飄洋過海尋夢土
A study published in the journal Nature suggests that the East Asian ancestors of Pacific populations may have diverged from Taiwanese Indigenous peoples before the Neolithic expansion, around 5,000 years ago.
發表於《自然》期刊的研究指出，距今約5千年前的新石器時代擴張時期之前，台灣原住民可能是太平洋地區人類的東亞祖先。
ancestor(n.)祖先;祖宗descendant(n.)子孫;後代diverge(v.)(道路)分叉、出現差異;發生分歧divergent evolution趨異演化indigenous(adj.)當地的、本土的、土生土長的=native=aboriginalthe Neolithic Period新石器時代=the New Stone Agethe Paleolithic Period舊石器時代=the Old Stone Ageexpand(v.)expansion(n.)擴大、增加、拓展economic expansion經濟擴張、成長the rapid expansion of the software industry軟體業的迅速發展
An international team of scientists studied the genetics of the Pacific population to trace the history of human settlement across the region.
由各國科學家組成的團隊研究了太平洋人口的基因，以追溯該地區的人類定居史。
gene(n.)基因genetic(adj.)基因的genetics(n.)遺傳學、基因特徵(genetic properties or features)genetic engineering基因工程settle(v.)settlement(n.)定居、定居地
By analyzing the genomes of 317 present-day individuals from 20 populations from the Pacific region, the scientists dated the settlement of Near Oceania (consisting of Australia, New Guinea, and the northwestern Islands of Melanesia: the Bismarck Archipelago and the Solomon Islands) to around 40,000 years ago, confirming archaeological records.
透過分析來自太平洋地區20個人口族群，共317位現代人的基因組，科學家判定大約從4萬年前開始有人類定居在近大洋洲（包括澳洲、新幾內亞、美拉尼西亞島西北部的俾斯麥群島和所羅門群島），從而證實考古學記錄。
genome(n.)基因組date(v.)確定…的年代;推算…形成的時間consist of由…所組成=be made up of=be composed ofconfirming…=and confirmed…證實…arch(a)eological(adj.)考古學的arch(a)eology(n.)考古學
They also found that the populations of different islands at that time were genetically isolated from each other.
科學家們也發現，當時不同島嶼的人口在基因上是相互隔離的。
genetically(adv.)在基因上isolated(adj.)孤立的、個別的、隔離的=separate
“Our results confirm that humans were able to cross the seas to reach new lands from an early stage,” explains co-author Etienne Patin, from the French National Centre for Scientific Research. “However, they also suggest that these voyages were relatively infrequent at this distant period in history.”
研究的共同作者、法國國家科學研究中心的研究人員帕汀解釋，研究結果證實，人類很早就能越過海洋到達新的土地，不過在遠古時期，這類的航行其實並不常發生。
voyage(n.)航海、航行bon voyage一路平安、旅途愉快infrequent(adj.)很少發生的;罕見的
What’s more, the study indicates that a group of humans left Taiwan more than 5,000 years ago, during the Austronesian expansion, and did not mix with Near Oceanian populations until 2,000 years later.
此外，研究指出，有一群人在5千年前南島民族擴散時期離開台灣，直到2千年之後才與近大洋州人類融合。
Austronesian(n.)(adj.)南島民族(的)not…until…直到…才…
This finding challenges the theory that a group of humans left Taiwan 5,000 years ago and settled Near and Remote Oceania within a short period of time.
這項發現挑戰了5千年前，有一群人離開台灣，不久後便在近大洋洲和遠大洋洲定居的理論。
settle(v.)定居Near Oceania近大洋洲Remote Oceania遠大洋洲
“Our analyses suggest that humans left Taiwan more than 5,000 years ago, and that admixture between the Austronesian incomers and the populations of Near Oceania started only 2,000 years later,” says Patin.
帕丁說，研究分析指出，人類在5千多年前就離開了台灣，而南島民族與近大洋洲的人口要到2千年後才開始融合。
analysis(n.)(單數型)、analyses(n.)(複數)分析admixture(n.)混合=mixtureincomer(n.)外來者;移民
“The expansions from Taiwan therefore took some time, and may have involved a maturation phase in the Philippines or Indonesia.”
因此，南島民族的擴張實際上花了一段時間，有可能經歷在菲律賓或印尼的成熟期後，才擴張到近大洋洲。
involve(v.)包括、包含、涉及mature(adj.)成熟的(v.)(使)成熟maturation(n.)成熟phase(n.)階段;時期