双语有声阅读：牛津大学副校长科林·卢卡斯在北京大学的演说

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Colleagues:

 

Because I am the Vice¹ Chancellor² of the oldest of the foreign universities represented here today,I have been chosen to speak on their behalf.I am pleased to be their voice in presenting our heartfelt congratulations to the professors, teachers, researchers and students of Peking University on the 100th anniversary of its foundation.

 

Our universities form a great intellectual community round the world. Science has no nationality; knowledge belongs to everyone.

 

Our universities create new knowledge. They teach this knowledge,together with that of other universities and also the best of the great storehouse of knowledge, which those who came before us have uncovered, tested and accumulated.

 

All universities contribute to the prosperity and success of their country. They also conserve³ the cultureand inheritance specific to their country’s civilization. But, they do more. Knowledge is secure only when it is hard won by the independent tests of accuracy,

rational explanation and truth. So, when we teach our students skills, we also give them values. On the one side, these are values for personal and civic⁴ conduct. On the other side, these values underwrite the personal need for independent understanding which is the source of human creativity.

 

These duties give universities a high responsibility. They are rooted in a great and fine tradition of honesty, free fearless enquiry and independence. Each university is a beacon⁵ of light in its own society and,by its association with its sisters, its knowledge and its values are spread wide.

 

A tradition is not built easily or quickly. During one hundred years, Peking University has been fashioning its tradition. Present and future members of the University! We hope to see you elaborate and consolidate⁶ your tradition. We hope to see you become a keystone of the intellectual community. In your next century, we hope to see you contribute to the international academic movment as a whole, as more and more of yournumbers come to participate in the activities of your sister universities.

 

Congratulations, Peking University on your first century of achievement!

 

 

1 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

2 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

3 conserve   

vt.保存，保护，节约，节省，守恒，不灭

参考例句：

• He writes on both sides of the sheet to conserve paper.他在纸张的两面都写字以节省用纸。
• Conserve your energy,you'll need it!保存你的精力，你会用得着的！

4 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

5 beacon   

n.烽火，（警告用的）闪火灯，灯塔

参考例句：

• The blink of beacon could be seen for miles.灯塔的光亮在数英里之外都能看见。
• The only light over the deep black sea was the blink shone from the beacon.黑黢黢的海面上唯一的光明就只有灯塔上闪现的亮光了。

6 consolidate   

v.使加固，使加强；(把...)联为一体，合并

参考例句：

• The two banks will consolidate in July next year. 这两家银行明年7月将合并。
• The government hoped to consolidate ten states to form three new ones.政府希望把十个州合并成三个新的州。