TED演讲:通过卫星追寻秘鲁遗落的文明(1)

 In July of 1911,  在1911年七月，

a 35-year-old Yale graduate and professor set out from his rainforest camp with his team. 一名35岁的耶鲁毕业生兼教授，和他的团队一起从雨林营地出发。

After climbing a steep hill and wiping the sweat from his brow, 翻越了陡峭的山丘，擦去额头的滴滴汗珠后，

he described what he saw beneath him.  他描述了他的俯视所见。

He saw rising from the dense¹ rainforest foliage  透过浓密的雨林树叶，他看到了

this incredible interlocking maze² of structures built of granite³, beautifully put together. 这不可思议的如迷宫般交错连锁的结构，它们由花岗岩建成，美丽地交织在一起。

What's amazing about this project is that it was the first funded by National Geographic⁴ 该项目的独特之处在于，它是国家地理投资的第一个项目，

and it graced the front cover of its magazine in 1912.  同时在1912年受宠地登上了该杂志的封面。

This professor used state-of-the-art photography equipment to record the site, 这位教授使用了最先进的摄影器材来记录这令人难忘的遗址，

forever changing the face of exploration.  就此改变了探索的面貌。

The site was Machu Picchu, discovered and explored by Hiram Bingham. 这一地点叫马丘比丘，由海拉姆·宾厄姆发现并加以探索。

When he saw the site, he asked, "This is an impossible dream. What could it be?" 当他见到了这个地方，他问道，“这是难以实现的梦想。它将是什么呢？”

So today, 100 years later, I invite you all on an incredible journey with me, a 37-year-old Yale graduate and professor. 所以100年后的今天，我作为一名37岁的耶鲁毕业生兼教授，邀请你们和我一同踏上这奇迹般的旅途。

We will do nothing less than use state-of-the-art technology to map an entire country. 我们将会使用最先进的科技来，描绘出国家的全貌。

This is a dream started by Hiram Bingham, but we are expanding it to the world, 这一梦想是由海拉姆·宾厄姆来编织的，但我们将把这梦想撒向全世界。

making archaeological exploration more open, inclusive, and at a scale simply not previously⁵ possible. 使得考古勘探更加包容开放，达到了未曾企及的高度。

1 dense   

a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的

参考例句：

• The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。
• The path was completely covered by the dense foliage. 小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。

2 maze   

n.迷宫，八阵图，混乱，迷惑

参考例句：

• He found his way through the complex maze of corridors.他穿过了迷宮一样的走廊。
• She was lost in the maze for several hours.一连几小时，她的头脑处于一片糊涂状态。

3 granite   

adj.花岗岩，花岗石

参考例句：

• They squared a block of granite.他们把一块花岗岩加工成四方形。
• The granite overlies the older rocks.花岗岩躺在磨损的岩石上面。

4 geographic   

adj.地理学的，地理的

参考例句：

• The city's success owes much to its geographic position. 这座城市的成功很大程度上归功于它的地理位置。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Environmental problems pay no heed to these geographic lines. 环境问题并不理会这些地理界限。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

5 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。