Happy lived Mankind in the peaceful Valley of Ignorance.

 

在宁静的无知山谷里，人们过着幸福的生活。

To the north, to the south, to the west and to the east stretched the ridges of the Hills Everlasting.

永恒的山脉向东西南北各个方向蜿蜒绵亘。

A little stream of Knowledge trickled slowly through a deep worn gully.

知识的小溪沿着深邃破败的溪谷缓缓地流着。

It came out of the Mountains of the Past.

它发源于昔日的荒山。

It lost itself in the Marshes of the Future.

它消失在未来的沼泽。

It was not much, as rivers go. But it was enough for the humble needs off the villagers.

这条小溪并不象江河那样彼澜滚滚，但对于需求浅薄的村民来说，已经绰有余裕。

In the evening, when they had watered their cattle and had filled their casks, they were content to sit down to enjoy life.

晚上，村民们饮毕牲口，灌满木桶，便心满意足地坐下来，尽享天伦之乐。

The old Men Who Knew were brought forth from the shady corners where they had spent their day, pondering over the mysterious pages of an old book.

守旧的老人们被搀扶出来，他们在荫凉角落里度过了整个白天。对着一本神秘莫测的古书苦思冥想。

They mumbled strange words to their grandchildren, who would have preferred to play with the pretty pebbles, brought down from distant lands.

他们向儿孙们叨唠着古怪的字眼，可是孩子们却惦记着玩耍从远方捎来的漂亮石子。

Often these words were not very clear.

这些字眼的含意往往模糊不清。

But they were writ a thousand years ago by a forgotten race. Hence they were holy.

不过，它们是一千年前由一个已不为人所知的部族写下的，因此神圣而不可亵渎。

For in the Valley of Ignorance, whatever was old was venerable.

在无知山谷里，古老的东西总是受到尊敬。

And those who dared to gainsay the wisdom of the fathers were shunned by all decent people.

谁否认祖先的智慧，谁就会遭到正人君子的冷落。

And so they kept their peace.

所以，大家都和睦相处。

Fear was ever with them.

恐惧总是陪伴着人们。

What if they should be refused the common share of the products of the garden?

谁要是得不到园中果实中应得的份额，又该怎么办呢？

Vague stories there were, whispered at night among the narrow streets of the little town, vague stories of men and women who had dared to ask questions.

深夜，在小镇的狭窄街巷里，人们低声讲述着情节模糊的往事，讲述那些敢于提出问题的男男女女。

They had gone forth, and never again had they been seen.

这些男男女女后来走了，再也没有回来。

A few had tried to scale the high walls of the rocky range that hid the sun.

另一些人曾试图攀登挡住太阳的岩石高墙。