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The Sunken Past 沈城再现？

课文朗读

课文讲解

繁體中文譯本

Concealed beneath the ocean for eons, it has only recently been discerned in its marine home. No, it is not the legendary kraken awakening, though the find under the choppy waters surrounding the Penghu archipelago last September was remarkable. So extraordinary, in fact, that it challenges current theories concerning ancient civilizations.

这件东西藏在海面下无数年后，直到最近才在海底看到。我们说的不是传说中的大海怪从海底苏醒了，尽管去年九月在澎湖群岛周围汹涌的海面下发现的这件东西很神奇。神奇到，说真的，挑战了现今有关古文明的理论。

The accidental discovery of a meter-high and hundred-meter long wall 30 meters below the sea was made by the Underwater Archeological Institute, in collaboration with the Association of Diving School International. As with past archeological discoveries, the wall’s history is causing ripples in academic circles. Is it simple an unusual geological feature, or evidence of a long-lost civilization?

这项意外的发现是海面下三十公尺处一道一米高、一百米长的墙，由中华水下考古学会与国际潜水学校协会共同找到。跟过去考古上的发现一样，关于这道墙的历史辩论正在学术界掀起波澜。到底这道墙只是一种不寻常的地质现象，还是一个早已消失的文明的证据。

According to the central Geographic Research Bureau, the absence of any trace of human civilization in the immediate vicinity of the wall suggests the structure may have come into existence through volcanic forces. Members of the bureau have speculated that lava may have taken on a man-made appearance after years of constant erosion. Other experts, however, have no doubt that the wall was constructed manually. Their preliminary tests indicate that the wall is between seven and twenty thousand years old. If proven to be man-made, it could point to the onetime existence of an organized settlement on a substantial landmass, something that many have hitherto dismissed as only legend.

根据中央地质调查所的说法，由于该道墙附近并没有丝毫人类文明的迹象，显示它的结构可能是由火山的力量构成的。该调查所的人员猜测，熔岩可能由于经年累月的海水侵蚀而形成人为的外形。然而其他专家则确信这道墙是由人工建造的，他们初步的测试指出，这道墙约有七千至两万年的历史。如果证实是人工打造的，这道墙就能说明一个有组织的聚落曾经存在这块实体大陆块，然而许多人到现在为止都还斥之为无稽之谈。

Vocabulary

单词发音

conceal [kənˋsil] v. 隐蔽，隐藏

eon [ˋiən] n. 永世, 无数的年代

discern [dɪˋzɝn] v. 分辨，识别；看出

kraken [ˋkrɑkən] n.（传说在挪威海中出现的）海怪

choppy [ˋtʃɑpɪ] adj.〔水面〕浪花起伏的﹐ 波浪滔滔的

archipelago [͵ɑrkəˋpɛlə͵go] n. 群岛，列岛

archeological [͵ɑrkɪəˋlɑdʒɪk!] adj. 考古学的

ripple [ˋrɪp!] n. 涟漪，细浪

circle [ˋsɝk!] n.（具有共同兴趣，利益的人们所形成的）圈子

immediate [ɪˋmidɪɪt] adj. 最接近的，紧接的

vicinity [vəˋsɪnətɪ] n. 附近地区；近处，近邻

speculate [ˋspɛkjə͵let] v. 推测，推断[Y][+that]

lava [ˋlɑvə] n.〔火山喷出的〕岩浆﹐熔岩

take on 开始具有〔某种特征﹑面貌等〕; 呈现; 露出

erosion [ɪˋroʒən] n. 侵蚀；腐蚀

manually [ˋmænjʊəlɪ] adv. 用手地；手工地

preliminary [prɪˋlɪmə͵nɛrɪ] adj. 初步的; 预备的

onetime [ˋwʌn͵taɪm] adj. 从前的；一度的；过去的

settlement [ˋsɛt!mənt] n.〔人口稀少地区的〕拓居羣﹐ 小村落

substantial [səbˋstænʃəl] adj. 真实的，实在的

landmass [ˋlænd͵mæs] n. 大陆

hitherto [͵hɪðɚˋtu] adv.【文】迄今；至此

dismiss [dɪsˋmɪs] v.（从头脑中）去除，不考虑，抛弃

Sentence of the Day

We're getting into uncharted waters.

我们正迈入一个未知的领域。

uncharted waters If you're in uncharted waters, you are in a situation that is unfamiliar to you, that you have no experience of and don't know what might happen.

课文讲解

Kevin and Ophelia are in a Taipei coffee shop, discussing a newspaper article.  凯文和奥菲莉亚在台北一家咖啡厅讨论一则新闻：

K: This discovery of the remains of ancient Ketagalan people off Penghu island has just blown my previous understanding of human civilizations right out of the water.

在澎湖外海所发现凯达格兰族人的遗迹简直彻底颠覆了我先前对人类文明的认知。

O: Mine too. I thought the Sumerian culture heralded the beginnings of civilized man, nearly seven thousand years ago.

我也是，我本来以为七千年前左右的苏美文化才是人类文明的起源。

K: This discovery in Taiwan is certainly going to push back the timeline of established historical facts.

台湾的这项发现确定将会把既定史实的时间点再往前推进。

O: I’ve never even heard of these Ketagalan people, but they supposedly existed fifteen thousand years ago and were also extremely advanced.

我甚至连这些凯达格兰族都没听过，但一般相信他们早在一万五千年前就存在了，且有非常进步的文化。

K: This new information means that people are going to have to re-think the idea that Taiwan’s ancestors came from mainland China six thousand years ago.

这则新讯息意味着人们将得重新思考台湾的祖先是不是六千年前从中国大陆移民过来的。

O: Well, it’s nothing new to the residents of Penghu. They’ve grown up with stories of submerged ancient cities.

嗯，这对澎湖人来说并不陌生，他们就是听这些沉没的古城故事长大的。

K: That’s the other bombshell. This wall is just the beginning. If evidence of a lost city does turn up, it means there could even be a sunken landmass.

那又是一件令人大为震惊的事。这道墙只是个开始，如果能找到失落城市的证据，可能就意味着甚至有个沉没的大陆块。

O: Some believe such a landmass could turn out to be a legendary lost continent known as Mudalu!

有些人认为这个陆块可能是传说中一个叫「姆大陆」的消失大陆。

K: I’m guessing there are more revelations to come, if we continue our submarine explorations.

我猜如果我们持续进行海底探险，还会有更多的发现。

O: Just as I suspected …. We don’t really know anything about anything.

就像我之前所怀疑的…我们对于任何事情真的是一无所知。

－by Nick Wheeler

Vocabulary

单词发音

remains [rɪˋmenz] n. 剩下的东西[部分; 遗迹

blown something or someone out of the water 完全消滅某人(物)(就像魚雷炸毀船隻一樣) to destroy or defeat something or someone completely, to destroy utterly someone or something, such as a plan

Sumerian [suˋmɪrɪən] adj. 苏美人（语）的

herald [ˋhɛrəld] v. 预示……的来临

push back 把...向后推

timeline ['taɪmlaɪn] n.时间表；时间轴；大事纪

submerged [səbˋmɝdʒd] adj. 在水中的；淹没的

bombshell [ˋbɑm͵ʃɛl] n. 令人震惊的消息; 突发意外事件

turn up 出现, 被发现

revelation [rɛv!ˋeʃən] n. 被揭露的真相

submarine [ˋsʌbmə͵rin] adj. 海底的; 水下的;

Sentence of the Day

It's not public knowledge yet.

并不是每个人都知道。

be public knowledge  众所周知