澳大利亞的“矛”即將回家

胡靜

Four Aboriginal spears taken by British explorer James Cook in 1770， thought to be some of the oldest surviving artifacts collected by any European from Australia， will be repatriated（遣返） to the La Perouse Aboriginal community， Cambridge University announced.

The spears were originally part of a group of 40 taken by Cook from Kamay， also known as Botany Bay， according to a news release from the University of Cambridge’s Trinity College.

After Cook returned to England， four of the spears were presented by Lord Sandwich to Trinity College. They’ve been in the care of Cambridge’s Museum of Archeology and Anthropology since 1914， according to the news release.

In the release， La Perouse Aboriginal Land Council chairperson Noeleen Timbery called the spears “enormously significant.” “They are an important connection to our past， our traditions and cultural practices， and to our ancestors，” Timbery said.

Cook traveled to Australia and New Zealand on the HMS Endeavour， marking the first known European contact with eastern Australia， CNN reported. The resulting British colonization of Australia resulted in the introduction of foreign diseases， displacement， and massacres against the Aboriginal people.

The spears will hopefully travel to Australia in the coming months， according to the release. The local community is currently constructing a new visitor center that will host the artifacts. In the meantime， the spears will be stored at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra.

Shayne Williams， an elder of the Dharawal Nation—a broader group that encompasses（包括）the Gweagal people from whom the spears were originally taken—emphasized the importance of the spears for cultural education and thanked the school for caring for the “priceless” artifacts for more than 200 years.

“These spears are of immeasurable value as powerful tangible connections between our forebears and ourselves，” he said in the news release. “I want to acknowledge the respectfulness of Trinity College in returning these spears back to our community.”

（材料摘自CNN網站，有刪改）

1. Why did Noeleen Timbery call the spears “enormously significant”？

A. He was surprised by their appearance.

B. They connected Australia to the aboriginals.

C. He thought the spears were too huge.

D. He believed using spears was still Australian tradition today.

2. Which statement is true according to the passage？

A. Australia was once colonized by Britain.

B. Cook has never been to New Zealand.

C. Since 1914 Cook and Lord Sandwich have been in the care of Cambridge’s Museum.

D. A new visitor center was built to welcome Cook.

3. The underlined word in the last paragraph probably means ________.

A. other people B. peers C. ancestors D. British

4. What will happen to the spears next？

A. They will be placed in Cambridge’s Museum.

B. They will be repatriated to Cambridge University.

C. They will be preserved in Australia.

D. They will travel on the HMS Endeavour.

參考答案：1.B 2.A 3.C 4.C