Lucy: Now we could seldom see Buddhist temples that are more than three or four centuries old.露西：現(xiàn)在我們很少能看到超過三四百年歷史的佛寺了。Adam: Couldn't we?亞當(dāng)：是嗎？Lucy: No, most of the temples have deteriorated over time. Temples, like other buildings in China, were built with such materials as wood and brick. So they either decays，or are torn down, or burnt down.露西：是的，多數(shù)寺廟的狀況都會(huì)隨著時(shí)間流逝而變差。寺廟和中國其他建筑一樣，都是由木材和磚這樣的材料建成的。所以它們要么會(huì)腐朽，要么就是被拆毀或者燒掉。Adam: Now you mention it, I went to Tanzhe Temple this summer. The place was decorated with stone sculptures, however, the pillars and other structures are mostly wood.亞當(dāng)：說到這個(gè)，今年夏天我去了潭柘寺。那里有很多石刻裝飾，但柱子和其他結(jié)構(gòu)多為木質(zhì)。Lucy: That's why materials of a building are a crucial factor for its preservation.露西：所以說建筑的材料是其保存的重要因素。Adam: Temples are said to be the museum of ancient Chinese architecture. They must be better preserved than other buildings.亞當(dāng)：寺廟被稱為中國古代建筑的博物館，那它們肯定比其他建筑保存得更好吧。Lucy: That's partly because they were built on mountains away from the city. The other reason they are called the museum is that people integrated their view of the universe into temples, and most temples are built with the utmost care and could therefore represent the highest level of architecture of one era.露西：有一部分是因?yàn)樗聫R建在遠(yuǎn)離城市的山上，被稱為博物館的其他原因是人們把他們的世界觀融入到這些建筑中去，在建造的時(shí)候極為用心，所以寺廟能夠代表一個(gè)時(shí)期建筑的最高水平。