走进哈佛大学 第4期:从宗教大学到非宗教大学

 　　Harvard College was founded in 1636 as a Puritan institution and a training ground for ministers. In the first 200 years, however, it gradually shook off the religious control and became a secular¹ university.

　　1636年哈佛学院成立时，是个清教机构和培养牧师的地方。但在前200年它逐渐 摆脱了宗教控制，成为一所非宗教大学。

　　During its early years, the College offered a classic academic course based on the English university model but consistent with the prevailing² Puritan philosophy of the first colonists³ in New England. Many of its earliest graduates went on to become clergymen in Puritan churches throughout New England. The Puritan minister in town provided direct oversight⁴ of Harvard.

　　早期的哈佛学院按照英国大学的模式开设了古典学术课程，但这些课程仍都保持与新英格兰第一批殖民者的清教哲学一致。早期很多学生毕业后都继续在新英格兰各 地的清教教堂里当牧师。剑桥（又称坎布里奇）镇上的清教牧师直接监督哈佛大学。

　　Harvard’s early motto was Christo et Ecclesiae “For Christ and the Church” instead of Veritas “Truth”. The purpose of all education was to “let every student be plainly instructed, and earnestly pressed to consider well, the main end of his life and studies is, to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life, and therefore to lay Christ in the bottom, as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and learning.”

　　哈佛大学早期的校训是“为基督，为教会”而不是“真理”。教育的全部意义在 于“让每一位学生都认真考虑以认识神与耶稣基督为永生之源，作为他人生与学习的 主要目标，因而以基督作为一切正统知识和学习的惟一基础。”

　　Obviously, this motto was preached during a period when Puritanism was in domination and when the Untied⁵ States had not yet founded. From 1607 when the first English colony Jamestown was founded to 1776 when American Revolution broke out, almost all the English colonies in North America had established religions. These colonies discriminated⁶ and persecuted⁷ believers in deism and atheism⁸, and restricted the development of science. Even so, Harvard College was brave enough to struggle against Puritanism. The 1708 election of the first president John Leverett marked a turning of the College toward intellectual independence from Puritanism. Although he was a clergyman, Leverett set the principle of independence of Harvard academy of religion.

　　非常明显，这个校训是在美国建国前的宗教专制时期鼓吹的。从1607年第一个 英属殖民地詹姆斯敦建立开始，直至1776年的美国独立战争，北美洲各英属殖民地 都有法定宗教。这些殖民地歧视和迫害自然神论和无神论的信仰者，并且限制科学的 发展。即便如此，哈佛学院仍勇敢地同清教主义做斗争。1708年第一任校长约翰李 维立特的当选标志着哈佛学院开始独立于清教。虽然李维立特是个牧师，但他确定了 哈佛学术独立于宗教的原则。

　　After the foundation of the United States，Christian tyranny was eliminated and the cause of education which pursued truth and science began to develop. Then in 1805 the takeover of Harvard by the Unitarians resulted in the secularization⁹ of Harvard. In 1843, Veritas “Truth” was adopted as the motto.

　　美国建国后，消灭了基督教专制，追求真理和科 学的教育事业开始发展起来。1805年一位论派接管了 哈佛，致使哈佛从宗教中分离出来。1843年“真理”成为哈佛校训。

　　Harvard University is a secular university now. However, there has, in recent years, been voices criticizing its secularity¹⁰. Some people argue that the study of religion at Harvard is uniquely dysfunctional while the study is very important to analyze¹¹ today’s world. They argue for more attention to the study of religion. It seems that the war between “reason” and “faith” will go on.

　　哈佛大学现在是个非宗教大学。但近些年来一直 有声音批评其世俗化。一些人争辩说哈佛的宗教研究 极其不到位，而宗教研究对于分析当今世界是非常重 要的。这些人认为应该给予宗教研宂更多的关注。看 来“理性”和“信仰”之争会持续下去。

 

1 secular   

n.牧师，凡人；adj.世俗的，现世的，不朽的

参考例句：

• We live in an increasingly secular society.我们生活在一个日益非宗教的社会。
• Britain is a plural society in which the secular predominates.英国是个世俗主导的多元社会。

2 prevailing   

adj.盛行的；占优势的；主要的

参考例句：

• She wears a fashionable hair style prevailing in the city.她的发型是这个城市流行的款式。
• This reflects attitudes and values prevailing in society.这反映了社会上盛行的态度和价值观。

3 colonists   

n.殖民地开拓者，移民，殖民地居民( colonist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Colonists from Europe populated many parts of the Americas. 欧洲的殖民者移居到了美洲的许多地方。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Some of the early colonists were cruel to the native population. 有些早期移居殖民地的人对当地居民很残忍。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。

5 untied   

松开，解开( untie的过去式和过去分词 )； 解除，使自由； 解决

参考例句：

• Once untied, we common people are able to conquer nature, too. 只要团结起来，我们老百姓也能移山倒海。
• He untied the ropes. 他解开了绳子。

6 discriminated   

分别，辨别，区分( discriminate的过去式和过去分词 )； 歧视，有差别地对待

参考例句：

• His great size discriminated him from his followers. 他的宽广身材使他不同于他的部下。
• Should be a person that has second liver virus discriminated against? 一个患有乙肝病毒的人是不是就应该被人歧视？

7 persecuted   

（尤指宗教或政治信仰的）迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的过去式和过去分词 )； 烦扰，困扰或骚扰某人

参考例句：

• Throughout history, people have been persecuted for their religious beliefs. 人们因宗教信仰而受迫害的情况贯穿了整个历史。
• Members of these sects are ruthlessly persecuted and suppressed. 这些教派的成员遭到了残酷的迫害和镇压。

8 atheism   

n.无神论，不信神

参考例句：

• Atheism is the opinion that there is no God.无神论是认为不存在上帝的看法。
• Atheism is a hot topic.无神论是个热门话题。

9 secularization   

n.凡俗化，还俗，把教育从宗教中分离

参考例句：

• But secularization of modernity society made the two prerequisites impossibility. 然而现代社会的世俗化使得这两个前提不复存在。 来自互联网
• So heart will be also inadvertently been secularization of. 以至于心也在不经意间被俗化了。 来自互联网

10 secularity   

n.世俗主义，凡俗之心，烦恼

参考例句：

• Secularity (adjective form secular) is the state of being separate from religion. 世俗或俗世是指脱离宗教的状态。 来自互联网
• Confronting with the secular society, they were endowed with much secularity. 但因置身世俗社会，她们的活动又被赋予了世俗特性。 来自互联网

11 analyze   

vt.分析，解析 (=analyse)

参考例句：

• We should analyze the cause and effect of this event.我们应该分析这场事变的因果。
• The teacher tried to analyze the cause of our failure.老师设法分析我们失败的原因。