France Quotes (2)
Il me semble que, n'eût elle pas d'autre raison d'être que de montrer que nous ne sommes pas simplement le pays des amuseurs, mais aussi celui des ingénieurs et des constructeurs qu'on appelle de toutes les régions du monde pour édifier les ponts, les viaducs, les gares et les grands monuments de l'industrie moderne, la Tour Eiffel mériterait d'être traitée avec consideration.
It seems to me that it had no other rationale than to show that we are not simply the country of entertainers, but also that of engineers and builders called from across the world to build bridges, viaducts, stations and major monuments of modern industry, the Eiffel Tower deserves to be treated with consideration.
It seems to me that it had no other rationale than to show that we are not simply the country of entertainers, but also that of engineers and builders called from across the world to build bridges, viaducts, stations and major monuments of modern industry, the Eiffel Tower deserves to be treated with consideration.
Quoted in review of the G. Eiffel's book La Tour Eiffel (1902). In Nature (30 Jan 1902), 65, 292. Google translation of the original French.
See also: | Bridge (2) | Consideration (5) | Country (11) | Eiffel Tower (9) | Engineer (17) | Industry (21) | Monument (4) | Rationale (2) | Station (2)
The republic has no need of scientists [savants].
Apocryphal remark; supposedly the judge's reply to Lavoisier when he appealed at his trial for more time to complete his scientific work.
Apocryphal remark; supposedly the judge's reply to Lavoisier when he appealed at his trial for more time to complete his scientific work.
Cited in H. Guerlac, 'Lavoisier', in Charles Gillispie (ed.), Dictionary of Scientific Biography (1973), 8, 85. However, Jean-Pierre Poirier and Rebecca Balinski, in Lavoisier (), 379, says about the remark that 'It is now known that the statement is apocryphal' [meaning it is of questionable authenticity], and that 'Jean Noel Halle, in the name of the Advisory Board for Arts and Trades, had sent the judges a long report detailing the services Lavoisier had rendered to the Republic, but Coffinal [president of the Revolutionary Tribunal] had refused to acknowledge it.' Thus, Lavoisier was guillotined on 8 May 1794. Coffinhal was himself guillotined on 6 Aug 1794.
