Museums and art galleries should concentrate on local works rather than showing the cultures or artworks from other countries. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

博物馆和美术馆的展览如果专注于本国的作品和文物，能够让居民加深对本地和本国文化的了解，获得文化认同感和归属感。同时也能够吸引更多外国游客，因为外国游客旅游的目的就是希望更多了解当地的习俗和文化。当然，考虑到国际交流的增加，博物馆和美术馆偶尔也可以举办外国文化主题的展览，但是总体来说，还是应该专注于宣传和保护本国的传统文化。

Visiting museums and art galleries is a good way for people to learn art, culture, history, etc. Some people think, for these facilities, collections and exhibitions should always focus on local artworks and objects instead of those from foreign countries. I agree with this opinion.

First of all, displaying local cultural relics can promote the cultural identity. In a globalized era, many people, particularly youngsters, are fascinated by foreign cultures, with little knowledge about the history and customs of their own communities and countries. This situation can be improved if residents are encouraged to visit the museum and gallery to learn more about their culture. The local objects in display would make them reflect on their past, values and ethos, and give them a sense of belonging to the community and the nation.

Maintaining the national characteristics is also important for attracting foreign tourists. Museums and galleries are frequently visited by tourists for sightseeing. What these tourists expect to see are paintings, craftworks and objects that reflect local people’s history, customs and lifestyles. Imagine how disappointing it would be if a couple from the US travels to China, keen to explore the unique Chinese culture, but when they walk into a museum, what they see is an exhibition that introduces the American civil war.

Some may argue that showing exhibits from other countries gives local residents exposure to foreign cultures and develops their global visions. This viewpoint is reasonable to some extent, and exhibitions about foreign cultures can be held occasionally. However, these events should not impair the main function of museums and galleries, which is to showcase and promote the national culture.

To conclude, I think local and national collections and exhibitions should always get the priority in museums and galleries.

collection         收藏

exhibition      展览

cultural relics      文物

cultural identity        文化身份

fascinated        着迷的

custom           习俗

reflect on       反思

value        价值观

ethos        民族精神

national characteristics      民族特色

keen       渴望的

exposure       接触

global vision      全球视野

impair      损害

showcase      展示