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Was an extinct fox once man's best friend? 已灭绝的南美狐曾是人类的最好朋友?

早在家犬出现以前,我们的祖先可能已经把狐狸当做宠物喂养了。有考古证据表明,南美洲的古人类社会对狐狸尊爱有加,以至于主人会将它们葬于自己的身旁。

The fox was about the size of a German shepherd dog and lived across much of South America, only going extinct a few hundred years ago. A near-complete skeleton of the animal was found in a human grave dating back to 1,500 years ago.

这种狐狸和德国牧羊犬差不多大,曾生活在南美洲的大部分地区,直到几百年前才灭绝。考古人员在一座距今 1500 年前的人类坟墓中发现了一副近乎完整的该动物骨架。

The study, by researchers at the University of Oxford, shows the fox ate a similar diet to ancient hunter gatherers, suggesting it lived alongside them and might have been a highly valued pet or companion animal.

牛津大学的研究人员进行的这项研究表明,这种狐狸的饮食跟古代狩猎采集者的相似。这说明该动物曾跟人类一起居住,可能是一种受高度重视的宠物或伴侣动物。

There have been other finds of fox teeth in the area, which adds to the evidence that foxes were highly revered by our ancestors and may have formed a strong bond with humans long before domestic dogs came along.

在这个地区还有其它有关狐狸牙齿的考古发现,这进一步证明了狐狸在当时受到我们祖先的高度尊重与喜爱,并且可能早在家犬出现以前就已经与人类结成了牢固的纽带。

词汇表

German shepherd 德国牧羊犬
extinct 灭绝的,绝种的
dating back 追溯到,距今(时间)
hunter gatherers 狩猎采集者
highly valued 高度重视,认为非常有价值的
finds 发现,考古发现
revered 受尊重的,可敬的
ancestors 祖先
strong bond 牢固的纽带
domestic 家养的,家庭的

阅读理解:请在读完上文后,回答下列问题。

1. When did this South American fox go extinct?

2. True or False? The skeleton was almost whole when it was found.

3. Why is the fox likely to have been a pet?

4. Apart from the fox skeleton, what else has been found nearby?

答案

1. When did this South American fox go extinct?

The fox only went extinct a few hundred years ago.

2. True or False? The skeleton was almost whole when it was found.

True. The skeleton was 'near-complete'.

3. Why is the fox likely to have been a pet?

The fox is likely to have been a pet because the skeleton was found in a human grave and ate a similar diet to hunter gatherers.  

4. Apart from the fox skeleton, what else has been found nearby?

Fox teeth have been found in the area.

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