Of course，I did not expect，even at the beginning，to find a new element in any large quantity，as the minerals had already been analyzed with some precision.At least，I thought there might be as much as one percent of the unknown substance in the minerals.But the more we worked，the clearer we realized that the new radioactive element could exist only in quite minute proportion and that，in consequence，its activity must be very great.Would we have insisted，despite the scarcity of our means of research，if we had known the true proportion of what we were searching for，no one can tell；all that can be said now is that the constant progress of our work held us absorbed in a passionate research，while the difficulties were ever increasing.As a matter of fact，it was only after several years of most arduous labor that we finally succeeded in completely separating the new substance，now known to everybody as radium.Here is，briefly，the story of the search and discovery.

As we did not know，at the beginning，any of the chemical properties of the unknown substance，but only that it emits rays，it was by these rays that we had to search.We first undertook the analysis of a pitchblende from St.Joachimsthal.Analyzing this ore by the usual chemical methods，we added an examination of its different parts for radioactivity，by the use of our delicate electrical apparatus.This was the foundation of a new method of chemical analysis which，following our work，has been extended，with the result that a large number of radioactive elements have been discovered.

最初的時候，我并沒有指望這種礦石中含有較多數量的新元素，這是因為它早已被人多次研究分析過了。我開始的估計是，這種礦石中的新元素的含量不會超過百分之一。隨著研究的不斷深入，我們發現其真實的含量要遠遠地小于百分之一，所以這種新元素的放射性非常強。假如從開始我們就知道這種元素的含量微乎其微的話，那就真不知道自己還能否有決心、有勇氣繼續下去，因為我們的設備很差且又經費不足。現在回想起來，總是覺得幸虧自己不知道難度會這么大，決心才會很大，雖然真正干起來之后困難重重，但研究成果的不斷顯現，使我的勁頭兒大增，也就不去想那些困難了。經過數年的勤奮努力之后，我們終于將這種新元素分離了出來，它就是今天眾人皆知的鐳。現在我將我們的研究情況和發現它的情況作一下簡略的介紹。

開始進行研究時，我們對這種未知元素的任何化學性質都不了解，僅僅知道它的放射性非常強，于是我們就牢牢抓住這條唯一的線索進行研究。首先就是想辦法將鈾瀝青礦從圣約阿希姆斯塔爾運過來，并對它進行分析研究。除了利用常見的化學分析方法之外，我們還運用我們發明出來的精密計電器，精確地測量這一元素不同部位的放射性。這種方法后來成為一種全新的化學分析法的基礎，并且在我們之后，這一分析法被逐漸地進行改進和完善，被許多人采用，他們也因此發現了另外幾種放射性元素。

In a few weeks we could be convinced that our prevision had been right，for the activity was concentrating in a regular way.And，in a few months，we could separate from the pitchblende a substance accompanying the bismuth，much more active than uranium，and having well defined chemical properties.In July，1898，we announced the existence of this new substance，to which I gave the name of polonium，in memory of my native country.

While engaged in this work on polonium，we had also discovered that，accompanying the barium separated from the pitchblende，there was another new element.After several months more of close work we were able to separate this second new substance，which was afterwards shown to be much more important than polonium.In December，1898，we could announce the discovery of this new and now famous element，to which we gave the name of radium.

However，the greatest part of the material work had yet to be done.We had，to be sure，discovered the existence of the remarkable new elements，but it was chiefly by their radiant properties that these new substances were distinguished from the bismuth and barium with which they were mixed in minute quantities.We had still to separate them as pure elements.On this work we now started.

We were very poorly equipped with facilities for this purpose.It was necessary to subject large quantities of ore to careful chemical treatment.We had no money，no suitable laboratory，no personal help for our great and difficult undertaking.It was like creating something out of nothing，and if my earlier studying years had once been called by my brother-in-law the heroic period of my life，I can say without exaggeration that the period on which my husband and I now entered was truly the heroic one of our common life.

研究進行了沒幾個星期，我們便堅信了我們的預測是正確的，因為那個未知新元素的放射性在按照一定的規律增強。又過了幾個月后，我們便將一種同鉍相混合的元素從鈾瀝青中分離出來，其放射性遠遠超過鈾元素，這種新元素帶有明確的化學性質。1898年7月，我們便對外公布了這種新元素的存在，并為它命名為釙①，以此來懷念我的祖國波蘭。

發現釙的同時，我們又發現從鈾瀝青里分離出的鋇鹽中含有另外一種未知的元素。通過幾個月的緊張工作，我們終于將第二種新元素分離出來了，并且后來才知道它比釙更重要。1898年12月，我們公布了這一發現，并命名這種新元素為鐳。

雖然我們確信已經發現了這兩種新元素，但仍舊還有許多實際的工作需要去做，因為我們只是憑借放射性的特性從鉍鹽與鋇鹽中發現了微乎其微的新元素，現在還需要以純元素的形式將它們分離出來。我們很快便投入到了這項工作中去。

但是，這項工作卻并不容易，因為我們的設備太差，而且還需要大量的原礦進行化學分析。我們既沒有錢來購買原礦，也沒有實驗室去做分析實驗，更沒有助手相幫。我們要白手起家，一切從頭干起。如果像我的姐夫所說的那樣，我在巴黎的早期學習時期是我一生中英勇頑強的時期的話，我則敢不夸張地說，我與皮埃爾共同從事這項研究的時期就是我們共同生活中的最偉大、最英勇的時期。

We knew by our experiments that in the treatment of pitchblende at the uranium plant of St.Joachimsthal，radium must have been left in the residues，and，with the permission of the Austrian government，which owned the plant，we succeeded in securing a certain quantity of these residues，then quite valueless，and used them for extraction of radium.How glad I was when the sacks arrived，with the brown dust mixed with pine needles，and when the activity proved even greater than that of the primitive ore！It was a stroke of luck that the residues had not been thrown far away or disposed of in some way，but left in a heap in the pine wood near the plant.Some time later，the Austrian government，on the proposition of the Academy of Science of Vienna，let us have several tons of similar residues at a low price.With this material was prepared all the radium I had in my laboratory up to the date when I received the precious gift from the American women.