经济学人双语精读TE-2023-06-14期考研英文外刊|恐龙：白垩纪capitalism（PDF版+Word版+音频）
dinosaurs：Cretaceouscapitalism
Why trade infossilsis good for science
【1】The greatauctionhouses of America and Europe often sellmasterpiecesby long-dead artists to a grey-hairedcrowd. They also serve the booming demand for actualfossils. In2020Christie’s sold “Stan”—one of the most complete Tyrannosaurus rexspecimensever discovered—for a record-breaking $31.8m. In April “Trinity”, a composite of three T. rexspecimens,fetched$6.1m at the Kollerauctionhouse in Zurich—one of six dino-lots to have breached the $6mthresholdsince “Stan” was sold. At the end of July Sotheby’s is due toauctionoff another nearly complete specimen.
【2】The buyers aretypicallyrich collectors (Leonardo DiCaprio, a Hollywood actor, has an interest indinosaurskulls). That alarms many palaeontologists, who fear that museums and other scientificinstitutionsare beingpricedout of the market byindividualswho will lock theircollectionsaway. Even when scientists are granted access tospecimensheldprivately, many journals have in recent years refused in protest to publish the resulting research.
【3】Theantagonismof these scientists towardscommerceismisplaced. Athrivingmarket forfossilsshould lead to morediscoveriesthat—if the trade is appropriately regulated—will benefit science and the public.
【4】Palaeontology has always leaned heavily on prospectors and private collectors. Mary Anning, one of the field’spioneers,attainedcelebritystatus in Victorian England after she discovered the firstfossilspecimensof ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs (marinecontemporaries of thedinosaurs)erodingout of thefragilecoastalcliffsof Dorset in south-west England, known as the “Jurassic coast”. Thetongue-twister “She sells sea shells on the seashore” is supposedly areferenceto Anning’sprolificcollection and sale ofmarinefossils.
【5】Today mostfossilssold atauctioncome from America. Once discovered there, they belong to the landowner and can be legally traded. In many other countries,fossilsautomaticallybecome thepropertyof the state. The advantage of encouraging the “dinosaurcowboys” of Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas—which share a biggeologicaldeposit—to getdiggingis that oncefossilsareexposed, they are asvulnerableto wind, rain and tide as they once were to being munched by atheropod. As Dorset’scliffscollapse, for example, newfossilsconstantlyappear, but can be lost aserosioncontinues. Scientists often lack theresourcesto find, collect and preserve everyfossilwith scientific value before it is destroyed by nature.
【6】The private sector plugs the gap by responding to price signals.prospectingfirstboomedafter “Sue”, another famous T. rex specimen, was sold to Chicago’s Field Museum for $8.3m in1997. The recentspateof sales ispromptinganother rush forbonestoday. It is not always true that the resulting hoards end up out of sight. “Stan” was bought by the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism and is due to go on display in2025. From Tampa to Copenhagen, manyprivatelyownedfossilsare on show at museums or soon will be, much as the world’s best artgalleriesoften hangprivatelyowned pieces onloan.
【7】Fears ofcrowdingout scientists and the public are not entirely withoutmerit. Sometimesspecimensdovanishafter being bought anonymously. But nationalising the ownership offossilsdoes not make the desire to buy and sell themdisappear. Instead, it pushes the tradeunderground. The black market is a bigger threat to science thanlegitimatetrade. Smugglers have much lowerstandardsthanauctionhouses, frequentlydamagingordestroyingspecimens, and stolenfossilsare even less likely to end up in museums.
【8】There are ways to preserve the value to the public ofprivatelyownedfossils. Governments could write rulesinsistingthat the discovery offossilsand who owns them is catalogued. They could requirespecimensto be made available for study, or ensure that museums can makecasts. And—althoughauctionhouses already demandassurancesregarding theprovenanceoffossils—they could set in stone minimumstandardsforexcavationandhandling, toallayfears thatprospectingmight become a Wild West. It is better to regulate the market and let itthrivethan to force it towardsextinction.
①短语
1.原文：At the end of July Sotheby’s is due to auction off another nearly complete specimen.
词典：be due to do sth. 预定做某事：表示按照计划或预期即将进行某项活动或任务。
例句：The trial is due to begin next month.
审判定于下个月开始。
2.原文：Even when scientists are granted access to specimens held privately
词典：access to访问权限：指对某个资源、设施或信息的使用权。
例句：Access to justice is a basic right.
享有公正是一种基本权利。
3.原文：Palaeontology has always leaned heavily on prospectors and private collectors.
词典：lean on 依靠：指在需要支持或帮助时，依赖某人或某物。
例句：Lean on me when you have trouble.
当你有困难的时候就依靠我吧。
4.原文：Once discovered there, they belong to the landowner and can be legally traded.
词典：belong to 属于：表示某物或某人是另一个人或团体的一部分或财产。
例句：Lions belong to the cat family.
狮属于猫科。
5.原文：they are as vulnerable to wind, rain and tide
词典：be vulnerable to 易受......的影响：指某人或某物容易受到某种不利因素的影响。
例句：Their tanks would be vulnerable to attack from the air.
他们的坦克将易受空袭。
6.原文：The private sector plugs the gap by responding to price signals.
词典：respond to 回应，回答：对某人的言论、行为或请求作出反应。
例句：The world community has been slow to respond to the crisis.
国际社会对该危机的反应向来迟缓。
7.原文：It is not always true that the resulting hoards end up out of sight.
词典：end up 最终：指某事或某人最后的结果或状态。
例句：You could end up none the wiser about managing your finances.
你最终可能一点儿也不会比以前更会理财。
8.原文：Fears of crowding out scientists and the public are not entirely without merit.
词典：crowd out 排挤：指在竞争中使其他人或事物无法获得足够的空间、资源或注意力。
例句：I think enormous sums are wasted on manned spaceflight that continually crowd out science missions.
认为太多的资金浪费在载人计划上面，不断导致其他科学项目无法实施。
9.原文：and stolen fossils are even less likely to end up in museums.
词典：be less likely to do sth. 不太可能做某事
例句：Women who eat plenty of fresh vegetables are far less likely to suffer anxiety or depression.
吃大量新鲜蔬菜的女人患焦虑症或抑郁症的几率要少得多。
②长难句
原文：Mary Anning, one of the field’s pioneers, attainedcelebrity status in Victorian England after she discovered the first fossil specimens of ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs(marine contemporaries of the dinosaurs) eroding out of the fragile coastal cliffs of Dorset in south-west England, known as the “Jurassic coast”.
分析：在这个句子当中，Mary Anning是句子的主语，attained是谓词，宾语是celebrity status。one of the field’s pioneers是Mary Anning的同位语。after做连词引导时间状语从句，从句中she为主语，discovered为谓语，而the first fossil specimens of ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs是宾语，eroding out of是现在分词做后置定语，修饰限定宾语部分，known as the “Jurassic coast”是过去分词做后置定语，修饰限定the fragile coastal cliffs of Dorset。
译文：玛丽·安宁（Mary Anning）是该领域的先驱之一，她发现了第一个鱼龙和蛇颈龙（恐龙的海洋同时代物种）化石标本，这些化石是从英国西南部多塞特脆弱的海岸悬崖上侵蚀出来的，该悬崖被称为“侏罗纪海岸”，由此她便在维多利亚时代的英格兰声名显赫。
原文：The advantage of encouraging the “dinosaur cowboys” of Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas—whichshare a big geological deposit—to get digging is that oncefossils are exposed, they are as vulnerable to wind, rain and tide as they once were to being munched by a theropod. 分析：在这个句子当中，主干句子的主语是The advantage of encouraging the “dinosaur cowboys” of Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas，is是系动词，表语部分是that引导的表语从句。which share a big geological deposit是定语从句，先行词是Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas。在表语从句中，once引导条件状语从句，表示“一旦……，就会……”，as引导方式状语从句，表示“按照，以……方式”。
译文：蒙大拿州、怀俄明州和达科他州三地共享一个巨大的地质矿藏，鼓励这些地方的“恐龙牛仔”挖掘是有好处的，一旦化石暴露在外，它们就和以前容易被兽脚亚目恐龙猎杀一样，容易受到风、雨和潮汐的影响。
③写作技巧
Fears of crowding out scientists and the public are not entirely without merit.
害怕科学家和公众被挤出局并非完全没有道理。
在英语当中表示肯定的时候，除了直接使用肯定表达以外，有时会使用双重否定表示肯定。双重否定句由否定词not/no等 + 具有否定意义的词构成，形成“否定+否定=肯定”的语言效果。在标准英语中，如果要使用双重否定，通常是为了强调，表示肯定的意思。在原文当中的“not+without”，就是双重否定表示肯定。
例句：
No way is impossible to courage.
勇士面前无险路。
Nothing to be got without pains but poverty.
只有贫穷是可以不劳而获的。
④背景知识
狂野西部（Wild West）是指19世纪美国西部地区的历史时期，这个时期在美国成为了一个传奇。当时的西部地区人口稀少、土地荒凉、生活艰苦，但也因此形成了一种自由、开放和冒险的文化氛围。在那个时代，有许多著名的西部牛仔、探险家、赌徒、强盗、铁路工人等职业群体，同时也有着许多血腥的战斗、枪击案和抢劫事件。这段历史时期经常被电影、小说、游戏等媒介描绘，在全球范围内产生了广泛的影响。
⑤段落大意
【1】背景引入：化石的私人收藏需求旺盛
【2】是好是坏：化石的私人收藏导致其科学价值受到质疑
【3】理智态度：不应对化石的商业化持敌对态度
【4】理由论证：古生物学一直依赖探矿者和私人收藏家
【5】理由论证：现在在拍卖会上出售的大多数化石都来自美国的私人挖掘
【6】理由论证：私营单位根据价格信号来填补缺口
【7】担忧分析：害怕科学家和公众被挤出局并非完全没有道理
【8】正确方案：与其让私人市场消失，不如规范市场让其蓬勃发展。
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