VOA慢速英语2021--挪威警方寻回失踪的中东文物

Norwegian Police Recover Missing¹ Middle Eastern Artifacts

Police in Norway recently found a large number of ancient artifacts, including writing surfaces, originally made in the Middle East.

Iraqi officials reported the missing items. A law-enforcement² organization in Norway that covers economic and environmental crime and the Norwegian Ministry³ of Culture worked together to find nearly 100 pieces.

The items are from Mesopotamia and go back to the time of the Sumerians, who lived about 5,000 years ago in what is now Iraq and the Middle East.

A Norwegian law enforcement spokesperson said the items were in a private collection. The Reuters news agency⁴ reports several people were questioned, but no arrests were made.

The Norwegian organization that worked to find the items said they are important to worldwide "cultural heritage⁵."

Experts are now examining the items so they can find out if they are real, and where they came from.

Police did not say why or how the items came to be in Norway.

Words in This Story

artifact –n. a simple object (such as a tool or weapon) that was made by people in the past

heritage – n. the traditions, achievements, beliefs, etc., that are part of the history of a group or nation — usually singular

1 missing   

adj.遗失的，缺少的，失踪的

参考例句：

• Check the tools and see if anything is missing.检点一下工具，看有无丢失。
• All the others are here;he's the only one missing.别人都来了，就短他一个。

2 enforcement   

n.实施, 执行

参考例句：

• MPs called for tougher enforcement of the existing laws on drugs. 下院议员呼籲加强现行毒品法律的执行力度。
• The court is ineffective because it lacks the necessary enforcement machinery. 法院效率低是因为缺乏必要的执行机制。

3 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

4 agency   

n.经办；代理；代理处

参考例句：

• This disease is spread through the agency of insects.这种疾病是通过昆虫媒介传播的。
• He spoke in the person of Xinhua News Agency.他代表新华社讲话。

5 heritage   

n.传统，遗产，继承物

参考例句：

• The ancient buildings are part of the national heritage.这些古建筑是民族遗产的一部分。
• We Chinese have a great cultural heritage.我们中国人有伟大的文化遗产。