英漢對照課文文本
A VISIT TO THE ZHOUKOUDIAIN CAVES
周口店洞穴參觀記
A group of students (S) from England has come to the Zhoukoudian caves for a visit. An archaeologist (A) is showing them round.
一群英國學生（學）來到周口店洞穴參觀。有一位考古學家（考）正領著他們參觀。
A: Welcome to the Zhoukoudian caves here in China. It is a great pleasure to meet you students from England, who are interested in archaeology. You must be aware that it's here that we found evidence of some of the earliest people who lived in this part of the world. We've been excavating here for many years and ...
考：歡迎到中國來參觀周口店洞穴。很高興見到你們這些從英國來的對考古學感興趣的學生。你們想必都很清楚，正是在這個地方，我們找到了世界上居住在這個地方最早人類的證據。我們在這兒進行的挖掘工作已經很多年了，而且……
S1: I'm sorry to interrupt you but how could they live here? There are only rocks and trees.
學1：對不起，打斷一下你的講話，請問他們是怎麼住在這個地方的呢？這兒只有石頭和樹木。
A: Good question. You are an acute observer. We have found human and animal bones in those caves higher up the hill as well as tools and other objects. So we think it is reasonable to assume they lived in these caves, regardless of the cold.
考：問得好。你是個敏銳的觀察者，在高山上的那些洞穴裡我們找到了人骨和獸骨，還有工具和其他物品因此，我們有理由認為他們不顧嚴寒，就住在這些洞穴裡。
S2: How did they keep warm? They couldn't have mats, blankets or quilts like we do. It must have been very uncomfortable.
學2：那他們是怎樣取暖的呢？他們不可能像我們現在這樣有墊子、毯子和被子。想必是很不舒服的了。
A: We've discovered fireplaces in the centre of the caves where they made fires. That would have kept them warm, cooked the food and scared wild beasts away as well. We have been excavating layers of ash almost six metres thick, which suggests that they might have kept the fire burning all winter. We haven't found any doors but we think they might have hung animal skins at the cave mouth to keep out the cold during the freezing winter.
考： 我們發現在洞穴中央有生火用的地爐。他們用地爐裡的火來取暖、做飯，還可以用火來嚇跑野獸。我們一直在挖掘一層層的積灰，幾乎有六米厚，這意味著他們可能整個冬天都在燒火。我們還沒有找到門，但我們認為在天寒地凍的冬季他們可能是用獸皮掛在洞口來防寒的。
S3: What wild animals were there all that time ago?
學3：在那以前有些什麼野獸嗎？
A: Well, we've been finding the bones of tigers and bears in the caves, and we think these were their most dangerous enemies. Now what do you think this tells us about the life of these early people? (shows picture of a sewing needle)
考：嗯，我們在洞裡發現了老虎和熊的骨頭。我們認為這些野獸對他們來講是最危險的敵人了。現在，你們看這個東西能告訴我們有關早期人類生活的什麼情況呢？（指著一張有針線的照片讓大家看）
S2: Gosh! That's a needle. Goodness, does that mean they repaired things?
學2：哎呀，那是一根針！天哪，難道他們還會修補東西嗎？
A: What else do you think it might have been used for?
考：除此之外，你認為還可能派別的什麼用場嗎？
S4: Let me look at it. It's at most three centimetres long. Ah yes, it seems to be made of bone. I wonder how they made the hole for the ...
學4：讓我看看。這個東西最多三釐米長，看起來像是用骨頭做的。我不知道他們是怎樣做成針眼的……
S2: (interrupting) Do you mean that they made their own clothes? Where did they get the material?
學2：(插話）你是不是說他們自己做衣服穿？他們又是從哪裡得到衣料的呢？
A: They didn't have material like we have today. Can you guess what they used?
考：他們沒有像我們今天穿的這種衣料。你能猜出他們用的是什麼嗎？
S1: Wow! Did they wear clothes made entirely of animal skins? How did they prepare them? I'm sure they were quite heavy to cut and sew together.
學1：哇，他們穿的衣服全都是用獸皮做的嗎？他們那些衣服是怎樣做成的？我確信它們裁剪並縫起來又厚又重。
A: Our evidence suggests that they did wear clothes made from animal skins. We continue discovering tools that were sharpeners for other tools. It seems that they used the sharpened stone tools to cut up animals and remove their skin. Then smaller scrapers were probably used to remove the fat and meat from the skin. After that they would rub an ample amount of salt onto the skin to make it soft. Finally, they would cut it and sew the pieces together. Quite a difficult and messy task! Now look at this. (shows a necklace)
考：我們有證據表明，他們的確穿的是用獸皮製的衣服。我們不斷髮現一些磨削其他工具用的工具。看樣子他們可能是用磨尖的石器來切割野獸並剝皮，再用小一些的刮子把皮上的脂肪和肉去掉。然後，他們可能在獸皮上擦上大量的鹽，使皮變柔軟。最後進行剪裁，縫起來就成了。確實是既難又髒的活！現在來看看這個吧。（指著一串項鍊）
S2: Why, it's a primitive necklace. Did early people really care about their appearance like we do? It's lovely!
學2: 哎呀! 這是一條原始的項鍊吧。早期人類也像我們現在一樣講究外貌嗎?太漂亮了！
A: Yes, and so well preserved. What do you think it's made of?
考: 是的， 還保存得很好呢。你們看看是用什麼做的?
S4: Let me see. Oh, I think some of the beads are made of animal bones but others are made of shells.
學4: 我看看。 我想有的珠子是用獸骨做的，但是其他是用貝殼做的，對嗎?
A: How clever you are! One bone is actually an animal tooth and the shells are from the seaside. Can you identify any other bones?
考：你真聰明！有塊骨頭實際上是野獸的牙齒，貝殼是從海邊撿來的。你還認得別的骨頭嗎？
S1: This one looks very much like a fish bone. Is that reasonable?
學1：這根很像魚骨頭，對嗎？
A: Yes, indeed, as the botanical analyses have shown us, all the fields around here used to be part of a large shallow lake. Probably there were fish in it.
考：很對。植物學的分析結果明確地告訴我們，這兒四周曾經是一個很大的淺水湖。毫無疑問，當時湖裡是有魚的。
S3: But a lake is not the sea. We are miles from the sea, so how did the seashells get here?
學3：不過，湖並不是海呀，我們離海還遠著呢。那麼，貝殼又是怎麼來的呢？
A: Perhaps there was trade between early peoples or they travelled to the seaside on their journeys. We know that they moved around, following the herds of animals. They didn't grow their own crops, but picked fruit when it ripened and hunted animals. That's why they are called hunters and gatherers. Now, why don't we go and visit the caves?
考：早期人類之間也許有貿易來往，或者他們也可能旅行到海邊去。我們知道，他們跟著獸群四處走。他們並不種植穀物，而是在野果熟了的時候採摘它們並捕殺野獸來充飢。這就是他們被稱之為獵人和採摘者的緣故。現在，咱們去參觀洞穴好嗎？
（以上內容來源於人民教育出版社，版權歸人民教育出版社所有。由本號進行整理分享，旨在方便師生使用，侵聯刪）
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