万物简史 第644期:永不安分的类人猿(9)

Above all the issue that is almost never addressed is that Neandertals had brains that were significantly larger than those of modern people—

尤其重要的是，有个问题几乎从来没有人解决过，那就是尼安德特人的脑比现代人明显要大——

1.8 liters for Neandertals versus¹ 1.4 for modern people, according to one calculation.

据测算，尼安德特人的脑量是1.8升，而现代人是1.4升。

This is more than the difference between modern Homo sapiens and late Homo erectus , a species we are happy to regard as barely human.

这种差别比现代智人和晚期直立人——我们乐于认为他们算不上是人类——的差别要大。

The argument put forward is that although our brains were smaller, they were somehow more efficient.

提出的理由是，尽管我们的大脑要小些，但是不知怎的更加管用。

I believe I speak the truth when I observe that nowhere else in human evolution is such an argument made.

我注意到，在有关人类进化方面，别处从未有过如此惊人的论点。我相信我说的是实话。

I believe I speak the truth when I observe that nowhere else in human evolution is such an argument made.

我注意到，在有关人类进化方面，别处从未有过如此惊人的论点。我相信我说的是实话。

So why then, you may well ask, if the Neandertals were so stout² and adaptable³ and cerebrally⁴ well endowed, are they no longer with us

?因此，你也许会问，既然尼安德特人是如此强壮，又具有如此强的适应性和较大的脑量，那么他们为什么没有生活到今天呢？

One possible (but much disputed) answer is that perhaps they are.

有一种回答（不过还有很大争议）是，

Alan Thorne is one of the leading proponents⁵ of an alternative theory, known as the multiregional hypothesis,

他们也许还在二艾伦·桑恩是一种被称为“多地区起源一假说的最主要的倡导者之一，

which holds that human evolution has been continuous—

这种理论主张人类进化是一个持续的过程——

that just as australopithecines evolved into Homo habilis and Homo heidelbergensis became over time Homo neanderthalensis,

由南方古猿进化到能人和海德堡人，再进化到尼安德特人，因此现代智人是从较古老的人属进他而来的。

so modern Homo sapiens simply emerged from more ancient Homo forms.Homo erectus is, on this view, not a separate species but just a transitional phase.

根据这种观点，直立人并不是一个独立的种属，而只是一个过渡阶段。

Thus modern Chinese are descended⁶ from ancient Homo erectus forebears in China, modern Europeans from ancient European Homo erectus, and so on.

因此，现代中国人是远古中国直立人的后裔，现代欧洲人刚是远古欧洲直立人的后裔，如此等等。

"Except that for me there are no Homo erectus," says Thorne.

“在我看来，根本就没有直立人，”桑恩说，

"I think it's a term which has outlived its usefulness.

“我认为这个概念已经过时，

For me, Homo erectus is simply an earlier part of us.

在我看来，直立人只不过是人类的早期阶段，

I believe only one species of humans has ever left Africa, and that species is Homo sapiens."

我认为只有一个人类种属离开了非洲，那就是智人。”

1 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。

2 stout   

adj.强壮的，粗大的，结实的，勇猛的，矮胖的

参考例句：

• He cut a stout stick to help him walk.他砍了一根结实的枝条用来拄着走路。
• The stout old man waddled across the road.那肥胖的老人一跩一跩地穿过马路。

3 adaptable   

adj.能适应的，适应性强的，可改编的

参考例句：

• He is an adaptable man and will soon learn the new work.他是个适应性很强的人，很快就将学会这种工作。
• The soil is adaptable to the growth of peanuts.这土壤适宜于花生的生长。

4 cerebrally   

参考例句：

• Results Of 18 newborn rats 88.89% were infected by BDV inoculation intra-cerebrally. 结果病毒接种后新生大鼠的BDV感染阳性率为88·89%。 来自互联网

5 proponents   

n.（某事业、理论等的）支持者，拥护者( proponent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Reviewing courts were among the most active proponents of hybrid rulemaking procedures. 复审法院是最积极的混合型规则制定程序的建议者。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• Proponents of such opinions were arrested as 'traitors. ' 提倡这种主张的人马上作为“卖国贼”逮捕起来。 来自辞典例句

6 descended   

a.为...后裔的，出身于...的

参考例句：

• A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。
• The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。