---
url: https://gaojian.site/new-concept/book-4/01-finding-fossil-man.md
description: 新概念英语第四册：Finding Fossil Man。精读、词块回忆、双向译练、句法、逻辑与FSRS复习。
---

# 01 · 发现化石人

### 第1段

We can read of things that happened 5,000 years ago in the Near East, where people first learned to write. But there are some parts of the world where even now people cannot write. The only way that they can preserve their history is to recount it as sagas—legends handed down from one generation of storytellers to another. These legends are useful because they can tell us something about migrations of people who lived long ago, but none could write down what they did. Anthropologists wondered where the remote ancestors of the Polynesian peoples now living in the Pacific Islands came from. The sagas of these people explain that some of them came from Indonesia about 2,000 years ago.
But the first people who were like ourselves lived so long ago that even their sagas, if they had any, are forgotten. So archaeologists have neither history nor legends to help them to find out where the first "modern men" came from.
Fortunately, however, ancient men made tools of stone, especially flint, because this is easier to shape than other kinds. They may also have used wood and skins, but these have rotted away. Stone does not decay, and so the tools of long ago have remained when even the bones of the men who made them have disappeared without trace.

中文理解：我们能读到五千年前古近东地区发生的事情，因为那里的人最早学会了书写。不过，世界上有些地方的人至今仍不会书写。他们保存历史的唯一办法，是把往事讲成传说，由一代代讲述者口耳相传。这些传说很有价值，能让我们了解远古人类的迁徙情况，尽管那些人自己没有留下文字记录。人类学家曾想弄清，如今生活在太平洋诸岛上的波利尼西亚各民族，其远祖究竟来自哪里。他们的传说提供了线索：其中一部分人大约在两千年前从印度尼西亚迁来。
可是，最早那批与我们相似的人类生活在极其遥远的年代，即使曾有过传说，如今也早已失传。因此，考古学家在探寻最早的“现代人”来自何处时，既没有历史记载，也没有传说可供参考。
好在远古人类用石头制作工具，尤其常用燧石，因为它比其他石材更容易加工成形。他们可能也用过木材和兽皮，只是这些东西都已腐烂。石头却不会腐烂，所以那些古老的工具得以保存下来，哪怕制造工具的人连遗骨都已消失得无影无踪。

* **read of**：读到有关……的事；of引出阅读得知的事情，不表示朗读。

* **preserve their history**：保存他们的历史；preserve强调使资料不被遗失或毁坏。

* **handed down**：代代传下来的；可用于传统、故事、技艺；人称代词放在动词和down之间。

* **from one generation**：从一代人开始传递；undefined

* **write down**：写下来；记信息而非写作一篇文章；代词用write it down。

* **remote ancestors**：遥远年代的祖先；remote这里修饰时间久远，不是亲属关系冷淡。

* **came from**：来自哪里；undefined

* **so long ago**：在如此久远以前；undefined

* **if they had any**：即使他们曾经有过；在插入的假设中保留“是否曾有”的不确定性，any代替前面提到的复数名词。

* **neither history nor legends**：既无历史记载也无传说；两类证据同时缺席，不是二者只缺一种。

* **find out**：查明；后接需要查明的信息；找物品通常用look for。

* **made tools**：制作工具；说明制造行为；of可引出看得出的材料。

* **easier to shape**：更容易加工成形；事物作主语，形容词后不定式说明处理它的难易。

* **may also have used**：也可能曾经用过；推测过去可能发生的事；also只补充另一种可能，不会把推测变成事实。

* **rotted away**：已经腐烂消失；away突出逐渐消失的结果，常用于有机材料。

* **without trace**：不留痕迹；多用于消失；现代常见形式还有without a trace。

#### We can read of things that happened 5,000 years ago in the Near East, where people first learned to write.

先读 We can read of things，再问是哪些事、发生在哪里。where 从句嵌入地点说明，不要当作新的主句。

本课 Near East 放在古代文明的语境中理解；地理名称的用法会随时期与材料而变，不用一句“已被取代”概括所有情况。

#### But there are some parts of the world where even now people cannot write.

主线是“仍有一些地方没有文字”。there 不指具体地点，where 从句才说明这些地方的情况。

#### The only way that they can preserve their history is to recount it as sagas—legends handed down from one generation of storytellers to another.

that 在 way 后的关系结构中表示方法，不能说成 preserve 的宾语。it 回指 history；不要把 legends 误作第二个主句。

#### These legends are useful because they can tell us something about migrations of people who lived long ago, but none could write down what they did.

先分清传说能提供的线索，再接 but 后的局限：当时没有文字记录。what 在从句中也作 did 的宾语。

#### Anthropologists wondered where the remote ancestors of the Polynesian peoples now living in the Pacific Islands came from.

先问 wondered 的是什么，再把祖先、民族与今天的地点分开。where 不能当成没有意义、可随意删掉的连接词。

#### The sagas of these people explain that some of them came from Indonesia about 2,000 years ago.

explain 后给迁徙来源和时间。that 在这里只连接内容，不在从句中充当主语或宾语；不要与上一句的 where 混同。

#### But the first people who were like ourselves lived so long ago that even their sagas, if they had any, are forgotten.

这里是 so long ago that，不是表示目的的 so that。即使存在传说，也已经被遗忘；别把假设译成确证。

#### So archaeologists have neither history nor legends to help them to find out where the first "modern men" came from.

neither…nor…要完整保留；不定式与 where 从句层次不同。可改述为“考古学家缺少用来查明来源的文字和传说资料”。

#### Fortunately, however, ancient men made tools of stone, especially flint, because this is easier to shape than other kinds.

先读造工具的动作，再补材料与原因。however 在此衔接前文困境与留下工具的幸运，并不是另一个主句谓语。

#### They may also have used wood and skins, but these have rotted away.

木材和兽皮是否用过是可能判断，易腐烂则说明证据为何缺失。不要把 may 删成已经证实。

#### Stone does not decay, and so the tools of long ago have remained when even the bones of the men who made them have disappeared without trace.

先连“石头耐久→工具留下”，再接“连人的骨骼都消失”。them 指 tools，不是 bones；even 强化了对比。

## 学完这一课

用The way to… is to…说明保存学习成果的一种办法。

[Nce · 本册复习台](/new-concept/book-4/review) · [三册选择地图](/new-concept/)

*译文依据整理稿，由本站按中文表达重新校订；解析据吴应时整理资料及首轮审校稿；词伙与练习提示为本站学习设计。原PDF第10—15页，2022年2月第2版。*