Tycho Brahe
A quarrel at some feast, on a mathematical point, with a countryman led to the fixing of a duel, and it was fought with swords at 7 p.m. at the end of December,... The result of this insane performance was that Tycho got his nose cut clean off.1
He managed however to construct an artificial one, some say of gold and silver, some say of putty and brass; but whatever2 it was made of there is no doubt that he wore it for the rest of his life, and it is a most famous feature. It excited generally far more interest than his astronomical researches. It is said, moreover, to have very fairly resembled the original, but whether this remark was made by a friend or by an enemy I cannot say. One account says that he used to carry about with him a box of cement to apply whenever2his nose came off, which3it periodically did.
— O. J. Lodge
duel n. 决斗
insane adj. 蠢极的；荒唐的
putty n. 油灰
feature n. 特点，特征
resemble v. 像，与……相似
account n. 报道
cement n. 胶接材料
periodically adv. 时而
中译 假鼻（布拉赫）
在一次宴会上，布拉赫就数学问题与一个同胞的争执引起了一场决斗。决斗以斗剑方式定于十二月末的一个晚上七点钟进行。这一愚蠢行为的后果是，布拉赫的鼻子给整个切了下来。
不过他想办法做了个假鼻子。有人说他的鼻子是用金和银做的，也有人说是用油灰和黄铜做的。不论假鼻子是什么材料做的，有一点毫无疑问，就是他从此一生都戴着这个假鼻子。这是个人人皆知的特征。通常这个特征远比他的天文学研究工作更能激起人们的兴趣。此外，据说这个替代品和真鼻子极为相似。不过这话是出自朋友之口还是仇敌所说，我可就说不准了。有一篇报道还称，布拉赫总是随身带着一盒黏固剂，用以修补时而掉落的鼻子。
——〔英〕洛奇
原来如此！
Tycho Brahe（第谷·布拉赫，1546-1601），丹麦天文学家，他自幼受到良好教育，大学期间攻读法律。他观看了1560年8月21日的一次日食，便决心投身天文学的研究，这改变了他的人生道路。他大量观测的资料为开普勒的行星运动三定律奠定了基础。
布拉赫的假鼻竟然比他的成就引起人们更大的注意。一般人往往对名人的私隐比他们的贡献更感兴趣，这是多么可惜的事情！
增值英语
1 Tycho got his nose cut clean off
句式 get + 直接宾语 + 宾语补足语，意为“使……达到某情况”：
I must get my car serviced. 我得找人把我的汽车检修一下。
I got my feet wet. 我把脚弄湿了。
2 whatever it was made of...|whenever his nose came off...
句式 whatever 无论什么，whenever 无论何时（= it does not matter what / when）：
She looks pretty whatever she wears. 她不管穿什么都很好看。
We can leave whenever you’re ready. 你什么时候准备好，我们就什么时候动身。
这一类的词还有 however 无论如何，wherever无论何处，whichever 无论哪个，whoever 无论谁等。但注意与 what ever/ when ever 的区别。这里的 ever 用作强调，指“到底”“究竟”。
What ever do you want? 你到底要什么？
When ever did you give it to me? 你究竟什么时候给我那件东西的？
3 ..., which it periodically did.
句式 此处 which 引导一个非限制性定语从句，但并非修饰某一个词，而是修饰整个主句。注意 which 前面用逗号。
The sun warms the earth, which makes it possible for plants to grow. 太阳照热了大地，这就使植物得以生长。
（which 指的是“太阳照热了大地”，而不是“大地”。从句中谓语动词makes 用第三人称单数。）
Mary reads widely, which increases her knowledge and improves her English. 玛丽阅读广泛，这使她增加知识，提升英语能力。
名言
No man or woman who tries to pursue
an ideal in his or her own way is
without enemies. — D. Bates
凡按自己方式追求其理想者，无不树敌。——贝茨