J：Han Meimei, What's your plan for the weekend?
韩梅梅，你周末有什么计划?
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?
我打算去哈佛大学四处转转，了解一下。实话告诉你，我计划在高中毕业之后申请哈佛。我最好先了解 一下哈佛。你呢?
J：I get together with my Christian brothers on Saturdays.
我每周六都和教友们聚会。
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!约翰，我不知道你还信教。你 看上去就像个科学狂人，像《生活大爆炸》里的那个伦纳德。
J：Come on, Han Meimei, don’t make a fuss. A lot of Americans, including many scientists, believe in religion.
得了，韩梅梅，别大惊小怪的。很多美国人，包括很多科学家，都信仰宗教。.
H：But I’m really surprised. I thought science and religion are not compatible，are they?
但我真地很吃惊。我以为科学和宗教是不相容的，难道不是吗?
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。事实上，美国是世界上最发达、最笃信宗教的国家。
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?
我以前听说过一点点，但我不理解。既然人们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.
这有点复杂。以后你熟悉美国历史后就会有所了解。不管以前还是现在，宗敎都是美国人生活的一部分 。知道吗?甚至是哈佛大学这个学术性很强的机构，从某种意义上讲也是宗教的产物。
H：Really?
真的吗?
J：Absolutely!It was founded by a group of Puritan immigrants from England.
当然!哈佛是由一批来自英国的清教徒移民创建的。
H：Why was it founded by the Puritans? Where were the atheistic educators?
为什么由清教徒创建?那些无神论教育家呢?
J：Because most of the first English immigrants who came to the United States were Puritans.
因为第一批到美国的英国移民大多数是清教徒。
H：How come? I mean why most of them were religious people?
怎么回事?我的意思是为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.
那是因为在16和17世纪英国进行了一系列宗敎改革。许多异敎徒遭到迫害，并逃亡到其他国家。
H：So, you mean people didn't enjoy religious freedom in England?
那你的意思是人们没有宗教自由?
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，这就是清教徒迁移到美洲新大陆的原因，他们相信可以在那里建立一个清 教徒的天堂。后来，就 是这些清教徒创建了哈佛学院。
H：Why did they want to found a college?
他们为什么想到要建一所学院呢?
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.
很多清教徒还在英国时，在牛津大学和剑桥大学接受了古典式的高等敎育。他们 希望自己的后代也能接 受这种教育。
H：Oh, I see.
噢，我明白了。
J：Actually Harvard was first named 'New College', without a formal name.
实际上哈佛最初的名字是“新学院”，并没有正式的名字。
H：When did it begin to be called Harvard University?
什么时候改名为哈佛的?
J：In 1639, it was renamed after its major benefactor John Harvard. Interestingly, JohnHarvard himself was a clergyman.
1639年以捐赠者约翰·哈佛的名字重新命名。有趣的是，约翰·哈佛自己也是个牧师。
H：It seems that Harvard was predestined to be influenced by religion.
貌似哈佛注定要受宗教的影响。
J：Therefore, it’s not exaggerate to claim that had there not been religion, there would notbe Harvard.
所以，在一定程度上说，如果没有宗教就没有哈佛一点都不夸张。
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历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.
宗教在哈佛的历史中式必不可少的一部分，正如在美国历史中一样。
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.
我终于开始了解哈佛了。看来我对于哈佛的知识很匮乏。在申请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.
记住，哈佛是美国的一部分。所以，如果你想深入了解哈佛，你就必须得知道美国的历史和文化。两者 是紧密相连的。
H：That’s right. I have a lot to learn from you.
对，我要向你多多学习。
J：You can ask me any question at any time.
有问题可以随时问我。
