There are three kinds of sources available to reconstruct the reflections that led Einstein to special relativity: a few contemporary letters and documents, his impersonal accounts of the genesis of this theory, and recollections of his own path. At first glance, contradictions within and between these sources hamper the reliability of Einstein’s accounts. Yet, a closer analysis reveals much more consistency than foreseen and helps eliminate the dubious, contradictory elements. It then becomes possible to combine the three kinds of sources to produce a minimally speculative and yet fairly coherent account of the genesis of special relativity.

中文翻译：

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我们能相信爱因斯坦对狭义相对论起源的描述吗？

有三种资源可以重建导致爱因斯坦进入狭义相对论的反思：一些当代的信件和文件，他对这一理论起源的客观描述，以及他对自己道路的回忆。乍一看，这些来源内部和之间的矛盾阻碍了爱因斯坦描述的可靠性。然而，更仔细的分析揭示了比预期更多的一致性，并有助于消除可疑、矛盾的因素。然后有可能将这三种来源结合起来，对狭义相对论的起源进行最低限度的推测，但相当连贯的解释。