In 1899, when Einstein studied at the Swiss Federal University of Technology in Zurich, his tlltor was Minkevsky, a mathematician¹.

1899年，爱因斯坦在瑞士苏黎世联邦理工大学就读时，他的导师是数学家明可夫斯基。

Once Einstein asked Minkevsky, "How can a person, like me, leave his distinct footprints on the road of life and make an outstanding contribution in the scientific field?" It was a "sophisticated" problem. Minkevsky said that he had to think about it better and then gave him an answer.

有一次，爱因斯坦问明可夫斯基：“一个人，比如我吧，究竟怎样才能在科学领域、在人生道路上，留下自己的问光足迹、做出自己的杰出贡献呢？”这是个“尖锐”的问题，明可夫斯基说他要好好想一下再给他答案。

Three days later, Minkevsky told Einstein that the answer was coming! He pulled Einstein to walk toward a building site and straight set foot on the cement ground that the construction workers had just paved.

三天后，明可夫斯基告诉爱因斯坦说有答案了！他拉着爱因斯坦朝一处建筑工地走去，而且径直踏上了建筑工人刚刚铺好的水泥地。

In the workers' scolding, Einstein was confused to ask Minkevsky，"Sir, don't you lead me astray?"

在建筑工人的呵斥声中，爱因斯坦被弄的一头雾水，不解的问明可夫斯基：“老师，您这不是在误导我？”

"Right, exactly!" Minkevsky said. "Have you seen it? Only the old road surface that have long solidified² and on those place that have been passed by countless³ steps, you cannot tread out your footprint.

“对，就是这样！”明可夫斯基说。 “看到了吧？只有尚未凝固的水泥面，才能留下深深的足迹。那些凝固很久的老路面，那些被无数脚步走过的地方，你别想再踩出脚印。”

Hearing that, Einstein thought long and nodded significantly, Since then, a very strong sense of innovation and pioneering consciousness began dominating Einstein's thinking and action. He said, "I never memorize and reflect what dictionaries and manuals carry, for my brain only memorize those things that are not included in books." It was such a reason that Einstein left his deep sparkling footprints in the history of science.

听到这里，爱因斯坦沉思了良久，意味深长地点了点头。从此，一种强力的创新和开拓意识，开始主导着爱因斯坦的思维和行动，他说：“我从不记忆和思考词典、手册里的东西，我的脑袋只用来记忆和思考那些还没载入书本的东西。”正因如此，爱因斯坦才在科学史上留下了深深的、闪光的足迹。