每年六月，在毕业典礼这一天，哈佛大学都铺出深红地毯迎接3.2万多人的到来。

It is the most important 24 hours on campus not only for students receiving diplomas (and their families and friends),

这不仅对于领取学位证书的学生（及其家人和朋友）来说是最重要的一天，对于所有 哈佛人来说也是最重要的一天。

But also for the collective Harvard community, past and present, that converges to join the celebration.

这一天，过去和现在的哈佛人汇聚到一起参加这一庆 典。

Harvard Yard is ablaze with reds, blues, greens, and gold.

哈佛校园闪耀着红蓝绿金等各种颜色。

The varied flags of the university's numerous colleges decorate the yard for the Commencement.

毕业典礼上，哈佛各个学院的旗帜装饰着 校园。

The ceremony is comprised of three components: the ceremonial Morning Exercises, during which University degrees are conferred;

典礼包括三个部分：早晨的正式典礼，包括学位授予；

The mid-day luncheons and diploma-awarding ceremonies at the undergraduate Houses, Graduate and Professional Schools;

午宴和在本科生学舍、研究生院及专业学院举行的证书颁发典礼；

And the afternoon Annual Meeting of the Harvard Alumni Association,

下午的哈佛校友会年会，

During which Harvard's president and the featured Commencement speaker deliver their addresses.

哈佛校长和著名演 讲者发表讲话。

The Moring Exercise usually starts early, at about six o'clock.

早晨的典礼通常开始地很早，大约6点就开始了。

Degree confirmation is the most important moment for graduating students.

学位授予对即将毕业的学生来说是最重要的一刻。

Bachelors, masters, and doctors wear different gowns. It is the hood that has the greatest degree of symbolism.

学士、硕士和博士穿的学位服各不一样。学位服垂 布最具象征意义。

A master's hood is three and one-half feet long，the doctor's is four feet,

硕士服的垂布有3.5英尺长，博士 的是4英尺，

But both have a silk lining in the colors of the university.

但硕士服和博士服的里绸都是深红色

All Harvard hoods are black on the outside, and lined in crimson the color, officially described as that of arterial blood,

所有哈佛学位服的垂布都是外面是黑色，里面是深 红色。深红色被认为是动脉血的颜色，

Formally adopted as the official every color of the University in 1910.

并于1910年 被正式选定为哈佛大学官方制服的颜色。

Academic regalia recall medieval times when scholars were clerics who wore robes，

学位服让人想起中世纪，那时学者们都是牧师，他们穿着长袍、

Hoods, and capes to shield themselves from European winters.

戴着兜帽、披着 披肩，为了抵御欧洲寒冷的冬天。

Today's academic gown almost certainly evolved from the inner robes or tunics of those medieval scholars.

几乎可以肯定今天的学位服是从那些中世纪学者的 贴身长袍或上衣发展过来的。

Every Commencement, graduates of Harvard's various Schools bring in props to wave as Harvard's president confers their degrees:

每年的毕业典礼上，哈佛各个研究生院的学生都会带一些道具，用来在哈佛校长 给他们授予学位的时候挥舞：

Plastic globes for Harvard Kennedy School students or school workbooks for those from the Graduate School of Education, for example.

例如，哈佛肯尼迪学院的是塑料地球仪，研究生教育学 院的是学校工作簿。

In 2009, graduating students from Harvard Medical School sported surgical masks, making them look like...

2009年，哈佛医学院的毕业生玩弄的是手术口罩，让他们看起来 像……

Well, pandemic-shy residents of major cities around the world.

世界各主要城市的那些很讨厌流行病的居民一样。

With thousands of people crammed into Harvard Yard for Thursday's ceremonies and swine flue out and about,

成百上千的人涌入哈佛校园 参加周二的典礼，猪流感到处流动，

It was unclear whether the newly minted docs were toting masks in the spirit of the day or out of an abundance of caution.

不清楚这些刚成为医生的学生是本着当夭的精神 携带这些口罩，还是过于小心了。

Both perhaps?

或两种原因皆有？