早在家犬出现以前，我们的祖先可能已经把狐狸当做宠物喂养了。有考古证据表明，南美洲的古人类社会对狐狸尊爱有加，以至于主人会将它们葬于自己的身旁。

The fox was about the size of a German shepherd dog and lived across much of South America, only going extinct a few hundred years ago. A near-complete skeleton of the animal was found in a human grave dating back to 1,500 years ago.

这种狐狸和德国牧羊犬差不多大，曾生活在南美洲的大部分地区，直到几百年前才灭绝。考古人员在一座距今 1500 年前的人类坟墓中发现了一副近乎完整的该动物骨架。

The study, by researchers at the University of Oxford, shows the fox ate a similar diet to ancient hunter gatherers, suggesting it lived alongside them and might have been a highly valued pet or companion animal.

牛津大学的研究人员进行的这项研究表明，这种狐狸的饮食跟古代狩猎采集者的相似。这说明该动物曾跟人类一起居住，可能是一种受高度重视的宠物或伴侣动物。

There have been other finds of fox teeth in the area, which adds to the evidence that foxes were highly revered by our ancestors and may have formed a strong bond with humans long before domestic dogs came along.

在这个地区还有其它有关狐狸牙齿的考古发现，这进一步证明了狐狸在当时受到我们祖先的高度尊重与喜爱，并且可能早在家犬出现以前就已经与人类结成了牢固的纽带。

词汇表

German shepherd 德国牧羊犬
extinct 灭绝的，绝种的
dating back 追溯到，距今（时间）
hunter gatherers 狩猎采集者
highly valued 高度重视，认为非常有价值的
finds 发现，考古发现
revered 受尊重的，可敬的
ancestors 祖先
strong bond 牢固的纽带
domestic 家养的，家庭的

阅读理解：请在读完上文后，回答下列问题。

1. When did this South American fox go extinct?

2. True or False? The skeleton was almost whole when it was found.

3. Why is the fox likely to have been a pet?

4. Apart from the fox skeleton, what else has been found nearby?

答案

1. When did this South American fox go extinct?

The fox only went extinct a few hundred years ago.

2. True or False? The skeleton was almost whole when it was found.

True. The skeleton was 'near-complete'.

3. Why is the fox likely to have been a pet?

The fox is likely to have been a pet because the skeleton was found in a human grave and ate a similar diet to hunter gatherers.

4. Apart from the fox skeleton, what else has been found nearby?

Fox teeth have been found in the area.