根據科學家對遺骨的分析，從斯堪的納維亞航行到英國的維京人帶來了馬、狗甚至可能還有豬等動物。

Archaeologists were excavating Britain's largest Scandinavian cremation mounds when they found the animal remains mixed in with humans. By using a technique called strontium isotope analysis, the scientists from Durham University could trace back the origin of the bones to Scandinavia. They say it's the first scientific evidence that animals travelled with the Vikings to England on their longboats.

考古學家在挖掘英國最大的斯堪的納維亞火葬墓冢時，發現了混在人類遺骸中的動物遺骸。通過使用一種名為鍶同位素分析的技術，杜倫大學的科學家們可以將遺骨所屬個體的身份追溯至斯堪的納維亞。他們說，這是首個表明動物隨維京人一同乘坐維京長船前往英國的科學證據。

The researchers suggest it was probably a wet, windy and uncomfortable trip that could have taken several weeks. A horse and dog were found in the same graves as humans. Scientists say this shows that the Vikings had a special relationship with the creatures, which were more like pets than animals for economic purposes like farming. Space would have been limited on the longboats, suggesting that a Viking leader chose his or her favourite animals to make the long journey to England.

研究人員表示，這可能是一次歷時數周、潮濕、多風又不舒服的旅程。一匹馬和一條狗和人類在同一個墳墓中被發現。科學家說，這表明維京人與這些動物有著特殊的關系，這些動物更像是他們的寵物，而非用于農耕等經濟目的的牲畜。維京長船上的空間本來就有限，這表明維京人的首領選擇了最心愛的動物隨其一同踏上駛往英格蘭的漫長旅途。

詞匯表

archaeologists 考古學家
excavating 挖掘
cremation mounds 火葬墓冢
trace 追溯，查明…的源頭
longboats 維京長船
graves 墳墓
creatures 動物
make the long journey 長途旅行

閱讀理解：請在讀完上文后，回答下列問題。

1. Where did archaeologists find the bones of animals?

2. True or false? The animals travelled to England separately from their Viking owners.

3. What were conditions like on the journey to England?

4. What suggests that Viking leaders chose their favourite animals to take with them on the journey to England?

答案  

1. Where did archaeologists find the bones of animals?
They found them in cremation mounds where animal remains were mixed in with human remains.

2. True or false? The animals travelled to England separately from their Viking owners.
False. Scientific evidence shows that animals travelled with the Vikings to England on their longboats.

3. What were conditions like on the journey to England?
Research suggests it was probably a wet, windy and uncomfortable trip that could have taken several weeks.

4. What suggests that Viking leaders chose their favourite animals to take with them on the journey to England?
Space would have been limited on the longboats, meaning that a Viking leader would have had to choose a limited number of animals to take with them on the journey to England. That suggests the chosen animals would have been their favourite.