英语新闻视频：参观中国国家博物馆

　　The National Museum of China is celebrating its centennial. Its aims are high: to become one of the greatest museums in the world. As such the Museum has been working hard to protect and promote Chinese art and culture ever since it’s founding. But what more can be done in the century to come?

Over the past hundred years, the national museum has made an icon¹ of itself. It maintains nearly 200,000 square meters of land right in the heart of Beijing. It houses more than 1.2 million items in its permanent collection - including many of China’s most valuable national treasures. Add to that the visiting exhibits, and it’s got quite a grand collection indeed. No wonder last year it saw more than 4 million visitors. It also has archaeological prowess of its own.

Not only a venue² to showcase all these national treasures, but also has its archaeology³ research center, including its underwater excavation⁴ team.

Archaeology research center（field, aerial and underwater excavation）

The National Museum is the top archaeological institution in China. Its three branches focus on field, aerial and underwater work. In recent years, a focus on the sea has proved the real head-turner. China has 189 known underwater sites of archaeological interest, and scientists today are better equipped than ever to explore them. The museum’s curator is rightfully proud.

Lu Zhangshen, Curator of National Museum of China, said, "China’s soft power is growing rapidly and our museum is a national icon that showcases it."

Some, however, feel that the museum needs to rethink how it approaches its displays. Dr. Julian Raby, who visited the National Museum of China for its centennial, emphasized a need to focus on set and setting.

Dramatic words written on displays

Dr. Julian Raby, director of Freer and Sackler Galleries, said, "In a few of museums, words written on the objects make me go back from the label to the object and back again, like poetry. So great object, great setting, I would argue we need to be a little bit more dramatic on the way we show things."

China has a particular strength here. Its long history gives museums a chance to really tell a story, and make it much more than just a storehouse of history, but a place to capture the echoes of countless⁵ lives and memories past.

1 icon   

n.偶像，崇拜的对象，画像

参考例句：

• They found an icon in the monastery.他们在修道院中发现了一个圣像。
• Click on this icon to align or justify text.点击这个图标使文本排齐。

2 venue   

n.犯罪地点，审判地，管辖地，发生地点，集合地点

参考例句：

• The hall provided a venue for weddings and other functions.大厅给婚礼和其他社会活动提供了场所。
• The chosen venue caused great controversy among the people.人们就审判地点的问题产生了极大的争议。

3 archaeology   

n.考古学

参考例句：

• She teaches archaeology at the university.她在大学里教考古学。
• He displayed interest in archaeology.他对考古学有兴趣。

4 excavation   

n.挖掘，发掘；被挖掘之地

参考例句：

• The bad weather has hung up the work of excavation.天气不好耽误了挖掘工作。
• The excavation exposed some ancient ruins.这次挖掘暴露出一些古遗迹。

5 countless   

adj.无数的，多得不计其数的

参考例句：

• In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
• I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。