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科學家發現已知最大最古老的瑪雅建築
By John Russell
07 June 2020
Scientists have discovered the largest and oldest-known structure that was built by the ancient Mayan people.
科學家發現了古代瑪雅人建造的最大、最古老的建築。
Large and shaped like a rectangle, the structure was built between 2,800 and 3,000 years ago in what is now the Mexican state of Tabasco.
該建築規模龐大，形狀近似矩形，於2800到3000年以前建造在如今墨西哥的塔巴斯科州。
Unlike the large Mayan pyramids built some 1,500 years later, the newly discovered building was made with clay and earth. It was likely used for ceremonies, researchers say.
與建造於大約1500年後的大型瑪雅金字塔不同，新發現的建築物是用粘土和泥土建成的。研究人員表示，它很可能用於各種儀式。
Built near the Guatemalan border, the structure measured nearly 400 meters wide and nearly 1,400 meters long. It stood between 10 and 15 meters high. It had more volume -- the amount of space -- than Egypt's Great Pyramid of Giza.
該建築建在靠近瓜地馬拉的邊境附近，寬約400米，長約1400米。它的高度在10-15米之間。它所佔的體積比埃及的吉薩金字塔還要大。
Researchers noted that there were no signs of statues of powerful or wealthy people. This suggests Mayan culture may have had more equality during this period.
研究人員指出，這裡沒有有權勢或是有錢人的雕像的跡象。這表明瑪雅文化在此期間可能更具有平等性。
Takeshi Inomata, an archaeologist at the University of Arizona, led the research. The findings were published in the scientific journal Nature.
亞利桑那大學的考古學家野田武領導了這項研究。研究結果發表在科學期刊《自然》上。
Inomata said that because the structure is so large, "it just looks like natural landscape. But its form comes out nicely in lidar," he added.
野田武表示，由於該建築是如此龐大，「它看起來就像是自然景觀。但是它的形狀在雷射雷達中表現得很清晰。」
Lidar is short for Light Detection and Ranging, a method for measuring distances. It uses a laser and other information collected by flying over an area to create three-dimensional information about a surface's shape.
雷射雷達是光探測和測距的縮寫，這是一種用於測量距離的方法。它使用雷射和在某空域飛行收集到的其它信息來創建表面形狀的三維信息。
Some parts of the site are currently covered with cattle ranches. Other parts have trees.
該遺址有一部分目前被牧場覆蓋，其它部分則有樹。
But in ancient times, Inomata said, the structure was likely used for special events. People probably walked on raised paths and inside the rectangular structure. He said they left symbolic objects behind, such as jade axes.
野田武表示，但是在古代，該建築物可能被用於特殊活動。人們可能通過凸起的小路走進這個矩形建築物。他說，他們留下了諸如玉斧之類的象徵性物品。
rectangle – n. an object with four straight sides and four right angles, and opposite sides are of equal length
pyramid – n. a large structure built especially in ancient Egypt that has a square base and four triangular sides which form a point at the top
clay – n. a sticky, fine-grained material
three-dimensional – adj. having length, width, and depth
cattle – n. large animals grown for their meat; cows
ranch – n. a large farm where cattle or other animals are raised
jade – n. a usually green stone that is used for jewelry
axe – n. a tool that usually has a heavy metal blade and a long handle and that is used for chopping wood
*內容來源51VOA.COM原創翻譯，侵刪~