国家地理-2008-09-06 吉萨金字塔中的地下船

Visitors at Egypt's Giza Pyramids on Saturday got a rare opportunity. They were able to catch a glimpse inside an underground chamber¹, just south of the Great Pyramid containing the pieces of an ancient funerary boat which many believed was intended to ferry the Pharaoh Khufu into the afterlife.

 A video camera was inserted into the unexcavated pit. Visitors watched images of the disassembled wooden sailing ship on a large monitor inside the nearby Solar Boat Museum.

“Now, through a camera we transfer the photograph directly from the pits directly to this, this screen that you will see wood, see that wood, small and big ones, and you'll see mats, and also you will see, ur, ropes, and you can see for about 20 meters. All this material has been laid like this for more than 4,500 years ago.”

In 1987, a team from the National Geographic³ Society drilled a hole through one of the limestone⁴ blocks sealing the chamber from above, and inserted a video camera. Inside, they found stacks of wood for a boat similar to one excavated² from a nearby pit in 1958. It's been decided⁵ that the boat would remain in its tomb for preservation⁶. Dating back 4,600 years, they are the most spectacular vessels⁷ discovered to date.

 

1 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

2 excavated   

v.挖掘( excavate的过去式和过去分词 )；开凿；挖出；发掘

参考例句：

• The site has been excavated by archaeologists. 这个遗址已被考古学家发掘出来。
• The archaeologists excavated an ancient fortress. 考古学家们发掘出一个古堡。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 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

4 limestone   

n.石灰石

参考例句：

• Limestone is often used in building construction.石灰岩常用于建筑。
• Cement is made from limestone.水泥是由石灰石制成的。

5 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

6 preservation   

n.保护，维护，保存，保留，保持

参考例句：

• The police are responsible for the preservation of law and order.警察负责维持法律与秩序。
• The picture is in an excellent state of preservation.这幅画保存得极为完好。

7 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》