一項新的研究顯示，現代人類到達歐洲並把尼安德特人逐漸推到滅絕邊緣的時間比之前認為得更早。對保加利亞北部一處洞穴遺蹟進行的一系列測試表明，早在4.6萬年前那裡就有智人存在。
Modern humans are prime suspects in the extinction of the Neanderthals – the ancient species that disappeared from Europe almost as soon as our ancestors arrived.
現代人類是導致尼安德特人滅絕的主要嫌疑犯，尼安德特人是原始人類文明的物種，他們在我們的祖先剛到達歐洲後就消失了。
It’s unclear whether we competed with them or wiped them out through disease, but a tooth and bones from Bacho Kiro cave in Bulgaria suggest modern humans were in Europe 46,000 years ago, earlier than previous evidence from Britain and Italy.
目前尚不清楚是由於人類與他們的競爭，還是由於疾病而導致尼安德特人滅絕，但在保加利亞巴喬‧基羅（Bacho Kiro）洞穴中發現的單顆牙齒和骨骼遺骸表明，現代人類早在4.6萬年前就生活在歐洲，比之前來自英國和意大利的證據所顯示的時間還要早。
This would mean the two species co-existed for as long as 5,000 years. Pendants from the Bulgarian cave resemble those made by Neanderthals, suggesting we exchanged ideas.
這將意味著兩個物種曾共同生存了長達五千年之久。在保加利亞洞穴中發現的吊墜外形與尼安德特人製作的吊墜相似，這表明現代人類和尼安德特人有過思想上的交流。
The finds imply the reasons for their extinction were complex, and factors such as climate change may have played a role.
這些發現意味著尼安德特人滅絕的原因是複雜的，而且氣候變化等因素可能也造成了一定程度的影響。
詞彙
prime suspects 主要嫌疑犯
extinction 滅絕
ancestors 祖先
wiped out 完全被消滅
evidence 證據
co-existed 共同生存
pendants 項鏈掛件，吊墜
exchanged 交流、交換
閱讀理解：請在讀完上文後，回答下列問題。
1. True or false? Our ancestors wiped out the Neanderthals through disease.
2. What did the pendants from the Bulgarian cave suggest?
3. According to the text, for how long did the two species co-exist?
4. Based on the finds, what may have played a role in the Neanderthals’ extinction?
答案
1. True or false? Our ancestors wiped out the Neanderthals through disease.
False. It’s unclear whether we competed with them or wiped them out through disease.
2. What did the pendants from the Bulgarian cave suggest?
The pendants from the Bulgarian cave resemble those made by Neanderthals, suggesting we exchanged ideas.
3. According to the study, for how long did the two species co-exist?
According to the study, the two species co-existed for as long as 5,000 years.
4. Based on the finds, what may have played a role in the Neanderthals’ extinction?
Factors such as climate change may have played a role.
