纪录片《文明》 第3期 创世纪的第二个瞬间（3）（在线收听）

When did it begin,

创世的第二个瞬间

that second moment of creation,

人类创造力的黎明

the dawning of human creativity?

是何时开始的呢

Where did it begin?

是从哪里开始的呢

It must have started in Africa

一定是从非洲开始的

where Homo sapiens first evolved about 200,000 years ago.

二十万年前 那里首先进化出了智人

On South Africa's Cape Coast,

在南非的南海岸角

archaeologists have found evidence of human habitation

考古学家找到了大约十万年前

stretching back around 100,000 years.

人类居住地的证据

In one of those caves, this was discovered.

在其中一个洞穴中发现了这个

77,000 years old,

七万七千年的历史

a piece of red ochre, a mineral naturally rich in iron,

一块红赭石 一种天然富含铁的矿物

etched in a diamond pattern.

蚀刻着菱形图案

The oldest deliberately decorative marks ever discovered.

这是迄今为止发现最早的装饰性图案

The pattern may have been a kind of language

这个图案可能是某种语言

or a kind of number scoring,

或是某种计数方法

but it's hard to see them as serving any functional need

但看不出是用作

connected with shelter or sustenance.

和吃住相关的功能性需求