-duper-nova explosion billions of years ago, but to speak of "all substance in the universe" being "assembled in a relatively small volume" and "the beginning of time and space", as the cosmythologists put it, is unscientific nonsense. It is time the Creation myth, in all its versions, was abandoned once and for all L36: area T: volume L41: expelled T: driven/ dispersed | ||||||||
| P422 L3: The universe has no timeless geography. The universe is a happening (C: A real cool gig, man!) The universe is an explosion C: Arguably poetic but definitely obscure L9: the two forces that cause the planets to remain in (C: more or less) constant orbit round the sun L11(cont): Weren't they gravity and inertia? C: Inertia is not a force L14: one day, in a couple of billion years (T: after billions of years), gravity will perhaps cause the heavenly bodies to be packed together (C: move together) as the force (T: impetus) of the huge explosion begins to weaken L24: the same natural laws are in operation C: There are no 'natural laws' in operation except those invented by every culture to explain the world L31: no (T: certain) way L32: so heavy (T: massive) that (T: one day) it begins to contract again L37: the question of where it all began C: First comes the question of if it all began | ||||||||
| P423 L1: From the point of view of a Christian belief in the creation, it is better (C: better?? easier? more consistent?) to imagine the universe continuing to expand L6: In India ... ancient theory that the world continually unfolds and folds again, thus alternating between what Indians have called Brahman's Day and Brahman's Night C: Is 'Brahman's Day' the 'unfolding' or the 'folding' - the 'expansion' or the 'contraction'? L10: in order to expand (T: and then expanding) again L13: both theories are equally inconceivable and equally exciting C: And equally mythical - and equally irrelevant in an infinite universe L15(cont): And they can compare (T: be compared) with the great paradox (C: ?!) of eternity that Sophie once sat pondering in her garden: either the universe has always been there (C: Yes) or it suddenly came into existence out of nothing C: No. So where is the paradox? The logical impossibility that something can come from nothing? The only rational conclusion is that the universe is infinite in time and space L22: stung T: bitten L23: sting you into life T: wake you from hibernation C: ?! L26: are T: have been L28: In what sense? T: What do you mean? L32: referring to T: thinking of L33: When we started T: To begin with L34: inhabited T: lived in L38: I haven't yet relinquished all (T: I won't give up) hope that we may (T: can) also intervene in their world L40(cont): But you know that's (T: quite) impossible. Remember what happened in the Cinderella T: café? I saw you trying to get out (T: get hold of) that bottle | ||||||||
| P424 L1: Sophie (was silent. She) gazed out over the garden while (T: as) the major talked (T: explained) about the Big Bang. There was something about the term which started a train of thought in her mind T: put her on to something L7: found a wrench L9: she tried to catch Hilde's eye but that was quite useless T: impossible L10(cont): Finally she raised the wrench above her head and crashed it down (T: brought it down hard) on Hilde's forehead C: A drastic step indeed! L21: There is something T: There is something here L28: vanished into thin air T: sunk into the ground L36: Sophie ran back to the car. C: There she goes: Sweet black-haired Sophie, the Wench with the Wrench! Hasta la vista, Baby... Watch out for those trolls - and don't eat too many gingerbread houses... L37: 'Impressive', said Alberto grudgingly T: A. admitted L38: You have unusual talents, Sophie. Just wait and see T: You (will) see that that girl (i.e. Hilde) has special talents... C: And Alberto, goodbye to you too, you old reprobate. We know what you're up to! But good luck anyway... You've got a tiger by the tail there... And forget about the car - tonight's just the night for a little boat trip... L41: play T: sound | ||||||||
| P425 L1: in T: out on to L5: You wrote that there was something (T: wrote something about what stood) 'between the lines' L10: on the water T: in the water too L14: blended T: cooked L20: times (T: soon) after L20: Everything (T: All) we can see in the sky is (a) cosmic fossil(s) L22: The only thing an astrologer (T: star-interpreter/ astronomer?) can do is predict the past L23: the stars in the constellations moved away from each other (T: one another) long before their light reached us C: The stars as we see them in the sky move (very slowly over the centuries) in relation to one another - from our viewpoint, some further apart, some closer together L28: If it's a clear night, we can see millions, even billions of years back into the history of the universe C: Millions, possibly, with sharp eyes; billions, no - not without a very powerful telescope L29(cont): So in a way, we are going home T: turning our noses towards home C: Sentimental flapdoodle L31(cont): I don't know what you mean T: You must explain that L32: all substance in the universe is an organic unity C: Meaning?! LL33-37: C: More Big Bang folderol L37: When we look up at the sky we are trying to find the way back to ourselves C: Like a dog chasing its tail? L39(cont): What an extraordinary thing to say C: Quite right, Hilde. That hot sun in the Lebanon hasn't done him any good L40(cont): All the stars and galaxies in the universe are made of the same substance C: Which is? Has this 'substance' got a name? L41(cont): Parts of it have lumped themselves together, some here, some there T: Some of it has clumped (itself) here, some there L42(cont): There can be billions of light-years between one galaxy and the next C: Billions?! The distance between the Milky Way and the Andromeda nebula is about 2 million light-years (P421) | ||||||||
| P426 L4: What is this earthly substance? T: world-substance? What was it that exploded ... billions of years ago? Where did it come from? C: What are these questions? What are they made of? Where did they come from? L6(cont): That is the big question T: mystery C: The big mystery is why people ask meaningless questions. Are they meant to convey profundity of thought? L8: We are a spark from the great fire that was ignited many billions of years ago L10(cont): That's a beautiful thought too C: Isn't it nice to be able to compliment oneself on one's own flights of fancy! L14: The question would be (T: have been) just as impenetrable (N: forbasket T: blasted/confounded): where did this stone come from? C: Doubtless from the same place as all that confounded impenetrable nonsense L18: said T: declared L19: And (T: besides) we L21: water T: lake L22: down (T: through) the garden L23(cont): (T: On the quay) They tried to loosen the rope that was made fast in (T: tied firmly to) a metal ring L29: more stars (T: in the sky) now L36: It's as if we are (T: were) sitting at the very tip of the fine hairs in the white rabbit's fur C: WANTED: Skilled magician with sharp sense of irony who can make white rabbits disappear into top hats - and stay there ! L40: The rowboat (T: rowing-boat) has worked itself (T: come) loose | ||||||||
| P427 L2: checked it T: the mooring L8: Go ahead and make fun (of me) T: Stop teasing (me) L8(cont): All evening, I've been able to feel someone here T: I've felt someone here the whole evening L11: We'll both go, Dad... C: And what now? Time to say goodbye... So, dear Hilde, what does the future have in store for you? Yes, of course, find a man who can make those green eyes sparkle - but above all, nurture your 'special talents'. Don't expect too much in the short run, but in the medium run you should be able to make contact with Sophie and her friends. And don't let that father of yours try to hold you back with his worthy but pedestrian ideas. There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in his philosophy... Altså... Farvel, Hilde, farvel... And remember...
PSPSPSPSPSPSPSPSPSPSPSPSPSPSPSPS:
Urgent message for Major Albert Knag: | ||||||||