走进哈佛大学 第17期:追求真理

 When you go to Harvard, you are welcomed by “Truth”. Harvard’s motto is “Amicus Plato, Amicus Aristotle, sed Magis VERITAS”. At Harvard, you'll find that “truth” is everywhere. The words on Harvard University Seal, every schools，seals，and Harvard gate are all “Veritas” which is the Latin word for “Truth”. “Pursuit of Truth” is the fundamental and unchanging spirit and rule of Harvard University.

当你走进哈佛时，迎接你的是“真理” 二字。哈佛大学的校训是“与柏拉图为友， 与亚里士多德为友，更要与真理为友”。来到哈佛，你会发现“真理”一词无处不在。 哈佛校徽、各学院的院徽、哈佛大学的校门上都有“真理” 一词的拉丁文“Veritas”。“追 求真理”是哈佛大学不变的、最基本的精神和规则。

The motto is not just empty talk. Instead, it is a real yardstick¹. All the decisions concerning Harvard5s fate must be measured and determined² by this yardstick. Today’s Harvard, like all the other university, is under great pressure coming from changing social needs which in turn are the results of rapid growth of emerging industries. All of these make new and urgent demands on the major setting and talents training of a university. In face of these pressures, should Harvard accept and even cater³ to the social demands, and turn its students into people with practical skills demanded by the society, or should Harvard stick to its principle, and maintain its independence, preventing Harvard turning into a factory for the society? Harvard people believe that they must stick to their own principles. Harvard will develop conforming to the trend of times, but it will not be led by the nose. Universities are not founded to solve social problems. They are different from vocational schools. Universities’ task is more important: to pass on to one generation of students to another the fundamental ideology⁴, knowledge, and methods which students need all life long.

这一校训绝对不是一句空话，而是一个实实在在的尺度，所有关于学校命运的重 大决定都要有这一尺度来做最终的衡量和判断。如今的哈佛大学同其他所有大学一样 也面临着社会需求的重大压力，新兴产业的飞速发展导致社会需求急速变化，从而对 大学专业设置和人才培养提出了一系列新的、迫切的要求。面对这种压力，是无原则 地接受，一味地去迎合社会眼前的需求，把学生培养成社会需要的实用型人才？还是 坚持自己的教育原则，保持大学的相对独立性，防止大学成为社会的“加工厂”？哈 佛人认为哈佛要坚持自己的原则，不是不去顺应时代的发展，而是不能让社会成为大 学的指挥棒。大学绝不仅仅是为了解决现实社会问题而设立的，大学不同于职业学校， 它有更为重要的任务，就是传授给一代又一代学生其一生都需要的最基本、最重要的 思想、知识和方法。

Harvard University has always been after its faith, making its best to resist any force that may compel it to deviate⁵ from the track . The pursuit of academy by Harvard professors and students has reached a crazy level. Harvard students’ passion for study is much higher than most students of the first-class universities in China. When students in China are worrying about how much they can earn a month, Harvard students are looking for their “Aristotle” in libraries. Either professors or students don’t care about money. What they care about is truth,

哈佛大学始终不渝地追求着自己的信念，竭力抵抗着各种可能迫使它偏离正确轨 道的压力。哈佛的教授和学生对学术的追求可以说达到了一种痴狂的境界。哈佛学生 学习的劲头要比国内一流大学的学生厉害得多。当国内学生在为一个月赚多少钱发愁 时，哈佛的学生却在图书馆里寻找着他们的“亚里士多德”。不管是教授还是学生， 他们不问报酬，只为追求真理。

1 yardstick   

n.计算标准，尺度；评价标准

参考例句：

• This is a yardstick for measuring whether a person is really progressive.这是衡量一个人是否真正进步的标准。
• She was a yardstick against which I could measure my achievements.她是一个我可以用来衡量我的成就的准绳。

2 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

3 cater   

vi.(for/to)满足，迎合；(for)提供饮食及服务

参考例句：

• I expect he will be able to cater for your particular needs.我预计他能满足你的特殊需要。
• Most schools cater for children of different abilities.大多数学校能够满足具有不同天资的儿童的需要。

4 ideology   

n.意识形态，(政治或社会的)思想意识

参考例句：

• The ideology has great influence in the world.这种思想体系在世界上有很大的影响。
• The ideal is to strike a medium between ideology and inspiration.我的理想是在意识思想和灵感鼓动之间找到一个折衷。

5 deviate   

v.(from)背离，偏离

参考例句：

• Don't deviate from major issues.不要偏离主要问题。
• I will never deviate from what I believe to be right.我绝不背离我自信正确的道路。