美國耶魯大學實驗室實習心得     Internship Experience at Laboratory of Yale University

國立清華大學 林晨蓓     Chen-Pei Lin  National Tsing Hua University

校園介紹篇     Campus Tour

 

 

校長Theodore Dwight Woolsey

President of Yale: Theodore Dwight Woolsey

 

耶魯藝廊     Yale University Art Gallery

 

耶魯Sterling圖書館與內部     Sterling Memorial Library

 

耶魯法學院     Yale Law School

 

 

法學院前的wall street與鐘塔     Wall Street and belfry in front of law school

 

 

 

 

耶魯大學位在美國東岸康乃狄克州、紐哈文市，是美國長春藤聯盟的其中一間，屬於沒有圍牆式的學校，校舍散佈整個紐哈文市。我第一天到學校參觀時便為這古老石材建築而成的景觀深深著迷，許多建築物都有兩三百年的歷史，然而卻沒有看到歲月刻畫的痕跡或斑駁，牆面的石材紋路仍然平整、清晰可見。剛抵達的時候為初秋，在刺眼的陽光下有涼風徐徐，稍有寒意，卻是宜人的氣候。頭幾天雖然受時差之苦，但我仍然天天往校園跑，假想自己是耶魯學生，一派輕鬆地徜徉在古色古香的歐式建築之中（其實是瑕疵百出的偽裝，我手中緊握著Google Map App深怕迷路還得向真正的學生問路。）

其中最大、且我看過最美的圖書館為Sterling Memorial Library，是依照哥德式教堂形式設計，因此內部有著教堂的拱門、屋頂與一幅聖母像。這個圖書館開放給所有人使用以及觀光客參觀（限制的時段內，其他系館內的圖書館需要身分認證方能進入），因此我又假裝成耶魯人，常常在閱覽室的美麗彩繪玻璃窗下讀書，閱覽室內的書架好似歷史悠久，已被鑲嵌在牆上百年，與我對面使用著蘋果３Ｃ產品的學生（時常抬頭會看到好多顆發亮的蘋果）形成時空交錯的場景，總讓人幻想是否哪位歷史名人曾經坐在這個位置，跟我一樣藉著日光讀書，此刻心中便不由得竊喜，再往下想他也許坐我隔壁，正在看我不認真讀書在做白日夢，此刻背脊發涼，心念一轉、趕緊讀書。

 

 在耶魯大學一定要去走訪的有Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library，一個用大理石砌薄成牆面，讓日光自然透射入內的珍貴古籍保存圖書館，裡面保存了古騰堡印刷的聖經以及林肯總統用來簽署獨立宣言的筆！可惜我去的時候它正在整修，只能看外圍印著Beinecke的帆布。另外還有唯一系所名次拚過哈佛大學的耶魯法學院。耶魯法學院位在Wall Street上，與其他系館沒有很大的外觀差別，卻培育出許多了不起的律師與政治人物。

 

除了建築如歐洲史詩電影一般迷人，耶魯大學的制度也像電影哈利波特一般有好幾個學院，共有12所，每個學院有自己的宿舍、餐廳與學生團體。這裡的學生有許多來自各個國家，我最常遇到的是中國人和韓國人（因為其他歐美國家我也看不出外表差別）。中國的學生很多，因而在近郊有中國學生社區，住的有大學生也有研究生，許多博士研究生會帶著家眷一同來美國居住。由於歐美人喜愛沐浴在陽光底下，時常走在校園會看到學生坐在樹下讀書，或是趴在草地上用電腦，就連板凳上也有人在寫作業，真實體認到讀書不需要天時、地利、人和，只需要陽光、板凳和書。

 

 走在耶魯的校園中感覺不像是走在大學裏面，比較像是走在一個食衣住行機能性高的城鎮，接近市中心的地方不但有各色料理的餐廳，還有劇院、購物場與耶魯美術館，館內收藏著古今藝術家的作品，其中更有多個畢卡索作品典藏於此。

 

 

Yale University is an American private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Its campuses stretch around New Haven. I was fascinated by its antique buildings on my very first day here. Even though the buildings are mostly over two to three hundred years old, rock patterns on the walls are still clear and distinct. It was early autumn when I first arrived, the breeze was slightly chilly with the sunlight dazzling,  but it was overall a comfortable weather. Though I was suffering from jet lag on the first few days, I still go around the campus imagining I'm one of the students there, feeling relaxing with historical European-style buildings surrounding me (actually I relied on Google Maps, I even had to ask actual Yale students for direction so that I do not get lost).

 

Sterling Memorial Library is the largest and the most beautiful library I have ever seen. It is a Gothic-style building that has arched doors, vaults, and the Alma Mater mural. The library is open to public and tourists (visitor's pass may be required for certain libraries at restricted hours). So, once again, I pretended to be like a Yale student and studied in the reading room with stained glass windows. The bookshelves looked antique like it has been embedded on the walls for more than a hundred years. It was a huge contrast with the student who was using Apple gadgets in front of me (many of them actually) and made me confused about the time and space. I can't help wondering if someone famous had sat here before doing the same thing as me. Maybe he was sitting beside me at the time, saw me daydreaming. This thought sent chills down my spine and I immediately continue back to studying.

 

Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library is a must-visit place in Yale University, renowned for its translucent marble facade which allows sunlight to shine into the interior that preserves precious literary archives, early manuscripts, and rare books. It even has the Gutenberg Bible and the pen used by President Lincoln to sign the Declaration of Independence. Unfortunately, the library was under renovation when I went there, the only thing I saw was the banner that has "Beinecke" printed on it. Besides that, I also visited Yale Law School—the only faculty that outshines Harvard University. Yale Law School is located on Wall Street.  Its exterior was really not much difference compared to other faculties, but it was the place where many excellent lawyers and politicians were brought up.

 

Apart from the fascinating architectures, the systems of Yale University also varied like those in Harry Potter films. There are 12 residential colleges, each has its own dormitories, dining hall, and student organizations. Yale students come from various countries, Chinese and Koreans are whom I met the most (also because I can't differentiate Europeans and Americans from their appearances). There is also a Chinese student community in the suburbs due to a large number of Chinese students. Its residents comprise of undergraduates and graduates, some Ph.D. students would bring their family to live there together. Europeans and Americans enjoy the sun very much, I often see students reading under the tree, or using their computers while lying on the lawn, some even do their assignments on the bench. I realized that studying doesn't require the right time, right place and right people; all you need is the sun, bench, and book.

 

The campus of Yale did not feel like a university, but rather a high-functionality town. You could find unique restaurants, theaters, shopping malls and the Yale University Art Gallery near the downtown area. Despite the collections of ancient and modern-day artworks, the art gallery also preserves some works of Picasso.