哈佛大学（Harvard University）是历史悠久的顶尖私立大学，为常春藤盟校（Ivy League）之一，它在学术研究上享有权威（authority）。历史长达将近四百年的哈佛大学，于二〇〇七年出现第一任女性校长，也就是现任的第二十八任校长德露．吉尔平．福斯特（Drew Gilpin Faust）。以下为哈佛大学的校史介绍和实用小会话，带读者认识哈佛大学。
Harvard University, which was founded by the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1636, is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States, and is consistently ranked as the top university in the world. Located across the Charles River from Boston in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the school was originally called New College. But several years later, its name was changed to Harvard in honor of John Harvard, an English minister who left half of his fortune and his library of some 400 books to the school when he died.
在西元一六三六年由麻州海湾殖民地所创办的哈佛大学，不但是美国最古老的高等教育机构，也一直名列为全球最顶尖的大学学府。哈佛大学座落于麻州的剑桥市，隔着查尔斯河与波士顿对望，最初名为新学院。不过，数年后，一位名叫约翰．哈佛的英国牧师身后将半数财产和四百多本藏书捐赠给该校，因此校名遂改为哈佛以兹纪念。
Although Harvard was originally established to train Puritan ministers, the curriculum gradually expanded in the 18th century, and Harvard College became Harvard University with the founding of the Medical School in 1780. Today, Harvard is one of the world’s most prestigious research universities, and while it’s most famous for its Law and Business programs, the university offers degrees in well over 100 fields of study. Given Harvard’s reputation, its list of famous alumni— including eight American presidents, prime ministers and princes, scientists and CEOs—is too long to include, and over 150 Nobel Prize winners have either attended or taught there.
虽然哈佛最早创办的目的是要训练清教徒牧师，不过其课程在十八世纪时逐渐扩展，哈佛学院也因在一七八〇年开设医学院而改制为哈佛大学。如今，哈佛是全世界最具威望的研究型大学之一，虽然其法律和商业课程最为出名，不过，该校有一百多种学术领域的学位课程。哈佛的声望非凡，因此著名的校友也不胜枚举，其中包括了八位美国总统、多位首相和王子、各领域科学家及企业执行长等，此外，也有一百五十多位诺贝尔奖得主曾在该校就读或任教过。
单字字汇
institution(n.) 机构
consistently (adv.) 依然，一贯地
minister (n.) 牧师，神职人员
establish (v.) 建立，创立
Puritan (n.) 清教徒
curriculum (n.) 学校全部的课程，（一门）课程
expand (v.) 扩大，扩展
prestigious (a.) 著名的，有名望的
research (n.) 研究，调查
reputation (n.) 名誉，声誉
alumni (n.)（复数）校友，单数为alumnus
【Small Talk实用小会话】
Greg: Here we are —the famous John Harvard statue. It was cast in 1884.
Lucy : Who was the sculptor?
Greg: Daniel Chester French. His best known work is the statue of Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial.
Lucy: That is famous! Say, why is his left toe so shiny?
Greg: Tourists rub his toe for good luck. It’s supposed to be a tradition among Harvard students, but it was actually just made up by tour guides.
桂葛：我们到了——著名的约翰．哈佛雕像，它是一八八四年铸成的。
露西：雕刻的人是谁啊？
桂葛：丹尼尔．切斯特．法兰西。他最有名的作品是林肯纪念馆中的林肯像。
露西：那真的很有名！欸，为什么它的左脚趾那么亮啊？
桂葛：游客会磨擦它的脚来沾好运。有人说这是哈佛学生的一项传统，不过，其实是导游编出来的。
单字字汇
cast (v.) 铸造
sculptor (n.) 雕刻家
memorial (n.) 纪念碑，塔，馆
make up (phr v) 编造，捏造