高中英语选修八课文及翻译_英语选修8课文及翻译

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选修8 Unit 1 A land of diversity-Reading

CALIFORNIA California is the third largest state in the USA but has the largest population.It also has the distinction of being the most multicultural state in the USA, having attracted people from all over the world.The customs and languages of the immigrants live on in their new home.This diversity of culture is not surprising when you know the history of California.Unit1 加利福尼亚

加利福尼亚是美国的第三大州，而且是人口最多的州。加州与众不同之处在于它也是美国最具多元文化的一个州，它吸引了来自世界各地的人们。这些移民的风俗习惯以及语言在他们的新家都得以延续。当你了解了加利福尼亚的历史后，你就不会对此感到惊讶了。NATIVE AMERCANS

Exactly when the first people arrived in what we now know as California, no one really knows.However, it is likely that Native Americans were living in California at least fifteen thousand years ago.Scientists believe that these settlers croed the Bering Strait in the Arctic to America by means of a land bridge which existed in prehistoric times.In the 16th century, after the arrival of the Europeans, the native people suffered greatly.Thousands were killed or forced into slavery.In addition, many died from the diseases brought by the Europeans.However, some survived these terrible times, and today there are more

Native Americans living in California than in any other state.美洲土著人

最早的一批人具体是在什么时候来到我们现在所知道的加利福尼亚地区的，谁也说不清楚。然而，很可能至少在15 ,000年以前美洲土著人就住在加利福尼亚了。科学家们认为，这些迁居者通过一条史前时代曾经存在的大陆桥穿越北极地区的白令海峡到达美洲。欧洲人在16世纪来到这儿后，土著人遭受了极大的苦难，成千上万的人被杀害或被迫成为奴隶。此外，欧洲人带来了疾病，使许多人染病而死，不过，还是有一些人在经历了这些恐怖时期后活下来了。今天住在加利福尼亚的美洲土著人比任何其他州的都要多。

THE SPANISH In the 18th century California was ruled by Spain.Spanish soldiers first arrived in South America in the early 16th century, when they fought against the native people and took their land.Two centuries later, the Spanish had settled in most parts of South America and along the northwest coast of what we now call the United States.Of the first Spanish to go to California, the majority were religious men, whose ministry was to teach the Catholic religion to the natives.In 1821, the people of Mexico gained their independence from Spain.California then became part of Mexico.In 1846 the United States declared war on Mexico, and after the war won by the USA, Mexico had to give California to the USA.However, there is still a strong Spanish influence in the state.That is why today over 40 of

Californians speak Spanish as a first or second language.西班牙人

在18世纪的时候，加利福尼亚是由西班牙统治的西班牙士兵最早是在1 6世纪初期来到南美洲的，他们同土著人打仗，并夺去了他们的土地3两个世纪以后，西班牙人在南美洲的大部分地区定居下来，而且还在我们现在称之为美国的西北沿海地区住下来c在首批移

居加州的西班牙人中，大部分是宗教人士，他们的职责是向原住民传授天主教。1821年，墨西哥人从西班牙获得了独立-加利福尼亚于是成了墨西哥的一部分。1846年美国向墨西哥宣战，美国赢得战争胜利后，墨西哥被迫把加利福尼亚割让给美国。但是，这个州至今仍然保留着很强的西班牙的影响。这就是为什么今天还有40%的加利福尼亚人仍然把西班牙语作为第一或第二语言的缘故。

RUSSIANS In the early 1800s, Ruian hunters, who had originally gone to Alaska, began settling in California.Today there are about 25,000 Ruian-Americans living in and around San Francisco.俄罗斯人

19世纪初期，一批最初到阿拉斯加的俄罗斯猎人开始在加利福尼亚定居下来。今天，住在圣弗朗西斯科（旧金山）及其周边地区的美籍俄罗斯人约有25,000人。GOLD MINERS In 1848, not long after the American-Mexican war, gold was discovered in

California.The dream of becoming rich quickly attracted people from all over the world.The nearest, and therefore the first to arrive, were South Americans and people from the United States.Then adventurers from Europe and Asia soon followed.In fact, few achieved their dream of becoming rich.Some died or returned home, but most remained in California to make a life for themselves despite great hardship.They settled in the new towns or on farms.By the time California elected to become the thirty-first federal state of the USA in 1850, it was already a multicultural society.淘金矿工

1848年，在美国同墨西哥开战之后不久，在加利福尼亚发现了金矿。发财梦很快就吸引了世界各地的人。距离最近因而来得最早的是南美洲人和美国人。随后跟着来的有欧洲和亚洲的探险家。事实上很少有人圆了发财梦。一些人死了或回家了，但是尽管条件十分艰苦，多数人还是留在了加利福尼亚劳作谋生，并在新的城镇或农场里定居下来。到1850年加利福尼亚成为美国第31个州的时候，它已经是一个有着多种文化的社会了。

LATER A RRIVALS Although Chinese immigrants began to arrive during the Gold Rush Period, it was the building of the rail network from the west to the east coast that brought even larger numbers to California in the 1860s.Today, Chinese-Americans live in all parts of California, although a large

percentage have chosen to stay in the “Chinatowns” of Los Angeles and San Francisco.Other immigrants such as Italians, mainly fishermen but also wine makers, arrived in California in the late 19th century.In 1911 immigrants from Denmark established a town of their own, which today still keeps up their Danish culture.By the 1920s the film industry was well established in Hollywood, California.The industry boom attracted Europeans including many Jewish people.Today California has the second largest Jewish population in the United States.Japanese farmers began arriving in California at the beginning of the 20th century, and since the 1980s a lot more have settled there.People from Africa have been living in California since the 1800s, when they moved north from Mexico.However, even more arrived between 1942 and 1945 to work in the ship and aircraft industries.后来的移民

虽然中国移民在淘金热时期就开始到来了，但是更大批量的移民却是在1 9世纪60年代为了修建贯穿美国东西海岸的铁路而来的。今天，加利福尼亚州各地都有美籍华人，尽管有很大比例的华人还是选择住在洛杉矶和圣弗朗西斯科（旧金山）的“中国城”里。

19世纪后期，其他国家的移民，比如意大利人来到了加利福尼亚，他们主要是渔民，也有制酒工人。1911年，丹麦的移民建立了自己的城镇，至今仍然保留着丹麦文化。20世纪20年代，电影业在加州的好莱坞建立了起来。这个行业吸引了大量的欧洲人，包括许多犹太人。今天，加利福尼亚的犹太人口在美国占第二位。

日本农民是在20世纪初期开始到加利福尼亚来的，而从20世纪80年代以来就有更多的日本人在加利福尼亚定居了。非洲人从1 9世纪就在加利福尼亚住下来，他们是从墨西哥向北迁来的。然而，更多的非洲人是在1942年至1945年期间来到加利福尼亚的，当时他们是到船厂和飞机厂工作。

MOST RECENT ARRIVALS In more recent decades, California has become home to more people from Asia, including Koreans, Cambodians, Vietnamese and Laotians.Since its beginning in the 1970s, the computer industry has attracted Indians and Pakistanis to California.最近期的移民

在最近的几十年里，加利福尼亚成了更多的亚洲人的家，包括朝鲜人、柬埔寨人、越南人和老挝人。从20世纪70年代以来，计算机工业吸引了印度人和巴基斯坦人来到加州。

THE FUTURE People from different parts of the world, attracted by the climate and the lifestyle, still immigrate to California.It is believed that before long the mix of nationalities will be so great that there will be no distinct major racial or cultural groups, but simply a mixture of many races and cultures.未来展望

世界各地的人，由于受到气候条件和生活方式的吸引，仍然在继续迁入加利福尼亚。人们认为，要不了多久，多种国籍的混合将会非常之大，以致不可能存在一种主要的种族或文化群体，而是多种族、多文化的混合体。

GEORGE’S DIARY 12TH—14TH JUNE Monday 12th, June Arrived early this morning by bus.Went straight to hotel to drop my luggage, shower and shave.Then went exploring.First thing was a ride on a cable car.From top of the hill got a spectacular view of San Francisco Bay and the city.Built in 1873, the cable car system was invented by Andrew Hallidie, who wanted to find a better form of transport than horse-drawn trams.Apparently he'd been shocked when he saw a terrible accident in which a tram's brakes failed, the conductor could not control the situation and the tram slipped down the hill dragging the horses with it.Had a late lunch at Fisherman's What.This is the district where Italian fishermen first came to San Francisco in the late 19th century and began the fishing industry.Now it's a tourist area with lots of shops, sea food restaurants and bakeries.It's also the place to catch the ferry to Angel Island and other places in the Bay.Did so much exploring at Fisherman's What.Am exhausted and don't feel like doing anything else.Early bed tonight!

Tuesday 13th, June

Teamed up with a couple from my hotel(Peter and Terri)and hired a car.Spent all day driving around the city.There's a fascinating drive marked out for tourists.It has blue and white signs with seagulls on them to show the way to go.It's a 79km round-trip that takes in all the famous tourist spots.Stopped many times to admire the view of the city from different angles and take photographs.Now have a really good idea of what the city's like.In evening, went to Chinatown with Peter and Terri.Chinese immigrants settled in this area in the 1850s.The fronts of the buildings are decorated to look like old buildings in southern China.Saw some interesting temples here, a number of markets and a great many restaurants.Also art galleries and a museum containing documents, photographs and all sorts of objects about the history of Chinese immigration, but it is closed in the evening.Will go back during the day.Had a delicious meal and then walked down the hill to our hotel.Wednesday 14th, June

In morning, took ferry to Angel Island from the port in San Francisco Bay.On the way had a good view of the Golden Gate Bridge.From 1882 to 1940 Angel Island was a famous immigration station where many Chinese people applied for right to live in USA.The cells in the station

were very small, cold and damp;some did not even have light but the immigrants had nowhere else to go.Their miserable stay seemed to be punishment rather than justice and freedom to them.They wrote poems on the walls about their loneline and mourned their former life in China.In 1940 the civil authorities reformed the system so that many more Chinese people were able to grasp the opportunity of settling in the USA.Made me very thoughtful and thankful for my life today.选修8 Unit 2 Cloning-Reading CLONING: WHERE IS IT LEADING US? Cloning has always been with us and is here to stay.It is a way of making an exact copy of another animal or plant.It happens in plants when gardeners take cuttings from growing plants to make new ones.It also happens in animals when twins identical in sex and appearance are produced from the same original egg.The fact is that these are both examples of natural clones.Unit2 克隆：它将把我们引向何方？

克隆一直与我们同在，而如今它还要持续下去。这是一种用来生产与原型完全相同的动植物的方法。当园艺师从生长着的植物上剪下枝条来培植新植物时，就会产生这种现象。这种现象也发生在动物身上，从同一个原生卵子产生性别和相貌相同的双胞胎也是克隆。实际上，这些都是自然克隆现象。

Cloning has two major uses.Firstly, gardeners use it all the

time to produce commercial quantities of plants.Secondly, it is valuable for research on new plant species and for medical research on animals.Cloning plants is straightforward while cloning animals is very complicated.It is a difficult task to undertake.Many attempts to clone mammals failed.But at last the determination and patience of the scientists paid off in 1996 with a breakthroughthe telephone in 1876.Bell never

set out to invent the telephone and what he was trying to design was a multiple telegraph.This original telegraph sent a meage over distances using Morse code(a series of dots tapped out along a wire in a particular order).But only one meage could go at a time.Bell wanted to improve it so that it could send several meages at the same time.He designed a machine that would separate different sound waves and allow different conversations to be held at the same time.But he found the problem difficult to solve.One day as he was experimenting with one end of a straw joined to a deaf man's ear drum and the other to a piece of smoked gla, Bell noticed that when he spoke into the ear, the straw drew sound waves on the gla.Suddenly he had a flash of inspiration.If sound waves could be reproduced in a moving electrical current, they could be sent along a wire.In searching to improve the telegraph,Bell had invented the first telephone!Bell was fully aware of the importance of his invention and wrote to his father: “The day is coming when telegraph wires will be laid on to houses just like water or gas – and friends will talk to each other without leaving home.” The patent was given in 1876, but it was not until five days later that Bell sent his first telephone meage to his aistant Watson.The words have now become famous:

“Mr WatsonI want to see you.” Alexander Graham Bell was not a man to rest and he interested himself in many other areas of invention.He experimented with helicopter designs and flying machines.While searching for a kite strong enough to carry a man into the air, Bell experimented putting triangles together and discovered the tetrahedron shape.Being very stable, it has proved invaluable in the design of bridges.Bell was an inventor all his life.He made his first invention at eleven and his last at seventy-five.Although he is most often aociated with the invention of the telephone, he was indeed a continuing searcher after practical solutions to improve the quality of everybody's life.选修8 Unit 4 Pygmalion-Reading

PYGMALION MAIN CHARACTERS: Eliza Doolittle(E): a poor flower girl who is ambitious to improve herself Profeor Higgins(H): an expert in phonetics, convinced that the quality of a person's English decides his/her position in society Colonel Pickering(CP): an officer in the army and later a friend of Higgins' who sets him a task

Unit4 皮格马利翁

主要人物：

伊菜扎·杜利特尔（伊）：穷苦的卖花姑娘，立志要改善自己的生活 希金斯教授（希）：语音学专家，坚信一个人的英语水平决定这个人的社会地位皮克林上校（皮）：陆军军官，后来成了希金斯教授的朋友，并给他安排了一项任务

Act One FATEFUL MEETINGS 11 :15 pm in London, England in 1914 outside a theatre.It is pouring with rain and cab whistles are blowing in all directions.A man is hiding from the rain listening to people's language and watching their reactions.While watching, he makes notes.Nearby a flower girl wearing dark garments and a woollen scarf is also sheltering from the rain.A gentleman(G)paes and hesitates for a moment.E: Come over’ere, cap’in, and buy me flowers off a poor girl.G: I'm sorry but I haven't any change.E: I can giv’ou change, cap’in.G:(surprised)For a pound? I'm afraid I've got nothing le.E:(hopefully)Oah!Oh, do buy a flower off me, Captain.Take this for three pence.(holds up some dead flowers)G:(uncomfortably)Now don't be troublesome, there's a good girl.(looks in his wallet and sounds more friendly)But, wait, here's some small change.Will that be of any use to you? It's raining heavily now, isn't it?(leaves)E:(disappointed at the outcome, but thinking it is better than nothing)

Thank you, sir.(sees a man taking notes and feels worried)Hey!I ain’t done nothing wrong by speaking to that gentleman.I've a right to sell flowers, I have.I ain’t no thief.I'm an honest girl I am!(begins to cry)H:(kindly)There!There!Who's hurting you, you silly girl? What do you take me for?(gives her a handkerchief)E: I thought maybe you was a policeman in disguise.H: Do I look like a policeman? E:(still worried)Then why did 'ou take down my words for? How do I know whether 'ou took me down right? 'ou just show me what 'ou've wrote about me!H: Here you are.(hands over the paper covered in writing)E: What's that? That ain't proper writing.I can't read that.(pushes it back at him)H: I can.(reads imitating Eliza)“Come over' ere, cap'in, and buy me flowers off a poor girl.”(in his own voice)There you are and you were born in Lion Grove if I'm not mistaken.E:(looking confused)What if I was? What's it to you? CP:(has been watching the girl and now speaks to Higgins)That's quite brilliant!How did you do that, may I ask? H: Simply phonetics studied and claified from people's own speech.That's my profeion and also my hobby.You can place a man by

just a few remarks.I can place any spoken conversation within six miles, and even within two streets in London sometimes.CP: Let me congratulate you!But is there an income to be made in that? H: Yes, indeed.Quite a good one.This is the age of the newly rich.People begin their working life in a poor neighbourhood of London with 80 pounds a year and end in a rich one with 100 thousand.But they betray themselves every time they open their mouths.Now once taught by me, she'd become an upper cla lady...CP: Is that so? Extraordinary!H:(rudely)Look at this girl with her terrible English: the English that will condemn her to the gutter to the end of her days.But, sir,(proudly)once educated to speak properly, that girl could pa herself off in three months as a duche at an ambaador's garden party.Perhaps I could even find her a place as a lady's maid or a shop aistant, which requires better English.E: What's that you say? A shop aistant? Now that's sommat I want, that is!H:(ignores her)Can you believe that? CP: Of course!I study many Indian dialects myself and...H: Do you indeed? Do you know Colonel Pickering? CP: Indeed I do, for that is me.Who are you?

H: I'm Henry Higgins and I was going to India to meet you.CP: And I came to England to make your acquaintance!E: What about me? How'll you help me? H: Oh, take that.(carelely throws a handful of money into her basket)We must have a celebration, my dear man.(leave together)E:(looking at the collected money in amazement)Well, I never.A whole pound!A fortune!That'll help me, indeed it will.Tomorrow I'll find you, Henry Higgins.Just you wait and see!All that talk of(imitates him)“authentic English”...(in her own voice)I'll see whether you can get that for me...(goes out)第一幕

决定性的会面

1914年的某日晚上11点15分，在英国伦敦某剧场夕。正下着倾盆大雨，四处响着出租车的鸣笛声。有一位男士在躲雨，边听人们谈话边观察着人们的反应。他一边观察，一边作记录。附近一个穿着黑色衣裙围着羊毛围巾的卖花姑娘也在躲雨。这时有位先生（先）从这儿路过，他迟疑了片刻。

伊：长官，过这边来呀，买我这个苦命的孩子一束花吧！先：对不起，我没有零钱，伊：长官，我可以给你找零钱呀。

先：（惊奇地）一个英镑你找得开吗？没有再小的钱了。

伊：（带有希望的神色）啊！好啦，从我这买一束吧。拿这一束，只要三个便士o（举起一些已经枯萎的花）

先：（不舒服地）现在别烦我，好姑娘。（在他的口袋里找什么，这时语气好些了）等一等，这儿有几个零钱。这点钱对你有用吗？雨下大了，不是吗？（说完就走了）

伊：（对先生付的钱表现出失望的样子，但是有总比没有好）先生，谢谢了。（看到有人在记什么，感到担心）嗨，我跟那位先生讲话，又没做错什么事。我有权卖花吧，我有权嘛！我不是小偷，我是个老实姑娘，老老实实的！（开始哭起来）

希：（友善地）好啦，好啦！谁伤害你了，傻姑娘？你把我当成什么人了？（递给她一条手帕）

伊：我还以为你是一个便衣警察呢。希：我像警察吗？

伊：（仍在担心）那你为啥要把我说的话记下来呢？我怎么知道你是不是写对了呢？那你把你写的关于我的东西给我看看。希：你看吧！（把写满字的纸递给她）

伊：这是什么呀？不像规规矩矩的字，我看不懂。（把纸退回给他）希：我懂。（模仿伊的声音读）长官，过这边来呀，买我这个苦命孩子一束花吧！（改用自己的声音）好了吧，你呀，如果我没有弄错的话，你出生在里森格罗佛：

伊：（困惑不解的）如果我是又怎样呢？跟你有什么关系呢？ 皮：（本来是一直望着这个姑娘的，这时跟希金斯说话了）太棒了！请问你是怎么知道的呢？

希：对人的发音进行研究、分类，如此而已。这是我的专业，也是我的业余爱好。你可以根据几句话判定是哪个地方的人。我可以根据任何谈话来判定他们是哪个地方的人，差距不过六英里，有时候在伦敦甚至不超过两个街区呢。

皮：恭喜你了！不过，你这样做有收入吗？

希：当然有哆，还挺高呢。这是个致富的年代

人们从伦敦的穷人区开始工作，年收入才80英镑，最后到了富人区工作，年收入就是10万英镑了，但是他们一张嘴就会露出马脚（暴露自己的身份）。如今如果让我一教，她就会变成一个上层阶级的淑女…… 皮：是吗？那太妙了！

希：（粗鲁地）你瞧这个姑娘，英语说得那样糟糕，使她注定要在贫民窟里待上一辈子。不过，先生，（高傲地）要是一旦有人教她把英语说好了，她就可以在三个月以内冒充公爵夫人出席大使主办的花园晚会了。说不定我还可 以给她找份工作，当一名贵夫人的侍女或商店的店员。这些工作都要求英语说得好呢。

伊：你说啥来着？店员？这正是我想要做的，真的！希：（不理睬她）你相信我说的话吗？

皮：当然相信。我自己就学了好多种印度方言，而且…… 希：真的吗？那你认不认得皮克林上校呢？ 皮：当然认得，皮克林就是我。那么请问您是谁？ 希：我是亨利·希金斯。我还打算要去印度见你呢： 皮：我也正是到英国来找你的！伊：我呢？你们怎么帮助我呢？

希：啊，拿去吧！（漫不经心地朝她的篮子里扔去一把钱）好老兄，我们该美美地庆祝一番了。（一道离去）

伊：（惊奇地看着收集起来的钱）啊，我还从来没有见过！整整一个英镑呢！一笔财富呀！这的确给我帮大忙了，真的。明天我一定去找你，亨利·希金斯。等着瞧吧！你那口（模仿他的声音）“真正的英语”……（用自己的声音）我倒要看看你能不能帮我找到……（离去）

Act Two, Scene 1 MAKING THE BET It is 11am in Henry Higgins' house the next day.Henry Higgins and Colonel Pickering are sitting deep in conversation.H: Do you want to hear any more sounds? CP: No, thank you.I rather fancied myself because I can pronounce twenty-four distinct vowel sounds;but your one hundred and thirty beat me.I can't distinguish most of them.H:(laughing)Well, that comes with practice.There is a knock and Mrs Pearce(MP), the housekeeper, comes in with cookies, a teapot, some cream and two cups.MP:(hesitating)A young girl is asking to see you.H: A young girl!What does she want? MP: Well, she's quite a common kind of girl with dirty nails.I thought perhaps you wanted her to talk into your machines.H: Why? Has she got an interesting accent? We'll see.Show her in, Mrs Pearce.MP:(only half resigned to it)Very well, sir.(goes downstairs)H: This is a bit of luck.I'll show you how I make records on wax disks...MP:(returning)This is the young girl, sir.(Eliza comes into the room shyly following Mrs Pearce.She is dirty and wearing a shabby dre.She curtsies to the two men.)H:(disappointed)Why!I've got this girl in my records.She's the one we saw the other day.She's no use at all.Take her away.CP:(gently to Eliza)What do you-want, young lady? E:(upset)I wanna be a lady in a flower shop 'stead o' selling flowers in the street.But they won't take me 'le I speak better.So here I am, ready to pay him.I'm not asking for any favourswhy, it's the best offer I've had!(to Eliza)But if I teach you, I'll be worse than a father.CP: I say, Higgins.Do you remember what you said last night? I'll

say you're the greatest teacher alive if you can pa her off as a lady.I'll be the referee for this little bet and pay for the leons too...E:(gratefully)Oh, yer real good, yer are.Thank you, Colonel.H: Oh, she is so deliciously low.(compromises)OK, I'll teach you.(to Mrs Pearce)But she'll need to be cleaned first.Take her away, Mrs Pearce.Wash her and burn her horrible clothes.We'll buy her new ones.What's your name, girl? E: I'm Eliza Doolittle and I'm clean.My clothes went to the laundry when I washed last week.MP: Well, Mr Higgins has a bathtub of his own and he has a bath every morning.If these two gentlemen teach you, you'll have to do the same.They won't like the smell of you otherwise.E:(sobbing)I can't.I dursn't.It ain't natural and it'd kill me.I've never had a bath in my life;not over my whole body, neither below my waist nor taking my vest off.I'd never have come if I'd known about this disgusting thing you want me to do...H: Once more, take her away, Mrs Pearce, immediately.(Outside Eliza is still weeping with Mrs Pearce)You see the problem, Pickering.It'll be how to teach her grammar, not just pronunciation.She's in need of both.CP: And there's another problem, Higgins.What are we going to do once the experiment is over?

H:(heartily)Throw her back.CP: But you cannot overlook that!She'll be changed and she has feelings too.We must be practical, mustn't we? H: Well, we'll deal with that later.First, we must plan the best way to teach her.CP: How about beginning with the alphabet.That's usually considered very effective...(fades out as they go offstage together)

选修8 Unit 5 Meeting your ancestors-Reading A VISIT TO THE ZHOUKOUDIAIN CAVES A group of students(S)from England has come to the Zhoukoudian caves for a visit.An archaeologist(A)is showing them round.A: Welcome to the Zhoukoudian caves here in China.It is a great pleasure to meet you students from England, who are interested in archaeology.You must be aware that it's here that we found evidence of some of the earliest people who lived in this part of the world.We've been excavating here for many years and...S1: I'm sorry to interrupt you but how could they live here? There are only rocks and trees.A: Good question.You are an acute observer.We have found human and animal bones in those caves higher up the hill as well as

tools and other objects.So we think it is reasonable to aume they lived in these caves, regardle of the cold.S2: How did they keep warm? They couldn't have mats, blankets or quilts like we do.It must have been very uncomfortable.A: We've discovered fireplaces in the centre of the caves where they made fires.That would have kept them warm, cooked the food and scared wild beasts away as well.We have been excavating layers of ash almost six metres thick, which suggests that they might have kept the fire burning all winter.We haven't found any doors but we think they might have hung animal skins at the cave mouth to keep out the cold during the freezing winter.S3: What wild animals were there all that time ago? A: Well, we've been finding the bones of tigers and bears in the caves, and we think these were their most dangerous enemies.Now what do you think this tells us about the life of these early people?(shows picture of a sewing needle)S2.: Gosh!That's a needle.Goodne, does that mean they repaired things? A: What else do you think it might have been used for? S4: Let me look at it.It's at most three centimetres long.Ah yes, it seems to be made of bone.I wonder how they made the hole for the...S2:(interrupting)Do you mean that they made their own clothes? Where did they get the material? A: They didn't have material like we have today.Can you gue what they used? Sl: Wow!Did they wear clothes made entirely of animal skins? How did they prepare them? I'm sure they were quite heavy to cut and sew together.A: Our evidence suggests that they did wear clothes made from animal skins.We continue discovering tools that were sharpeners for other tools.It seems that they used the sharpened stone tools to cut up animals and remove their skin.Then smaller scrapers were probably used to remove the fat and meat from the skin.After that they would rub an ample amount of salt onto the skin to make it soft.Finally, they would cut it and sew the pieces together.Quite a difficult and mey task!Now look at this.(shows a necklace)S2:Why, it's a primitive necklace.Did early people really care about their appearance like we do? It's lovely!A:Yes, and so well preserved.What do you think it's made of?.S4:Let me see.Oh, I think some of the beads are made of animal bones but others are made of shells.A:How clever you are!One bone is actually an animal tooth and the shells are from the seaside.Can you identify any other bones?

S1:This one looks very much like a fish bone.Is that reasonable? A:Yes, indeed, as the botanical analyses have shown us, all the fields around here used to be part of a large shallow lake.Probably there were fish in it.S3:But a lake is not the sea.We are miles from the sea, so how did the seashells get here? A:Perhaps there was trade between early peoples or they travelled to the seaside on their journeys.We know that they moved around, following the herds of animals.They didn't grow their own crops, but picked fruit when it ripened and hunted animals.That's why they are called hunters and gatherers.Now, why don't we go and visit the caves?

Unit5 周口店洞穴参观记

一群英国学生（学）来到周口店洞穴参观。有一位考古学家（考）正领着他们参观。

考：欢迎到中国来参观周口店洞穴。很高兴见到你们这些从英国来的对考古学感兴趣的学生。你们想必都很清楚，正是在这个地方，我们找到了世界上居住在这个地方最早人类的证据。我们在这儿进行的挖掘工作已经很多年了，而且…… 学1：

对不起，打断一下你的讲话，请问他们是怎么住在这个地方的呢？这儿只有石头和树木。考：问得好。你是个敏锐的观察者，在高山上的那些洞穴里我们找到了人骨和兽骨，还有工具和其他物品因此，我们有理由认为他们不顾严寒，就住在这些洞穴里。

学2：那他们是怎样取暖的呢？他们不可能像我们现在这样有垫子、毯子和被子。想必是很不舒服的了。

考：我们发现在洞穴中央有生火用的地炉。他们用地炉里的火来取暖、做饭，还可以用火来吓跑野兽。我们一直在挖掘一层层的积灰，几乎有六米厚，这意味着他们可能整个冬天都在烧火。我们还没有找到门，但我们认为在天寒地冻的冬季他们可能是用兽皮挂在洞口来防寒的。学3：在那以前有些什么野兽吗？考：嗯，我们在洞里发现了老虎和熊的骨头。我们认为这些野兽对他们来讲是最危险的敌人了。现在，你们看这个东西能告诉我们有关早期人类生活的什么情况呢？（指着一张有针线的照片让大家看）

学2：哎呀，那是一根针！天哪，难道他们还会修补东西吗？ 考：除此之外，你认为还可能派别的什么用场吗？

学4：让我看看。这个东西最多三厘米长，看起来像是用骨头做的。我不知道他们是怎样做成针眼的……

学2：（插话）你是不是说他们自己做衣服穿？他们又是从哪里得到衣料的呢？

考：他们没有像我们今天穿的这种衣料。你能猜出他们用的是什么吗？ 学1：哇，他们穿的衣服全都是用兽皮做的吗？他们那些衣服是怎样做

成的？我确信它们裁剪并缝起来又厚又重。

考：我们有证据表明，他们的确穿的是用兽皮制的衣服。我们不断发现一些磨削其他工具用的工具。看样子他们可能是用磨尖的石器来切割野兽并剥皮，再用小一些的刮子把皮上的脂肪和肉去掉。然后，他们可能在兽皮上擦上大量的盐，使皮变柔软。最后进行剪裁，缝起来就成了。确实是既难又脏的活！现在来看看这个吧。（指着一串项链）考：你真聪明！有块骨头实际上是野兽的牙齿，贝壳是从海边捡来的。你还认得别的骨头吗？ 学1：这根很像鱼骨头，对吗？

考：很对。植物学的分析结果明确地告诉我们，这儿四周曾经是一个很．大的浅水湖。毫无疑问，当时湖里是有鱼的。

学3：不过，湖并不是海呀，我们离海还远着呢¨眷客，更壳又是怎么来的呢？

考：早期人类之间也许有贸易来往，或者他们也可能旅行到海边去。我们知道，他们跟着兽群四处走。他们并不种植谷物，而是在野果熟了的时候采摘它们并捕杀野兽来充饥。这就是他们被称之为猎人和采摘者的缘故。现在，咱们去参观洞穴好吗？ THE FEAST: 18,000 BC Worried about the preparations for her feast, Lala quickly turned for home with her collection of nuts, melons and other fruit.It was the custom of family groups to separate and then gather again at different sites for reunions as they followed the animal herds acro

the gralands.A wrinkle appeared on her forehead.If only it could be just like last year!At that time she had been so happy when Dahu chose her as the future mother of his children.He was the best toolmaker in the group and it was a great honour for her to be chosen.She remembered the blood pulsing through her veins.She had felt so proud as the group shouted loudly to applaud his choice.If only she had looked ahead and planned better this year!Then she wouldn't have been feeling so worried now.Having heard wolves howling in the forest, Lala accelerated her walk up the path to the caves fearing that there might be wild beasts lying in wait for her.She had no man with his spear to protect her.She had almost reached her destination when a delicious smell arrested her progre and she stopped.So the men had brought home the meat for the feast!The smell of cooking meat filled the air surrounding her, and her senses became dizzy with hunger.She could see her mother and the older children preparing the deer and pig meat over the fire.Her aunts were making clothes with animal skins.Abruptly she sat down, only to be scooped up by her laughing, shouting sister, Luna.Lala smiled with relief.It was good to have her family around her.Just then a tall man came up behind her.He had a large, square face, with strongly pronounced eyebrows and cheekbones.Over his

shoulder he carried several fish and some pieces of wood under his arm.Lala smiled and handed some stone scrapers over to Dahu, who smiled and went outside the cave to begin his task.First he looked carefully at the scrapers and then went to a corner of the cave and pulled out some more tools.They were in a pile with other sharp arrowheads and stone axe-heads.He chose one large stone and began to use it like a hammer striking the edge of the scraper that needed sharpening.Now and then Dahu would stop, look at it and try it against his hand before continuing his task.He stopped when he felt the scrapers were sharp enough to cut up the meat and scrape the fish.As he paed them to Lala, the first of the guests from the neighbouring caves began to arrive for dinner.Lala's spirits rose.Yes, it was going to be just as wonderful as last year!She smiled to herself gaily and went out of the cave to welcome her friends and neighbours.