美國最神祕的五大學生組織
In the hallowed halls of the Most prestigious universities in the nation, there is an even more exclusive series of secret student societies that “tap” prospective members to join their prestigious organizations. The cause of numerous conspiracy theories, membership to the secret societies has included presidents, CEOs and luminaries in a variety of fields.
在全美最頂尖的那些大學裏，正活躍着一羣比這些學校的聲名本身更令人瞠目結舌的祕密組織，它們午夜星雲一般地散佈在那些宏偉的教學樓中，蠱惑着潛在會員們去速速索討一張報名表。你或許想不到，那些層出不窮的陰謀論的始作俑者中，那些神祕組織的成員列表裏，甚至還有許多你耳熟能詳的名字—或是政治舵手，或是商業巨擘，他們正活躍在國家機器的每個肯綮環節。
1. SKULL AND BONES SOCIETY
骷髏會
Ironically, probably the most famous of the student secret societies – the Skull and Bones Society – gained national prominence during the 2004 presidential election when it emerged that both major candidates, President George W. Bush and then-Senator John Kerry, were members of the society during their tenure at Yale University. The society has popped up occasionally in pop-culture references, with the name of the organization being rumored to refer to the club’s ownership of the stolen skulls of Indian chief Geronimo, among others.
骷髏會或許是這些神祕學生組織裏最富盛名的，而對於它的關注度更是在2004年總統大選之際達到了頂峯。原因便是大選中兩位最具實力的候選人—喬治·布什和時任麻省參議員的約翰·克里，都曾在就讀耶魯時是骷髏會的成員。這個組織在有關通俗文化的文獻中也被時有提及，人們傳言骷髏會的得名與他們收藏了印第安領袖傑羅尼莫的頭蓋骨有關。
2. SCROLL AND Key SOCIETY
軸匙社團
Scroll and Key is another Yale University secret society, and the rivals of the Skull and Bones at the school. Founded 1842 after disputed elections at the Skull and Bones, the society can count among its members renowned composer Cole Porter and political commentator Fareed Zakaria. The Scroll and Key Society is also known for its contributions and donations to Yale, including the endowment for funding the Yale University Press.
軸匙社團是耶魯校園內另一大祕密組織，也是骷髏會的強勁對手。軸匙社團成立於1842年，也就是在骷髏會選舉風波之後，著名作曲家科爾·波特、政治評論家法裏德·扎卡利亞都曾是軸匙社團的成員。該社團還以他們對於耶魯的鉅額捐贈而爲人矚目，耶魯大學出版社的建立就得益於他們的捐助。
3. QUILL AND DAGGER
羽毛筆與匕首協會
Moving from one Ivy League University to another, the Quill and Dagger is a society at Cornell University, and the namesake of a tower on campus that is used for the society’s meetings and events. Membership includes many in the halls of power in Washington and in the top levels of business and high society. The society is also known for the erection of a war memorial at Cornell dedicated to alumni and students who served in WWI.
下面我們來看看誕生於另一所常春藤聯盟大學的祕密組織。康奈爾大學的羽毛筆與匕首協會便是典型一例，在康奈爾校園內甚至還有一座同名建築專門用於該社團的集會活動。羽毛筆與匕首協會的成員包括許多在華盛頓特區身居高位的官員、商界精英以及其他上流社會活躍人士。該協會聲名鵲起的另一原因是他們曾在校園內爲那些效勞於一戰的校友們樹立了一座紀念碑。
4. ORDER OF GIMGHOUL
津購會
The Order of the Gimghoul is the first non-Ivy League society that we are looking at, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have all the frills and traditions that are expected of a secret society. Founded by University of North Carolina students in 1889, the order derives its tradition from the legend of Peter Dromgoole, a former student who mysteriously disappeared from campus in the 19th century. The order is known for the ownership of a castle that serves as the group’s headquarters and has been valued at more than $1 million.
津購會是我們所介紹的第一個不屬於常春藤聯盟大學的社團，但這並不意味着它還未建立起一個成熟的祕密組織所應具備的嚴密規則。由北卡羅來納大學的學生創建於1889年，該社團的成立可追溯至該校的傳奇校友彼得·德魯古爾身上。這位曾經的北卡學生於19世紀莫名失蹤，從此成爲了校園裏的一個謎。津購會同時還以他們爲協會所捐建的總部城堡而聞名，據估計這座神祕的建築價值逾一百萬美元。
5. ANAK SOCIETY
阿納協會
The ANAK Society is an organization at the Georgia Institute of Technology formed in 1908 that has had a huge hand in much of the university’s history. For one, the society had a major role in establishing the school’s yearbook, student newspaper and student government. The group also had an important input in the civil rights movement at the university including helping to integrate the campus and blocking the Ku Klux Klan from starting a Georgia Tech chapter. Membership to the honor society is highly coveted and members of the organization include hundreds of notable alumni.
阿納協會隸屬於喬治亞理工學院。這個成立於1908年的校園祕密組織在喬治亞理工的漫長曆史中扮演了舉足輕重的角色。比如，正是因爲該協會的存在，喬治亞理工的年鑑、校報以及學生會才得以一一建立。該協會在促進校園民權這一層面也起到了至關重要的作用，比如維護校園一體化，以及扼殺3K黨組建喬治亞理工分部的企圖。所有人都對加入這個功勳卓著的社團蠢蠢欲動，而該協會的幾百位會員也的確是精英中的精英。
