英语听力：自然百科 埃及文物归还原主

 A stolen ancient Egyptian sarcophagus is returning home. The sarcophagus nearly three thousand years old was seized by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE during the routine shipment inspection¹ at the Miami international airport in 2008.

 

Agents became suspicious when they noticed inconsistencies in the shipment's documentation. Customs invested the importer and the seller in Spain, and concluded the sarcophagus was indeed stolen property.

 

An Egyptologist verified that the sarcophagus is an authentic² Egyptian artifact. With its elaborate hieroglyphs³, the wooden coffin⁴ belonged to a prominent man named Imesy who lived during the 21st Dynasty of Egypt. After the sarcophagus was seized, the United States and the Spanish art gallery sold the artifact engaged in a legal battle over ownership. Eventually the gallery abandoned its challenge and Egypt’s ownership was ensured.

 

ICE arranged the repatriation⁵ ceremony at National Geographic⁶ Society headquarters in Washington D.C. to officially return the sarcophagus to its home country .To prepare for its journey, agents thoroughly⁷ wrapped and boxed the delicate delivery for its departure from Miami.

 

Agents accompanied this sarcophagus to Washington and were greeted by staff from National Geographic who were on hand to make sure the precious cargo⁸ arrived safe and sound.

 

At the repatriation ceremony, representatives from the Egyptian and Untied⁹ States government signed the official custody¹⁰ documents. Dr. Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of the Egyptian Supreme¹¹ Council of Antiquities¹², and a National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence, accepted this sarcophagus on Egypt’s behalf.

 

"People can think that the best moment in the life of an archeologist is actually to discover something; but for me, the best thing is to return something to Egypt, I say this everywhere, the country that helped us a lot in the returning of the

stolen artifacts is United States" 

 

"The good news amongst the sad tale of international art theft and misappropriation is people do care. We do come together. It's a, it's a remarkable¹³ collaboration¹⁴. We’re noticing that something…" 

 

Once the sarcophagus safely returns home, it will be put on  display at  the Global Egyptian  Museum in Cairo in early April, in an exhibition showcasing artifacts recovered in the last eight years. So far, approximately thirty-one thousand Egyptian artifacts have been repatriated¹⁵, yet the number of items that are still illegally owned and distributed is unknown. The repatriation of the sarcophagus called attention to the ongoing¹⁶ struggle to protect ancient art and antiquities from the black market trade. Egyptian artifacts are often smuggled¹⁷ because there is a high demand for them on the international market, and as a result, countries such as Egypt have been robbed of their history and culture.

 

"...there it's looters who are dynamiting¹⁸ the tops of mountains in the Andes in a desperate search for Incan gold, or the silent world of illegal antiquities trade. Effect is the same. We have lost something, something that can’t be replaced, a piece of our history, ah, maybe a key that would have unlocked some past secret."

 

The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement is the largest investigative agency in the US Department of Homeland Security, and it plays a leading role in combating the trafficking  of  lost or stolen cultural properties, art and antiquities, and returning them to their countries of origin.

1 inspection   

n.检查，审查，检阅

参考例句：

• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。
• The soldiers lined up for their daily inspection by their officers.士兵们列队接受军官的日常检阅。

2 authentic   

a.真的，真正的；可靠的，可信的，有根据的

参考例句：

• This is an authentic news report. We can depend on it. 这是篇可靠的新闻报道, 我们相信它。
• Autumn is also the authentic season of renewal. 秋天才是真正的除旧布新的季节。

3 hieroglyphs   

n.象形字（如古埃及等所用的）( hieroglyph的名词复数 )；秘密的或另有含意的书写符号

参考例句：

• Hieroglyphs are carved into the walls of the temple. 寺庙的墙壁上刻着象形文字。 来自辞典例句
• This paper discusses the fundamental distinctions between the hieroglyphs andforerunner of writing. 英汉象形文字的比较是建立在象形文字具体内涵的基础上。 来自互联网

4 coffin   

n.棺材，灵柩

参考例句：

• When one's coffin is covered,all discussion about him can be settled.盖棺论定。
• The coffin was placed in the grave.那口棺材已安放到坟墓里去了。

5 repatriation   

n.遣送回国，归国

参考例句：

• The Volrep programme is the preferred means of repatriation. 政府认为自愿遣返计划的遣返方法较为可取。 来自互联网
• Arrange the cargo claiming and maritime affairs,crews repatriation,medical treatment,traveling so on. （六）洽办货物理赔，船舶海事处理，办理船员遣返，就医，旅游等。 来自互联网

6 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

7 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

8 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

9 untied   

松开，解开( untie的过去式和过去分词 )； 解除，使自由； 解决

参考例句：

• Once untied, we common people are able to conquer nature, too. 只要团结起来，我们老百姓也能移山倒海。
• He untied the ropes. 他解开了绳子。

10 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

11 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

12 antiquities   

n.古老( antiquity的名词复数 )；古迹；古人们；古代的风俗习惯

参考例句：

• There is rest and healing in the contemplation of antiquities. 欣赏古物有休息和疗养之功。 来自辞典例句
• Bertha developed a fine enthusiasm for the antiquities of London. 伯沙对伦敦的古迹产生了很大的热情。 来自辞典例句

13 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

14 collaboration   

n.合作，协作；勾结

参考例句：

• The two companies are working in close collaboration each other.这两家公司密切合作。
• He was shot for collaboration with the enemy.他因通敌而被枪毙了。

15 repatriated   

v.把（某人）遣送回国，遣返( repatriate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The refugees were forcibly repatriated. 难民被强制遣送回国。
• Ancient artworks were repatriated from the US to Greece. 古代艺术品从美国遣送回希腊。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

17 smuggled   

水货

参考例句：

• The customs officer confiscated the smuggled goods. 海关官员没收了走私品。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Those smuggled goods have been detained by the port office. 那些走私货物被港务局扣押了。 来自互联网

18 dynamiting   

v.（尤指用于采矿的）甘油炸药( dynamite的现在分词 )；会引起轰动的人[事物]；增重

参考例句：

• Somebody wildly suggested dynamiting it. 有人竟然轻率地主张炸开它。 来自辞典例句
• Hidden boulders have been removed by dynamiting. 暗礁都用炸药炸掉了。 来自辞典例句