Han Meimei and John are on the way to Harvard Museum of Natural Science
J: There is one place that you can’ t miss when you come to Harvard.
J:你来到哈佛有一个地方是必须要去的。
H: I'd like to visit every comer of Harvard as soon as possible.
H:我想尽快转遍哈佛的每个角落。
J: Ha, the City of Rome was not built in one day. You can take your time when you become a member here. For now, I’ d like to show you the Museum of Natural Science.
J:哈哈，一口吃不了个胖子。你来这儿上学时可以慢慢转。但现在我想帯你去自然 历史博物馆。
H: No, John, I thought you’re going to take me to other places of Harvard. We haven’ t finished our Harvard trip. I don’ t want to go elsewhere.
H:不，约翰，我以为你要带我去哈佛的其他地方，我们的哈佛之旅还没完呢，我不想去其他地方。
J: We， re not going elsewhere， we， re going to a Harvard museum.
J：我们不是去其他地方，就是去哈佛的博物馆。
H: You what? Harvard museum? Don't fool me. How can a university have a museum?
H:你说什么？哈佛博物馆？别拿我开涮了，大学怎么可能 有博物馆呢。
J: Haven’ t you heard about university museums?
J:难道你没听说过大学博物馆吗？
H: No, I’m afraid not. I know I'm a little ignorant and ill-informed.
H:恐怕没有听说过。我知道我有点无知和孤陋寡闻。
J: Never and ever say that again. You， re learning.
J:千万别那样说，你在学习呀。
H: Thank you, John. I can’ t wait to see what the Museum of Natural Science looks like. Let’s go.
( They are appreciating the exhibits.)
H:谢谢你，约翰。我等不及要去看看哈佛自然历史博物馆是什么样了，咱们走吧。(他们在欣赏展品。）
H: I didn’ t expect that there’re a fair number of people.
H:我、没想到人还不少呢。
J： Today is Sunday, so many working people and school children come.
J:今天是星期天，所以有很多上班族和学生。
H; I thought the Museum is only for Harvard students.
H:我以为博物馆只是对哈佛的学生开放。
J: No, it serves the public. It’s the University’s most-visited museum, with more than 155,000 visitors every year.
J:不是的，它服务于大众，是哈佛大学客流量最多的博物馆，每车有 15,5万多人前来参观。
H: Not many, but quite enough for a university’s museum.
H:不是很多，但对于一个大学的博物馆来说已经是相当多了。
J： In fact, the Museum is only the“ public face” of other museums.
J:实际上这里只是其他博物馆的“脸面”。
H: What do you mean by saying that?
H:什么意思？
J： The exhibits here are only part of the whole collections of Harvard. There are other three museums whose main function is for research and study. The Museum, on the other hand, aims to arouse the public’s interest in natural history.
J:这儿的展品只是哈佛全部藏品的一部分而已。除了这个博物馆，还有三个博物馆, 其功能主要是调查和研究。而这个博物馆的宗旨就是引起人们对自然史的兴趣。
H: A good university will assume the responsibility to educate not only its own students but the whole society. And museums have the power to change the way we see and understand our world
H:一所好的大学会乘担起教育本校学生以及整个社会的责任。而且，博物馆可以改 变我们对世界的看法和理解。
J： You can say that again. Harvard University has done quite well on this point.
J:说得很对。哈佛大学在这方面做得很好。
H： Since it’s open to the public, I can visit quite often during my stay in Cambridge.
H:既然博物馆对外开放，那我待在玫布里奇期间就可以经常来参观了。
J： There are also many lectures given by Harvard faculty and other scientists each year. You can come and attend the lectures.
J：每年还有很多哈佛老师和其他科学家的讲座，你可以来听听。
H: Really? Great! I’ve been interested in natural evolution.( Suddenly Han Meimei halts to gaze at something.)
H:真的吗？太好了！我一直都对自然演变很感兴趣。(韩梅梅突然停下来盯着什么看。）
H: John， I've never seen such a big egg. Is it real?
H:约翰，我从没见过这么大的蛋，是真的吗？
J： Wow, that’s the elephant bird egg, I just read about it on books yesterday.
J： D圭，那就是象鸟蛋，我昨天刚在书上看到过。
H： So, you’ve never seen it before.
H:那你以前也从未见过喽。
J： No, this is the first time I’ve seen it. But I’ve done enough homework yesterday before being your guide today.
J：没有，只是我第一次见。但为了今天当你的导游，我昨天可是做足了功课。
H: I appreciate it.
H:我很感激。
J: I just perform the duties of a host. If I go to China, you will do the same thing.
J：我只是尽了地主之谊。如果我去中国，你也会这么做的。
H: That’s for sure.
H:那肯定了。
J： Let’s go back on the track. The elephant bird egg is the most precious treasure of the museum. It is the largest egg in the world.
J:回到正题，这个象鸟蛋可是镇馆之宝。它是世界上最大的蛋了。
H： As far as I know, the largest egg in the world is the ostrich’s egg.
H:据我所知，世界上最大的蛋是鸵鸟蛋啊。
J: That’s because the elephant birds are extinct now. This egg has a history of about 300 years.
J:那是因为象鸟现在已经灭绝了，这个蛋可有大约 300年的历史了。
H: I see.
H:我明白了。
J: It is said that the curator will guard the egg the whole day and is the only one who can touch it.
J:据说馆长会一天到晚守着它，其他人都不可以碰它。
H: It deserves to be the most precious treasure of the museum.
H:不愧是镇馆之宝呀。
J： There are many other rare and interesting exhibits. Let’s move on.
J:还有很多别的稀有和有趣的展品，往前走吧。
