What the Boys Found

What the Boys Found, an art history mystery by Dinah Anastasio.

《男孩们的发现》，黛娜·安娜斯塔西奥创作的艺术史疑案故事。

Discovery in the Woods Have you ever been out for a walk and stumbled over a mysterious hole? Did you hesitate, look down into the darkness, and wonder what was under there? Well, that's just what happened to four teenage boys near Lascaux in southern France on a warm September day in 1940.

林中奇遇 你有没有出门散步时，偶然撞见一个神秘的洞口？ 你会不会犹豫着望向漆黑的洞底，好奇那里藏着什么？ 1940年一个温暖的九月天，法国南部拉斯科附近的四个少年就遇上了这样的事。

Marcel Ravida, three friends, and a dog were exploring the woods around the town of Montignac when they discovered the hole. Several years before, a large pine tree had been struck by lightning and tumbled over, exposing a gaping entrance to what turned out to be one of history's most interesting treasures.

马塞尔·拉维达和三个朋友，带着一只狗在蒙蒂尼亚克镇附近的林子探险时，发现了这个洞口。 好几年前，一棵大松树被雷击中倒下，露出了这个大大的入口，后来人们证实这里藏着人类史上最迷人的宝藏之一。

As the dog barked excitedly, Marcel and his friends dropped to their knees and peered into the hole. Without a light it was impossible to make out what lay below, but they could tell that something hollow and thrilling was hidden there. They had a feeling that the opening was something other than a burrow or a tunnel created by a mole or a groundhog. The boys could barely contain their excitement. What had they found? Was this a cave or perhaps a long -buried tomb? They felt they had to follow their instincts and continue their exploration. They made plans to return with a light and some shovels.

狗狗兴奋地大叫，马塞尔和朋友们连忙跪下来朝洞里张望。 没有灯光看不清底下的东西，但他们能感觉到，那里藏着一个空旷又让人激动的秘密。 他们预感这个开口不是鼹鼠或土拨鼠挖出的地洞或通道。 男孩们根本按捺不住内心的兴奋。 他们究竟发现了什么？ 这是一处洞穴，还是一座深埋已久的古墓？ 他们觉得要跟着直觉走，继续探索下去。 他们计划回去带上灯和铲子，再来一探究竟。

exploring the cave. A few days later Marcel and his friends returned to the hole with a lantern. Digging quickly, they enlarged the hole, and one by one they slipped into it, fell onto a pile of rocks, and looked around. Their light was very dim, and it took several minutes to become accustomed to the darkness in this underground space. They saw that another entrance, almost a doorway into a shadowy space beyond, was behind some rocks. They looked at each other, nodded and shrugged, then held the lantern higher and moved into a large, dark space.

探索洞穴。 几天后，马塞尔和朋友们提着灯笼回到了洞口。 他们很快把洞口挖大，一个接一个溜进去，摔到一堆石头上，才开始打量四周。 灯笼的光非常暗，过了好几分钟他们才适应了这片地下空间的黑暗。 他们看到石头堆后面还有另一个入口，活脱脱一扇门，通向远处一片阴暗的空间。 他们对视一眼，点了点头又耸耸肩，接着把灯笼举得更高，走进了一片宽敞漆黑的空间。

The boys continued to explore the cave together, going deeper and deeper into the ground until they encountered a deep, narrow passage, too small for all of them to fit through. After talking it over, they decided that Marcel should go forward alone. He would take the lantern and enlarge the passageway, then return for the others. Carrying the lantern, a shovel, and some rope, Marcel squeezed through the space, digging as he went. After a while, he lowered the rope and dropped down a shaft into a cavernous room below.

男孩们继续一起探索洞穴，越往地下走越深，最后遇到了一条又深又窄的通道，窄到容不下所有人同时通过。 商量之后，他们决定让马塞尔独自先探路。 他会带着灯笼拓宽通道，之后再回来接其他人。 马塞尔带上灯笼、铲子和绳索，一边挖一边挤着往前。 过了一会儿，他放下绳索，顺着竖井滑落到了下方一个宽敞的洞室里。