Tuvalu, the fourth smallest nation in the world, announced its intention to become the world's first digital country back in 2022. But why, and how? 

图瓦卢是世界上第四小的国家，早在 2022 年就宣布打算成为世界上第一个数字国家。但是为什么以及如何实现呢？ 

Facing the devastating effects of rising sea levels caused by climate change, the nation, made up of three reef islands and six atolls, is rapidly becoming uninhabitable. Tuvalu sits between Hawaii and Australia and is grappling with increasingly dire conditions. In 2022, at high tide, nearly 40% of the capital became submerged, according to the news agency Reuters. A recent assessment by scientists at NASA indicated that "much of the land plus critical infrastructure will sit below the level of the current high tide by 2050". And projections suggest the entire country could be underwater by the year 2100. Global warming has already displaced many of Tuvalu's 11,000 inhabitants, while coral bleaching and coastal erosion continue to degrade the surrounding environment. 

面对气候变化造成的海平面上升的破坏性影响，这个由三个礁岛和六个环礁组成的国家正在迅速变得不适合居住。图瓦卢位于夏威夷和澳大利亚之间，正在努力应对日益严峻的形势。据路透社报道，2022 年涨潮时，近 40% 的首都被淹没。美国宇航局科学家最近的一项评估表明，“到 2050 年，大部分土地加上关键基础设施将低于当前高潮水位”。预测显示，到 2100 年，整个国家可能会被淹没。全球变暖已经使图瓦卢 11,000 名居民中的许多人流离失所，而珊瑚白化和海岸侵蚀继续使周围环境恶化。 

This is why the government plans to back up the country and rebuild a virtual online replica. The announcement was first made at the UN Climate Change Conference, COP27 by Tuvalu's Minister of Justice, Simon Kofe. He said, "As our land slips below the ocean, we have no choice but to become the world's first digital nation. Our land, our ocean, our culture are the most precious assets of our people". 

这就是政府计划支持国家并重建虚拟在线副本的原因。图瓦卢司法部长西蒙·科菲 (Simon Kofe) 在联合国气候变化大会 COP27 上首次宣布了这一消息。他说：“当我们的土地沉入海洋时，我们别无选择，只能成为世界上第一个数字国家。我们的土地、我们的海洋、我们的文化是我们人民最宝贵的资产”。 

The country has since been preserving Tuvalu's cultural and historical identity by recording historical documents, maps, family photograph albums, traditional songs, and other cultural practices, all of which will be accessible online. In early 2024, Place, a global non-profit organisation, began mapping the physical features of Funafuti, Tuvalu's capital, using drones and 360-degree cameras. 

此后，该国一直通过记录历史文献、地图、家庭相册、传统歌曲和其他文化习俗来保护图瓦卢的文化和历史特征，所有这些都可以在线访问。2024 年初，全球非营利组织 Place 开始使用无人机和 360 度相机绘制图瓦卢首都富纳富提的物理特征。

Though moving a country online has legal challenges – international law requires a country to have territory and population, both of which are uncertain in Tuvalu's future. At the same time, critics argue the plan is just for publicity, highlighting the need to reduce emissions. 

尽管将一个国家转移到网上存在法律挑战，但国际法要求一个国家拥有领土和人口，而这两者对图瓦卢的未来来说都是不确定的。与此同时，批评者认为该计划只是为了宣传，强调减少排放的必要性。 

Whatever happens, a digital twin of the country will help preserve its culture and heritage for generations to come. 

无论发生什么，该国的数字孪生都将有助于为子孙后代保护其文化和遗产。 

People living in the area have reported health problems. Some told the Associated Press (AP) that they suffered from itchy skin, sore throat and other difficulties. 

居住在该地区的人们报告了健康问题。一些人告诉美联社，他们患有皮肤瘙痒、喉咙痛和其他困难。 

The Indonesia-based nonprofit group Satya Bumi sent water, dust and shellfish from the area to a laboratory this year. The group said the results showed dangerous levels of nickel, lead and cadmium. These substances are linked to mining. 

总部位于印度尼西亚的非营利组织 Satya Bumi 今年将该地区的水、灰尘和贝类送往实验室。该组织表示，结果显示镍、铅和镉的含量达到危险水平。这些物质与采矿有关。 

Kathrin Shilling is an assistant professor and biology researcher at Columbia University in New York City. She studied the lab results. Shilling told the AP, “If people on this island are using the river water as drinking water…you cannot escape basically any of the exposure to those toxic metals.” 

凯瑟琳·希林 (Kathrin Shilling) 是纽约市哥伦比亚大学的助理教授和生物学研究员。她研究了实验室结果。希林告诉美联社，“如果这个岛上的人们使用河水作为饮用水……你基本上无法避免接触这些有毒金属。” 

Kabaena is not the only place affected. To the north, on a larger island, Torobulu is another place where mining damage can be seen.

卡巴埃纳并不是唯一受到影响的地方。在北部的一个较大岛屿上，托罗布鲁是另一个可以看到采矿破坏的地方。 

The mining problems continue although Indonesia’s constitutional court ruled in March of this year that small islands such as Kabaena should have special protection. However, a researcher from Satya Bumi said the government is still approving mining permits. 

尽管印尼宪法法院今年三月裁定卡巴埃纳等小岛应受到特别保护，但采矿问题仍然存在。然而，萨蒂亚布米的一位研究人员表示，政府仍在批准采矿许可证。 

The group Mighty Earth said 150 hectares of forest have been cleared on Kabaena since April 1. And it said over half of that was on land controlled by the mining company Tonia Mitra Sejahtera. The company and Indonesia’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources did not answer requests for comment from the AP.

Mighty Earth 组织表示，自 4 月 1 日以来，卡巴埃纳已有 150 公顷森林被砍伐。该组织表示，其中一半以上位于矿业公司 Tonia Mitra Sejahtera 控制的土地上。该公司和印度尼西亚能源和矿产资源部没有回应美联社的置评请求。 

Amiruddin is a 53-year-old fisherman on Kabaena Island. He said the results of the government permits for mining have affected many people. 

阿米鲁丁 (Amiruddin) 是卡巴埃纳岛 (Kabaena Island) 的 53 岁渔民。他说，政府采矿许可证的结果影响了很多人。 

“All residents here have felt the impact,” he said. 

“这里的所有居民都感受到了影响，”他说。 

Indonesia has the world’s largest known supply of nickel and major supplies of valuable minerals, including cobalt and bauxite. However, the mining industry there is being criticized for not protecting the environment and some Indonesian island people. 

印度尼西亚拥有世界上已知最大的镍供应量以及钴和铝土矿等有价值矿物的主要供应量。然而，那里的采矿业因不保护环境和一些印尼岛民而受到批评。 

The Southeast Asian country is involved in mining that produces materials important to the manufacture of stainless steel and electric vehicle batteries, among other things. 

这个东南亚国家从事采矿业，生产对制造不锈钢和电动汽车电池等重要的材料。 

Indonesia is aiming to expand its mining and processing industries. But the development could face opposition from international and local groups. 

印度尼西亚的目标是扩大其采矿和加工业。但这一发展可能会面临国际和当地团体的反对。 

Nickel processing centers are becoming more common in parts of Indonesia. Sometimes, the plants are near the sea where many boats line up to carry ore, a mineral combination that contains nickel. Sometimes, these plants are near schools or places where local people fish or farm. 

镍加工中心在印度尼西亚部分地区变得越来越普遍。有时，这些工厂靠近大海，许多船只排队运输矿石，这是一种含有镍的矿物组合。有时，这些工厂位于学校或当地人钓鱼或耕种的地方附近。 

The World Resources Institute, based in Washington D.C., says from 2001 to 2020, 1.4 million hectares of trees were cut down around the world. Indonesia is estimated to have had the highest loss. 

总部位于华盛顿特区的世界资源研究所表示，从 2001 年到 2020 年，世界各地有 140 万公顷的树木被砍伐。据估计，印度尼西亚的损失最高。

Amanda Hurowitz is a director with Mighty Earth. The environmental group is also based in Washington, D.C. Hurowitz said that, on the island of Kabaena, mining companies have cleared 3,700 hectares of forest in the last 22 years. 

阿曼达·赫洛维茨 (Amanda Hurowitz) 是《强大地球》的导演。该环保组织的总部也位于华盛顿特区。Hurowitz 表示，在卡巴埃纳岛上，采矿公司在过去 22 年里砍伐了 3,700 公顷的森林。 

Fishermen who used to fish off the island have said the waters are filled with sediment from the mines. People in farming communities also say they are affected. They say sugar cane, sugar palms and clove trees do not grow well anymore. 

曾经在岛上捕鱼的渔民说，水域里充满了矿井的沉积物。农业社区的人们也表示他们受到了影响。他们说甘蔗、糖棕榈和丁香树不再生长得很好。

Amal Susanto is a sugar palm farmer. He said: “That’s the effect: The growth of the sugar palm trees will not be as good because of the influence of mining.” Susanto lives in an area where permits have been approved but mining has not yet begun. 

阿迈勒·苏珊托 (Amal Susanto) 是一名糖棕榈种植者。他说：“这就是效果：因为采矿的影响，糖棕树的生长不会那么好。” 苏珊托居住的地区已获得许可证，但采矿尚未开始。 

Laiba Rashid is a 22-year-old Pakistani student in a special training program in the city of Lahore. The program, called Women on Wheels (WOW), teaches women how to operate two-wheelers, or motorcycles. Rashid hopes her life will change after she learns how to ride a motorcycle. 

莱巴·拉希德 (Laiba Rashid) 是一名 22 岁的巴基斯坦学生，正在拉合尔市参加特殊培训项目。该项目名为“Women on Wheels”（WOW），教女性如何操作两轮车或摩托车。拉希德希望在学会骑摩托车后她的生活会改变。 

Although the program is 7 years old, it is still rare to see women ride motorcycles. In the Islamic nation, it is more common to see women driving cars or riding in the back of two-wheelers operated by a male relative. The WOW program is offered free by the Lahore traffic police. 

虽然这个节目已经有7年了，但还是很少看到女性骑摩托车的。在伊斯兰国家，更常见的是女性驾驶汽车或乘坐男性亲戚驾驶的两轮车。WOW 计划由拉合尔交警免费提供。 

"I hope this will change my life because I am dependent on my brother to pick me up and drop me to college," Rashid said on her first day at WOW.

“我希望这会改变我的生活，因为我依赖我的兄弟来接我并送我上大学，”拉希德在 WOW 的第一天说道。 

She said she wants to buy a motorcycle to go to college, adding that, before, there were no women drivers in her family. "Now everybody is convinced that women should be independent in their movement to schools, jobs and markets," she said. 

她说，她想买一辆摩托车去上大学，并补充说，以前她家里没有女司机。“现在每个人都相信，女性在进入学校、工作和市场时应该独立，”她说。

Bushra Iqbal Hussain is a social activist and director of Safe Childhood. Hussain said women driving two-wheelers has been a cultural and religious taboo. But, she said, more women are now changing the culture like they did in the 1980s with regular cars to reduce their dependence on men to move around. 

布什拉·伊克巴尔·侯赛因 (Bushra Iqbal Hussain) 是一位社会活动家，也是安全童年组织的主任。侯赛因说，女性驾驶两轮车一直是一种文化和宗教禁忌。但是，她说，现在越来越多的女性正在改变这种文化，就像 20 世纪 80 年代那样，她们使用普通汽车，以减少对男性出行的依赖。 

The WOW program has been in operation since 2017. But it has become increasingly popular in recent months as car prices have greatly increased and motorcycles offer a less costly choice. 

WOW 计划自 2017 年开始实施。但近几个月来，随着汽车价格大幅上涨以及摩托车提供了更便宜的选择，该计划变得越来越受欢迎。 

The cheapest four-wheel vehicle in Pakistan costs about $8,265 compared to about $1,345 for a Chinese-made two-wheeler. The average yearly income per person in Pakistan is $1,696. 

巴基斯坦最便宜的四轮车售价约为 8,265 美元，而中国制造的两轮车售价约为 1,345 美元。巴基斯坦人均年收入为 1,696 美元。 

Sohail Mudassar is a traffic official in Lahore. He said the WOW program has trained at least 6,600 women, and Rashid's group was the 86th since it started. Female trainer Humaira Rafaqat added, "Young women are quick learners because they are enthusiastic and take risks." 

Sohail Mudassar 是拉合尔的一名交通官员。他说，WOW 项目已经培训了至少 6,600 名女性，拉希德的团队是该项目启动以来的第 86 个团队。女教练胡迈拉·拉法卡特 (Humaira Rafaqat) 补充道：“年轻女性学习速度很快，因为她们充满热情并敢于冒险。

”One of them, Ghania Raza, is a 23-year-old who is working toward a doctorate in criminology. She said learning to ride a two-wheeler gave her a deep sense of achievement and empowerment: "It was like breaking a glass ceiling," she said. 

其中一名 23 岁的加尼亚·拉扎 (Ghania Raza) 正在攻读犯罪学博士学位。她说，学习骑两轮车给了她一种深深的成就感和力量：“这就像打破了玻璃天花板，”她说。

Shumaila Shafiq is a 36-year-old mother of three and a part-time clothing designer. She said she has been riding her husband's motorcycle to the market and other places after training in the program. 

Shumaila Shafiq 是一位 36 岁的三个孩子的母亲，也是一名兼职服装设计师。她说，在项目培训后，她一直骑着丈夫的摩托车去市场和其他地方。 

Shafiq has also designed a short-length abaya for Muslim women to wear while operating a motorcycle. She said the long abaya is dangerous because it may get caught in the wheels of the motorcycle.

沙菲克还设计了一款短款长袍，供穆斯林女性在驾驶摩托车时穿着。她说长袍很危险，因为它可能会被摩托车的轮子卡住。 

Every Friday, musician Enes Salman performs the Sevdalinka, an ancient form of love song from Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

每周五，音乐家埃内斯·萨尔曼 (Enes Salman) 都会演奏《塞夫达林卡》(Sevdalinka)，这是一种来自波斯尼亚和黑塞哥维那的古老情歌。 

Sevdalinka was recently included in UNESCO's National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage. UNESCO is The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. 

塞夫达林卡最近被列入联合国教科文组织国家非物质文化遗产名录。联合国教科文组织是联合国教育、科学及文化组织。 

Sevdalinka is often called the Balkan Blues. It is a somewhat sad form of urban love song that dates to the 1500s. It is a mix of South Slavic spoken poetry and music of the Ottoman Empire. 

塞夫达林卡通常被称为巴尔干蓝调。这是一种有点悲伤的都市情歌，其历史可以追溯到 1500 年代。它融合了南斯拉夫口语诗歌和奥斯曼帝国的音乐。 

Salman is among only a few musicians keeping the tradition alive. 

萨尔曼是少数保持这一传统的音乐家之一。 

"I have been playing and singing Sevdalinka since I was 14," he said before a recent performance. 

“我从 14 岁起就开始演奏和演唱《塞夫达林卡》，”他在最近的一场演出前说道。

Sevdalinka is often performed a cappella. That means it is sung without musical instruments. Sometimes the performer sings with traditional instruments like a lute. This form, or genre, of music has been carried from generation to generation through performances at family gatherings. 

塞夫达林卡经常进行无伴奏合唱。这意味着它是在没有乐器的情况下演唱的。有时表演者用鲁特琴等传统乐器唱歌。这种音乐形式或流派通过家庭聚会的表演代代相传。 

In recent years, younger musicians have brought modern versions of Sevdalinka to audiences around the world. 

近年来，年轻的音乐家将现代版本的塞夫达林卡带给世界各地的观众。 

One of them is Damir Imamovic. His father and grandfather were famous Sevdalinka performers. In 2020 and 2021, Imamovic won awards from two world music publications, Songlines and Transglobal, for best European album. 

达米尔·伊莫维奇就是其中之一。他的父亲和祖父都是著名的塞夫达林卡表演者。2020年和2021年，伊莫维奇荣获Songlines和Transglobal两家世界音乐出版物颁发的最佳欧洲专辑奖。 

Imamovic supports Sevdalinka internationally through his SevdahLab project. The project helped build support for the music's inclusion on UNESCO's World Heritage list. 

Imamovic 通过他的 SevdahLab 项目在国际上支持 Sevdalinka。该项目为将音乐列入联合国教科文组织世界遗产名录提供了支持。 

"I realized how little the public knows about the Sevdalinka genre and wanted to reveal the story behind that music," he said. 

“我意识到公众对塞夫达林卡流派知之甚少，因此想揭示这种音乐背后的故事，”他说。

Zanin Berbic is a 28-year-old ethno-musicologist. He works as a curator in the music department of Bosnia's Regional Museum in Sarajevo, organizing, protecting, and bringing attention to music. He also plays saz, a long-necked lute used in Ottoman classical music. He said that Sevdalinka tells the story of Bosnia's history. 

Zanin Berbic 是一位 28 岁的民族音乐学家。他在萨拉热窝波斯尼亚地区博物馆音乐部担任策展人，负责组织、保护音乐并引起人们对音乐的关注。他还演奏萨兹（saz），一种奥斯曼古典音乐中使用的长颈鲁特琴。他说，《塞夫达林卡》讲述了波斯尼亚的历史故事。 

Berbic said, "Most of my days I spend either singing or playing Sevdalinka songs or reading or talking about them. Sevdalinka is my life," he said. 

贝尔比奇说：“我大部分时间都在唱歌或演奏塞夫达林卡歌曲，或者阅读或谈论它们。塞夫达林卡就是我的生活，”他说。 

An advert will be banned from being put online or played on the television before 9pm if the food item it promotes falls into one of 13 categories, and if analysis of its nutrients, such as salt, fat and sugar, lead to it being classified as less healthy on a government scoring system. 

如果宣传的食品属于规定的 13 个品类之内，并且该食品的营养成分，如盐、脂肪和糖，含量分析结果在监管部门的评分系统中被分类为 “不够健康”，那么含有这些食品的广告将被禁止在晚上 9 点前在在线平台或电视频道中播放。 

The focus on the product, which was set in legislation passed by the last government, means a fast-food chain, for example, would still be free to advertise without restrictions, as long as it didn't show any of its burgers, fries or other less healthy offerings. 

由于上届政府通过的法案只强调了产品本身，因此诸如连锁快餐等商家只要不让汉堡包、薯条或其他不够健康的产品出现在广告中，就依然能够免受限制继续投放广告。 

A spokesperson for the Department for Health and Social Care said the ban was clear – that unhealthy food products, which are excessively high in sugar, fat or salt were covered in the restrictions, but that it did not restrict brands from advertising, provided any products they feature met the conditions set. 

英国卫生和社会保障部的一名发言人表示，本次禁令明确限制了含有过量糖、脂肪和盐的不健康食品的广告；但并不限制任何品牌打广告，只要它们的广告中出现的食品符合要求。 

词汇表

banned 禁止
classified 分类
legislation 法案，立法
fast-food chain 连锁快餐
restrictions 限制
offerings （用于销售的）产品
spokesperson 发言人
excessively 过量的，过多的
feature （在某个内容中）出现，以…为主要组成部分

For a term that's gained ground with millennials and Gen Z, the word 'manifest' actually dates back to the 1300s. Back then it was an adjective meaning 'clear' or 'obvious'. You can spot it in William Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, even in the work of Geoffrey Chaucer. Nowadays, 'manifest' has a totally new meaning – the idea that, through the power of belief, we can effectively think a goal into becoming reality. 

作为一个在千禧一代和 Z 世代人群中广为普及的流行词汇，“manifest” 这个词实际上最早可以追溯到 14 世纪。在当时，“manifest” 是一个形容词，意思是 “清晰的” 或 “明显的”。你可以在莎士比亚的 “威尼斯商人”、甚至是杰弗里·乔叟的诗集中找到它。现如今，“manifest” 有了一个崭新的意思——相信通过坚定的信念能让目标变为现实。 

Although positive thinking, self-affirmation and goal-setting all have beneficial effects, some psychologists have argued manifestation could lead to unrealistic expectations, even obsessive behaviour. Nevertheless, the term has gained traction on social media, and this year on the Cambridge Dictionary website it was looked up almost 130,000 times. 

虽然正面思考、自我肯定和目标设定这些做法都具有积极的影响，但心理学家认为 “manifestation” 这种 “相信通过信念能够让目标成为现实的做法” 可能会让人产生不切实际的期望，甚至出现强迫行为。尽管如此，“manifest” 还是在社交媒体上获得了大量的支持和认可。今年，在剑桥词典网站上搜索该词的次数接近 13 万次。 

词汇表

gained ground 普及
dates back 追溯
spot 发现
self-affirmation 自我肯定
goal-setting 目标设定
obsessive 强迫性的，着迷的
gained traction 获得支持或认可
looked up 搜索

"Dinner's ready!" Do you recognise that familiar call for everyone to gather round the table and tuck in? Whether it's a takeaway with friends or a family get-together during holiday seasons, humans have been eating together for thousands of years. But why? 

“晚饭准备好了！” 您是否记得那个熟悉的号召大家围坐在桌子旁吃饭？无论是与朋友的外卖还是节日期间的家庭聚会，人类一起吃饭的历史已有数千年之久。但为什么？ 

The discovery of fire may have kickstarted communal eating for our hunter-gatherer ancestors, according to primatologist Richard Wrangham. Cooking a meal all those years ago required a social group – you needed someone to hunt the food, someone to protect the food from thieves or predators, and of course, someone to cook. And once enjoying the feast, evolutionary psychologist Robin Dunbar speculates that the fire's bright light may have given the humans longer nights and provided great opportunities for bonding over food. 

灵长类动物学家理查德·兰厄姆表示，火的发现可能开启了我们以狩猎采集为生的祖先的集体饮食。多年前，做饭需要一个社会团体——你需要有人来寻找食物，有人来保护食物免遭小偷或掠夺者的侵害，当然，还需要有人来做饭。进化心理学家罗宾·邓巴（Robin Dunbar）在享用完这场盛宴后推测，火的明亮光芒可能让人类拥有了更长的夜晚，并为通过食物建立联系提供了绝佳的机会。 

But modern humans don't face the same threats as we used to – we can cook and eat a meal by ourselves. So why should we still make group meals a ritual? In Dunbar's 2017 study 'Breaking Bread: the Functions of Social Eating', they found communal eating increased feelings of wellbeing and connectedness with the community. Despite this, the study found a third of weekday evening meals in the UK are eaten in isolation – the main cause being busy work schedules. 

但现代人类不再像以前那样面临同样的威胁——我们可以自己做饭、吃饭。那么为什么我们还要把集体聚餐变成一种仪式呢？在 Dunbar 2017 年的研究“Breaking Bread：社交饮食的功能”中，他们发现集体饮食可以增加幸福感以及与社区的联系。尽管如此，研究发现英国工作日晚餐的三分之一是单独吃的——主要原因是繁忙的工作日程。 

Today's reality is that having meals together can be difficult. Time management, fussy eaters, and family tensions are all things that can get in the way. But, in an article about overthinking family meals, Susannah Ayre and colleagues write 'Five tips to ease the pressure', including dropping the need for perfection. "There is no shame in reheating a frozen meal" or "eating on a picnic rug in the living room". 

今天的现实是一起吃饭可能很困难。时间管理、挑食和家庭关系紧张等因素都可能成为阻碍。但是，在一篇关于过度考虑家庭膳食的文章中，苏珊娜·艾尔和同事写了“缓解压力的五个技巧”，其中包括放弃对完美的需求。“重新加热冷冻食品”或“在客厅的野餐地毯上吃东西”并不丢脸。 

Sharing meals may look different today than it did for our ancestors, but the essence stays the same: food is more than just fuel. It can be a way to connect, share stories and strengthen bonds. 

今天的分享膳食可能看起来与我们祖先的情况有所不同，但本质是一样的：食物不仅仅是燃料。它可以成为联系、分享故事和加强联系的一种方式。 

词汇表

gather round 聚到一起
tuck in 痛快地吃
takeaway 外卖
get-together 团聚，聚会
communal 群体的，集体的
hunter-gatherer 狩猎采集者
feast 盛宴
bond 建立纽带
ritual 仪式
wellbeing 身心健康
connectedness 连结性，联系感
isolation 独立，孤立
fussy 挑剔的，难以取悦的
tension 矛盾，紧张的关系
reheat 再次加热
picnic 野餐

The scientists said their new findings on the mixing and mating of the groups suggested the activities happened a little more recently than thought in the past. They believe the contact continued over many generations. 

科学家们表示，他们关于这些群体混合和交配的新发现表明，这些活动发生的时间比过去想象的要晚一些。他们相信这种接触持续了好几代人。

Priya Moorjani was co-writer of the study appearing in Science. She is an assistant professor of molecular and cell biology at the University of California, Berkeley. She told Reuters, “Genetic data from these samples really helps us paint a picture in more and more detail.” 

Priya Moorjani 是发表在《科学》杂志上的这项研究的合著者。她是加州大学伯克利分校分子和细胞生物学助理教授。她告诉路透社，“这些样本的基因数据确实帮助我们越来越详细地描绘了一幅图景。” 

The team noted that it is difficult to know the exact nature of the interactions between Homo sapiens and Neanderthals based on the examined data. The researchers also could not confirm exactly where the mixing and mating happened. However, they believe it was most likely somewhere in the Middle East. 

研究小组指出，根据检查的数据很难了解智人和尼安德特人之间相互作用的确切性质。研究人员也无法确定混合和交配发生的确切位置。然而，他们认为它很可能在中东某个地方。 

The researchers noted most modern humans still have genetic material from Neanderthals that accounts for an estimated one to two percent of their DNA. They said modern-day genetic traits linked to skin color, hair color and even nose shape can relate back to the Neanderthals. Our genetic makeup also includes links to another group of human ancestors called Denisovans. 

研究人员指出，大多数现代人类仍然拥有来自尼安德特人的遗传物质，估计占其 DNA 的百分之一到百分之二。他们说，与肤色、头发颜色甚至鼻子形状相关的现代遗传特征可以追溯到尼安德特人。我们的基因构成还包括与另一群人类祖先（丹尼索瓦人）的联系。 

Moorjani noted that the history of Neanderthals living outside Africa for thousands of years likely gave them a greater ability to deal with climate and diseases in new environments. “Some of their genes may have been beneficial to modern humans,” she added. 

穆尔贾尼指出，尼安德特人在非洲以外生活了数千年的历史可能使他们在新环境中应对气候和疾病的能力更强。“它们的一些基因可能对现代人类有益，”她补充道。 

Rick Potts is director of the Smithsonian Institution’s Human Origins program. He was not involved in the new research. Potts told The Associated Press he hopes future genetic studies can help scientists learn even more details about the interactions of Neanderthals and modern humans. 

里克·波茨 (Rick Potts) 是史密森学会人类起源项目的主任。他没有参与这项新研究。波茨告诉美联社，他希望未来的基因研究能够帮助科学家了解更多关于尼安德特人和现代人类相互作用的细节。 

He said, “Out of many really compelling areas of scientific investigation, one of them is: well, who are we?” 

他说：“在许多真正引人注目的科学研究领域中，其中之一是：嗯，我们是谁？” 

Scientists have used ancient genes to learn more details about contact between Neanderthals and humans tens of thousands of years ago. 

科学家利用古代基因来了解数万年前尼安德特人与人类接触的更多细节。

Results of two recent studies estimate the two groups likely met and began mating about 45,000 years ago. 

最近两项研究的结果估计，这两个群体很可能在大约 45,000 年前相遇并开始交配。 

Modern humans – also known as Homo sapiens – began in Africa hundreds of thousands of years ago and later started spreading to Europe, Asia and other places. Scientists believe that at some point, they met and mated with Neanderthals. The mixing of these groups had a major influence on humans’ genetic code. 

现代人类（也称为智人）数十万年前起源于非洲，后来开始传播到欧洲、亚洲和其他地方。科学家认为，在某个时候，他们与尼安德特人相遇并交配。这些群体的混合对人类的遗传密码产生了重大影响。 

However, scientists do not know exactly when or how the two groups interacted. But the two new studies provide some additional details about the timing of this contact. 

然而，科学家们并不确切知道这两个群体何时或如何相互作用。但这两项新研究提供了有关这次接触时间的一些额外细节。 

One group of scientists examined genetic material from three female and three male Homo sapien individuals who lived around 45,000 years ago. Reuters news agency reported that research involved the oldest genes from Homo sapiens ever examined, or sequenced. 

一组科学家检查了生活在 45,000 年前的三名女性和三名男性智人的遗传物质。路透社报道称，这项研究涉及迄今为止检查或测序过的智人最古老的基因。 

Some of the genes came from bones found in a cave in the central German village of Ranis. Other material came from a woman believed to have lived at around the same time in a cave in a mountainous area of what is now the Czech Republic. 

一些基因来自在德国中部拉尼斯村庄的一个洞穴中发现的骨头。其他材料来自一位妇女，据信她大约在同一时期住在现在捷克共和国山区的一个洞穴里。

Researchers estimated the period of mixing between Neanderthals and humans at about 49,000 to 45,000 years ago. The findings were recently published in a study in Nature. 

研究人员估计尼安德特人和人类的混合时期约为 49,000 至 45,000 年前。该研究结果最近发表在《自然》杂志上的一项研究中。 

A second group of researchers examined genetic material from 300 present-day and ancient Homo sapiens. This included 59 individuals who lived between 2,000 and 45,000 years ago. That study, published in the journal Science, estimated the period of mixing at about 50,500 to 43,500 years ago. 

第二组研究人员检查了 300 名现代和古代智人的遗传物质。其中包括生活在 2,000 至 45,000 年前的 59 个人。这项发表在《科学》杂志上的研究估计，混合时期约为 50,500 至 43,500 年前。