博物馆热 The Museum Boom

近几年jìn jǐ nián，博物馆bówùguǎn忽然hūrán成chéng了le年轻人niánqīngrén最zuì热衷rèzhōng的de去处qùchù，一到yí dào假期jiàqī，热门rèmén展馆zhǎnguǎn的de门票ménpiào往往wǎngwǎng在zài开放kāifàng预约yùyuē的de几分钟jǐ fēnzhōng内nèi被bèi抢光qiǎngguāng。

In the past few years museums have suddenly become the place young people are keenest on, and once a holiday arrives, tickets to popular halls are often snapped up within minutes of booking opening.

有人yǒurén把bǎ这股zhè gǔ风潮fēngcháo称作chēngzuò“博物馆热bówùguǎn rè”，认为rènwéi它tā标志biāozhì着zhe大众dàzhòng审美shěnměi的de普遍pǔbiàn提升tíshēng。

Some call this current the "museum boom" and take it as a sign that public taste has risen across the board.

然而rán'ér，走进zǒujìn展厅zhǎntīng便biàn不难bù nán发现fāxiàn，相当xiāngdāng一部分yí bùfen观众guānzhòng的de注意力zhùyìlì并bìng不bú在zài文物wénwù本身běnshēn，而ér在zài如何rúhé拍出pāichū一张yì zhāng体面tǐmiàn的de照片zhàopiàn。

Yet walk into the galleries and it is not hard to see that a fair share of the visitors' attention is not on the objects at all, but on how to take a presentable photograph.

排队páiduì最长zuì cháng的de往往wǎngwǎng不是bú shì最zuì重要zhòngyào的de展品zhǎnpǐn，而是érshì最zuì上镜shàngjìng的de那nà一件yí jiàn。

The longest queue usually forms not at the most important exhibit, but at the most photogenic one.

姑且不论gūqiě búlùn动机dòngjī如何rúhé，人rén愿意yuànyì走进zǒujìn博物馆bówùguǎn，总zǒng不失为bù shī wéi一件yí jiàn好事hǎoshì。

Leaving the question of motive aside, the fact that people are willing to walk into a museum may still be counted as a good thing.

毕竟bìjìng，好奇心hàoqíxīn常常chángcháng始于shǐyú一次yí cì偶然ǒurán的de驻足zhùzú，一件yí jiàn青铜器qīngtóngqì的de纹样wényàng也许yěxǔ会huì在zài若干ruògān年nián后hòu突然tūrán被bèi想起xiǎngqǐ。

After all, curiosity often begins with one chance pause, and the pattern on a bronze vessel may surface in the mind again years later.

真正zhēnzhèng值得zhídé警惕jǐngtì的de，莫过于mò guò yú博物馆bówùguǎn为了wèile迎合yínghé流量liúliàng而ér把bǎ展览zhǎnlǎn办bàn成chéng布景bùjǐng，让ràng讲解jiǎngjiě让位于ràngwèi yú打卡dǎkǎ。

What really deserves vigilance is nothing other than a museum chasing online attention until the exhibition becomes a stage set, and interpretation gives way to the check-in photo.

一座yí zuò博物馆bówùguǎn的de价值jiàzhí，终究zhōngjiū不bú在于zàiyú它tā吸引xīyǐn了le多少duōshao人rén，而ér在于zàiyú有yǒu多少duōshao人rén因yīn它tā而ér改变gǎibiàn了le看待kàndài世界shìjiè的de方式fāngshì。

In the end a museum's value lies not in how many people it attracts, but in how many people it causes to change the way they see the world.

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

热衷rèzhōngto be keen on; to be enthusiastic about

风潮fēngcháocraze; a passing current or trend

姑且不论gūqiě búlùnleaving aside for the moment

不失为bù shī wéimay still be counted as; can pass for

驻足zhùzúto pause; to stop and look

迎合yínghéto cater to; to pander to

Grammar note 语法点

姑且不论…… — leaving aside the question of…

A formal way to set one issue aside so the argument can move on, while hinting that the issue is debatable. Usually followed by a clause introduced by 总/也/仍.

姑且不论成本，这个方案在时间上也来不及。 — Leaving cost aside, this plan is also impossible in terms of time.

不失为…… — may still be counted as

A concessive judgment: the thing is not perfect, yet it still qualifies as something worthwhile. Almost always followed by 一 + measure word + noun.

在没有更好办法的情况下，这不失为一个折中的选择。 — With no better option available, this may still count as a reasonable compromise.

莫过于…… — nothing is more … than

Marks a superlative in written style: of all cases, this one is the most extreme. Typically follows a topic such as 最值得警惕的、最大的遗憾.

人生最大的遗憾，莫过于明知该做却迟迟不做。 — Life's greatest regret is nothing other than knowing what you ought to do and endlessly putting it off.

Check yourself 小测验

1. According to the text, how fast do tickets to popular exhibition halls disappear?

2. What does the text observe about the longest queues in the galleries?

3. What does the author say a museum's value ultimately rests on?

After this reading

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博物馆热Bówùguǎn rèThe Museum Boom

Key words 生词

Grammar note 语法点

Check yourself 小测验

Reading is the easy part. Speaking is where you get stuck.

More HSK 6 reading practice