Lucy: Now we could seldom see Buddhist temples that are more than three or four centuries old.露西：现在我们很少能看到超过三四百年历史的佛寺了。Adam: Couldn't we?亚当：是吗？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，多数寺庙的状况都会随着时间流逝而变差。寺庙和中国其他建筑一样，都是由木材和砖这样的材料建成的。所以它们要么会腐朽，要么就是被拆毁或者烧掉。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.亚当：说到这个，今年夏天我去了潭柘寺。那里有很多石刻装饰，但柱子和其他结构多为木质。Lucy: That's why materials of a building are a crucial factor for its preservation.露西：所以说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.亚当：寺庙被称为中国古代建筑的博物馆，那它们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：有一部分是因为寺庙建在远离城市的山上，被称为博物馆的其他原因是人们把他们的世界观融入到这些建筑中去，在建造的时候极为用心，所以寺庙能够代表一个时期建筑的最高水平。