英語(yǔ)聽(tīng)力文摘 “哈比人”

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https://online2.tingclass.net/lesson/shi0529/0007/7643/258.mp3

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佛羅勒斯人(Homo floresiensis)是近年發(fā)現(xiàn)的一種史前人類，為人屬的一種，主要特征是體型小，大腦小，因此也被化名作“哈比人”。 一般認(rèn)為他們與現(xiàn)代人類曾經(jīng)生活在一個(gè)時(shí)代。他們居住在印尼弗洛勒斯島上，直到約12000年前滅絕，是已絕種人屬中存活最久的。

印度尼西亞在多年前挖掘出一種矮小的人類骨骸，經(jīng)過(guò)研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，這種身高僅1米的“哈比人”應(yīng)該就是人類的始祖。電影魔戒里哈比人腿短、毛多、體型嬌小可愛(ài)，這是作者托爾金憑空幻想出來(lái)的人物，沒(méi)想到現(xiàn)在考古證實(shí)，的確曾經(jīng)存在“哈比人”。考古學(xué)家在印度尼西亞的佛羅瑞斯島挖掘到史前小矮人的骨骸，發(fā)現(xiàn)這種“佛羅瑞斯人”，身高只有100公分、體重30公斤。一開(kāi)始部分學(xué)者還以為，他們是腦部因病萎縮的侏儒人癥患者，因?yàn)樗麄兊哪X部容量只有現(xiàn)代人的 1/3，沒(méi)想到隨著更多骨骸出土，證實(shí)是一種新人種。考古隊(duì)發(fā)現(xiàn)，佛羅勒斯人具有現(xiàn)代人特征，像是四指并排，不過(guò)腳部結(jié)構(gòu)又很原始，和黑猩猩類似?？脊艑W(xué)家猜測(cè)體形這么嬌小，應(yīng)該是猿人為了適應(yīng)島居而演化成侏儒，不過(guò)更多的考古之謎仍有待專家一一解開(kāi)。

Songwriter Randy Newman once sang, “short people got no reason to live.” But once upon a time, on an isolated island in the Java sea(爪哇海), short people not only lived–they dominated the food chain. Standing no more than three and a half feet tall, these human ancestors hunted giant rats, lumbering lizards, and miniature elephants.

It sounds a bit like a fairy tale, but it’s true. Excavations(挖掘) on the island of Flores uncovered the remains of a race of tiny human ancestors. (1)Homo floresiensis, as the newly discovered species has been named, apparently (2)lived up until thirteen thousand years ago. This means they overlapped with modern humans.

So how and why did these people get so small? Scientists suspect that it’s due to the fact that this race of Tiny Tims lived on an isolated island with limited resources. Take the case of the miniature elephants that are known to have once roamed the island. When elephants first came to the island either by swimming or some kind of natural land raft, they were probably close to full size. But since there wasn’t much to eat, over time smaller elephants lived longer and (3)fared better. The smaller the elephant, the less it had to eat to stay strong and healthy.

Scientists call this the “island rule,” and it could apply to humans as well as animals. Given the island’s sparse food supply, it makes sense that the early humans living there would have evolved a body size requiring less food to survive. So bigger isn’t always better. In the case of homo floresiensis, at least, getting smaller was the way to go.

Notes:

(1)Homo floresiensis:佛羅勒斯人

(2)live up v.快樂(lè)地過(guò)日子

Are you alone? Do you live up here all by yourself?

只有你一個(gè)人嗎?只有你一個(gè)人住在這里嗎?

(3)fare [fε?] vi.經(jīng)營(yíng);進(jìn)展;遭遇;過(guò)活 n.票價(jià);費(fèi)用;旅客;食物

The taxi fare was too high, so I persuaded her to cycle there.

出租車費(fèi)用太高，所以我說(shuō)服了她騎自行車去那里。