人類的進(jìn)化
2023復(fù)習(xí)正是強(qiáng)化復(fù)習(xí)階段，在考研英語(yǔ)中占了40分，所以考研英語(yǔ)閱讀是英語(yǔ)科目中重要的一項(xiàng)。名師老師曾建議過(guò)考研生需要堅(jiān)持每天泛讀10-15分鐘的英文原刊。強(qiáng)烈推薦了雜志《經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)人》.雜志中的文章也是考研英語(yǔ)的主要材料來(lái)源.希望考研考生認(rèn)真閱讀，快速提高考研英語(yǔ)閱讀水平。 Human evolution 人類的進(jìn)化 Ask the family 尋根問(wèn)祖 Human ancestry has just got more complicated 人類祖先之謎變得愈加復(fù)雜了 ONE of the oddest things about Homo sapiens is that he is alone. 有關(guān)智人的最奇怪的事情之一就是他們?cè)谌祟惖倪M(jìn)化史上十分孤獨(dú)。 Though storytellers have filled the world with imaginary hominidsfrom woodland pixies tomountain giantsno sign of the real thing has ever been seen. 盡管故事家們想象出了許多人種來(lái)豐富這個(gè)世界，從森林里的小精靈到山上的巨人等等，但人們卻從未找到能證明這些人種真實(shí)存在的跡象。 But that was not true in the past. 但從過(guò)去來(lái)看，這樣的說(shuō)法并不正確。 As recently as 40,000 years ago there were three other species of human on Earth:Neanderthals in Europe, the hobbits of Flores, in Indonesia, and a recently discovered and stillmysterious group of creatures called the Denisovans, who lived in Central Asia. 早在4萬(wàn)年前，地球上還存在另外三個(gè)人種：歐洲的尼安德塔人，印度尼西亞佛洛里斯島上的霍比特人，以及最近才發(fā)現(xiàn)的一個(gè)叫丹尼索瓦人的神秘人種，該人種曾居住在亞洲中部。 And now there is evidence that similar diversity existed earlier in human history, a littleunder 2m years ago, in Africa. 而現(xiàn)在，人們?cè)诜侵抻终业搅肆硪粋€(gè)人種存在的證據(jù)，該人種在人類進(jìn)化史上出現(xiàn)的時(shí)間更早，距今約不到200萬(wàn)年。 This evidence, just published in Nature, has been provided by a team led by Meave Leakeyof the Turkana Basin Institute in Nairobi, Kenya. 這些發(fā)表在《自然》雜志上的證據(jù)是由肯尼亞首都內(nèi)羅畢的圖爾卡納盆地研究所的一個(gè)研究小組提供的。 Dr Leakey is a member of an illustrious palaeontological clan. 該研究小組的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人米芙利基來(lái)自一個(gè)著名的古生物學(xué)研究家族， Her husband, Richard, discovered in 1967 that the area around Lake Turkana is a good placeto look for human fossils and made many important finds there; Richard s parents, Louis andMary, had earlier been responsible for showing the same was true of Olduvai Gorge inTanzania; and in 1999 Dr Leakey herself found a new species of hominid, calledKenyanthropus platyops. 1967年，她的丈夫理查德發(fā)現(xiàn)圖爾卡納湖附近區(qū)域是一塊尋找人類化石的好地方，并在那里取得了許多重要發(fā)現(xiàn)。理查德的父母路易斯和瑪麗曾在早些時(shí)候負(fù)責(zé)坦桑尼亞奧杜瓦伊峽谷的人類化石發(fā)掘工作。米芙?利基博士本人曾在1999年發(fā)現(xiàn)了一個(gè)叫肯尼亞平臉人的新人種， At 3.5m years old Kenyanthropus predates Homo, the genus to which modern humansbelong. Her latest discoveries, however, add to that genus, too. 該人種距今已有350萬(wàn)年，其出現(xiàn)時(shí)間比現(xiàn)代人所屬的智人還早。而她最新取得的發(fā)現(xiàn)成果又給這一人種增添了新成員。 The problem with studying humanity s fossil record is that it is so sparse: a jawbone here; abraincase there. 研究人類化石記錄最大的問(wèn)題是資源稀缺， Often, it is difficult to know if different bones have come from the same species or not. 總是這兒一塊顎骨，那兒一塊頭骨。 Even multiple examples of the same type of bone can mislead. 而且研究者通常很難分辨它們是否來(lái)自同一人種。 What looks like two species might actually be the male and the female of one. 即便是同一人種，不同樣本也會(huì)給人帶來(lái)誤導(dǎo)，兩塊看起來(lái)像是來(lái)自不同人種的骨頭實(shí)際上可能分屬于同一人種的男性和女性。 Such confusion has bedevilled the interpretation of the human fossils found near LakeTurkana. 這種極易混淆的情況一直困擾著那些想要解讀圖爾卡納湖附近人類化石的研究者們。 Some palaeontologists see a single, variable species called Homo habilis. 有一些古生物學(xué)家認(rèn)為人種是單一的，即只有能人一種，其他人種都是能人的變異體。 Others add a second, Homo rudolfensis. 而另外一些古生物學(xué)家則認(rèn)為除能人之外還有第二個(gè)人種，即盧爾多夫人。 The new fossils found by Dr Leakey and her team may, however, help clear up what is goingon. 而利基博士與她的團(tuán)隊(duì)最新發(fā)現(xiàn)的人類化石或許可以幫忙理清這些人種之間的關(guān)系。 One of the new specimens, known as KMN-ER 62000, has a face like the type specimen ofHomo rudolfensis, though it seems to be from an adolescent, whereas the type specimen isan adult. 這些新發(fā)現(xiàn)的樣本中有一個(gè)被標(biāo)為KMN-ER 62000的新樣本，其臉型與盧爾多夫人樣本的臉型相似， Crucially, 62000 has a reasonably well-preserved upper jaw, which the type specimen lacks. 盡管62000樣本看起來(lái)像是來(lái)自一個(gè)青少年，而盧爾多夫人化石樣本則屬于一個(gè)成年人。 A computer reconstruction suggests this upper jaw meshes well with the second of DrLeakey s discoveries, a lower jaw. 關(guān)鍵是，62000樣本擁有一個(gè)保存尚算完好的上頜，而這正是這一類型的樣本所缺少的。 She is not suggesting they are from the same individual, since they are of different ages, butthey seem to come from the same species, namely Homo rudolfensis. 一張電腦重建圖顯示這一上頜與利基博士發(fā)現(xiàn)的第二個(gè)人種的一個(gè)下頜樣本十分吻合。由于兩塊骨頭分屬兩個(gè)年齡不同的人，因此利基博士并不認(rèn)為這兩塊骨頭是來(lái)自同一個(gè)人的，但看起來(lái)這兩塊骨頭的主人屬于同一人種，即盧爾多夫人。 Equally significantly, a different computer reconstruction shows that the upper jaw of 62000does not match another famous fossil from the area, known as KMN-ER 1802. 同樣重要的是，另一張電腦重建圖顯示，62000樣本的上頜與KMN-ER 1802樣本并不吻合。 This was found in 1973 and had previously been thought likely to be the lower jaw ofrudolfensis. KMN-ER 1802這塊有名的樣本化石同樣來(lái)自這個(gè)地區(qū)，1973年人們發(fā)現(xiàn)它時(shí)曾認(rèn)為這塊下頜骨可能屬于盧爾多夫人種。 What 1802 actually is, is now obscure. 現(xiàn)在人們?nèi)耘f無(wú)法弄清1802樣本到底屬于哪個(gè)人種。 It is too different from what this chain of reasoning suggests was the shape of Homorudolfensis to be explained by sexual dimorphism, unless the sexes differed in this species inways not seen in any other primate. 這一推理鏈認(rèn)為它是盧爾多夫人，并以人種的兩性差異來(lái)解釋其外形差異;但這一差異實(shí)在太大，除非這一人種的兩性差異在其他靈長(zhǎng)類動(dòng)物中見所未見方能自圓其說(shuō)。 But its previous attribution was made because it does not look much like Homo habiliseither. 但之前人們之所以將其歸為盧爾多夫人種是因?yàn)樗雌饋?lái)也并不像是能人的下頜。 It seems then that at least two, and possibly three species of Homo were stalking theeast-African savannah a little under 2m years ago: habilis, rudolfensis and something as yetunnamed. 這樣看起，在距今不到200萬(wàn)年前，曾有三個(gè)人種在東非大草原上生活過(guò)：能人，盧爾多夫人，以及一個(gè)尚未被命名的人種。 The intertwining history of the human family and the Leakey family has just become evenmore complicated. 利基家族一直都致力于研究人類大家族的歷史，現(xiàn)在二者之間的關(guān)系交織在一起，使歷史更加復(fù)雜了。 詞語(yǔ)解釋 1.look for 尋找 Look for a second job or odd jobs. 找第二份工作或者做零工。 Always look for ways to improve. 總是尋找不同的方法改進(jìn)。 2.responsible for 為負(fù)責(zé)，是造成的原因 One person should be responsible for new employee orientation. 應(yīng)當(dāng)有一個(gè)人負(fù)責(zé)新員工的培訓(xùn)。 South korea created a cabinet-level ministry responsible for gender equality. 韓國(guó)設(shè)立了專門負(fù)責(zé)性別平等問(wèn)題的內(nèi)閣部門。 3.add to 增加,加強(qiáng) What provisions would you add to this one? 你會(huì)為再添加什么樂(lè)觀信條嗎? Mr obama offers only to add to its complexity. 奧巴馬的提議卻只會(huì)增加它的復(fù)雜性。 4.clear up 治療;處理;解釋 I wonder when it ll clear up. 不知道什么時(shí)候能放晴。 One thing the american legislation will try to clear up is who owns edr data. 美國(guó)法律將會(huì)澄清的一件事情是誰(shuí)擁有事故數(shù)據(jù)記錄器的數(shù)據(jù)。
2023復(fù)習(xí)正是強(qiáng)化復(fù)習(xí)階段，在考研英語(yǔ)中占了40分，所以考研英語(yǔ)閱讀是英語(yǔ)科目中重要的一項(xiàng)。名師老師曾建議過(guò)考研生需要堅(jiān)持每天泛讀10-15分鐘的英文原刊。強(qiáng)烈推薦了雜志《經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)人》.雜志中的文章也是考研英語(yǔ)的主要材料來(lái)源.希望考研考生認(rèn)真閱讀，快速提高考研英語(yǔ)閱讀水平。 Human evolution 人類的進(jìn)化 Ask the family 尋根問(wèn)祖 Human ancestry has just got more complicated 人類祖先之謎變得愈加復(fù)雜了 ONE of the oddest things about Homo sapiens is that he is alone. 有關(guān)智人的最奇怪的事情之一就是他們?cè)谌祟惖倪M(jìn)化史上十分孤獨(dú)。 Though storytellers have filled the world with imaginary hominidsfrom woodland pixies tomountain giantsno sign of the real thing has ever been seen. 盡管故事家們想象出了許多人種來(lái)豐富這個(gè)世界，從森林里的小精靈到山上的巨人等等，但人們卻從未找到能證明這些人種真實(shí)存在的跡象。 But that was not true in the past. 但從過(guò)去來(lái)看，這樣的說(shuō)法并不正確。 As recently as 40,000 years ago there were three other species of human on Earth:Neanderthals in Europe, the hobbits of Flores, in Indonesia, and a recently discovered and stillmysterious group of creatures called the Denisovans, who lived in Central Asia. 早在4萬(wàn)年前，地球上還存在另外三個(gè)人種：歐洲的尼安德塔人，印度尼西亞佛洛里斯島上的霍比特人，以及最近才發(fā)現(xiàn)的一個(gè)叫丹尼索瓦人的神秘人種，該人種曾居住在亞洲中部。 And now there is evidence that similar diversity existed earlier in human history, a littleunder 2m years ago, in Africa. 而現(xiàn)在，人們?cè)诜侵抻终业搅肆硪粋€(gè)人種存在的證據(jù)，該人種在人類進(jìn)化史上出現(xiàn)的時(shí)間更早，距今約不到200萬(wàn)年。 This evidence, just published in Nature, has been provided by a team led by Meave Leakeyof the Turkana Basin Institute in Nairobi, Kenya. 這些發(fā)表在《自然》雜志上的證據(jù)是由肯尼亞首都內(nèi)羅畢的圖爾卡納盆地研究所的一個(gè)研究小組提供的。 Dr Leakey is a member of an illustrious palaeontological clan. 該研究小組的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人米芙利基來(lái)自一個(gè)著名的古生物學(xué)研究家族， Her husband, Richard, discovered in 1967 that the area around Lake Turkana is a good placeto look for human fossils and made many important finds there; Richard s parents, Louis andMary, had earlier been responsible for showing the same was true of Olduvai Gorge inTanzania; and in 1999 Dr Leakey herself found a new species of hominid, calledKenyanthropus platyops. 1967年，她的丈夫理查德發(fā)現(xiàn)圖爾卡納湖附近區(qū)域是一塊尋找人類化石的好地方，并在那里取得了許多重要發(fā)現(xiàn)。理查德的父母路易斯和瑪麗曾在早些時(shí)候負(fù)責(zé)坦桑尼亞奧杜瓦伊峽谷的人類化石發(fā)掘工作。米芙?利基博士本人曾在1999年發(fā)現(xiàn)了一個(gè)叫肯尼亞平臉人的新人種， At 3.5m years old Kenyanthropus predates Homo, the genus to which modern humansbelong. Her latest discoveries, however, add to that genus, too. 該人種距今已有350萬(wàn)年，其出現(xiàn)時(shí)間比現(xiàn)代人所屬的智人還早。而她最新取得的發(fā)現(xiàn)成果又給這一人種增添了新成員。 The problem with studying humanity s fossil record is that it is so sparse: a jawbone here; abraincase there. 研究人類化石記錄最大的問(wèn)題是資源稀缺， Often, it is difficult to know if different bones have come from the same species or not. 總是這兒一塊顎骨，那兒一塊頭骨。 Even multiple examples of the same type of bone can mislead. 而且研究者通常很難分辨它們是否來(lái)自同一人種。 What looks like two species might actually be the male and the female of one. 即便是同一人種，不同樣本也會(huì)給人帶來(lái)誤導(dǎo)，兩塊看起來(lái)像是來(lái)自不同人種的骨頭實(shí)際上可能分屬于同一人種的男性和女性。 Such confusion has bedevilled the interpretation of the human fossils found near LakeTurkana. 這種極易混淆的情況一直困擾著那些想要解讀圖爾卡納湖附近人類化石的研究者們。 Some palaeontologists see a single, variable species called Homo habilis. 有一些古生物學(xué)家認(rèn)為人種是單一的，即只有能人一種，其他人種都是能人的變異體。 Others add a second, Homo rudolfensis. 而另外一些古生物學(xué)家則認(rèn)為除能人之外還有第二個(gè)人種，即盧爾多夫人。 The new fossils found by Dr Leakey and her team may, however, help clear up what is goingon. 而利基博士與她的團(tuán)隊(duì)最新發(fā)現(xiàn)的人類化石或許可以幫忙理清這些人種之間的關(guān)系。 One of the new specimens, known as KMN-ER 62000, has a face like the type specimen ofHomo rudolfensis, though it seems to be from an adolescent, whereas the type specimen isan adult. 這些新發(fā)現(xiàn)的樣本中有一個(gè)被標(biāo)為KMN-ER 62000的新樣本，其臉型與盧爾多夫人樣本的臉型相似， Crucially, 62000 has a reasonably well-preserved upper jaw, which the type specimen lacks. 盡管62000樣本看起來(lái)像是來(lái)自一個(gè)青少年，而盧爾多夫人化石樣本則屬于一個(gè)成年人。 A computer reconstruction suggests this upper jaw meshes well with the second of DrLeakey s discoveries, a lower jaw. 關(guān)鍵是，62000樣本擁有一個(gè)保存尚算完好的上頜，而這正是這一類型的樣本所缺少的。 She is not suggesting they are from the same individual, since they are of different ages, butthey seem to come from the same species, namely Homo rudolfensis. 一張電腦重建圖顯示這一上頜與利基博士發(fā)現(xiàn)的第二個(gè)人種的一個(gè)下頜樣本十分吻合。由于兩塊骨頭分屬兩個(gè)年齡不同的人，因此利基博士并不認(rèn)為這兩塊骨頭是來(lái)自同一個(gè)人的，但看起來(lái)這兩塊骨頭的主人屬于同一人種，即盧爾多夫人。 Equally significantly, a different computer reconstruction shows that the upper jaw of 62000does not match another famous fossil from the area, known as KMN-ER 1802. 同樣重要的是，另一張電腦重建圖顯示，62000樣本的上頜與KMN-ER 1802樣本并不吻合。 This was found in 1973 and had previously been thought likely to be the lower jaw ofrudolfensis. KMN-ER 1802這塊有名的樣本化石同樣來(lái)自這個(gè)地區(qū)，1973年人們發(fā)現(xiàn)它時(shí)曾認(rèn)為這塊下頜骨可能屬于盧爾多夫人種。 What 1802 actually is, is now obscure. 現(xiàn)在人們?nèi)耘f無(wú)法弄清1802樣本到底屬于哪個(gè)人種。 It is too different from what this chain of reasoning suggests was the shape of Homorudolfensis to be explained by sexual dimorphism, unless the sexes differed in this species inways not seen in any other primate. 這一推理鏈認(rèn)為它是盧爾多夫人，并以人種的兩性差異來(lái)解釋其外形差異;但這一差異實(shí)在太大，除非這一人種的兩性差異在其他靈長(zhǎng)類動(dòng)物中見所未見方能自圓其說(shuō)。 But its previous attribution was made because it does not look much like Homo habiliseither. 但之前人們之所以將其歸為盧爾多夫人種是因?yàn)樗雌饋?lái)也并不像是能人的下頜。 It seems then that at least two, and possibly three species of Homo were stalking theeast-African savannah a little under 2m years ago: habilis, rudolfensis and something as yetunnamed. 這樣看起，在距今不到200萬(wàn)年前，曾有三個(gè)人種在東非大草原上生活過(guò)：能人，盧爾多夫人，以及一個(gè)尚未被命名的人種。 The intertwining history of the human family and the Leakey family has just become evenmore complicated. 利基家族一直都致力于研究人類大家族的歷史，現(xiàn)在二者之間的關(guān)系交織在一起，使歷史更加復(fù)雜了。 詞語(yǔ)解釋 1.look for 尋找 Look for a second job or odd jobs. 找第二份工作或者做零工。 Always look for ways to improve. 總是尋找不同的方法改進(jìn)。 2.responsible for 為負(fù)責(zé)，是造成的原因 One person should be responsible for new employee orientation. 應(yīng)當(dāng)有一個(gè)人負(fù)責(zé)新員工的培訓(xùn)。 South korea created a cabinet-level ministry responsible for gender equality. 韓國(guó)設(shè)立了專門負(fù)責(zé)性別平等問(wèn)題的內(nèi)閣部門。 3.add to 增加,加強(qiáng) What provisions would you add to this one? 你會(huì)為再添加什么樂(lè)觀信條嗎? Mr obama offers only to add to its complexity. 奧巴馬的提議卻只會(huì)增加它的復(fù)雜性。 4.clear up 治療;處理;解釋 I wonder when it ll clear up. 不知道什么時(shí)候能放晴。 One thing the american legislation will try to clear up is who owns edr data. 美國(guó)法律將會(huì)澄清的一件事情是誰(shuí)擁有事故數(shù)據(jù)記錄器的數(shù)據(jù)。
