VOA标准英语2013--地区安全促进伊拉克考古的发展

 

Regional Security Boosts Archeology in Northern Iraq 地区安全促进伊拉克考古的发展

NORTHERN IRAQ — The mineral wealth and relative security of Iraqi Kurdistan has created a haven¹ for foreign investment. Now, the region’s historical richness is making it a haven for foreign archeologists who are swarming² into the region in unprecedented³ numbers. Sebastian Meyer reports from northern Iraq.

It’s 7 a.m. in Bakrawa, Iraqi Kurdistan. An archeological team from Germany’s Heidelberg University has been up and digging for the past hour.  They are one of dozens of teams working in the region, which is experiencing an unparalleled wave of archeological excavations⁵.

The site sits on the outskirts⁶ of the city of Halabja, where Saddam Hussein gassed and killed 5,000 Kurds in 1988.

Leading the excavation⁴ is Peter Miglus, who says improved security following the removal of Saddam Hussein in the U.S.- led invasion of Iraq, has made the Kurdish region a prime location for archeologists.

"This area was not investigated for a long time. There were only short periods of peace in this region and it was difficult to make research here. It’s now the only part of Iraq which is safe and where we can do something,” says Miglus.

Along with improved security, Iraqi Kurdistan is also home to one of the densest⁷ areas of Mesopotamian archeology.

Jason Ur, of Harvard University, is using declassified⁸ CIA maps to survey and locate archeological sites.  He says he’s found the Kurdish region of Iraq to have twice the archeological density⁹ of Syria and 10 times that of southern Iraq. The Kurdish region, he says, has incredible archeological potential.

"We’re discovering a completely unknown center of civilization. There are cities that no one has ever seen before, there are elaborate engineered canals and irrigation systems and unbelievable landscapes that we’ve known nothing about. We’re really in the absolute core of one of the world’s first great empires," says Ur.

Some 70 kilometers northeast of Halabja, a team from the University of Paris is uncovering a small city replete¹⁰ with defensive¹¹ walls, family kitchens, and burial grounds.

While archeologists flock to the region to uncover its past, oil companies have also moved in, digging for other hidden riches. 

1 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

2 swarming   

密集( swarm的现在分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去

参考例句：

• The sacks of rice were swarming with bugs. 一袋袋的米里长满了虫子。
• The beach is swarming with bathers. 海滩满是海水浴的人。

3 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

4 excavation   

n.挖掘，发掘；被挖掘之地

参考例句：

• The bad weather has hung up the work of excavation.天气不好耽误了挖掘工作。
• The excavation exposed some ancient ruins.这次挖掘暴露出一些古遗迹。

5 excavations   

n.挖掘( excavation的名词复数 )；开凿；开凿的洞穴（或山路等）；（发掘出来的）古迹

参考例句：

• The excavations are open to the public. 发掘现场对公众开放。
• This year's excavations may reveal ancient artifacts. 今年的挖掘可能会发现史前古器物。 来自辞典例句

6 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

7 densest   

密集的( dense的最高级 )； 密度大的； 愚笨的； （信息量大得）难理解的

参考例句：

• Past Botoi some of the densest jungle forests on Anopopei grew virtually into the water. 过了坊远湾，岛上的莽莽丛林便几乎直长到水中。
• Earth is the densest of all of these remaining planets. 地球是所剩下行星中最致密的星球。

8 declassified   

adj.解密的v.对（机密文件等）销密( declassify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Thousands of classified documents have now been declassified. 数以千计的保密文件现在被解密了。
• The software used for Siemens S7-300 encryption logic block declassified. 此软件用于对西门子S7-300加密逻辑块解密。

9 density   

n.密集，密度，浓度

参考例句：

• The population density of that country is 685 per square mile.那个国家的人口密度为每平方英里685人。
• The region has a very high population density.该地区的人口密度很高。

10 replete   

adj.饱满的，塞满的；n.贮蜜蚁

参考例句：

• He was replete with food and drink.他吃喝得饱饱的。
• This immense space may be replete with happiness and glory.这巨大的空间可能充满了幸福和光荣。

11 defensive   

adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的

参考例句：

• Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。
• The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。