J：Han Meimei, What's your plan for the weekend?

韓梅梅，你周末有什么計劃?

H：I plan to travel around Harvard University and know more about it. To tell you the truth, I plan to apply for Harvard after graduation from high school. It’s better to get to know it. What about you?

我打算去哈佛大學(xué)四處轉(zhuǎn)轉(zhuǎn)，了解一下。實話告訴你，我計劃在高中畢業(yè)之后申請哈佛。我最好先了解 一下哈佛。你呢?

J：I get together with my Christian brothers on Saturdays.

我每周六都和教友們聚會。

H：Oh, my God! John, I didn’t know you are religious. You just look like a scientific kook, like Leonard in the Big Bang Theory.

哦，天哪!約翰，我不知道你還信教。你 看上去就像個科學(xué)狂人，像《生活大爆炸》里的那個倫納德。

J：Come on, Han Meimei, don’t make a fuss. A lot of Americans, including many scientists, believe in religion.

得了，韓梅梅，別大驚小怪的。很多美國人，包括很多科學(xué)家，都信仰宗教。.

H：But I’m really surprised. I thought science and religion are not compatible，are they?

但我真地很吃驚。我以為科學(xué)和宗教是不相容的，難道不是嗎?

J：Yes, they are compatible. Actually, the U.S. is both the most developed and the most religious country in the world.

不，是可以兼容的。事實上，美國是世界上最發(fā)達、最篤信宗教的國家。

H：I've heard about it a little bit before, but I don’t understand. How can people believe in God since they know God doesn't exist?

我以前聽說過一點點，但我不理解。既然人們知道上帝不存在又怎么能相信上帝呢?

J：That’s a little complicated. You’ll get to know it when you are acquainted with the U.S. history later on. Religion was and is a part of American people’s life. Guess what? Even Harvard University, which is a highly academic institution, is in a sense the product of religion.

這有點復(fù)雜。以后你熟悉美國歷史后就會有所了解。不管以前還是現(xiàn)在，宗敎都是美國人生活的一部分 。知道嗎?甚至是哈佛大學(xué)這個學(xué)術(shù)性很強的機構(gòu)，從某種意義上講也是宗教的產(chǎn)物。

H：Really?

真的嗎?

J：Absolutely!It was founded by a group of Puritan immigrants from England.

當(dāng)然!哈佛是由一批來自英國的清教徒移民創(chuàng)建的。

H：Why was it founded by the Puritans? Where were the atheistic educators?

為什么由清教徒創(chuàng)建?那些無神論教育家呢?

J：Because most of the first English immigrants who came to the United States were Puritans.

因為第一批到美國的英國移民大多數(shù)是清教徒。

H：How come? I mean why most of them were religious people?

怎么回事?我的意思是為什么大部分人是宗教徒?

J：That’s because in the 16th and 17th century, there was a series of religious reforms in England. Many religious separatists were persecuted and fled to other countries.

那是因為在16和17世紀英國進行了一系列宗敎改革。許多異敎徒遭到迫害，并逃亡到其他國家。

H：So, you mean people didn't enjoy religious freedom in England?

那你的意思是人們沒有宗教自由?

J：Yes, that's why Puritans moved to the New World, where they believed they could establish a heaven for Puritans. Later on, it was these Puritans who founded Harvard College.

是的，這就是清教徒遷移到美洲新大陸的原因，他們相信可以在那里建立一個清 教徒的天堂。后來，就 是這些清教徒創(chuàng)建了哈佛學(xué)院。

H：Why did they want to found a college?

他們?yōu)槭裁聪氲揭ㄒ凰鶎W(xué)院呢?

J：Many Puritans had received classic style of higher education in Oxford University and Cambridge University back in England. They hoped that their descendants could receive this kind of education as well.

很多清教徒還在英國時，在牛津大學(xué)和劍橋大學(xué)接受了古典式的高等敎育。他們 希望自己的后代也能接 受這種教育。

H：Oh, I see.

噢，我明白了。

J：Actually Harvard was first named 'New College', without a formal name.

實際上哈佛最初的名字是“新學(xué)院”，并沒有正式的名字。

H：When did it begin to be called Harvard University?

什么時候改名為哈佛的?

J：In 1639, it was renamed after its major benefactor John Harvard. Interestingly, JohnHarvard himself was a clergyman.

1639年以捐贈者約翰·哈佛的名字重新命名。有趣的是，約翰·哈佛自己也是個牧師。

H：It seems that Harvard was predestined to be influenced by religion.

貌似哈佛注定要受宗教的影響。

J：Therefore, it’s not exaggerate to claim that had there not been religion, there would notbe Harvard.

所以，在一定程度上說，如果沒有宗教就沒有哈佛一點都不夸張。

H：Wow, I didn’t know that religion had played such an important role in Harvard history.

哇，我以前不知道宗教在哈佛歷史上扮演了如此重要的角色。

J：Religion has been playing an indispensible part in Harvard history as well as the U.S.

宗教在哈佛的歷史中式必不可少的一部分，正如在美國歷史中一樣。

H：I finally begin to get to know Harvard. It seems that my knowledge of Harvard is rather poor. I have a lot work to do before applying for Harvard.

我終于開始了解哈佛了?？磥砦覍τ诠鸬闹R很匱乏。在申請哈佛之前我有很多工作要做。

J：Remember that Harvard is a part of the United States. So you have to know the U.S. history and culture if you want to have in-depth knowledge of Harvard. The two are closely related.

記住，哈佛是美國的一部分。所以，如果你想深入了解哈佛，你就必須得知道美國的歷史和文化。兩者 是緊密相連的。

H：That’s right. I have a lot to learn from you.

對，我要向你多多學(xué)習(xí)。

J：You can ask me any question at any time.

有問題可以隨時問我。