美国国家公共电台 NPR--The last member of a besieged Indigenous tribe in Brazil has died

The last member of a besieged¹ Indigenous² tribe in Brazil has died

Transcript³

The last member of an Indigenous tribe in Brazil has died, apparently⁴ of natural causes.

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

This story takes us to the western Amazon, to one of the most remote parts of Brazil. Deep in the rainforest is an officially designated area called the Tanaru Indigenous Territory. We have now learned that the last known inhabitant of that territory has died. Researcher Fiona Watson has followed what little is known of him.

FIONA WATSON: We don't know what his name was. We don't know what language he spoke⁵, nor the name of his tribe.

MARTIN: And Watson says that's the point. She works for Survival International, which advocates for Indigenous people who refuse contact with outsiders.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

That's why we know so little, although it is thought that he was about 60 when he died of what appear to be natural causes.

WATSON: He was living and continued to live by hunting and gathering⁶ and growing vegetables and fruits in his garden - so living completely sustainably and self-sufficiently off his land.

INSKEEP: Watson believes he was alone because his tribe suffered repeated massacres⁷ at the hands of ranchers and hired gunmen.

WATSON: It's just unimaginable what this man has gone through, living totally on his own with nobody to talk to, no human company, with all those terrible memories of the massacres.

MARTIN: Watson says he was known as the Man of the Hole because he dug deep holes to hide in and trap animals. His story, though, is not unique. Survival International calculates that there are over 100 uncontacted tribes around the world, most of them in the Amazon basin.

WATSON: Their decision to be uncontacted is taken, I think, with a great deal of experience and wisdom. Many of these peoples will be survivors⁸ from attacks decades ago, or if not 100 years ago. So this intense desire, like the Man of the Hole had, to remain uncontacted, to be alone and to get on with their lives themselves is born, I think, of that fear and that knowledge.

INSKEEP: Here's what makes Watson want to advocate for them.

WATSON: Indigenous peoples, tribal⁹ peoples, uncontacted tribes are part of our planet's really rich, vibrant¹⁰ human diversity, and they show us what it means to be different. You know, everybody has that right to live their life and be different. And with his passing, I really feel we have lost one piece of that huge diversity.

INSKEEP: The Man of the Hole is believed to have prepared for his own death. His body was found covered in colorful feathers.

1 besieged   

包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Paris was besieged for four months and forced to surrender. 巴黎被围困了四个月后被迫投降。
• The community besieged the newspaper with letters about its recent editorial. 公众纷纷来信对报社新近发表的社论提出诘问，弄得报社应接不暇。

2 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。

3 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

4 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

6 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

7 massacres   

大屠杀( massacre的名词复数 )； 惨败

参考例句：

• The time is past for guns and killings and massacres. 动不动就用枪、动不动就杀、大规模屠杀的时代已经过去了。 来自教父部分
• Numberless recent massacres were still vivid in their recollection. 近来那些不可胜数的屠杀，在他们的头脑中记忆犹新。

8 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

9 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

10 vibrant   

adj.震颤的，响亮的，充满活力的，精力充沛的，(色彩)鲜明的

参考例句：

• He always uses vibrant colours in his paintings. 他在画中总是使用鲜明的色彩。
• She gave a vibrant performance in the leading role in the school play.她在学校表演中生气盎然地扮演了主角。