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There are two Massachusetts Halls in New England. One is at the Bowdoin College, in Brunswick, Maine. The other, which is also the most mentioned? one, is on Harvard Campus, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The latter was erected between 1718 and 1720 in Harvard Yard. It is the oldest surviving building at Harvard College, and second oldest academic building in the United States (The Wren Building at College of William & Mary is the oldest). As such, it’s significance in the history of the United States and American education speaks for itself
在新英格兰有两个马萨诸塞堂。一个坐落于缅因州布伦兹维克的鲍登学院；另一 个，也是人们最经常提到的那个，位于马萨诸塞州坎布里奇市哈佛大学的校园里。后 者建造于1718年到1720年之间，是哈佛学院现存的最古老的建筑，也是除了威廉和 玛丽学院的雷恩教学楼外美国最古老的学术大楼。因此，它在美国历史和美国教育史 上的重要性是不言而喻的。
As an building that is almost 300 years old, Massachusetts Hall at Harvard has gone through many ups and downs, and is replete with historical significance. Originally, it was built as a dormitory that could contain 64 students. During the Revolutionary War, it sheltered soldiers of the Continental Army. 640 Continental soldiers took quarters in the hall. Much of the interior woodwork and hardware disappeared at this time. While designed as a residence for students, the hall has served many purposed through the years. In 1722, for example, the hall housed an informal observatory. Therefore, for most part of its history, it was used as a dormitory, offices, and administration space. In 1924，the hall was threatened with destruction when a fire broke out on the roof. A good deal of the wall had to be torn down in an endeavor to trace the source of the fire.
作为有近300年历史的古建筑，马萨诸塞堂经历了许多跌宕起伏,充满了历史意义。 最初建马萨诸塞堂的目的是为了建一个能容纳64名学生的宿舍楼。在美国独立战争 时期，马萨诸塞堂成了大陆军的避难所，640名大陆军在那里住宿。在此期间，大堂 内部有很多木制品和金属制品都消失不见了。虽然学校把大堂设计为学生宿舍，但这 些年来大堂担当了很多角色。例如，1722年大堂里就有一个非正式的天文台。因此， 马萨诸塞堂大部分时间都被用作宿舍、办公室和管理处。1924年一场大火险些毁掉马 萨诸塞堂，为竭力找寻起火源头，大堂墙体的一大部分都不得不被拆除了。
In 1939, the Harvard president’s office moved from University Hall into the bottom floors of Mass. Hall. Parts of the top two floors of the building, however, are still used to house around 20 freshmen. This tradition of bringing the two power poles of Harvard into close proximity has been passed on. In recent years, however, there are rumors that the hall will be sold by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences to the central administration of the University. Many people are agUinst this trade, because the odd mixture of “lowly” undergrads and top administrators is unique and worth preserving. For Harvard people, the tradition and symbolism of housing freshman above the offices of the president and provost outweighs the practical benefits of using the dormitory space on top two floors for other purposes.
1939年哈佛大学校长办公室从大学堂搬到了马萨诸塞堂的底部楼层。虽然如此， 最高的两层楼仍被用作宿舍，可以容纳大约20名左右新生。从那以后，这个让在哈 佛大学处于权力两极的人近距离接触的传统保留了下来。但在近几年，有传言说文理 学院的人要把马萨诸塞堂卖给大学的管理中心。许多人都反对这一交易，因为“地位 低下”的本科生和校领导同居一楼这一奇怪的混合很独特，值得保留。对哈佛人来说， 让新生住在校长和教务长办公室的楼上有其传统和象征意义，这种意义超过了把最高 两层楼的宿舍用作其他用途而产生的实际利益。
It won’t be strange if Harvard students protest against this trade. In history, Massachusetts Hall was taken over by students. In 2001, several dozen students occupied the hall for three weeks to protest the low wages paid to workers. Eventually, the school authority resigned. Therefore, it is not impossible for students to have a sit-in to guard the tradition of Massachusetts Hall.
如果哈佛学生抗议这一交易的话，也不奇怪。历史上，马萨诸塞堂就曾被学生占领过。2001年 数名学生为了抗议低工资水平，占领了大堂达三 星期之久。最后，校方妥协了，并同意增长工资。 所以学生为了保卫马萨诸塞堂的传统而再次占领 马萨诸塞堂也不是不可能的。
