是否有更多的世界去探索

 　　Rob: Hello, I’m Rob. Welcome to 6 Minute English. I’m joined today by Finn. Hello Finn.

　　Finn: Hello Rob.

　　Rob: In this programme we’re talking about exploration - that's a journey to a place to learn something new about it. It's a sort of educational trip.

　　Finn: Yes, you may have heard about famous explorers - the people who made these journeys and learned¹ new and amazing things - like Captain Cook or Christopher Columbus.

　　Rob: Yes, Columbus was the Italian explorer who explored the Americas over 500 years ago. There are many other people who travelled around the world seeking out - or looking for - new land, people, plants and animals. But now in the 21st century, do you think there’s any more of the world left to discover?

　　Finn: Ah, well, that's a question we'll be 'exploring' today and we'll also discover some exploration-related vocabulary. But first Rob, I'm sure you have a question for me?

　　Rob: Of course, yes. My question is about a modern-day explorer from the UK. He's called Ed Stafford. In 2011 he became the first person to do what? Was it…

　　a) circumnavigate - or go all the way round - the world in a canoe²

　　b) ski down Mount³ Everest

　　c) walk the length of the Amazon River

　　Finn: I'm going to say a) the first person to go round the world in a canoe.

　　Rob: OK, well, we’ll find out if you are right or wrong later on. So let’s talk more about exploration. There are many reasons why people have wanted to explore.

　　Finn: Yes. Sometimes it was to find new natural resources - things like oil, rubber or gold. Sometimes people wanted to find new land to occupy and build on; and sometimes people have just been inquisitive⁴ - or interested - in finding⁵ out what somewhere is like. That sounds a bit like you Rob?

　　Rob: Well, I do enjoy travel and adventure - and although I've explored places that are new to me - I haven't yet found an undiscovered river or island.

　　Finn: Well, I hope you do. With satellite technology and modern transport, maybe every corner of planet⁶ Earth has already been discovered and there’s nothing left to find, I wonder?

　　Rob: Well, that's not something that the travel journalist, Christina Lamb, would agree with. She's seen a lot of the world but says there's still more to be discovered. Let's hear from her now. What phrase does she use to describe somewhere that hasn't been found yet?

　　Christina Lamb, travel journalist

　　There still are a few places in the world that are unexplored. I've travelled quite a lot in the Amazon and there, there really are still places where maps don't have anything on them and it says uncharted territory, which I think is the most exciting thing you can see on a map.

　　Rob: So there are still a few places to explore - places that are not on a map! Christina Lamb called them 'uncharted territory'.

　　Finn: 'Uncharted' means a place that is completely new - and 'territory' is another word for an area of land. So, uncharted territory - imagine discovering somewhere like that!

　　Rob: It would be amazing - but sometimes people are already living in these places - these are the tribes⁸ - or groups of people - who have never had contact with the outside world.

　　Finn: Well, even if every tribe⁷, every lost city, every piece of land had already been discovered, a travel writer called Colin Thurbron claims we can still re-explore and discover new things. So, what things keep changing which mean we should never stop exploring?

　　Colin Thurbron, author

　　What there's always a role for, is for reinterpreting a culture - going back there for every generation. Not just because the culture has changed but the judgements and priorities⁹ of every generation of traveller has changed too.

　　Rob: OK, so he talks about culture - that's the way of life for a particular group of people. Cultures change, but also our views change too: he says our judgements and priorities change - that means we keep seeing things differently.

　　Finn: So you mean we see things in a new way every time we go back and look at them. In that case, maybe we will never stop exploring our planet.

　　Rob: Yes, there's always something new to discover in the world and even beyond it - people are already venturing¹⁰ into space, the universe - where next?

　　Finn: Yes, absolutely. But I think I still need to explore my own city first - there's a lot more to discover in London before I head off to Mars¹¹!

　　Rob: Maybe you just haven't got any wanderlust - that's the desire to travel - unlike explorer Ed Stafford. Earlier I asked you what he became the first person to do in 2011?

　　Finn: I said a) go round the world in a canoe. I guess I'm wrong.

　　Rob: You're wrong. Nice try! He was actually the first person to walk the length of the Amazon River. Your challenge now Finn is to remind us of some of the vocabulary that we've explored today.

　　Finn: In a canoe? Of course. Well, we had…

　　exploration

　　explorers

　　seeking out

　　circumnavigate

　　natural resources

　　inquisitive

　　uncharted territory

　　tribes

　　culture

　　venturing

　　wanderlust

　　Rob: Well, that brings us to the end of today's 6 Minute English. We hope you’ve enjoyed today’s programme. Please join us again soon.

　　Both: Bye.

1 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

2 canoe   

n.独木舟；vi.乘独木舟，划独木舟

参考例句：

• They slid the canoe down to the water.他们使小舟滑到水中。
• It is only the second time he has been in a canoe.这仅是他第二次乘小游艇。

3 mount   

n.山峰，乘用马，框，衬纸；vi.增长，骑上（马）；vt.提升，爬上，装备

参考例句：

• Their debts continued to mount up.他们的债务不断增加。
• She is the first woman who steps on the top of Mount Jolmo Lungma.她是第一个登上珠穆朗玛峰的女人。

4 inquisitive   

adj.求知欲强的，好奇的，好寻根究底的

参考例句：

• Children are usually inquisitive.小孩通常很好问。
• A pat answer is not going to satisfy an inquisitive audience.陈腔烂调的答案不能满足好奇的听众。

5 finding   

n.发现，发现物；调查的结果

参考例句：

• The finding makes some sense.该发现具有一定的意义。
• That's an encouraging finding.这是一个鼓舞人心的发现。

6 planet   

n.行星

参考例句：

• Neptune is the furthest planet from the sun. 海王星是离太阳最远的行星。
• Rubbish, however, is only part of the problem of polluting our planet. 然而, 垃圾只是我们这个星球的污染问题的一个方面。

7 tribe   

n.部落，种族，一伙人

参考例句：

• This is a subject tribe.这是个受他人统治的部落。
• Many of the tribe's customs and rituals are as old as the hills.这部落的许多风俗、仪式都极其古老。

8 tribes   

n.部落( tribe的名词复数 )；（动、植物的）族；（一）帮；大群

参考例句：

• tribes living in remote areas of the Amazonian rainforest 居住在亚马孙河雨林偏远地区的部落
• In Africa the snake is still sacred with many tribes. 非洲许多部落仍认为蛇是不可冒犯的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 priorities   

n.先( priority的名词复数 )；优先；优先权；优先考虑的事

参考例句：

• The document provided a revealing insight into the government's priorities. 这份文件使人看出政府的轻重缓急是怎样安排的。
• We must work together to fund only our most important priorities. 我们必须共同努力，只为最重要的项目提供资金。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

10 venturing   

v.敢于，冒险( venture的现在分词 )；冒…的危险；拿…冒险；用…进行投机

参考例句：

• Not venturing to go myself, I sent several sham messengers. 我不敢自己再去，就派几个假装的探信人去。
• I'm not venturing out in this rain. 我不敢冒这样的雨外出。

11 Mars   

n.火星，战争

参考例句：

• As of now we don't know much about Mars.目前我们对火星还知之甚少。
• He contended that there must be life on Mars.他坚信火星上面一定有生物。