美国学生人类历史第22期:埃及的兴衰(1)

 　　Chapter 06

　　第六章

　　The Story of Egypt

　　埃及的故事

　　The rise and fall of Egypt

　　埃及的盛衰

　　The river Nile was a kind friend but occasionally it was a hard taskmaster.

　　尼罗河是人类的好友，可有时候，它又像一位严厉的监工。

　　It taught the people who lived along its banks the noble art of "team-work."

　　它教会了生活在两岸的人们"协作劳动"的艺术。

　　They depended upon each other to build their irrigation trenches¹ and keep their dikes in repair.

　　他们依赖彼此合作的力量，一起建造灌溉沟渠，修筑防洪堤坝。

　　In this way they learned how to get along with their neighbours and their mutual-benefit-association quite easily developed into an organised state.

　　这样一来，他们也学会了如何与自己的邻人和睦相处。这种互利互惠的联系很容易发展成了一个有组织的国家。

　　Then one man grew more powerful than most of his neighbours

　　后来，有一个精明强干的人，他的权力和威望逐渐膨胀，超过了所有的邻居们。

　　and he became the leader of the community and their commander-in-chief when the envious² neighbours of western Asia invaded the prosperous valley.

　　这个人不但顺理成章的成为了社区的领袖，而且当嫉妒的西亚邻居入侵这个富饶河谷时，他还担当了抵御外敌的军事首脑。

　　In due course of time he became their King and ruled all the land from the Mediterranean³ to the mountains of the west.

　　到后来，他终于变成了人们的国王，统治着从地中海沿岸到西部山脉的广袤土地。

　　But these political adventures of the old Pharaohs (the word meant "the Man who lived in the Big House") rarely interested the patient and toiling⁴ peasant of the grain fields.

　　不过，古埃及法老（法老一词意为"住在大宫殿里的贵人"）的种种政治冒险事业，很少让那些勤苦耐劳的农夫们感兴趣。

　　Provided he was not obliged to pay more taxes to his King than he thought just,

　　只要不被强征超过合理限度的赋税，只要不加重过分繁重的劳役，

　　he accepted the rule of Pharaoh as he accepted the rule of Mighty⁵ Osiris.

　　他们就愿意像敬爱大神奥赛西斯一样，接受法老们的统治。

　　It was different however when a foreign invader⁶ came and robbed him of his possessions.

　　可一旦某个外族入侵者闯入，剥夺掉他们的所有，情况便会变得很悲惨。

　　After twenty centuries of independent life, a savage⁷ Arab tribe of shepherds, called the Hyksos, attacked Egypt

　　经过2000年的独立之后，一个名为希克索斯的野蛮的阿拉伯游牧部落闯入了埃及，

　　and for five hundred years they were the masters of the valley of the Nile.

　　统治了尼罗河河谷达500年之久。

1 trenches   

深沟，地沟( trench的名词复数 )； 战壕

参考例句：

• life in the trenches 第一次世界大战期间的战壕生活
• The troops stormed the enemy's trenches and fanned out across the fields. 部队猛攻敌人的战壕，并在田野上呈扇形散开。

2 envious   

adj.嫉妒的，羡慕的

参考例句：

• I don't think I'm envious of your success.我想我并不嫉妒你的成功。
• She is envious of Jane's good looks and covetous of her car.她既忌妒简的美貌又垂涎她的汽车。

3 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

4 toiling   

长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的现在分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉

参考例句：

• The fiery orator contrasted the idle rich with the toiling working classes. 这位激昂的演说家把无所事事的富人同终日辛劳的工人阶级进行了对比。
• She felt like a beetle toiling in the dust. She was filled with repulsion. 她觉得自己像只甲虫在地里挣扎，心中涌满愤恨。

5 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

6 invader   

n.侵略者，侵犯者，入侵者

参考例句：

• They suffered a lot under the invader's heel.在侵略者的铁蹄下，他们受尽了奴役。
• A country must have the will to repel any invader.一个国家得有决心击退任何入侵者。

7 savage   

adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人

参考例句：

• The poor man received a savage beating from the thugs.那可怜的人遭到暴徒的痛打。
• He has a savage temper.他脾气粗暴。