英語聽力文摘 “哈比人”

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

https://image.tingclass.net/statics/js/2012

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”。 一般認為他們與現(xiàn)代人類曾經生活在一個時代。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，經過研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，這種身高僅1米的“哈比人”應該就是人類的始祖。電影魔戒里哈比人腿短、毛多、體型嬌小可愛，這是作者托爾金憑空幻想出來的人物，沒想到現(xiàn)在考古證實，的確曾經存在“哈比人”?？脊艑W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。一開始部分學者還以為，他們是腦部因病萎縮的侏儒人癥患者，因為他們的腦部容量只有現(xiàn)代人的 1/3，沒想到隨著更多骨骸出土，證實是一種新人種。考古隊發(fā)現(xiàn)，佛羅勒斯人具有現(xiàn)代人特征，像是四指并排，不過腳部結構又很原始，和黑猩猩類似。考古學家猜測體形這么嬌小，應該是猿人為了適應島居而演化成侏儒，不過更多的考古之謎仍有待專家一一解開。

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.快樂地過日子

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

只有你一個人嗎?只有你一個人住在這里嗎?

(3)fare [fε?] vi.經營;進展;遭遇;過活 n.票價;費用;旅客;食物

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

出租車費用太高，所以我說服了她騎自行車去那里。