第4章 Yale University: Light and truth
耶鲁大学：光明和真理
英文导读
Back to its origin
Yale University is an American private Ivy League research university located in New Haven， Connecticut. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut， the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States (preceded only by Harvard University and the College of William and Mary) ， originally chartered as the "Collegiate School". For Yale"s strengths in the liberal arts and sciences， the university was awarded a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. Its excellent research programs have earned it membership in the Association of American Universities. Yale University claims that its goal is to "become a truly global university， educating leaders and advancing the frontiers of knowledge not simply for the United States， but for the entire world." The mission of Yale University is to seek exceptionally promising students of all backgrounds from across the nation and around the world and to educate them， through mental discipline and social experience， to develop their intellectual， moral and creative capacities to the fullest. The aim of this education is the cultivation of citizens with a rich awareness of our human heritage to lead and serve in every sphere of human activity. Yale University has nurtured five US presidents， 17 Supreme Court justices and Academy Award winners"Meryl Streep， Paul Newman， and Holly Hunter； and composer Cole Porter， etc.
More information
System： Yale University is made up of three main academic centers： Yale College (its undergraduate program)， Graduate School of Arts and Sciences， and its professional schools include the School of Art， the School of Divinity， the Law School， the School of Music and the School of Forestry & Environmental Studies.In addition， a bachelor"s degree from Yale College can increase your chances of getting into the Yale University Law School， whose J.D. programs are among the best in the world.Yale is one of the world"s greatest universities，whose students come from 108 different countries.
Undergraduate courses： Yale offers more than 2，000 undergraduate courses each year in the liberal arts and sciences， many taught by the most distinguished professors or esteemed faculty. These courses are spread across 13 schools as diverse as the School of Drama， the School of Engineering and the School of Public Health.Students have small classes， enjoy myriad opportunities to gain work experience and are encouraged to use their skills to serve the public.
生词助读
precede [pri(：)si：d] v. 先于；领先，优于；在……之前发生
charter [tɑ：t] vt. 发给……许可证；发给特许执照
collegiate [kli：diit] adj. 学院的，大学的；高校学生的
Phi Beta Kappa n. 美国大学优等生之荣誉学会
frontier [frntj] n. 前沿；边界
exceptionally [iksepnli] adv. 例外地，异常地，特殊地
intellectual [intilektjul] adj. 智力的；聪明的
capacity [kpsiti] n. 容量；才能
heritage [heritid] n. 遗产；继承物；传统
中文概述
耶鲁大学是一所坐落于美国康涅狄格州纽黑文的私立大学，创于1701年，初名"大学学院"。耶鲁大学是美国历史上建立的第三所大学（第一所是哈佛大学，第二所是威廉玛丽学院），该校教授阵容、学术创新、课程设置和场馆设施等方面堪称一流。耶鲁大学是美国历史上建立的第三所大学，今为常春藤联盟的成员之一。
耶鲁大学由三个主要的学术部分组成：耶鲁学院（本科），艺术和科学研究生院和专业学校。耶鲁大学非常重视本科生教育，许多杰出的教授也一直都在从事基础课程的教学。耶鲁学院是耶鲁大学的核心，共有65个系所，每年开设2000多门本科课程。报考本科的学生，除了成绩突出，还要具备独立果断的品质、富有想象力和创新精神等在综合素质基础之上的个性特长。
耶鲁最重要的管理特色是"教授治校"，这一特色对美国高等教育产生了巨大影响。建校初期，经过三代校长的努力，耶鲁逐渐形成了董事会不具体参与校务管理、而由教授会治校的法规。在当时的美国流传着这样一句话："普林斯顿董事掌权、哈佛校长当家、耶鲁教授做主"。
耶鲁不仅为美国输送了大批精英，也为世界培养了许多栋梁之才。耶鲁大学培养出了16位诺贝尔奖得主。有5位美国总统毕业于耶鲁，如第42任总统比尔·克林顿以及美国第43任总统小布什。耶鲁毕业生还成为众多著名大学的创始人或第一任校长，如普林斯顿大学、康奈尔大学、哥伦比亚大学、芝加哥大学等。耶鲁虽然以人文学科著称，但是其文理并重的风格同样为耶鲁造就了许多世界一流的科学家，如我国铁路桥梁专家詹天佑。耶鲁大学还为美国演艺圈输送了大批光彩照人的文艺明星，如两度夺取奥斯卡金像奖的著名影星梅丽尔·斯特里普。
梦想成功录
Water dropping day by day wears the hardest rock away.
滴水石穿。
What is learned in the cradle is carried to the grave.
儿时所学，终生难忘。
You never know what you can till you try.
是驴子是马，拉出来遛遛。