The Newfound nazca lines新发现的纳斯卡线条

笪景行

More than a hundred new designs1 discovered in andaround Perus Nazca desert could bring new informationto light about the mysterious， ancient artworks.

在秘鲁纳斯卡沙漠及其周围发现的100 多个新图案可能会为人们揭开神秘古老艺术作品的神秘面纱。

The researchers have reported the discovery of 168new designs on Perus southern Pacific coast.

研究人员报告了在秘鲁南太平洋海岸发现的168个新图案。

The huge figures2 carved3 into the South American desert date back more than2000 years and represent cats， snakes， killer whales， birds and so on.

这些修建在南美洲沙漠中的巨大图案可以追溯到2000 多年前，展现了猫、蛇、虎鲸、鸟类等动物。

They were thought to have been drawn into the ground thousands of years agoby inhabitants4 who removed5 black stones from the grounds surface to expose6the white sand below to create their designs， now known as the Nazca Lines.

它们被认为是几千年前由居民刻画在地上的。人们从地表移除黑色石头，露出下面的白色沙子，来创造出他们的图案。现在它们被称为“纳斯卡线条”。

The purpose of the Nazca Lines remains a mystery. Most of the earlierdiscoveries can only be seen from the air. The new findings， however， are smallerand can be seen from the ground. They average7 between 2m and 6m long.

修建“纳斯卡線条”的目的仍然是个谜。大多数早期的发现只能从空中看到。然而，新发现的规模较小，可以从地面上看到。它们的平均长度在2 米到6米之间。

But the vastness8 of the terrain9 they cover—a 450 sq km area—has madeit difficult to study and protect the heritage10 site.

但是，它们所覆盖的广阔的地形———450 平方公里的面积———使得研究和保护遗产变得困难。

Notes

1. design 设计；图案

2. figure 图形

3. carve  雕刻，铺，修

4. inhabitant 某地的，居民

5. remove 移开；拿开

6. expose 暴露；使显露

7. average 平均为；平均达到

8. vastness 巨大；广大

9. terrain 地形；地势；领域

10. heritage 遗产；传统