纪录片《为何讲话》 第38期：语言的出现

We may have been physically¹ able to speak

从生理上说 我们那时就可以说话了

but linguists² believe

但语言学家认为

it's more likely that the birth of language coincided with

语言的产生应该是在五万年前

the proliferation of man-made objects around 50,000 years ago.

与人造工具广泛流传的时间相同

At this time there was an explosion in art and technology.

那时艺术和科技空前繁荣

We start to see, for the first time in the archaeological record,

我们可以看到考古记录上首次出现了

lots of different tool types, lots of different implements³,

各种各样的大量工具

lots of different huts that people lived in

各种人类居住的棚屋

and so these things seemed to appear rather abruptly⁴,

这些东西似乎是突然之间大量涌现

suggesting that there was some change in the way we lived.

表明人类的生活方式发生了变化

Many scientists think that the birth of language

很多科学家认为是语言的诞生

instigated⁵ this cultural boom.

带来了那次文化繁荣

But without a time machine, we may never know exactly

没有时间机器 我们可能永远无法知道

when we started to talk.

人类开始讲话的确切年代

But what we do know is why.

但我们能知道说话的原因

Mark Pagel believes that language

马克·帕杰尔认为语言

probably developed as a practical way of defining roles

可能是作为定义社会角色的方式产生的

and it formed a kind of social glue.

并进而成为了社会的黏着剂

1 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

2 linguists   

n.通晓数国语言的人( linguist的名词复数 )；语言学家

参考例句：

• The linguists went to study tribal languages in the field. 语言学家们去实地研究部落语言了。 来自辞典例句
• The linguists' main interest has been to analyze and describe languages. 语言学家的主要兴趣一直在于分析并描述语言。 来自辞典例句

3 implements   

n.工具( implement的名词复数 )；家具；手段；[法律]履行（契约等）v.实现( implement的第三人称单数 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• Primitive man hunted wild animals with crude stone implements. 原始社会的人用粗糙的石器猎取野兽。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• They ordered quantities of farm implements. 他们订购了大量农具。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 abruptly   

adv.突然地，出其不意地

参考例句：

• He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
• I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。

5 instigated   

v.使（某事物）开始或发生，鼓动( instigate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The government has instigated a programme of economic reform. 政府已实施了经济改革方案。
• He instigated the revolt. 他策动了这次叛乱。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》