VOA慢速英语2015 法国再现30000年前古代洞穴艺术

AS IT IS 2015-05-07 France Recreates Cave With Ancient Art 法国再现30000年前古代洞穴艺术

Some 30,000 years ago, artists living in caves in Europe painted pictures of the animals around them: panthers, hyenas¹, rhinoceroses², cave lions, mammoths and other creatures now long extinct. The paintings were highly realistic. Some even showed movement.

The artwork, more than a thousand drawings, is considered the oldest group of human cave drawings ever discovered. They were preserved because the cave was sealed -- closed off -- for 23,000 years.

Chauvet discovery

Fast forward to December 18, 1994. A group of French cave scientists were exploring caves in southern France. Jean Marie Chauvet led the group. He describes discovering the cave paintings.

“And I was in the front, Eliette behind me, Christian³ behind. Eliette said she saw two marks made with red ochre and she said, ‘They came here.’ And at this very moment everything began. The drawings and everything linked to the parietal art. That's where it started.”

Cave art expert Jean Clottes reviewed the paintings.

"I was amazed at the number of paintings there were and of their quality and particularly in front of the panel of the horses.”

Scientific analysis confirmed the prehistoric⁴ date of the artwork. Studies showed the drawings were created tens of thousands of years ago, before human history was written.

The United Nations group UNESCO lists the cave as a World Heritage site. They say the drawings “form a remarkable⁵ expression of early human artistic⁶ creation of grand excellence⁷ and variety.”

The Chauvet cave is named for the explorer who first entered it. Its environment and drawings are very fragile. So the cave is closed, and only people there for scientific purposes can go inside and see the artwork.

Pont d’Arc Cavern⁸

However, French authorities wanted the public to see the cave and artwork, too. So they asked experts to create an exact copy of the cave, called Pont d’Arc Cavern. The copy, or replica⁹, cost $59 million to build. It opened at the end of April in France.

Pascal Terrasse is the president of the cavern.  He says everyone will be able to experience the thrill of looking at drawings made by the first humans in Europe. He says the place is “magic” because it is done so well.

Authorities say they think as many as 400,000 people will visit the Pont d’Arc Cavern every year.

Words in This Story

parietal – adj. relating to the wall

pigment¹⁰ –n. a substance that gives color to something

analysis- n. a careful study about something to learn about its parts

fragile –adj. easily broken or damaged

thrill –v. to cause someone to feel very excited or happy

1 hyenas   

n.鬣狗( hyena的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• These animals were the prey of hyenas. 这些动物是鬣狗的猎物。 来自辞典例句
• We detest with horror the duplicity and villainy of the murderous hyenas of Bukharinite wreckers. 我们非常憎恨布哈林那帮两面三刀、杀人破坏，干尽坏事的豺狼。 来自辞典例句

2 rhinoceroses   

n.钱，钞票( rhino的名词复数 )；犀牛(=rhinoceros)；犀牛( rhinoceros的名词复数 )；脸皮和犀牛皮一样厚

参考例句：

• Rhinoceroses and dragons for once will let us walk in peace. 犀牛与龙安歇，让我们能平静地行走。 来自互联网
• Although the rhinoceroses are very heavy, they can run very fast. 犀牛虽然体型笨重，但仍能以相当快的速度行走或奔跑。 来自互联网

3 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

4 prehistoric   

adj.（有记载的）历史以前的，史前的，古老的

参考例句：

• They have found prehistoric remains.他们发现了史前遗迹。
• It was rather like an exhibition of prehistoric electronic equipment.这儿倒像是在展览古老的电子设备。

5 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

6 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

7 excellence   

n.优秀，杰出，(pl.)优点，美德

参考例句：

• His art has reached a high degree of excellence.他的艺术已达到炉火纯青的地步。
• My performance is far below excellence.我的表演离优秀还差得远呢。

8 cavern   

n.洞穴，大山洞

参考例句：

• The cavern walls echoed his cries.大山洞的四壁回响着他的喊声。
• It suddenly began to shower,and we took refuge in the cavern.天突然下起雨来，我们在一个山洞里避雨。

9 replica   

n.复制品

参考例句：

• The original conservatory has been rebuilt in replica.温室已按原样重建。
• The young artist made a replica of the famous painting.这位年轻的画家临摹了这幅著名的作品。

10 pigment   

n.天然色素，干粉颜料

参考例句：

• The Romans used natural pigments on their fabrics and walls.古罗马人在织物和墙壁上使用天然颜料。
• Who thought he might know what the skin pigment phenomenon meant.他自认为可能知道皮肤色素出现这种现象到底是怎么回事。