Carry On, Mr. Bowditch

Readers today are still fascinated by "Nat," an eighteenth-century nautical wonder and mathematical wizard. Nathaniel Bowditch grew up in a sailor's worldSalem in the early days, when tall-masted ships from foreign ports crowded the wharves. But Nat didn't promise to have the makings of a sailor; he was too physically small. Nat may have been slight of build, but no one guessed that he had the persistence and determination to master sea navigation in the days when men sailed only by "log, lead, and lookout." Nat's long hours of study and observation, collected in his famous work, The American Practical Navigator (also known as the "Sailors" Bible"), stunned the sailing community and made him a New England hero.<br>一个真实的故事：男孩纳撒尼尔·波蒂奇从小喜欢数学，并梦想着能够上哈佛大学读书，可是因为家境贫困，他不得不去书店做一名学徒。可是他没有放弃梦想，并利用身边的一切条件，努力自学。最后，他成了一个著名的航海家，并终于获得了哈佛大学的荣誉学位。