2014年 考研英语一段落排序 · 41-45 答案与解析

Some archaeological sites have always been easily observable – for example, the Parthenon in Athens, Greece; the pyramids of Giza in Egypt; and the megaliths of Stonehenge in southern England. But these sites are exceptions to the norm. Most archaeological sites have been located by means of careful searching, while many others have been discovered by accident. Olduvai Gorge, an early hominid site in Tanzania, was found by a butterfly hunter who literally fell into its deep valley in 1911. Thousands of Aztec artifacts came to light during the digging of the Mexico City subway in the 1970s.

一些考古遗址一直都很容易观察到——例如，希腊雅典的帕特农神庙、埃及吉萨的金字塔以及英格兰南部的巨石阵。但这些遗址是例外而非常态。大多数考古遗址是通过仔细搜寻找到的,而许多其他遗址则是偶然发现的。Olduvai Gorge是坦桑尼亚的一处早期人类遗址,1911年被一名蝴蝶猎人发现,他确实是跌入了它的深谷中。20世纪70年代墨西哥城地铁挖掘期间出土了数千件阿兹特克文物。

In another case, American archaeologists René Million and George Cowgill spent years systematically mapping the entire city of Teotihuacán in the Valley of Mexico near what is now Mexico City. At its peak around AD 600, this city was one of the largest human settlements in the world. The researchers mapped not only the city's vast and ornate ceremonial areas, but also hundreds of simpler apartment complexes where common people lived.

在另一个案例中,美国考古学家René Million和George Cowgill花费数年时间系统地绘制了墨西哥谷地Teotihuacán整座城市的地图,该地靠近现在的墨西哥城。在公元600年左右的鼎盛时期,这座城市是世界上最大的人类聚居地之一。研究人员不仅绘制了该城市宏大而华丽的祭祀区域,还绘制了数百座普通人居住的简朴公寓建筑群。

How do archaeologists know where to find what they are looking for when there is nothing visible on the surface of the ground? Typically, they survey and sample (make test excavations on) large areas of terrain to determine where excavation will yield useful information. Surveys and test samples have also become important for understanding the larger landscapes that contain archaeological sites.

当地表没有任何可见物时,考古学家如何知道在哪里找到他们要寻找的东西?通常,他们会对大片地形进行勘测和取样(进行试掘),以确定在哪里挖掘会获得有用的信息。勘测和试样也已成为了解包含考古遗址的更大景观的重要手段。

Surveys can cover a single large settlement or entire landscapes. In one case, many researchers working around the ancient Maya city of Copán, Honduras, have located hundreds of small rural villages and individual dwellings by using aerial photographs and by making surveys on foot. The resulting settlement maps show how the distribution and density of the rural population around the city changed dramatically between AD 500 and 850, when Copán collapsed.

勘测可以覆盖单个大型聚落或整个景观。在一个案例中,许多研究人员在洪都拉斯古玛雅城市Copán周围工作,通过使用航空照片和徒步勘测,定位了数百个小型乡村村庄和独立住所。由此绘制的聚落地图显示,在公元500年至850年Copán崩溃期间,该城市周围农村人口的分布和密度发生了巨大变化。

To find their sites, archaeologists today rely heavily on systematic survey methods and a variety of high-technology tools and techniques. Airborne technologies, such as different types of radar and photographic equipment carried by airplanes or spacecraft, allow archaeologists to learn about what lies beneath the ground without digging. Aerial surveys locate general areas of interest or larger buried features, such as ancient buildings or fields.

为了找到遗址,当今的考古学家严重依赖系统的勘测方法以及各种高科技工具和技术。机载技术,如飞机或航天器携带的不同类型的雷达和摄影设备,使考古学家能够在不挖掘的情况下了解地下的情况。航空勘测可定位感兴趣的一般区域或较大的埋藏特征,如古代建筑或田地。

Most archaeological sites, however, are discovered by archaeologists who have set out to look for them. Such searches can take years. British archaeologist Howard Carter knew that the tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun existed from information found in other sites. Carter sifted through rubble in the Valley of the Kings for seven years before he located the tomb in 1922. In the late 1800s British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans combed antique dealers' stores in Athens, Greece. He was searching for tiny engraved seals attributed to the ancient Mycenaean culture that dominated Greece from the 1400s to 1200s BC. Evans's interpretations of these engravings eventually led him to find the Minoan palace at Knossos (Knosós), on the island of Crete, in 1900.

然而,大多数考古遗址是由专门出发寻找它们的考古学家发现的。这样的搜寻可能需要数年时间。英国考古学家Howard Carter从其他遗址发现的信息中得知埃及法老图坦卡蒙的陵墓存在。Carter在帝王谷筛选碎石七年后,于1922年找到了该陵墓。19世纪晚期,英国考古学家Arthur Evans爵士在希腊雅典的古董商店中仔细搜寻。他在寻找归属于古代迈锡尼文化的微型雕刻印章,该文化在公元前1400年至1200年统治希腊。Evans对这些雕刻的解读最终使他于1900年在克里特岛找到了Knossos的米诺斯宫殿。

Ground surveys allow archaeologists to pinpoint the places where digs will be successful. Most ground surveys involve a lot of walking, looking for surface clues such as small fragments of pottery. They often include a certain amount of digging to test for buried materials at selected points across a landscape. Archaeologists also may locate buried remains by using such technologies as ground radar, magnetic-field recording, and metal detectors. Archaeologists commonly use computers to map sites and the landscapes around sites. Two- and three-dimensional maps are helpful tools in planning excavations, illustrating how sites look, and presenting the results of archaeological research.

地面勘测使考古学家能够精确定位挖掘将取得成功的地点。大多数地面勘测涉及大量的步行,寻找表面线索,如陶器小碎片。它们通常包括一定量的挖掘,以在整个景观的选定点测试埋藏物质。考古学家还可能使用地面雷达、磁场记录和金属探测器等技术来定位埋藏遗迹。考古学家通常使用计算机来绘制遗址和遗址周围景观的地图。二维和三维地图是规划挖掘、展示遗址外观和呈现考古研究结果的有用工具。