VOA慢速英语2018--新视频显示亚马逊部落与外界没有联系

New Video Shows Amazon Tribe with No Contact to Outside World

Video has been released for the first time showing an Amazon tribe in Brazil with no known contact to the outside world.

The video, shot by a drone, provides the first-ever images of 16 tribe members walking through their living area in the jungle.

The footage was recently released by Brazil’s government agency for indigenous¹ affairs, known as Funai. The agency is responsible for identifying areas where indigenous populations live, and attempting to protect their communities and land from invasion by outsiders.

Funai said it captured the drone shots during an operation last year to observe isolated³ communities. The observations took place in the Javari Valley, an indigenous territory in the southwestern part of the Brazilian state of Amazonas.

The group said it waited until now to release the footage to protect its research activities.

In the footage, several members of the isolated tribe can be seen walking through a jungle camp, as well as a deforested area that seems to include crops. One of the tribe members appears to be carrying a bow and arrow.

At least 11 other isolated groups have been confirmed to live in surrounding areas - more than anywhere else in Brazil.

The agency has been studying the community seen in the new images for years, but this was the first time it was able to catch the tribe on camera.

Funai’s president Wallace Bastos says the video footage can be an important tool for teaching about such communities. “These images have the power to make society and the government reflect on the importance of protecting these groups,” he said.

Bruno Pereira helps run Funai’s research activities in the area. He said such documentations can also help researchers learn more about the cultures of indigenous populations.

While the agency has not yet identified the name of the tribe, it does have some guesses about its ethnicity and what language it speaks. “The more we know about isolated communities’ way of living, the more equipped we are to protect them,” Pereira said.

Overall, Funai has registered 107 isolated tribes in Brazil - Latin America’s largest nation. While the agency sometimes takes photos and videos, it has not been making contact with the tribes for more than 30 years.

Pereira told the Associated Press these communities know of the cities and farms around them. But they often choose to isolate² themselves due to bad experiences with the outside world.

Such contacts can be dangerous, sometimes resulting in deadly fighting that can destroy tribes. Last year, a group of illegal gold miners were accused of killing⁴ 10 people in an isolated community.

“If they wanted contact with the outside world, they would seek out ways to communicate with us,” Pereira said.

I’m Bryan Lynn.

Words in This Story

drone – n. kind of aircraft that does not carry a pilot or passengers and can be controlled remotely

jungle – n. an area of land, usually in tropical countries, where trees and plants grow close together

isolated – adj. alone and not having help or support from other people

indigenous – adj. having always lived or existed in a place

bow – n. piece of curved wood with string fixed⁵ to both ends, used for shooting arrows

arrow – n. long, thin stick with a sharp point at one end which is fired from a bow

reflect – v. to think about in a serious and careful way

1 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。

2 isolate   

vt.使孤立，隔离

参考例句：

• Do not isolate yourself from others.不要把自己孤立起来。
• We should never isolate ourselves from the masses.我们永远不能脱离群众。

3 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

4 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

5 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。