Han Meimei visits Li Lei and is asking Li Lei about his first week at Harvard.
H: You’ve told me about your life in the first week, now tell me something about your study. Do you have class in the first week?
H:你绐我讲了第一周的生活情况，现在给我说说学习吧。你们第一周有课吗？
L： The first week is the Shopping Week. It’s one of best things at Harvard in my opinion.
L:第一周是“shopping week",我认为这是哈佛最好的事情之一。
H： Shopping Week? I’m curious about it. How do you buy classes?
H: "shopping week" ?我很好奋，你们怎么买课？
L: We don’t buy. All the classes are for free. In the first week, you can go to any class as you want. You can go to as many classes as you want, and see whether you want to take that class.
L:不是买，所有的课都是免费的。在第一周，你可以去上任何你想去的课，去上多 少课都可以，看看你是不是想选那门课。
H: That’s wonderful. But why do you call it “shopping week” since you are not actually “buying” classes?
H:那很好呀。但既然也不是真的"买”课，为什么还叫"购课周”呢？
L: Because the way we choose classes is like the way we choose goods.
L:因为我们选课的方式和选择商品的方式 很_样。
H: Sounds interesting. But is it feasible? I mean you may not have enough time to go to every class. So you may miss some classes that you’re really interested in.
H:听起来很有趣。但可行吗？我的意思是 你们可能没有足够的时间去听每个课，所以有可能错过一些你真正感兴趣的课。
L： We don’t have to sit through the whole class. If I feel that the class doesn’t interest me and is boring, it’ll be a waste of time to continue to sit there.
L:我们不必听完整节课。如果我感觉这个课没意思，很无聊,坐在那儿就是浪费时间。
H: So, you can just leave?
H：所以说，你可以就那样走开？
L： Yes. We call it “shopping week” because during this period, the whole university is like a market. Students come and go. It’s bustling with noise and excitement.
L:是的，我们之所以叫它"购课周”就是因为在这段时间内，整个学校就像一个市 场。学生来去匆匆，很热闹。
H: What if the professors feel unhappy or angry?
H:如果教授感到不高兴或是生气呢？
L: They’ve experienced a lot of things like this, they won’t mind. No professor can ask students to stay quietly in the first week.
L:他们已经经历过很多类似的事情了，不会介意的。在第一固里，没有哪个教授可 以要求学生安静地呆着。
H： Is there really no constraint condition?
H:真的没有限制条件吗？
L: Almost no. The only mandatory class for freshmen is an expository writing class. There are other requirements for graduation, but there are four long years during which I can get those out of the way.
L:几乎没有。新生唯一必须上的课是说明文写作课。对于毕业也有其他要求，但我 有四年足够长的时间来达到这些要求。
H: You can arrange your own classes every semester as long as you meet the minimal requirements for education? Cool!
H:只要你满足了最低的毕业要求，你毎学期都可以安排自己的课？太酷了丨
L： In this way, we, to some extent, can design our own education. It，s a challenge but a benefit at the same time.
L:这样在某种程度上，我们就可以设计自己的敎育。这是个挑战，同时也是个好处。
H： I believe most students will love the shopping week.
H:我相信大部分学生都会喜欢购课周。
L: Yes, the first week is full of excitement. But students begin to get down to business in the second week. studying at Harvard is not a piece of cake.
L:是的，第一周充满了激动和兴奋。但学生第二周就开始做正事了，在哈佛学习可 不是件容易的事。
H； That’s for sure, or it will not be Harvard.
H:那肯定了，要不然就不是哈佛了。
L: I could hardly imagine the scene that many student stay up all night in the library.
L:我以前很难想象很多学生在图书馆里整晚不睡这一情景。
H: Really? I only know that Harvard students may sleep less than students in other universities. Don't they sleep at all?
H:真的吗？我只知道哈佛的学生睡得可能比其他大学的学生少。他们都不睡吗？
L: They’re not immortal and need sleep, that’s out of question. However, they often study and sleep in the library several nights of a week, in particular during the exam weeks.
L:他们也是人，当然需要睡觉。只是，他们经常几个晚上都在图书馆里学习和 睡觉，特别是在考试周。
H: The point is, are the libraries open all night?
H:关键是，图书馆整晚都开门吗？
L： Surprised? My friends in China often complain that they can’t even find a place where they can study without being disturbed. The libraries open late in the morning and close early in the afternoon,
L:吓一跳？很多在国内的朋友经常抱怨找不到一个不被打扰、可以学习的地方。图 书馆早上很晚才开，下午很早就关门了。
H: A university must provide students with the atmosphere of study. Otherwise, students may tend to be lazier. For example, if they can't find a place to study, they will find a place to play.
H: 一个大学必须为学生提供良好的学习气氛。否则，学生可能就倾向于变懒了。比 如，假如他们找不到可以学习的地方，他们就会去找可以玩的地方。
L: Definitely! Although internal cause is the fundamental cause, external cause may play a role and even can change the result.
L:肯定了!虽说内因才是根本原因，但外因会起作用甚至改变结果。