博物馆的意义何在？ ⏲️ 6分钟英语：英语精读讲义

Six Minute English from bbclearningenglish.com.

来自 bbclearningenglish.com 的《六分钟英语》。

Hello, this is Six Minute English from BBC Learning English.

大家好，这里是 BBC 英语教学的《六分钟英语》。

I'm Neil.

我是尼尔。

And I'm Beth.

我是贝丝。

London has many tourist attractions from Big Ben to Buckingham Palace. 短語搭配

从大本钟到白金汉宫，伦敦有许多旅游景点。

Would it surprise you to hear 語氣意圖

如果你听说

that many tourists' top destination is actually a museum? 短語搭配

许多游客的首选目的地实际上是博物馆，你会惊讶吗？

The British Museum contains thousands of important artifacts,

大英博物馆收藏了数以千计的重要文物，

objects of special historical interest, 表達脈絡

即具有特殊历史意义的物品，

including ancient Egyptian mummies, an Aztec serpent and the Rosetta Stone. 文化背景

包括古埃及木乃伊、阿兹特克蛇神雕像和罗塞塔石碑。

In fact,

实际上，

London has museums on every subject from trains to fashion. 短語搭配

伦敦有涵盖从火车到时尚等各个主题的博物馆。

But recently,

但是最近，

many museums have been criticized for stealing ancient treasures during imperial times, 講解

许多博物馆因在帝国时代窃取古代珍宝而受到批评，

the age of the British Empire.

即大英帝国时期。

Many argue that these treasures,

许多人认为这些珍宝，

such as the famous Parthenon Marbles and Benin Bronzes, 文化背景

例如著名的帕特农神庙大理石雕塑和贝宁青铜器，

should be returned. 語法

应该被归还。

In this program,

在本期节目中，

we'll discuss the controversial role of museums in the 21st century, 用詞

我们将讨论博物馆在21世纪所扮演的引发争议的角色，

and as usual,

像往常一样，

we'll be learning some useful new vocabulary as well.

我们还将学习一些有用的新词汇。

But first,

但首先，

I have a question for you, Beth.

贝丝，我有一个问题要问你。

Another of London's most visited museums,

伦敦另一个参观人数最多的博物馆，

the Natural History Museum,

自然历史博物馆，

features a grand entrance hall, 用詞

拥有一个宏伟的入口大厅，

which for decades contained an impressive life-size model of a dinosaur. 用詞

几十年来，这里一直摆放着一个令人惊叹的与真实恐龙等大的模型。

But what was this iconic dinosaur's name? 用詞

但是这只标志性的恐龙叫什么名字？

Was it A,

是 A，

Dippy the Diplodocus,

梁龙迪皮（Dippy the Diplodocus），

B,

B，

Terry the Terradactyl?

翼龙特里（Terry the Terradactyl）？

or C,

还是 C，

Tyrone the Tyrannosaurus?

霸王龙泰隆（Tyrone the Tyrannosaurus）？

Uh, I think the answer is Dippy the Diplodocus.

呃，我认为答案是梁龙迪皮。

Okay, Beth.

好的，贝丝。

I'll reveal the answer later in the program. 短語搭配

我将在节目稍后揭晓答案。

Anthropologist Professor Adam Kuper has written a new book,

人类学家亚当·库珀（Adam Kuper）教授写了一本新书，

The Museum of Other People,

《他者博物馆》（The Museum of Other People），

which discusses the idea that many museum artifacts were stolen

书中探讨了许多博物馆的文物都是偷来的

and should be given back. 短語動詞

并且应该被归还的观点。

Here he speaks to BBC Radio 4 program,

在此，他接受了 BBC Radio 4 节目

Thinking Allowed.

《Thinking Allowed》的采访，

about two sides of the debate, 短語搭配

讨论了辩论的双方，

one,

一方

which saw European culture as superior, 語法

认为欧洲文化是优越的，

and another which didn't.

而另一方则不这么认为。

These are the two great ideologies of the imperial age. 用詞

这是帝国时代的两种伟大意识形态。

The one is that all societies begin from a very rough base, 習語

第一种是所有社会都从一个非常粗糙的基础开始，

you know,

你知道，

we all

我们所有人

our ancestors were hunter-gatherers at one stage.

我们的祖先在某个阶段都是狩猎采集者。

And then they go through the stage of farming, 短語搭配

然后他们经历了农业阶段，

industry,

工业阶段，

all this while they're getting smarter and smarter, 語法

在此期间他们变得越来越聪明，

their brains are getting bigger and bigger,

他们的大脑变得越来越大，

and they're moving from primitive magic to sophisticated religion, 表達脈絡

他们从原始的魔法转向成熟的宗教，

then maybe on to science.

然后可能转向科学。

So it's onwards and upwards. 習語

所以这是一直在向前和向上发展的。

That's the imperial idea.

这就是帝国的观念。

And we're going to help these other poor benighted people up the ladder with us. 講解

我们要帮助这些处于愚昧中的可怜人跟我们一起往上爬。

And opposed to this, 表達脈絡

与此相反，

there's this other 19th century ideology,

还有另一种19世纪的意识形态，

which says,

它认为，

"No,

“不，

this is an imperialist myth. 用詞

这是一个帝国主义神话。

We have our own culture.

我们有自己的文化。

There are no better or worse cultures. 語法

没有更好或更坏的文化。

There are just national cultures."

只有不同的民族文化。”

Imperialists believed that mankind progressed through stages, 短語搭配

帝国主义者认为人类是通过不同的阶段取得进步的，

starting as hunter-gatherers, 用詞

从狩猎采集者开始，

people who lived before the invention of farming

也就是生活在农业发明之前的人，

and survived by hunting and collecting food in the wild. 語法

他们靠在野外打猎和采集食物生存。

According to this view, 表達脈絡

根据这种观点，

white European culture was best because it was the most advanced. 用詞

欧洲白人文化是最好的，因为它是最先进的。

So it was their duty to help local cultures up the ladder, 語氣意圖

因此，他们有责任帮助当地文化“更上一层楼（up the ladder）”，

meaning to advance or make progress.

意思是取得进展或进步。

Adam Kuper uses the phrase "onwards and upwards"

亚当·库珀使用短语“onwards and upwards”

to describe a situation where things are improving,

来描述情况正在改善，

becoming better and better.

变得越来越好。

Of course,

当然，

things didn't get better for everyone, 表達脈絡

并不是每个人的情况都变得更好，

especially the people whose land and possessions were stolen.

尤其是那些土地和财产被偷走的人。

An opposing view argued that each culture is unique

相反的观点则认为每种文化都是独一无二的，

and should be valued and protected.

应该受到重视和保护。

The legacy of colonialism is now being publicly debated, 講解

殖民主义的遗产现在正被公开讨论，

but the question of returning stolen artifacts remains complex. 表達脈絡

但是归还被盗文物的问题仍然很复杂。

Firstly,

首先，

since many of these treasures are hundreds of years old,

因为许多这些珍宝都有数百年的历史，

who should they be returned to?

它们应该归还给谁呢？

What's more, 表達脈絡

此外，

the history behind these objects is complicated.

这些物品背后的历史很复杂。

In the case of the Benin Bronzes, 短語搭配

以贝宁青铜器为例，

for example,

比如说，

questions can be asked about the actions of local leaders 語法

可以对当地领导人的行为提出质疑，

as well as the European powers. 短語搭配

同样也可以对欧洲列强的行为提出质疑。

So how can museums display their artifacts to reflect this complex history? 用詞

那么博物馆应该如何展示其文物以反映这段复杂的历史呢？

Here's Professor Kuper sharing his ideas

以下是库珀教授在分享他的想法

with BBC Radio 4's Thinking Allowed.

在 BBC Radio 4 的《Thinking Allowed》节目中。

I want to see a lot more temporary exhibitions, 用詞

我希望能看到更多的临时展览，

and the kinds of exhibitions that I would be interested in 語氣意圖

而我感兴趣的展览类型

are not about one particular tradition, 語法

不是关于某一个特定的传统，

but about the relationships between different cultural traditions.

而是关于不同文化传统之间的关系。

Everything is interconnected. 用詞

一切都是相互联系的。

Of course,

当然，

these connections are sometimes violent, 表達脈絡

这些联系有时是暴力的，

sometimes oppressive,

有时是压迫性的，

sometimes very difficult,

有时非常艰难，

sometimes very painful.

有时非常痛苦。

But things are changing.

但是事情正在发生变化。

An exhibition is a display showing a collection of artifacts. 用詞

展览（exhibition）是展示一组文物的展示活动。

Adam Kuper wants exhibitions to tell truthful stories 習語

亚当·库珀希望展览能讲述真实的故事，

by showing the relationships between cultures

通过展示文化之间的关系

and how events are interconnected,

以及事件是如何 interconnected 的，

connected or related to each other.

即相互连接或相互关联的。

And these stories must include all cultures

而且这些故事必须包含所有文化，

going back almost to the dinosaurs. 習語

几乎追溯到恐龙时代。

And speaking of dinosaurs, 表達脈絡

说到恐龙，

Neil,

尼尔，

it's time for you to reveal the answer to your question. 短語搭配

是时候揭晓你问题的答案了。

What was the name of the famous dinosaur

那个迎接伦敦自然历史博物馆游客的

which greeted visitors to London's Natural History Museum? 用詞

著名恐龙叫什么名字？

I said it was Dippy the Diplodocus.

我说是梁龙迪皮。

Which was the correct answer.

这就是正确的答案。

The 26-metre-long dinosaur

这只26米长的恐龙

was displayed from 1905 until 2017, 語法

从1905年一直展出到2017年，

when it was replaced by the skeleton of a female blue whale,

之后它被一具雌性蓝鲸的骨架所取代，

promisingly named Hope. 語氣意圖

这具骨架被充满希望地命名为 Hope。

Okay,

好的，

let's recap the vocabulary we've learned,

让我们复习一下我们学过的词汇，

starting with artifact, 用詞

从 artifact 开始，

an object of historical significance.

具有历史意义的物品（文物）。

Hunter-gatherers were people

Hunter-gatherers（狩猎采集者）是指

who lived by hunting and collecting wild food

通过打猎和采集野生食物为生的人，

rather than farming. 短語搭配

而不是通过农业。

If someone moves up the ladder,

如果有人 moves up the ladder（更上一层楼），

they advance or make progress.

他们就是取得进展或进步。

The phrase "onwards and upwards"

短语 onwards and upwards（不断向上）

describes a situation where things are getting better and better.

描述了事情变得越来越好的情况。

An exhibition is a display of artifacts

Exhibition（展览）是

in a museum or paintings in an art gallery.

在博物馆中展示文物或在画廊中展示画作。

And finally,

最后，

the adjective "interconnected"

形容词 interconnected（相互联系的）

describes separate things which are connected or related to each other.

描述了相互连接或关联的独立事物。

Once again,

又一次，

our time is up. 短語搭配

我们的时间到了。

Join us again soon

欢迎您不久后再次加入我们，

for more trending topics.

了解更多热门话题。

Goodbye,

再见，

everyone.

各位。

Bye. Six Minute English from the BBC.

再见。来自 BBC 的《六分钟英语》。