The Lost Continent 遗失的大陆-22

Based in Tobay, England, Jim Allen is a former aerial photography analyst¹ for the British Royal Air Force. And it is by analyzing² aerial photography that Jim Allen believes he has discovered one of the lost continent’s most distinctive³ landmarks-the vast irrigated⁴ flood plain of Atlantis.

Many people talk about Atlantis, a lost continent city, whatever you want to call it. But nobody bothers to talk about the rectangular plain and the large part of Plato’s story is, is a very geographic⁵ description of this actual area.

Jim Allen believes the continent of Atlantis was actually South America. High upon the rugged⁶ flood plain in Bolivia called the Alti Plano, Jim thinks he has found the plain which Plato described.

There was a plain said to have been the fairest of all plains and very fertile. It was smooth and even, and of oblong shape, and canals of a hundred feet were cut through it.

Could the Alti Plano of Bolivia really have been the plain of Atlantis? Despite several expeditions, Jim has found concrete proof elusive⁷. And academic experts refuse to even examine his ideas.

Though some time ago I wrote to the leading archeologist in Cambridge who is head of a Cambridge College. And he returned all my material unexamined and he wrote 'Atlantis is a subject in which I have never been interested.' And I think that reflects the archeological opinion around the world.


Undeterred, Jim hopes that advances in technology will eventually force skeptical⁸ experts to sit up and take notice of what he believes is a watertight theory.

Modern technology, satellite mapping which is only available in last 20 or 30 years shows we can prove quite positively⁹ this is the irrigated rectangular plain that Plato talked about.

Jim Allen is not alone in hoping that modern technology will reveal the location of the lost continent.

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oblong shape: n. 长方形
elusive: adj. 逃避的不易被抓获、觉察、理解或记忆的
undeterred: adj. 未被吓住的
watertight: adj. 无懈可击的

1 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

2 analyzing   

v.分析；分析( analyze的现在分词 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析n.分析

参考例句：

• Analyzing the date of some socialist countries presents even greater problem s. 分析某些社会主义国家的统计数据，暴露出的问题甚至更大。 来自辞典例句
• He undoubtedly was not far off the mark in analyzing its predictions. 当然，他对其预测所作的分析倒也八九不离十。 来自辞典例句

3 distinctive   

adj.特别的，有特色的，与众不同的

参考例句：

• She has a very distinctive way of walking.她走路的样子与别人很不相同。
• This bird has several distinctive features.这个鸟具有几种突出的特征。

4 irrigated   

[医]冲洗的

参考例句：

• They irrigated their crops with water from this river. 他们用这条小河里的水浇庄稼。
• A crop can be sown, weeded, irrigated, and fertilized uniformly. 一种作物可以均匀一致地进行播种，除草，灌溉和施肥。

5 geographic   

adj.地理学的，地理的

参考例句：

• The city's success owes much to its geographic position. 这座城市的成功很大程度上归功于它的地理位置。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Environmental problems pay no heed to these geographic lines. 环境问题并不理会这些地理界限。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

6 rugged   

adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的

参考例句：

• Football players must be rugged.足球运动员必须健壮。
• The Rocky Mountains have rugged mountains and roads.落基山脉有崇山峻岭和崎岖不平的道路。

7 elusive   

adj.难以表达(捉摸)的；令人困惑的；逃避的

参考例句：

• Try to catch the elusive charm of the original in translation.翻译时设法把握住原文中难以捉摸的风韵。
• Interpol have searched all the corners of the earth for the elusive hijackers.国际刑警组织已在世界各地搜查在逃的飞机劫持者。

8 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

9 positively   

adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实

参考例句：

• She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。
• The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。