秦兵马俑考古发现第一人离世引关注 Discoverer of Terracotta Warriors devotes life to China's archaeology

Gao Huiying China Plus Published: 2018-06-05 15:54:20
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Zhao Kangmin(赵康民), the archaeologist(考古学家) who discovered(发现) the Terracotta Warriors(兵马俑), passed away(去世) on May 16 at the age of 82 after a lifetime(一生) of studying(研究) China's cultural relics(文物), reports Beijing Youth Daily.

Tourists visit the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum in Xi'an, Shaanxi province. [File photo: Chinanews.com]

Tourists visit the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum in Xi'an, Shaanxi province. [File photo: Chinanews.com]

Zhao was the first expert(专家) to arrive(到达) at the burial site of the Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an(西安) when it was uncovered in 1974. The discovery was the start of a decades-long excavation(挖掘) of one of the wonders(奇迹) of the ancient world. He directed excavations at some of China's other important relic sites, including the Ginger Village from the Neolithic Era, the Qingshan Temple from the Tang Dynasty (A.D. 618-907), and the Huaqing Palace of the Tang Dynasty.

Zhao Kangmin restores a Terracotta Warrior. [File photo: Beijing Youth Daily]

Zhao Kangmin restores a Terracotta Warrior. [File photo: Beijing Youth Daily]

Years of hard work(繁重劳动) in the field took a heavy toll on Zhao's health, contributing to the development of stomach(胃) and lung(肺) disease. But illness wasn't enough to stop him from working: In the last month of his life, Zhao was still busy at work studying epigraphs(碑文) from the Tang Dynasty.

秦兵马俑考古发现第一人离世引关注 Discoverer of Terracotta Warriors devotes life to China's archaeology

The news of Zhao's death reverberated(震动) around China, and also around the world, so great was his presence in the world of Chinese archaeology. The BBC, The Telegraph, and The New York Times all praised Zhao's contribution(贡献) to the discovery and preservation(保护) of the Terracotta Warriors.

词汇 Words:

[fā xiàn] 发现 discover
[yán jiū] 研究 study
[zhèn dòng] 震动 reverberate
[wā jué] 挖掘 excavation
[yī shēng] 一生 lifetime
[wén wù] 文物 cultural relics
[zhuān jiā] 专家 expert
[qí jì] 奇迹 wonder
[gòng xiàn] 贡献 contribution
[bǎo hù] 保护 preservation

重点词汇 Key word:

  • <名词 n.> ancient times; former ages
    E.g. Gǔjīn zhōngwài, gàimònéngwài。
    古今中外,概莫能外。
    It's true at all times and in all countries.

  • <名词 n.> things/events in ancient times
    E.g. Tā shì wèi kǎogǔ xué jiā, guòqù de yī nián dōu zài cānyù yīxiàng kǎogǔ fājué gōngzuò。
    他是位考古学家,过去的一年都在参与一项考古发掘工作。
    He's an archaeologist and has been on a dig for the past year.

  • <形容词 adj.> ancient; age-old; antique
    E.g. Zhōngguó wénhuà shì shìjiè shàng zuì gǔlǎo de wénhuà zhī yī。
    中国文化是世界上最古老的文化之一。
    The Chinese civilization is one of the oldest in the world. 

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