<-NARRATOR:->Listen to a conversation between a student and an anthropology professor.

旁白：听一段学生和人类学教授的对话。

<-FEMALE PROFESSOR:->So, how was the field trip to the nature center yesterday? You're in that biology class, aren't you?

教授：那么昨天在自然中心的实地考察怎么样？你是在上生物课，对吧？

<-MALE STUDENT:->Yeah, I am.The trip was amazing.We took a hike through the woods, and our guide pointed out all kinds of animal and plant species.She could identify every bird, every tree. I have to tell you,I was very impressed with her knowledge.

学生：是的。这次旅途很精彩。我们在林中徒步行走，我们的导游给我们指出各种动植物物种。她可以鉴别出每种鸟和树木……我不得不告诉你，我对她的知识量印象十分深刻。

<-FEMALE PROFESSOR:->I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the trip.

教授：我很高兴听你说你很享受这趟旅行。

<-MALE STUDENT:->Well, I'm interested in getting an advanced degree in forestry, after I graduate from here,so I love all this stuff.And actually, yesterday's trip got me thinking about my research paper for your class.

学生：我有兴趣在从这里毕业后得到林业学的高等学位，我很喜欢这些东西。事实上，昨天的旅途让我思考了我在你的课上写的研究论文。

<-FEMALE PROFESSOR:->Wonderful! Tell me more.

教授：太棒了！多跟我说说。

<-MALE STUDENT:->So our guide was talking about how the human need for natural resources has shaped the environment.And I'd just assumed that the human impact on the environment was always destructive ….

学生：我们的导游说人类对自然资源的需求是如何塑造环境的。而我只是假设人类对环境的影响总是毁灭性的。

<-FEMALE PROFESSOR:->Ah, but that's not necessarily true.

教授：但是这未必总是正确的。

<-MALE STUDENT:->Yeah, that's what she was telling us.She said there's archaeological evidence that some prehistoric cultures relied heavily on dead wood for fuel, or, um, just cut off some of the branches of trees instead of killing the whole tree.

学生：是的。这正是她跟我们说的。她说有考古学证据显示一些史前文明大量依赖枯木作为燃料，或者砍掉一些树枝，而非砍死整棵树。

<-FEMALE PROFESSOR:->It's so funny you mention that!I was just reading an article about an archaeological site in Turkey, where scientists found evidence that ancient people had been harvesting the branches from pistachio and almond trees.Of-of course, when you prune these trees-cutting off just the branches like that-you're actually encouraging more growth, and you end up with a bigger crop of nuts.So this was a pretty smart strategy for collecting wood.

教授：你提到这点真是太有趣了。我刚读到一些关于土耳其遗迹的文章，科学家发现的证据显示古代人从开心果树和杏树上采伐树枝。当然，当你修剪这些树，像这样切断树枝的时候，你实际上是在激励它们的生长！而且最后你会收获更多的坚果。所以这是十分聪明的收集木材的策略。

<-MALE STUDENT:->See, that's what I'd like to write about.I wanna look at ancient methods of wood harvesting that didn't result in the destruction of the whole forest.

学生：你看，这就是我想写的。我想要查看古代木材采伐的方法，它们没有对整片森林造成不利。

<-FEMALE PROFESSOR:->[warily] Hmmm … so you want to write your entire paper on wood harvesting?

教授：所以你想用整篇论文写木材采伐？

<-MALE STUDENT:->[nervously] Is-is that a problem?

学生：这有问题吗？

<-FEMALE PROFESSOR:->Well, it's certainly a timely topic. Researchers are investigating this now.Ah, it's just that-well,I'm not sure how it fits with the assignment.Remember, you're supposed to be focusing on a particularculture or region ….

教授：这肯定是一篇适时的话题。研究者现在正在调查。只是我不确定它是不是适合于这项作业。别忘了你应该关注一个特定的文化或地区。

<-MALE STUDENT:->Yeah, um, actually I was planning on writing about the wood-harvesting practices of the people who lived here-you know, the Native Americans who were living in this area-and what that might tell us about how they lived.

学生：是的。事实上我计划写住在这里的人们的木材采伐活动—你知道的，住在这一地区的美洲印第安人，可能会告诉我们他们是如何生活的。

<-FEMALE PROFESSOR:->OK … well, that's a possibility.I just want to make sure you can find enough information on that topic to write a well-developed paper.I'd like you to get started on your research right away-maybe even talk to that nature guide, and show me what information you can find.Then we can talk about whether or not your topic will work.

教授：好的，这是一个可能性。我只是想确定你在这一话题上能找到足够的信息去写一篇精心制作的论文。我想让你立即开始你的研究，也许你还可以和那个自然向导谈谈，并告诉我你得到了什么信息。然后我们可以谈谈是否你的主题可以奏效。