(单词翻译:单击)
课文
【课文】
Lesson 38 The first calender 最早的日历
Listen to the tape then answer the question below.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
What is the importance of the dots, lines, and symbols engraved on some, bones and ivory?
Future historians will be in a unique position when they come to record the history of our own times. They will hardly know which facts to select from the great mass of evidence that steadily accumulates. What is more, they will not have to rely solely on the written word. Films, videos, CDs and CD-ROMS are just some of the bewildering amount of information they will have. They will be able, as it were, to see and hear us in action. But the historian attempting to reconstruct the distant past is always faced with a difficult task. He has to deduce what he can from the few scanty clues available. Even seemingly insignificant remains can shed interesting light on the history of early man.
Up to now, historians have assumed that calendars came into being with the advent of agriculture, for then man was faced with a real need to understand something about the seasons. Recent scientific evidence seems to indicate that this assumption is incorrect.
Historians have long been puzzled by dots, lines and symbols which have been engraved on walls, bones, and the ivory tusks of mammoths. The nomads who made these markings lived by hunting and fishing during the last Ice Age which began about 35,000 B.C. and ended about 10,000 B.C. By correlating markings made in various parts of the world, historians have been able to read this difficult code. They have found that it is connected with the passage of days and the phases of the moon. It is, in fact, a primitive type of calendar. It has long been known that the hunting scenes depicted on walls were not simply a form of artistic expression. They had a definite meaning, for they were as near as early man could get to writing. It is possible that there is a definite relation between these paintings and the markings that sometimes accompany them. It seems that man was making a real effort to understand the seasons 20,000 years earlier than has been supposed.
参考译文
【参考译文】
未来的历史学家在写我们这一段历史的时候会别具一格。对于逐渐积累起来的庞大材料，他们几乎不知道选取哪些好，而且，也不必完全依赖文字材料。电影、录像、光盘和光盘驱动器只是能为他们提供令人眼花缭乱的大量信息的几种手段。他们能够身临其境般地观看我们做事，倾听我们讲话。但是，历史学家企图重现遥远的过去可是一项艰巨的任务，他们必须根据现有的不充分的线索进行推理。即使看起来微不足道的遗物，也可能揭示人类早期历史的一些有趣的内容。
历史学家迄今认为日历是随农业的问世而出现的，因为当时人们面临着了解四季的实际需要，但近期科学研究发现，好像这种假设是不正确的。
长期以来，历史学家一直对雕刻在墙壁上、骨头上、古代长毛象的象牙上的点、线和形形色色的符号感到困惑不解。这些痕迹是游牧人留下的，他们生活在从公元前约35，000年到公元前10，000年的冰川期的末期，以狩猎、捕鱼为生。历史学家通过把世界各地留下的这种痕迹放在一起研究，终于弄懂了这种费解的代码。他们发现代码与昼夜更迭和月亮圆缺有关，事实上是一种最原始的日历。大家早就知道，画在墙上的狩猎图景并不是单纯的艺术表现形式，它们有着一定的含义，因为它们已接近古代人的文字形式。有时，这种图画与墙壁上的刻痕共存，它们之间可能有一定的联系。看来人类早就致力于探索四季变迁了，比人们想像的要早20,000年。
词汇讲解
1.calendar n.历法，日历
2.historian n.历史学家
3.unique adj.无与伦比的
例句：The architectural structure of the Temple of Heaven is unique.
天坛的建筑造型很独特。
4.steadily adv.不断地
例句：Traditional handicraft techniques are being steadily improved.
传统的手工艺技术不断革新。
5.solely adv.唯一地
例句：Actions shouldn't be guided solely by motive without any attention to effect.
做事不能只凭动机，不问效果。
6.video n.录像
7.bewilder v.令人眼花缭乱
例句：The child is bewilder by the noise and the crowd.
孩子让噪声和人群给弄得晕头转向。
8.deduce v.推断，推理
例句：Many experts deduce that there are aliens in other planets.
许多专家都推断在其他的星球上存在着太空人。
9.scanty adj.不足的，贫乏的
例句：We are scanty of financial experts to develop our business.
我们缺乏发展业务的财务知识。
10.clue n.线索
11.insignificant adj.不重要的
例句：That band is absolutely insignificant beside you guys.
跟你们比起来，那个乐队根本就不值一提。
12.shed v.使流出，泻
13.advent n.出现，到来，来临
例句：The subsequent of the unsuccessful experiment caused the advent of gunpowder.
那次不成功的试验后进行的试验发明了黑火药。
14.agriculture n.农业
15.assumption n.假定，设想
16.symbol n.符号
17.engrave v.雕刻
18.ivory n.象牙制品
19.mammoth n.（古）长毛象
20.tusk n.獠牙，长牙，象牙
21.nomad n.游牧民
22.correlate v.使相互联系
23.phase n.月相，天相
24.primitive adj. 原始的
例句：This noble man had to risk his life on that primitive invention.
这位高贵的人必须在原始装置上冒险。
25.depict v.描画，描绘
例句：These words depict the dilemma and anxiety of this class.
这两句话，画出了这个阶级的矛盾惶遽状态。
课文讲解
【课文讲解】
1.Future historians will be in a unique position when they come to record the history of our own times.
参考翻译：未来的历史学家在写我们这一段历史的时候会别具一格。
讲解：in a position 处于……形势
例句：They are in a strong position to make us obey orders.
他们很强势地要求我们服从命令。
2.They will hardly know which facts to select from the great mass of evidence that steadily accumulates.
参考翻译：对于逐渐积累起来的庞大材料，他们几乎不知道选取哪些好。
讲解：select from挑选，选择
例句：I select my answer from the multiple choices.
我从多项选择中选答案。
These dishes are for you to select from.
这些菜由你们来挑选。
choose, pick, select的用法区别
区别一
choose 的名词形式为 choice(可数)，pick 的名词形式仍为 pick(不可数)，select 的名词形式为 selection(可数或不可数)。
区别二
表示一般意义的选择，若不严格区分，三者可换用。如：
He chose [picked, selected] a dictionary for his son. 他为他儿子买了本字典。
He picked [chose, selected] the lawn mower best suited to his needs. 他挑选了那部最适合他要求的割草机。
区别三
但严格说来，三者仍有差别：choose 是表示选择的一般性用语，指按照人的认识或判断来进行选择；pick 与 choose 的用法很接近，但适合于口语用法，它既可以表示随意的选择，也可以表示仔细的慎重的选择；而 select 则指在广泛的范围内，经过慎重考虑，认真仔细的选择，并往往有选出好的或适合的，去掉差的或不适合的，其淘汰意味较浓。如：
Choose [Pick] me a good one, please. 请给我选一个好的。
We must select some for seeds. 我们要选一些作种子。
区别四
下列情况通常用 choose，而不用 pick, select：
(1) 在两者中选择或不愿接受的事物中选择时：
He chose death before dishonour. 他宁死不屈。
She chose the red sweater rather than the pink one. 她选中那件红毛衣而不要那件粉红色的。
(2) 后接不定式表示宁愿、决定时：
He chose to go by train. 他决定坐火车去。
I chose not to go with them. 我决定不同他们一起去。
(3) 要强调最终决定时：(from www.yywords.com)
choose a husband (a career) 选择丈夫(人生的事业)
3.What is more, they will not have to rely solely on the written word.
参考翻译：而且，也不必完全依赖文字材料。
讲解：what's more此外，相当于in addition
例句：These shoes are very popular. They're sturdy and, what's more, they're cheap.
这种鞋结实耐穿，加以价格便宜，很受群众欢迎。
rely on依赖, 依靠
例句：I can't manage it on my own. I must rely on all of you for help.
这事我一人干不了，全仗大家帮忙。
4.They will be able, as it were, to see and hear us in action.
参考翻译：他们能够身临其境般地观看我们做事，倾听我们讲话。
讲解：in action在行为上
例句：Independent in judgment and action.
独立自主的在判断和行为上独立的。
5. But the historian attempting to reconstruct the distant past is always faced with a difficult task.
参考翻译：但是，历史学家企图重现遥远的过去可是一项艰巨的任务，他们必须根据现有的不充分的线索进行推理。
讲解：face with面对着，使面临，使遭遇
例句：face with defiance or impudence.
面对蔑视或者厚颜无耻。
6. Even seemingly insignificant remains can shed interesting light on the history of early man.
参考翻译：即使看起来微不足道的遗物，也可能揭示人类早期历史的一些有趣的内容。
讲解：shed light on为...提供线索, 对...透露情况, 使...清楚地显出, 阐明...
例句：This information may shed light on me mystery.
这项情报可能有助于查明那件疑案。
Recent research has cast/shed new light on the cause of the disease.
最近的研究结果揭示了这种病的病因。
7.Up to now, historians have assumed that calendars came into being with the advent of agriculture, for then man was faced with a real need to understand something about the seasons.
参考翻译：历史学家迄今认为日历是随农业的问世而出现的，因为当时人们面临着了解四季的实际需要。
讲解：up to now目前为止，相当于so far
例句：Up to now everything has been successful.
到目前为止，一切都很顺利。
come into being形成, 产生
例句：When did the world come into being?
世界是什么时候形成的？
We shall not allow a new bourgeoisie to come into being.
我们不能允许产生一个新的资产阶级。
经典句子
【经典句子】
1.Future historians will be in a unique position when they come to record the historyof our own times.
未来的历史学家，将在一种得天独厚的环境中记载我们时代的历史。
2.Even seemingly insignificantremains can shed interesting light on thehistory of early man.
即使看起来微不足道的遗物，也可能揭示人类早期历史的一些有趣的内容。
3.They have found that it isconnected with the passage of days and the phases of the moon.
他们发现代码与昼夜更迭和月亮圆缺有关。
