『新东方在线托福听力』为托福考生准备了ETS托福TPO/Official 14 Lec 4听力练习：What does the professor mainly discuss?原文题目答案解析，TPO/Official 14 Lec 4听力原文范文音频翻译。

托福TPO/Official 14 Lec 4听力原文What does the professor mainly discuss?-新东方托福官方网校手机版

旁白：请听一段考古学课上的演讲。

Narrator: Listen to part of a lecture in an archeology class.

教授：当我们想到早期的社会上人们建造的一些大型建筑物时，埃及金字塔便会浮现于眼前。

Female Professor: When we think of large monumental structures built by early societies, an Egyptian pyramid probably comes to mind.

但在英国，有一些更为早期的建筑也是值得讨论的。

But there are some even earlier structures in the British Isles also worth discussing.

而除了巨石阵这一闻名的建筑物外，人们在英国还发现了其它的令人难忘的新石器时代建筑物。

And besides the well-known Circle of Mass of Stones of Stonehenge, which don't get me wrong is remarkable enough, well, other impressive Neolithic structures are found there, too.

哦，我们这里讲的是新石器时代，也叫石器时代，该时代是在石器工具开始被铜或其它金属工具代替之前的那段时期。

Oh, yes, we're talking about the Neolithic period here, also called the New Stone Age, which was the time before stone tools began to be replaced by tools made of bronze and other metals.

大约是在5000年以前，甚至是在第一个埃及金字塔，某些不可思议的新时期时代坟墓，在制铁的大不列颠和附近沿海的岛屿上就已经建立起来了。

It was about five thousand years ago, even before the first Egyptian pyramid; that's some amazing Neolithic monuments, tombs were erected at various sites around Ireland, Great Britain and coastal islands nearby.

我特别指的是某些建筑物，在某些情况下看起来就像普通的山丘，但肯定的是，这些建筑物都是人类建造的，人类社区组织良好，我们把某一房子或房间裹在石墙里面，有时还筑高台，将叠在一起的石头间的缝隙巧妙地填补起来。

I am referring, in particular, to structures that, in some cases, look like ordinary natural hills but were definitely built by humans, well-organized communities of humans, to enclose a chamber or a room within stone walls, and sometimes with a high, cleverly designed ceiling of overlapping stones.

这些建筑物称为通道式坟墓，因为人们要进入这些房间，事实上有时要进入好几间房，都必须从外面通过一条狭窄的通道。

These structures are called Passage Graves, because the inner chamber, sometimes several chambers in fact, could only be entered from outside through a narrow passage way.

Michael：不好意思老师，你提到过道式坟墓，这些坟墓是作为埋葬在那里的人的纪念碑呢？

Male Student: Excuse me, professor, but you said passage graves, were these just monuments to honor the dead buried there?

还是人们设计出来作为居住场所的？

Or were they designed to be used, somehow, by the living.

教授：啊，对！问得好，Michael。

Professor: Ah, yes! Good question, Michael.

这些建筑除了作为坟墓外，某些过道式坟墓绝对就是我们所说的天文日历，每年都会有某些特殊的日子，阳光会照进这些房间，之后你就会看到奇迹般的具有启发性的宗教奇迹发生。

Besides being built as tombs, some of these passage graves were definitely what we might call Astronomical Calendars, with chambers that were flooded with sunlight on certain special days of the year, which must have seemed miraculous and inspired a good deal of religious wonder.

然而，研究者表明，不仅仅光，声理学也有助于强化这种宗教体验。

But research indicates that not just light but also the physics of sound helped enhanced these religious experiences.

当宗教领导开始念经的时候，声音会在碰到石墙后不断产生回响，这听起来肯定像是各种其它声音的和声，上帝的声音也在其中。

When a religious leader started chanting, with echoes bouncing off the stone walls over and over again, it must have seemed like a whole chorus of other voices, spirits of gods maybe joining in.

但更为让人费解的是物理学家所说的驻波现象。

But even more intriguing is what physicists called Standing Waves.

基本上，当声波以同样的频率从墙上反弹后在相反的方向上相遇，便会产生驻波现象。

Basically, the phenomena of standing waves occurs when sound waves of the same frequency reflect off the walls and meet from opposite directions.

所以，音量似乎会在大声和柔声之间轮流转变。

So the volume seems to alternate between very loud and very soft.

你可能站在一个大声说话的人旁边却几乎听不到他说的。

You can stand quite near a man singing in a loud voice and hardly hear him.

而迈开一步后却感觉震耳欲聋。

Yet, step a little further away, and his voice is almost deafening.

随着你在房间里走动，音量会上上下下，这要看你站在哪里，也要看驻波的具体情况。

As you move around the chamber, the volume of the sound goes way up and way down depending on where you are in these standing waves.

而经常音响效果使得人们很难辨别出声音的来源。

And often the acoustics make it hard to identify where sounds are coming from.

你会听到很大的声音，或是自己脑袋里听到各种念经的声音。

It's as if powerful voices are speaking to you, or chanting from inside your own head.

这对于新石器时代的礼拜者意义甚大。

This had to engender a powerful sense of awe in Neolithic worshipers.

而这里要提到的另一种物理学则称为共鸣。

And another bit of physics at play here is something called resonance.

我不懂物理学，但我想你们都有过这样的经历，你们都吹过空瓶子上的空气 便会听到瓶子发出的声音。

I'm no physicist but, well, I imagine you've all blown air over the top of an empty bottle and heard the sound it makes.

你们很可能注意到，每个瓶子大小不同，其发出的某一音乐符号也有所不同。

And you've probably noticed that, depending on its size, each empty bottle plays one particular musical note.

或许物理学会这么解释，每个瓶子在某一特定频率上会产生共鸣。

Or as a physicist might put it, each bottle resonates at a particular frequency.

嗯，这些房间的原理也是一样的。

Well, that's true of these chambers, too.

如果你在房间里一直发出声音，或许可以通过固定的节奏打鼓，某一特定的声音频率便会产生共鸣，这样会发出强大的声音，根据房间的大小声音强弱有所不同。

If you make a constant noise inside the chamber, maybe by steadily beating a drum at a certain rate, a particular frequency of sound will resonate, will ring out intensely depending on the size of the chamber.

而在某些大房间里，这些强大的声音可能过于低沉，所以我们听不到。

In some of the larger chambers, though, this intensified sound maybe too deep for us to hear.

我们会因此无意识地感到烦躁，但是这些声音耳朵是听不到的。

We can feel it, we're mysteriously agitated by it, but it's not a sound our ears can hear!

所有这些非同寻常的声音所产生的心理效果是非常强大的，特别是当它们与人类打鼓或念经所发出的声音毫无关联的时候。

The psychological effects of all these extraordinary sounds can be profound, especially when they seem so disconnected from the human doing the drumming or chanting.

在人类身上也会产生可观察到的物理效应。

And there can be observable physical effects on people, too.

事实上，这些声音会造成头痛，头晕，加剧头疼症状等等。

In fact, the sounds can cause headaches, feeling of dizziness, increased heart rate, that sort of thing, you see.

不管怎样，在这些过道式坟墓里面所体验到的很明显比日常生活中体验到的要更为强烈，这也是这些地方的独特之处。

Anyway, what was experienced inside one of these passage graves clearly could be far more intense than the everyday reality outside, which made them very special places.

但回到你问的问题，Michael，关于人们设计建造这些坟墓是要作为居住地的吗，嗯，当然，我们就不得不讲到天文日历的功能了，这似乎显而易见。

But back to your question, Michael, as to whether these graves were designed to be used by the living, well, certainly with regard to astronomical or calendar function that seems pretty obvious.

And I wanna go into more detail on that now.

Why does the professor mention an Egyptian pyramid?

According to the professor, what is one effect produced by standing waves in a passage grave chamber?

According to the professor, what characteristic of passage graves has led researchers to the conclusion that they were intentionally designed for use by the living?

What does the professor imply when she says this:

Narrator: 
Listen to part of a lecture in an archaeology class 
Professor: 
When we think of large monumental structures built by early societies, an Egyptian pyramid probably comes to mind. But there are some even earlier structures in the British Isles also worth discussing, and besides the well-known circle of massive stones of Stonehenge, which don’t get me wrong is remarkable enough, well, other impressive Neolithic structures are found there too. Oh, yes, we are talking about the Neolithic period here, also called new Stone Age, which was the time before stone tools began to be replaced by tools made of bronze and other metals. It was about 5000 years ago, even before the first Egyptian pyramid that some amazing Neolithic monuments---tombs, were erected at various sites around Ireland, Great Britain and coastal islands nearby. I am referring particular to structures that in some cases, look like ordinary natural hills but were definitely built by humans, well-organized communities of humans to enclose a chamber or room within stone walls and sometimes with a high, cleverly designed ceiling of overlapping stones. These structures are called Passage Graves, because the inner chamber, sometimes several chambers in fact, could only be entered from the outside through a narrow passageway. 
Michael: 
Excuse me, professor, but you said Passage Graves. Were these just monuments to honor the dead buried there or were they designed to be used somehow by the living? 
Professor: 
Ah, yes! Good question, Michael. Besides being built as tombs, some of these Passage Graves were definitely what we might call Astronomical Calendars, with chambers that were flooded with sunlight on certain special days of the year, which must’ve have seemed miraculous and inspired a good deal of religious wonder. But research indicates that not just light but also the physics of sound helped enhance this religious experiences. 
Professor: 
When we think of large monumental structures built by early societies, an Egyptian pyramid probably comes to mind. But there are some even earlier structures in the British Isles also worth discussing, and besides the well-known circle of massive stones of Stonehenge, which don’t get me wrong is remarkable enough, well, other impressive Neolithic structures are found there too. Oh, yes, we are talking about the Neolithic period here, also called new Stone Age, which was the time before stone tools began to be replaced by tools made of bronze and other metals. It was about 5000 years ago, even before the first Egyptian pyramid that some amazing Neolithic monuments---tombs, were erected at various sites around Ireland, Great Britain and coastal islands nearby. I am referring particular to structures that in some cases, look like ordinary natural hills but were definitely built by humans, well-organized communities of humans to enclose a chamber or room within stone walls and sometimes with a high, cleverly designed ceiling of overlapping stones. These structures are called Passage Graves, because the inner chamber, sometimes several chambers in fact, could only be entered from the outside through a narrow passageway. 
Michael: 
How so? 
Professor: 
Well, first the echoes. When a religious leader started chanting with echoes bouncing off the stone walls over and over again, it must’ve seemed like a whole chorus of other voices, spirits of Gods maybe, joining in. But even more intriguing is what physicists called Standing Waves. Basically, the phenomenon of Standing Waves occurs when sound waves of the same frequency reflect off the walls and meet from opposite directions. So, the volume seems to alternate between very loud and very soft. You can stand quite near a man singing in loud voice and hardly hear him. Yet step a little further away and his voice is almost deafening. As you move around the chamber, the volume of the sound goes way up and way down, depending on where you are in these standing waves. And often the acoustics make it hard to identify where sounds are coming from. It’s as if powerful voices are speaking to you or chanting from inside your own head. This had to engender a powerful sense of awe in Neolithic worshipers. 
And another bit of physics at play here is something called Resonance. I am no physicist, but well I imagine you have all blown air over the top of an empty bottle and heard the sound it makes. And you’ve probably noticed that depending on its size--- each empty bottle plays one particular musical note. Or as a physicist might put it, each bottle resonates at a particular frequency. Well, that’s true of these chambers too. If you make a constant noise inside the chamber, maybe by steadily beating drum at a certain rate, a particular frequency of sound will resonate, will ring out intensely, depending on the size of the chamber. In some of the larger chambers though, these intensified sound may be too deep for us to hear, we can feel it. We are mysteriously agitated by it….but it is not a sound our ears can hear. 
Michael: 
Excuse me, professor, but you said Passage Graves. Were these just monuments to honor the dead buried there or were they designed to be used somehow by the living? 
Professor: 
Ah, yes! Good question, Michael. Besides being built as tombs, some of these Passage Graves were definitely what we might call Astronomical Calendars, with chambers that were flooded with sunlight on certain special days of the year, which must’ve have seemed miraculous and inspired a good deal of religious wonder. But research indicates that not just light but also the physics of sound helped enhance this religious experiences. The psychological effects of all these extraordinary sounds can be profound, especially when they seem so disconnected from the human doing the drumming or chanting. And there can be observable physical effects on people too. In fact, the sounds can cause headaches, feelings of dizziness, increased heart rate, that sort of thing, you see. Anyway, what was experienced inside one of these Passage Graves clearly could be far more intense than the everyday reality outside, which made them very special places. 
But back to your question, Michael, as to whether these Graves were designed to be used by the living. Well, certainly, with regard to astronomical or calendar function. That seems pretty obvious, and I wanna go into more detail on that now. 
The psychological effects of all these extraordinary sounds can be profound, especially when they seem so disconnected from the human doing the drumming or chanting. And there can be observable physical effects on people too. In fact, the sounds can cause headaches, feelings of dizziness, increased heart rate, that sort of thing, you see. Anyway, what was experienced inside one of these Passage Graves clearly could be far more intense than the everyday reality outside, which made them very special places. 
But back to your question, Michael, as to whether these Graves were designed to be used by the living. Well, certainly, with regard to astronomical or calendar function. That seems pretty obvious, and I wanna go into more detail on that now.