七大英博物馆：不列颠多元文化研究

The British Museumis a museum of human history and culture situated in London.Its collections，which number more than seven million objects，are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents，illustrating and documenting the story of human culture fromits beginning to the present.

坐落于伦敦的大英博物馆承载了万千人类历史和文化。馆中藏品达700多万件，是世界上最大且最全面的博物馆，其藏品来自各大洲，阐明并记录了从古至今人类文明的发展历程。

The British Museum was established in 1753，largely based on the collections of Sir Hans Sloane.The museum first opened to the public on 15 January 1759 in Montagu House in Bloomsbury，on the site of the current museum building.Its expansion over the following two and a half centuries has resulted in the creation of several branch institutions，the first being the British Museum of Natural History in South Kensington in 1887.Until 1997，when the current British Library building opened to the public，replacing the old British Museum Reading Room.

大英博物馆建于1753年，当时展品以汉斯·斯隆爵士的藏品为主。1759年1月15日，博物馆首次向公众开放，当时位于布卢姆斯伯里区的蒙塔古大楼，也就是现今博物馆所在地。此后两个半世纪，大英博物馆不断扩建并成立了一些分馆。1887年在南肯辛顿区成立的英国自然历史博物馆是其第一个分馆。直到1997年，如今的大英图书馆大楼才取代了原先大英博物馆内的阅览室，并向公众开放。

The museumis a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Culture，Media and Sport.As with all other national museums and art galleries in Britain，the Museum charges no admission fee，although charges are levied for some temporary special exhibitions.

该博物馆是个非属部门的公立机构，由英国文化、媒体和体育部赞助。与其他国家博物馆和美术馆一样，大英博物馆也免费开放，但对一些临时的特殊展览收费。

On 7 June 1753 King George II gave his formal assent to the Act of Parliament which established the British Museum.The Foundation Act added two other libraries to the Sloane collection.They were joined in 1757 by the Royal Library，assembled by various British monarchs.Together these four foundation collections included many of the most treasured books nowin the British Library including the sole surviving copy of Beowulf.

1753年6月7日，国王乔治二世正式通过议会法案，批准建立大英博物馆。另外，创建法案同意在原来的基础上增建两个图书馆以收藏斯隆爵士的藏品。1757年，藏有历代英国皇室藏书的王室图书馆与这三个图书馆合并。因此，由这四个图书馆组成的大英博物馆藏书中有大量异常珍贵的书籍，如《贝奥武夫》的现存独本。(www.xing528.com)

The British Museum was the first of a new kind of museum—national，belonging to neither church nor king，freely open to the public and aiming to collect everything.

大英博物馆是最早的新式博物馆。它属于国家，不属于国王或任何宗教，免费向公众开放，并旨在收藏万物。

The Round Reading Room，which was designed by the architect Sydney Smirke，opened in 1857.For almost 150 years researchers came here to consult the Museum's vast library.The Reading Room closed in 1997 when the national library（The British Library） moved to a new building at St Pancras.

由建筑师西尼·斯莫科设计的圆形阅览室于1857年开放。近150年来，研究人员来这里查阅了并大量的书籍资料。1997年，因为当时的国家图书馆（大英图书馆）要搬迁至圣潘可若斯的一座新楼中，所以阅览室在当年关闭。

W ith the bookstacks in the central courtyard of the museum now empty，the process of demolition for Lord Foster's glass-roofed Great Court could begin.The Great Court，opened in 2000，while undoubtedly improving circulation around the museum，was criticised for having a lack of exhibition space at a time when the museum was in serious financial difficulties and many galleries were closed to the public.

如今，博物馆中央庭院里书架已经空空如也，福斯特爵士的玻璃顶大中庭也开始遭到破坏。于2000年开放的大中庭，无疑扩大了博物馆的活动空间，但由于博物馆资金严重不足，许多展厅被迫关闭，一时间人们对这里展览空间的不足怨声四起。