T: Morning, Kerry! You have shadows under your eyes. It seems that you didn’ t sleep well last night. What’s the matter?
T；早上好！凯瑞！你有黑眼圈，昨晓设睡好吧。出什么事儿了吗？
K： Oh, I did have a sleepless night after having watched a piece of news about the University of Cambridge. It sent shivers down my spine.
K:我昨晚的确失眠了，就是因为看了电视上一则有关英国剑桥大学的新闻。真让我毛骨悚然。
T： Now you have really hooked my curiosity. As far as I know, the University of Cambridge is consistently ranked in the world’s top five universities and the leading university in Europe by numerous media and academic rankings. How can it terrify you?
T:你现在激起我的好奋心了。据我所知，剑桥大学稳 居世界大学排名的前五名，还被众多媒体和学术机构 评为欧洲最好的大学。关于这样一所大学的消息怎么 会吓到你呢？
K： Yes, you are quite right. This is a university with over 800 years history, thus, it provides a platform for those myths and legends.
K:你说得对。这是一所有着 800多年历史的大学，所以它也为众多奋谈和传说提供了素材。
T: 800 years? Are you sure? That’s quite a long time!
T: 800年？真的吗？这真是_段漫长的时光！
K： Of course. The year of 2009 marked its 800 th anniversary.
K:是的。 2009年剑桥大学迎来了 800周年校庆。
T: So what myth or legend have you heard about?
T:那么你从新闻里听到了什么样的奇谈或是传说呢？
K: On the evening news last night, the ghost in the university has become the talk of the town....
K:在昨晚的晚间新闻里，剑桥大学里的鬼影已经成了街头巷尾的话题……
T: You are kidding, aren’ t you? There is no such a thing existing in the world.
T：你在开玩笑吧？世界上根本没有这种东西。
K: No, I’m serious. In the video shot by a tourist at the campus, we can see a blurred white shadow go through the wall and enter fee castle of a college.
K:不，我是说真的。有位游客在校园里拍了一段视频，上面有个模糊的白色影子直 接穿过了城墙，进入了一个学院的古堡里。
T: A ghost? Even though the university manages to maintain its medieval appearance since its foundation, with those lawn, rivers, castles, it cannot be a place of ghost.
T：鬼？即使剑桥竭力保持了自其创始以来的中世纪风貌，有草坪、河流、古堡等等， 那也不代表它就成了座鬼城呀。
K: Students of this university believe that’s Crowell’s spirit. People had the head of this beheaded revolutionist buried somewhere at the campus. As the alumni, he may sometimes feel like returning to his old dormitory.
K:剑桥大学的学生认为那是克伦威尔的鬼魂。听说这位被斩首的革命家就是被埋在 了剑桥大学里。作为校友，克伦威尔可能有时候想要回自己原来的宿舍看看。
T: This story completely makes no sense. It must be made up to boom the local tourism. Don’ t be mocked.
T:这些故事都是毫无根据的。它们是被编出来刺激当地旅游业发展的。你可别上当了。
K: All right. Maybe J shouldn't trouble until trouble troubles me. By the way, do you know the relationship between Oxford and Cambridge?
K:你说得对。也许我不该自寻烦恼。对了，你了解牛津大学和剑桥大学之间的关系吗？
T: A little. I find some materials online that tell me they are both friends and rivals.
T:知道一点儿。根据我在网上査到的资料，他们既是朋友，又是对手。
K: Oh, in my eyes, they have much cultural and practical association as a historic part of British society. You see, both of them are ranked the top five universities in the world; they both locate in the British Island, and Cambridge is founded by scholars leaving Oxford after a dispute with the townsfolk there.
K:噢，在我眼中，它们之间有着众多文化和实践的结含，都是英国社会历史的一部分。你瞧，它们都是世界排名前五的大学，都位于大不列颠岛上，而且剑桥是在 —群牛津的学者们为了躲避与当地人的争斗，离开了牛津之后建立起来的。
T: However, on the other hand, they are in a long competition since then.
T：但是从另一方面来看，剑桥自创立的那一天起，就和牛津展开了漫长的竞争。
K： Please elaborate this part, OK? I’ d like more examples.
K:你能详细说说吗？我想听听。
T: There’re plenty cases which can justify my point. For instance, during every Easter holiday, these two universities would begin the Boat Race, and this tradition has been maintained since the 19 th century!
T:例子可多着呢。比如，在每年的复活节放假期问，这两所大学就会举办“牛津剑桥划艇比赛”,这一传统可是从 19世纪就已经流传下来的！
K: Boat Race? Why?
K:"划艇比赛”？为什么是比这个项自呢？
T： Because they cannot tell which one is better academically, and sports is one of the most reasonable ways to pick out a winner.
T:因为它们没法决出哪所学校在学术上更为出色，而体育运动就是能够含情含理地挑选出臝家的最好方式之一。
K； Oh, I remember that the Boat Race is a rowing race in England between the Oxford University Boat Club and the Cambridge University Boat Club. The first race was in 1829 and it has been held annually since 1856， each spring on the Thames in London with the exception of the two world wars.
K:哦，我想起来了，这个划艇比赛是在英格兰举行的剑桥大学划艇俱乐部和牛津大学划艇俱乐部之间的比赛。第一次比赛是在 1829年，除了在两次世界大战期间暂停过以外，自 1856年以来每年都在伦敦的泰晤士河举行。
T: This event is very popular. About a quarter of a million people watch the race live from the banks of the river, around seven to nine million people on TV in the UK.
T:这个比赛很受欢迎。在英国，大约有 25万人在泰晤士河河岸现场观看比赛，有 700万到 900万人通过电视收看。
