常春藤解析英語 40 The Lost Civilization of Yonaguni 失落的古文明

The Lost Civilization of Yonaguni 失落的古文明

by Kevin Lustig

Humans have been building for a long time. Structures _(1)_ 6,000 years old have been discovered that were built by ancient Egyptians, Indians, Chinese, and Mesopotamians. However, even these very old cultures recorded legends of groups that lived long before. The stories tell of places like Atlantis, Thule, and Mu that _(2)_ terrible disasters and disappeared into the ocean.

In modern times, these are commonly thought to be _(3)_ more than folktales. However, a recent discovery is making scientists and historians think again. Off the shore of Yonaguni Island, just 125 kilometers east of Taiwan, divers discovered _(4)_ appeared to be a huge building underwater. Since the first sighting in 1987, teams of scientists have been back to reexamine the site many times. The structure seems to be about the same size as the Egyptian pyramids but may be nearly 3,500 years older than those famous monuments. This would make it the oldest building on the planet.

_(5)_ Yonaguni, as many as four sites have been discovered in the waters around Taiwan that appear man-made. Nothing is known about the civilization that might have built these sites, and scientists are not sure if they are the work of ancient people. More underwater detective work will have to be done _(6)_ anything is certain. However, as more is learned about these mysterious buildings, we may want to take another look at those old tales of cities _(7)_ beneath the waves.

1. (A) up to (B) due to (C) as well (D) as many

2. (A) pleased (B) embraced (C) suffered (D) contained

3. (A) something (B) nothing (C) everything (D) anything

4. (A) where (B) that (C) which (D) what

5. (A) Other than (B) Rather than (C) Less than (D) More than

6. (A) though (B) after (C) before (D) when

7. (A) vanishing (B) to vanish (C) vanished (D) vanish

原來如此

1. Structures up to 6,000 years old have been discovered that...

理由:

a. (A) up to...　　多達……(與數字并用)

例: Some types of turtles are known to live for up to 150 years.

(有些烏龜可以活到 150 歲之久。)

(B) due to...　　由于……

例: We have a new security plan due to recent robberies at other banks.

(由于其它銀行發(fā)生搶案，我們將采用新的保全措施。)

(C) as well　　也(置于句尾)

A as well as B　　A 與 B(為對等連接詞)

例: Dave bought new furniture for his living room and a new TV as well.

(戴維替客廳添購了新家具，還買了新電視。)

例: Our school has students from Japan as well as other countries.

(我們學校有來自日本和其它國家的學生。)

(D) as many 之后通常與 as 并用，形成 "as many as..."(和……一樣多)之用法。

b. 空格后有數字 6,000，根據上述用法，此處應置入 up to，表『長達六千多年歷史的建筑物』，故 (A) 為正選。

2. The stories tell of places like Atlantis, Thule, and Mu that suffered terrible disasters and...

理由:

a. (A) please vt. 取悅

(B) embrace vt. 擁抱;接納

例: After being apart for years, the friends embraced each other at the airport.

(分開多年后，那群朋友在機場互相擁抱。)

(C) suffer vt. 遭受 & vi. 受苦;患病

suffer from...　　受……(疾病)所苦

例: Sometimes I miss class because I suffer from really bad headaches.

(我有時會因為頭痛欲裂而缺課。)

(D) contain vt. 包含

b. 根據語意，可知應選 (C)。

3. In modern times, these are commonly thought to be nothing more than folktales.

理由:

a. 本空格測試下列固定用法：

be nothing more than + N　　只不過是……

= be nothing but + N

= be just/only/merely + N

例: The spells David said he could perform were nothing more than magic tricks.

(戴維說自己能施咒，但那只不過是魔術把戲罷了。)

b. 根據上述用法，故選 (B) nothing。無 "be something/everything/anything more than + N" 的用法，故 (A)、(C)、(D) 均不可選。

4. ...divers discovered what appeared to be a huge building underwater.

理由:

a. (A) where 為修飾地方的關系副詞，其后須接完整的子句，然空格后的子句尚缺主詞，故 (A) 不可選。

例: I had no idea where my little sister had gone.

(我不知道我小妹去哪兒了。)

b. (B) that 雖可引導名詞子句，作為其前及物動詞 discovered(發(fā)現)的受詞，然該子句須為一完整句構，故 (B) 不可選。

例: I can conclude that Tim was the murderer.

(我敢推論提姆就是兇手。)

c. (C) which 為關系代名詞，使用時其前須有先行詞(名詞)，空格前為動詞 discovered 而無名詞，故 (C) 不可選。

例: This is the book which I bought yesterday.

(這就是我昨天買的那本書。)

d. (D) what 為復合關系代名詞，等于 the thing(s) which，使用時其前不須有先行詞，且 what 置入空格后，亦可作及物動詞 discovered 的受詞，符合語意、用法，故 (D) 為正選。

例: Tell me what happened in detail.

(詳細告訴我發(fā)生了什么事。)

5. Other than Yonaguni, as many as four sites have been discovered...

理由:

a. (A) other than...　　除了……(以外)

例: Other than painting, Carla has many talents like singing and photography.

(除了繪畫，卡拉還有許多天份，例如唱歌和攝影。)

(B) rather than...　　而非∕與其……

例: Rather than stay home and cook, let's go out to eat tonight.

(與其在家開伙，咱們今晚不如出去外面吃。)

(C) less than...　　少于……

(D) more than...　　多于……

b. 根據語意，應是表『除了』與那國島，在臺灣周圍海域底下還發(fā)現了四座遺跡，可知應選 (A)。

6. More underwater detective work will have to be done before anything is certain.

理由:

a. 空格前后均為完整的子句，得知此處應置入連接詞加以連接。

b. 選項均為副詞連接詞，(A) though 表『雖然』、(B) after 表『之后』、(C) before 表『之前』、(D) when 表『當……時』，然根據語意，可知應選 before，表『在任何事情能確定之前，還有許多偵查工作尚待完成』，故選 (C)。

7. ...we may want to take another look at those old tales of cities vanishing beneath the waves.

理由:

a. 空格前省略了 which，本句實等于：

...take another look at those old tales of cities which vanished beneath the waves.

b. 限定修飾的形容詞子句中，若關系代名詞為主詞時，該子句可化簡為分詞詞組，化簡原則如下：

1) 刪除關系代名詞;

2) 之后的動詞變成現在分詞;

3) 若動詞為 be 動詞，變成現在分詞 being 后可省 略。

例: I mistook the girl (who was) standing there for your sister.

(我把站在那里的女生誤認成你妹妹。)

c. 根據上述，可知應選 (A) vanishing。

d. vanish vi. 突然不見;消失

vanish into thin air　　憑空消失

例: The ship sailed away and vanished into thin air. It was never seen again.

(那艘船出航后就憑空消失了，從此再也沒有人見過。)

精解字詞詞組

1. tell of...　　(書本等)描述∕敘述……

例: The children found an old book that told of a hidden cave filled with treasure.

(那群小孩找到一本舊書，內容敘述隱密的山洞里藏有寶藏的故事。)

2. discovery n. 發(fā)現

make a discovery　　發(fā)現

例: Dr. Isaacs is famous for having made many discoveries in cancer research.

(艾薩克斯醫(yī)生因在癌癥研究上有多項發(fā)現而享有盛名。)

3. off the shore of...　　在……外海

= off the coast of...

例: Many people on the beach saw the plane crash off the coast of our island.

(許多在海邊的人都目睹了我們小島外海的墜機事件。)

4. 表距離的名詞 + 方向 + of + 某地　　位于某地……方向……(之遠)處

例: Kaohsiung is situated about three hundred kilometers south of Taipei.

(高雄位于臺北南方大約三百公里處。)

5. detective a. 偵查的 & n. 偵探

detect vt. 察覺;偵查

例: Special machines have been put in the airport to detect explosive material.

(機場裝設了許多偵測爆裂物的機器。)

單字小鋪

1. civilization n. 文明

2. structure n. 建筑物

3. discover vt. 發(fā)現

4. Mesopotamian n. 美索不達米亞人 & a. 美索不達米亞的

5. disaster n. 災難

6. commonly adv. 一般地

7. folktale n. 傳說，民間故事

8. diver n. 潛水者

9. sighting n. 看見

10. reexamine vt. 重新檢查

11. pyramid n. 金字塔

12. monument n. 歷史遺跡

13. mysterious a. 神秘的

詞組小鋪

1. in modern times　　在現代

in ancient times　　在古代

2. take a look at...　　看一看……

= check out...

中文翻譯&標準答案

人類開始筑城造墻已有好長一段時間。我們發(fā)現由古埃及、印度、中國及美索不達米亞人建造的建筑物，其歷史長達六千年之久。然而，即使這么古老的文化也記錄著古時生活于此的族群故事。這些故事講述亞特蘭堤斯、圖勒文化、姆文化等地的往事，這些文化都遭逢可怕的災難，消失于大海之中。

現今，一般認為這些故事不過是民間傳說。不過，近代有一項發(fā)現卻讓科學家與歷史學家重新思索。在與那國島外海，距離臺灣東部僅僅 125 公里處，潛水者在海底發(fā)現了一個疑似巨大建筑物的遺跡。自 1987 年首次被發(fā)現后，科學團隊已多次往返重新研究該地點。該建筑看起來和埃及金字塔一樣巨大，但卻比這知名遺跡早了將近 3,500 年。這足以讓它成為全世界最古老的建筑物。

除了與那國島，在臺灣周圍海域底下還發(fā)現了多達四個地點疑似人造遺跡。究竟是什么文明造就了這些遺跡尚不可知，科學家也不確定這是否為古人的杰作。確定任何事之前，還有許多海底偵查工作尚待完成。然而，隨著更多這些神秘建筑的面紗被揭開之際，我們或許應該再回頭看看這些消失于海底的古城舊事。

標準答案: 1. (A)　2. (C)　3. (B)　4. (D)　5. (A)　6. (C)　7. (A)