剛被發現的海盜船Viking Ship Discovered

A 1,000-year-old Viking longship is thought to have been discovered under a pub car park on Merseyside.

　　The vessel is believed to lie beneath 2 metres to 3 metres of clay by the Railway Inn in Meols, a town in the north west of England, where Vikings are known to have settled.

　　Experts believe the ship could be one of Britain's most significant archaeological finds.

　　Professor Stephen Harding, of the University of Nottingham, is now seeking funds to pay for an excavation.

　　The Viking expert used ground penetrating radar （GPR） equipment to pinpoint the ship's whereabouts.

　　He believes the vessel could be carefully removed and exhibited in a museum. Professor Harding said:"The next stage is the big one. Using the GPR technique only costs ￡450, but we have to think carefully about what to do next.

　　"Although we still don't know what sort of vessel it is, it's very old for sure and its Nordic clinker design, position and location suggests it may be a transport vessel from the Viking settlement period if not long afterwards.

　　"Scandinavian influence persisted here through the centuries. It is speculation at the moment, but at least we now know exactly where to look to find out. How it got there is also hard to say.

　　"It is some distance from the present coastline and probably the old one too. It might have got to its present position after flooding and sinking into an old marsh."

　　The ship was first uncovered in 1938 when the Railway Inn was being knocked down and rebuilt further from the road, the site of the old pub was being made into a car park.

　　Workers were advised by the foreman to cover the ship over again so as not to delay construction.

　　GLOSSARY 詞滙表

　　longship 長船
　　pub car park 酒吧停車場
　　vessel 船衹
　　to lie beneath 躺在…的下麪
　　clay 粘/泥土
　　settled 解決
　　archaeological finds考 古發現
　　seeking funds 尋找資金
　　excavation 挖掘
　　ground penetrating radar 探地雷達
　　pinpoint 精確定位
　　exhibited 展出
　　technique 技術
　　Nordic clinker（公元前9世紀）北歐地區制造的木船
　　a transport vessel 運輸船
　　Viking（北歐）海盜
　　Scandanavian 斯堪的納維亞
　　persisted 堅持不懈
　　speculation 揣測
　　coastline 海岸線