On Christmas Eve in 1994, humans entered a cave in the mountains of south-eastern France
1994年的圣诞夜，人们进入了一个位于法国东南部的山洞，
for what was probably the first time in 20,000 years.
山洞的历史可能超过20,000年。
The vivid images of more than 300 animals that Jean-Marie Chauvet and his assistants found on the cave walls were like none that they had seen before.
Jean-Marie Chauvet和他的助手们在洞穴墙上发现的壁画，拥有超过三百种动物的生动形象，这是他们之前从未看到过的。
Unusual in the Grotte Chauvet, as the cave is now called in honor of its discoverer,
由发现者命名的洞穴Grotte Chauvet不同寻常之处在于，
are paintings of many flesh-eating animals.
壁画上有许多食肉动物。
Other known caves from the same geographical area and time period contain only paintings of plant-eaters.
其他已知的相同地理位置和时期的洞穴，大多只有食草类动物的壁画。
The paintings in this cave refute the old theory that Cro-Magnon people painted animals that they hunted and then ate.
这个洞穴的壁画反驳了旧理论，克鲁马努人画的是他们猎杀动物然后吃掉的壁画。
Now many specialists believe that cave paintings were not part of a ritual to bring good luck to hunters.
如今，专家学者认为洞穴壁画并不是给猎人带来好运的仪式。
They point out that while deer made up a major part of their diet, there're no drawings of deer.
他们指出鹿是原始人饮食中的主要组成部分，但壁画中并没有鹿。
They believe that the animals painted were those central to the symbolic and spiritual life of the times,
他们相信壁画上的动物是当时精神生活的重要成分，
animals that represented something deep and spiritual to the people.
对于当时的人们来说这些动物代表一些精神意义重大的东西。
Scientists are hopeful that Grotte Chauvet will yield new information about the art and lifestyle of Cro-Magnon people.
科学家们希望Grotte Chauvet洞穴能揭露克鲁马努人的艺术和生活方式。
They readily admit, however,
他们同时承认，
that little is understood yet as to the reasons why ice age artists created their interesting and detailed paintings.
冰河时期的艺术家们为什么创造这些有趣且细致的壁画的原因仍旧是个谜。
Scientists also wonder why some paintings were done in areas that are so difficult to get to.
科学家同时觉得相当不解，为什么有些洞穴的壁画在十分难以到达的地方。
In caves, for example, that are 2,400 feet underground and accessible only by crawling through narrow passageways.
比如说在只能通过爬非常狭窄的道路到达的2400英尺下的洞穴。