  Observations of the QSO 0000-2620 with UVES spectrograph at the 8.2m ESO
KUEYEN telescope are used for abundance analysis of the damped Ly-alpha system
at z_{abs}=3.3901. Several Oxygen lines are identified in the Ly_alpha forest
and a measure for the oxygen abundance is obtained at [O/H]=-1.85 +/- 0.1 by
means of the unsaturated OI 925 A and OI 950 A lines. This represents the most
accurate O measurement in a damped Ly_alpha galaxy so far. We have also
detected ZnII 2026 A and CrII 2056, 2062 A redshifted at about 8900 A and found
abundances [Zn/H] = -2.07 +/- 0.1 and [Cr/H]=-1.99 +/- 0.1. Furthermore,
previous measurements of Fe, Si, Ni and N have been refined yielding
[Fe/H]=-2.04 +/- 0.1, [Si/H]=-1.90 +/- 0.1, [Ni/H]=-2.27 +/- 0.1, and
[N/H]=-2.68 +/- 0.1. The abundance of the non-refractory element zinc is the
lowest among the damped Ly-alpha systems showing that the associated
intervening galaxy is indeed in the early stages of its chemical evolution. The
fact that the Zn abundance is identical to that of the refractory elements Fe
and Cr suggests that dust grains have not formed yet. In this Damped Ly-alpha
system the observed [O,S,Si/Zn,Fe,Cr] ratios, in whatever combination are
taken, are close to solar (i.e 0.1-0.2 dex) and do not show the
[alpha-element/Fe] enhancement observed in Milky Way stars of comparable
metallicity. The observed behavior supports a galaxy evolution model
characterized by either episodic or low star formation rate rather than a
Milky-Way-type evolutionary model.
