纪录片《大英博物馆世界简史》 007Ain Sakhri的恋人（1）

007: Ain Sakhri OR 'THE LOVERS' Ain Sakhri的恋人

Abstract摘要 :

Ain Sakhri lovers figurine (made around 11,000 years ago). Stone sculpture, found near Bethlehem

Ain Sakhri的恋人塑像，石雕，距今约一万一千年前，出土于伯利恒地区附近。

MP3听力原文：

As the last Ice Age came to an end, somebody picked a pebble¹ out of a small river not far from Bethlehem. It's a pebble that must have been tumbled downstream, banged and smoothed against other stones as it went, in the process that geologists² poetically³ describe as 'chattering⁴'.

随着最后一个冰河时代宣告结束，有人从伯利恒附近流水淙淙的小溪边，捡起了一枚鹅卵石。这肯定是一枚来自下游的卵石了，逐流而下的过程中，受流水冲刷，在砂石间反复翻滚摩擦，直到棱角尽失，成为圆滑可爱的卵石。地质学家们很诗意地将这过程描述为“千锤百炼，终成正果”。

But about 11,000 years ago, a human hand then shaped and chipped this beautifully chattered⁵, rounded pebble into one of the most moving objects in the British Museum. It shows two naked people literally⁶ wrapped up in each other. It's the oldest known representation of a couple having sex.

然后大约在一万一千年前左右，一双人手巧妙地将这枚“终成正果”的美丽卵石雕刻成了如今大英博物馆馆藏展品中最动人的一件。它显示了一对赤身裸体的人缠绵紧拥的姿态，这是世界上最早描绘男女性爱的物品。

'Well it's the classic thing that we always imagine that we discovered sex, and that all other ages before us were kind of rather prudish⁷ and simple, whereas in fact obviously human beings have been emotionally sophisticated since at least 8,000 BC when this sculpture was made, and just as sophisticated as us, I'm sure.'

“这么经典的东西总能引发我们的想象，我们发现了性爱，而后在当代人之前的漫长岁月里，在这话题上我们总是显得那么拘谨避讳。然而在公元前八千年左右这件雕塑制造出来时，显然我们人类在这方面早已拥有复杂的情感。我相信当时的人类情感之复杂，大概与你我一样。”

'And I think it's clear that sexuality was a very very important part of the symbolic⁸ and social world.'

“我认为很明显的，在当时整个人类象征性与社会性的世界里，性行为已经占据了相当重要的一部分。”

Ain Sakhri lovers，A stone sculpture discovered near Bethlehem , approximately 11,000 years old

Ain Sakhri的恋人塑像，石雕，距今约一万一千年前，出土于伯利恒地区附近。

At the end of the last Ice Age, as the climate warmed up across the world, humans gradually shifted from hunting and gathering⁹ to a settled way of life based on farming - and in the process, our relationship to the natural world was transformed.

在最后一次冰河时代后期，随着全球气候变暖，人类逐渐由过去狩猎与采集过渡到定居农耕的生活方式；在这个过程中，我们与大自然世界的关系在产生了巨变。

From living as a minor¹⁰ part of a balanced ecosystem¹¹, we start trying to overcome nature, to take control. In the Middle East the warmer weather brought a spread of rich grasslands¹². People had been moving around, hunting gazelle and gathering the seeds of lentils, chick peas and wild grasses. But in the new, lusher savannah, gazelle were plentiful¹³ and they tended to stay in one place throughout the year, so the humans settled down with them.

以前我们仅仅是作为一个平衡生态大系统中的一小部分因子，现在我们开始尝试来克服大自然，想要赢得主动权。在中东地区，转暖的气候带来了一望无际的浩瀚草原，水草丰茂，土质肥沃。人类曾经迁徙奔波，猎捕瞪羚，采集小扁豆、鹰嘴豆与各种野草的种子；然而在这片崭新而肥沃的稀树大草原之上，瞪羚的数量十分充足，往往常年累月停留在同一地方不迁移，因此人类也随之定居下来。

1 pebble   

n.卵石，小圆石

参考例句：

• The bird mistook the pebble for egg and tried to hatch it.这只鸟错把卵石当蛋，想去孵它。
• The pebble made a ripple on the surface of the lake.石子在湖面上激起一个涟漪。

2 geologists   

地质学家，地质学者( geologist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Geologists uncovered the hidden riches. 地质学家发现了地下的宝藏。
• Geologists study the structure of the rocks. 地质学家研究岩石结构。

3 poetically   

adv.有诗意地，用韵文

参考例句：

• Life is poetically compared to the morning dew. 在诗歌中，人生被比喻为朝露。 来自辞典例句
• Poetically, Midsummer's Eve begins in flowers and ends in fire. 仲夏节是富有诗意的节日，它以鲜花领航，在篝火旁完美落幕。 来自互联网

4 chattering   

n. （机器振动发出的）咔嗒声，(鸟等)鸣，啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的，啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The teacher told the children to stop chattering in class. 老师叫孩子们在课堂上不要叽叽喳喳讲话。
• I was so cold that my teeth were chattering. 我冷得牙齿直打战。

5 chattered   

（人）喋喋不休( chatter的过去式 )； 唠叨； （牙齿）打战； （机器）震颤

参考例句：

• They chattered away happily for a while. 他们高兴地闲扯了一会儿。
• We chattered like two teenagers. 我们聊着天，像两个十多岁的孩子。

6 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

7 prudish   

adj.装淑女样子的，装规矩的，过分规矩的；adv.过分拘谨地

参考例句：

• I'm not prudish but I think these photographs are obscene.我并不是假正经的人，但我觉得这些照片非常淫秽。
• She was sexually not so much chaste as prudish.她对男女关系与其说是注重贞节，毋宁说是持身谨慎。

8 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。

9 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。

10 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

11 ecosystem   

n.生态系统

参考例句：

• This destroyed the ecosystem of the island.这样破坏了岛上的生态系统。
• We all have an interest in maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem.维持生态系统的完整是我们共同的利益。

12 grasslands   

n.草原，牧场( grassland的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Songs were heard ringing loud and clear over the grasslands. 草原上扬起清亮激越的歌声。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Grasslands have been broken and planted to wheat. 草原已经开垦出来，种上了小麦。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 plentiful   

adj.富裕的，丰富的

参考例句：

• Their family has a plentiful harvest this year.他们家今年又丰收了。
• Rainfall is plentiful in the area.这个地区雨量充足。