Joyce Peterson

∷李殊 選 趙陽 注

Pi day has rolled around once more: the day when mathematics fans everywhere—particularly in the US,where the date is written 3.14—celebrate everyone’s favourite mathematical constant.1. 又是一年一度的π日，在3月14日這一天，世界各地尤其是美國的數(shù)學(xué)愛好者都會一起頌揚這個最受歡迎的數(shù)學(xué)常量。constant: 常量。

If you are wondering about the best time of day to celebrate,unfortunately you have already missed it. The first few digits2. digit: 數(shù)位。,3.14159, translates this year into March 14 at 1:59 am. It will be at a more sociable hour in four years’ time, when the festivities should kick off on 3.14.15 at 9:26:53.3. festivity: 慶典，歡慶；kick off: 開始。

Don’t let the niceties4. nicety: 精確，細節(jié)。of timing put you off, though. Princeton University has already celebrated with an extended weekend of events, culminating in a celebration of Pi day itself.5. 普林斯頓大學(xué)將不止周末的時間都排滿了慶?；顒?，這些活動在3月14日這天達到高潮。culminate: 達到高潮。The fourday event included pi recitations6. recitation: 背誦。, pie eating contests, and pi shopping deals for $3.14 or $31.40. Today is also Albert Einstein’s birthday, leading to the inevitable creation of the Einstein Pie.

But don’t worry if you can’t make it to a pi party in person.7. 如果你本人不能去參加“派”對也不必著急。in person: 親自，本人。You can still dial in. Pi fan Christopher Poole8. Christopher Poole: 克里斯托弗·普爾，美國在線網(wǎng)絡(luò)社區(qū)4chan.org網(wǎng)站的創(chuàng)始人。has set up a pi phone—call the US telephone number 253 243-2504 to hear the digits read out. Don’t listen for too long, though: since pi goes on forever, who knows how much it could add to your phone bill.

自然世界奇異遼闊，我們的精神世界同樣精彩萬千。一群對數(shù)字π情有獨鐘的粉絲在3月14日聚在一起，慶祝這個奇妙的數(shù)字。他們的慶?；顒踊觾哼€不少，唯一有極限的只會是我們的想象力！

History

The earliest known of ficial or large-scale celebration of Pi Day was organized by Larry Shaw in 1988 at the San Francisco Exploratorium, where Shaw worked as a physicist, with staff and public marching around one of its circular spaces, then consuming fruit pies.9. 最早一次官方大型π日慶?；顒邮加?988年，當時就職于舊金山探索館的物理學(xué)家拉里·肖組織其他工作人員和公眾繞圈行進，而后又一起暢享水果派。large-scale: 大規(guī)模的，大范圍的；San Francisco Exploratorium: 美國舊金山探索館。The Exploratorium continues to hold Pi Day celebrations.

On March 12, 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a non-binding resolution (HRES 224), recognizing March 14, 2009, as National Pi Day.10. House of Representatives: （美國）眾議院；non-binding resolution: 無約束力的決議。

For Pi Day 2010, Google presented a Google Doodle11. Google Doodle: 由Google的Doodle畫師用彩色的Google公司標志表現(xiàn)出特殊事件。celebrating the holiday, with the word Google laid over images of circles and pi symbols.

Date abstractions12 fromπ

Pi Day is observed13. observe: 慶祝，過（節(jié)日，生日等）。on March 14 because of the date’s representation as 3/14 in month/day date format. This representation adheres to the commonly used approximation14. approximation: 近似值。of 3.14 for π.

The fractional15. fractional: 分數(shù)的，小數(shù)的。approximation of π, 22/7, resembles the date July 22 in the day/month format, where it is written 22/7. Pi Approximation Day is therefore observed on July 22.