Han Meimei and John meet on Sunday, and they are talking about John’s Saturday.

H: How is your Saturday?

H:你周六过得怎么样？

J: Fabulous！ You can go with me next time. I can introduce new friends to you.

J：好极了！下次咱们一起去，我可以介绍新朋友结你。

H: Thank you, I’ d like to make more friends, but I don't believe in religion.

H:谢谢，我想交更多朋友，可是我不信仰宗教。

J: Don’ t forget I’m a Christian， Han Meimei.

J：韩梅梅，别忘了我可是个基督徒哦。

H: Oh, John. I， m sorry. I intended no offense.

H:噢，约翰，不好意思，我没有冒犯的意思。

J: I know. I was kidding. I know China is quite different from America. Most of you people ', event)"> Han people have no faith in religion.

J：我知道，我开玩笑呢。我知道中国和美国很不一样，你们汉族人大都不信教。

H: Things are different now. Believe or not, now more and more Chinese people begin to believe in Christianity，

H:现在情况不一样了。信不信由你，现在越来越多的中国人开始信基督了。

J: Really? Unfortunately the United States is now in a crisis of faith.

J：真的吗？可惜的是美国现在却有了信仰危机。

H: Why?

H:为什么？

J: More and more American people, especially intellectuals?, don’ t know how to cope with the relationship between science and religion， and give up having faith in religion.

J:越来越多的美国人，尤其是知识分子，不知道如何处理科学和宗教的关系从而放弃了宗教信仰。

H: That’s my doubt as well.

H:那也是我的疑惑。

J: Take Harvard University as an example. There has been great disagreements over religious teaching. Most of its faculty believe that the primary goal of a Harvard education is the pursuit of truth through rational inquiry, and that religion has no place in that,

J：拿哈佛大学来说，对于宗教教学的不同意见有很多，大部分老师认为哈佛教育的首要目的是追求真理，这主要靠理性探究，不关宗教的事。

H: I remember you said that Harvard was initially founded by Puritans. It seems that religion was very important to Harvard.

H:我记得你说过哈佛最初是由清敎徒创建的，好像宗教对哈佛来说很重要啊。

J: That referred to the early history of Harvard University. The University gradually freed itself from Church control after nearly 200 years’ war between science and religion.

J：那指的是哈佛大学的早期历史。经过近 200年科学与宗教之间的战争，哈佛逐渐摆脱了教会的束缚。

H: I think it’s good for a university to be independent of any external control. Only in this way can it pursue academic freedom and make such great achievements now.

K:我倒认为一所大学能不受任何外界控制兩它来说是好事。只有这样它才能追求学术自由，并取得现在这样大的成就。

J： I’m not saying that Harvard should be controlled by the Church, but that it has gone from one extreme to another.

J：我不是说哈佛应该受控于教会，而是说它从一个极端走向了另一个极端。

H： Which extreme?

H:哪个极端？

J： At first, it was totally religious. Now, it is totally secular?.

J:起初它完全是宗教的，现在则完全世俗化了。

H: Doesn’ t it have Divinity School?

H:不是有神学院吗？

J： Yes, but the School is half a mile away from Harvard Yard, which implies that it is isolated

J:有是有，但神学院距离哈佛园有半英里呢，这暗示出神学院是孤立的。

H: John, you are too sensitive.

H:约翰，你太敏感了。

J: Am I? You know most professors who teach religion generally belong to other

departments, for example anthropology, and don’ t have their own department.

J:我有吗？要知道大多数教宗教的教授都是其他系的，比如人类学系，没有属于自己的系。

H: John, don’ t hit the ceiling.

H:约翰，别发火。

J: Students with more than a passing interest in religion are appointed to the Divinity School. And when the subject of religion comes up, the scholars on the Faculty of Arts and Sciences sniff at its seriousness.

J:那些对宗教不仅仅是一时感兴趣的学生都给送到了神学院。当有关宗教的问题出现时，文理学院的学者们都不屑一顾，不认真对待宗教问题。

H： I finally figure out why you， re angry. Actually you’re worrying about your future. You don’ t know what to do if you go to Harvard because you love both science and Christianity. Right?

H:我终于搞清楚你为什么生气了。实际上你在担心自己的将来吧，因为你既热爱科学也热爱宗教，所以如果你上哈佛的话，不知道该怎么做。

J： You hit the nail on the head.

J:一语中的。

H: Well, it’s a tricky? issue. I'm afraid our hands are tied.

H:这是个棘手的问题，恐怕我们无能为力。

J: Fortunately, some people have cried out for more attention to the study of religion.

J:幸运的是一些人已经开始呼吁给宗敎研究更多关注了。

H： It seems that the war between science and religion will go on, although science seems to be in the dominant position at Harvard now.

H:看来科学和宗教之争还会继续呀，虽然说现在科学在哈佛占据主导地位。

J: I just hope that the two don’ t repel.

J：我只是希望两者不要相互排斥。

H: Well, let things take their course.

H:好了，顺其自然吧。

J: Ok, forget it. Let’s walk around.

J:嗯，不去想了，咱们四处走走吧。