走進(jìn)劍橋大學(xué) 第32期:牛津劍橋如影隨形

所屬教程:走進(jìn)劍橋大學(xué)

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2018年04月25日

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Oxbridge

牛津劍橋如影隨形

Oxbridge is a composite of the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge which are most famous in England and the term is now used to refer to them collectively, often with implications of perceived superior intellectual or social status. Oxbridge can be used as a noun referring to either or both universities or as an adjective describing them or their students.

“牛橋”是一個(gè)合成詞，是英國(guó)兩所最知名的大學(xué)牛津大學(xué)和劍橋大學(xué)的合稱(chēng)?，F(xiàn)在這個(gè)詞常用來(lái)代指這兩所大學(xué)，通常寓示著更高等的教育或社會(huì)地位。“牛橋” 可以作為一個(gè)普通名詞使用，指代兩所大學(xué)里任何一個(gè)學(xué)校，也可以用作一個(gè)形容詞來(lái)修飾這兩所大學(xué)或它們的學(xué)生。

Although both universities were founded more than seven centuries ago, the term Oxbridge is relatively young. In William Thackeray's novel Pendennis, published in 1849, the main character Pendennis wants to attend the fictional College, Oxbridge, but failed. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, this is the first recorded instance of the word. Virginia Woolf used it, citing Thackeray, in her 1929 essay A Room of One's Own. By 1957 the term was used in the Times Educational Supplement and in Universities Quarterly by 1958. Thackeray's Pendennis also introduced the term Camford as another combination of the university names, but this term has never achieved the same degree of usage as Oxbridge.

盡管兩所大學(xué)都建成于7個(gè)多世紀(jì)以前，“牛橋”這個(gè)說(shuō)法卻相對(duì)年輕。英國(guó)作家威廉薩克雷1849年完成的小說(shuō)《潘登尼斯》中的主人公想進(jìn)入一所叫“牛橋”的大學(xué)求學(xué)卻沒(méi)有被錄取。根據(jù)牛津英語(yǔ)詞典,這是關(guān)于這個(gè)詞的最早記載。弗吉尼亞伍爾夫曾經(jīng)在她1929年的散文《一個(gè)人的屋子》中引用了這個(gè)詞。1957年，泰晤士報(bào)的教育增刊用到了這個(gè)詞，1958年大學(xué)季刊也使用了這個(gè)詞。薩克雷在《潘登尼斯》中還創(chuàng)造了這兩所大學(xué)的另外一個(gè)合成詞“劍津”，但這個(gè)詞從來(lái)就沒(méi)有“牛橋”的使用頻率高。

Oxbridge is often used as shorthand for characteristics that the two institutions share. Firstly, they are the two oldest universities in continuous operation in England. Both were founded more than 800 years ago, and continued as England's only universities until the 19th century. Between them they have educated a large number of Britain’s most prominent scientists, writers and politicians, as well as noted figures in many other fields. Besides, they have established similar institutions and facilities such as printing houses, botanical gardens, museums, and debating societies. In addition, both universities comprise many buildings of great beauty and antiquity，sited on level terrain ideal for cycling, near slow- moying rivers suitable for rowing and punting. At each of the universities there is a college which has a Bridge of Sighs”，although neither resembles the original Bridge of Sighs in Venice.

牛橋通常被用來(lái)指代兩所大學(xué)共有的特征。首先，他們是英國(guó)歷史最為久遠(yuǎn)的兩所大學(xué)。他們都有超過(guò)800年的建校史,直至19世紀(jì)，他們?nèi)允怯⒏裉m僅有的兩所大學(xué)。英國(guó)最著名的科學(xué)家、作家和政治家及其他各界幾乎所有的知名人士都出自這兩所大學(xué)。此外，他們還有相似的機(jī)構(gòu)和設(shè)施，比如出版社、植物園、博物館、辯論社等。兩所大學(xué)還都有許多漂亮的古建筑，坐落在地勢(shì)平坦的地方，旁邊有靜靜流淌的河流，在這里騎車(chē)、劃船，撐篙十分愜意。兩所大學(xué)各有一座“嘆息橋”，盡管和威尼斯的嘆息橋重名，但它們截然不同。

Oxford and Cambridge also share a common collegiate structure: each university is composed of more than 30 autonomous colleges, which provide the environments in which groups of students live, work and sleep. Applicants must choose a specific college when applying to Oxford or Cambridge, or allow the university to select one for them, as all undergraduate and graduate students must be a member of one of the university colleges. All Oxbridge colleges are part of the university, and students studying the same subject are given lectures together, irrespective of which college they attend.

牛津和劍橋有著相似的組織結(jié)構(gòu)：它們都由30多所獨(dú)立學(xué)院組成。學(xué)生們可以在這樣的氛圍中一起住宿、工作和休息。申請(qǐng)人在申請(qǐng)這兩所大學(xué)的時(shí)候必須選擇一個(gè)特定的學(xué)院，或者讓校方為學(xué)生選擇學(xué)院，因?yàn)樗械谋究粕脱芯可仨毘蔀槟硞€(gè)學(xué)院的一員。牛橋的每個(gè)學(xué)院都是大學(xué)的一部分，不管在哪個(gè)學(xué)院，選擇同樣課程的學(xué)生都在一起上課。

Competition between Oxford and Cambridge also has a long history, dating back to around 1209 when Cambridge was founded by scholars taking refuge from hostile townsmen in Oxford.

牛津和劍橋之間有很長(zhǎng)的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)史，可以回溯到1209年左右，那個(gè)時(shí)候一些牛津?qū)W者為了躲避反對(duì)他們的人而來(lái)到劍橋，建立了劍橋大學(xué)。