p. 35
八年後、医者になったブローニャは、マーニャをフランスに呼びました。
Eight years later, Bronya, who had become a doctor, invited Manya to France.
二十四歳のマーナやは、ついにパリ大学に入学しました。
Twenty-four-year-old Manya finally enrolled at the University of Paris.
マーニャは、フランス語の言い方で、「マリー」と名乗ることにしました。
Manya decided to take the French version of her name “Marie”.
マリーは、脇目も振らずに科学の勉強を始めました。
Marie wholeheartedly began to study science.
天に続く科学の階段をどんどん上っていきました。
She steadily climbed the stairs of science leading to heaven.
Me too, I am learning so much by follow along! I am not a manga fan so this book is so much better suited to me. Punched the air when I understood every word in a sentance without the assistance of professor google.
I am not sure about the last sentence (in italics).
そのころ、科学者の間で、石の中にある「ウラン」という粒が、話題になっていました。
At that time, there was much talk among scientists about grains called “uranium” found in stones.
ウランが、目に見えない怪しい光を出すと言うのです。
Uranium is said to emit a strange light invisible to the eye.
その光の正体を突き止めることは、大変なことのようです。
Finding the true nature of this light seems to be difficult.
科学の階段に、霧が掛かったように、先が見えなくなりました。
It became impossible to see ahead as if a fog were hanging on the stairs of science.
「私が、正体を調べます。」マリーはきっぱりと言いました。
“I will investigate its true nature.” Marie said resolutely.
マリーは、ピエール・キュリーという科学者と結婚しましたが、ピエールも、一緒に研究しようと言ってくれました。
Marie married a scientist named Pierre Curie, and Pierre also wanted to do research together with her (?).
EDIT: I corrected the two typos signalled by @buburoi and @Micki. Thanks!
This sentence on p34 threw me a bit, I understand the meaning but not sure I’ve seen this ては construction before. Or is it something obvious I’m missing?
I was confused a bit too. I think you made. typo in line 4, it’s not 光, it’s 先.
At this time a grain from inside a stone called „uranium“ had become subject among scientists. Is is said that Uranium is invisible and produces mysterious rays. To identify these rays‘ origin seems to be a difficult task. That what lied ahead became invisble from the stairway of sciene, as if covered in fog. „I will examine the origin“, said Marie with determination. Marie had married a scientist called Pierre Curie, and Pierre as well had said that he wanted to research together.
Just a small typo here - this should be というつぶが. I read つぶ as 粒 meaning “grain, bead or drop”. I’m not sure if uranium actually exists as tiny grains in other rocks, or if this is just a simple way of describing it for young children.
I wonder if the part after the が is quoting Marie speaking? Something like:
“Pierre, lets research together”, she asked.
That would not work with くれる which is always used with the other person as subject. So I fully agree with @2000kanji’s translation. Let me break it down a bit to clarify things:
マリーは、ピエール・キュリーという科学者と結婚しました - Marie married a scientist named Pierre Curie
が、- but
Now the question is, why is there a “but” here? I think that’s because the standard assumption would be that a married women stays at home and takes care of the household and children, but in this case we have a different story:
ピエールも、- also Pierre
一緒に研究しよう - “Let’s research together.”
と言ってくれました。- he was so kind as to say to her.
Ah, with this indirect quote it makes sense, I think.
I didn’t read this が as „but“ and thought this is one of cases where が is used to introduce a sentence with another statement creating context. But I’m not really sure. 
が (the subject particle) always needs a noun in front of it. Therefore, in the case that I think that you have in mind, it would always be のが – assuming I understand correctly what you’re referring to; I’m talking about something like マリーと結婚したのが、ピエールです。(but I’m not even sure whether you can use が in these cases or whether it should always be は because you want to focus on what comes after it anyways…)
A very strong case for the が meaning “but” is the use of masu-form in front of it, by the way; that’s because it connects two full and independent sentences. (Also, I just learned that it does not necessarily indicate a hard contrast, it can also be more of a connector.)
I’m not thinking of the subject particle but of が (and けど etc) as a connector that can’t really be translated. But as I said I’m not sure if this is here the case or if this is a „but“.
Oh, gotcha, sorry for the misunderstanding! In Japanese that would be the same then, just the translation would be somewhat different, right?
As far as I understood it it can’t be really translated but it’s necessary in Japanese for the flow of the sentence. I often see this kind of が in texts but I have no clue when to use it myself. Or sometimes I’m unsure like in this case. I will ask some Japanese people about it and let you know if I find something out.
Edit: Just checked the DOBJG and they say that が is much weaker than its English counterpart „but“ and is sometimes used as a stylistic choice even if the sentences don’t have contrastive ideas. But I think their might be a contrast when one just like you mentioned assumes that marrying might be the end of Marie‘s career.
Ah, thanks for checking! That would make sense to me.
Also, now that I think about it again, this could maybe play together with てくれた at the end: He offered her the research opportunity and she was grateful / he did it for her. This could mean he was just a nice person, but it could also mean that it was somehow special.
I just got a reply from a Japanese friend and he says that the two uses of が (contrastive versus introductory) are often not that clear for native speakers as well. So he thinks that both readings make sense here but he read the が as „and“.
Thanks for checking back with your friend! Very interesting indeed.
Great discussion guys. I’m so grateful when people go the extra mile and research the answers or ask a friend. And great to have these translations every day to stimulate the discussion.
verb-ては is used when you talk about actions that often repeat or are habits. So you can often use words like „whenever“ when translating.
二人は、霧の中へ手探りで入り込んでいきました。
The couple went fumbling around in the fog.
怪しい光は、当たった物を壊したり、突き抜けたりすることが分かりました。
They found that the mysterious rays either broke or penetrated the objects they hit.
マリーは、この光を出す力を、「放射能」と名付けました。
Marie named this ray emitting power “radioactivity”.
Just a heads up for those with the older version, I think the books may differ a bit over the next page or so, as I can’t seem to find the line given as the end of p39 anywhere.
(I know we’re not there yet, I’m trying to read ahead so I can go back and catch up on chapter 1!)