本集内容

Mexico’s ‘underwater kingdom’ 墨西哥的 “水下王国”

学习要点

有关 “discovery（发现）” 的词汇

边看边答

What is the name of the vibrant red clay often used for rituals and artwork by the first people to inhabit the Americas?

文字稿

Through the darkness and into an underwater kingdom (in Mexico).

穿过黑暗的水底，进入墨西哥的水下王国。

Here, scientists hope to find clues which could unravel prehistoric mysteries.

在这里，科学家们希望找到能揭开史前谜团的线索。

And they did.

结果他们真的找到了。

The divers discovered a perfectly preserved cave with evidence of mining from 11,000 years ago.

潜水员们发现了一个保存完好的洞穴，这里有11000年前采矿活动的痕迹。

Brandi McDonald, Archaeological science specialist
What’s really remarkable about the sites is the preservation. This is incredibly rare, in archaeology: to find evidence for human activity that’s this old and this well preserved.

布兰迪·麦克唐纳     考古科学专家
“这个洞穴遗址令人惊叹的地方是它保存完好。这在考古学中是极为罕见的：发现这样古老且保存如此完好的人类活动证据。”

They found ancient tools, evidence of fire pits and signs of excavation of ochre – the vibrant red clay often used for rituals and artwork by the first people to inhabit the Americas.

潜水团队发现了古代的工具，火坑存在的证据，以及挖掘赭石的痕迹。赭石是一种颜色鲜亮的红色粘土，曾常被最早居住在美洲的人们用来举行仪式和创作艺术品。

The many hours spent on this underwater exhibition has shone a light on the ancient tribes.

科学家们花费大量时间对这片水下遗迹展开的研究，使人们对古代部落的风貌有了一定的了解。

But exactly why they spent their time deep within the cave remains a mystery.

但古代部落的人们为什么会呆在洞穴深处仍然是一个谜。

词汇

unravel 揭开

preserved （古代遗迹）保存

evidence 证据

rare 罕见的，稀有的

excavation 挖掘，发掘

问题答案

The vibrant red clay is called ochre.