世界小史 第52期:神圣的經(jīng)文和歌

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 The idea that each sign might represent one sound,

每個符號表示一個音，

and that just 26 of those signs were all you needed to write every conceivable word,

二十六個這樣的符號就是你所有需要的去寫每個可以想象的單詞：

was a wholly new invention, one that can only have been made by people who did a lot of writing.

這是一項完完全全的新發(fā)明，只有經(jīng)常書寫的那些人才能發(fā)明的。

Not just sacred texts and songs, but all sorts of letters, contracts and receipts.

那些人不僅必須經(jīng)常書寫神圣的經(jīng)文和歌，而且還得書寫許多信件、契約、證書。

These inventors were merchants.

這些發(fā)明家是商人。

Men who traveled far and wide across the seas, bartering1 and trading in every land.

他們遠航越過大海把世界各地的商品運往世界各地，進行交換進行通商。

They lived quite near the Jews, in the ports of Tyre and Sidon,

他們居住在離猶太人很近的地方，在港口城市泰爾和西頓，

cities much larger and more powerful than Jerusalem, and quite as noisy and bustling2 as Babylon.

在城市里，這些城市比耶路撒冷大得多、強大得多，那里人們熙來攘往，其繁華的程度與巴比倫頗為相似。

And in fact, their language and their religion were not unlike those of the peoples of Mesopotamia,

事實上，他們的語言和宗教也跟美索不達米亞各部族的很相似，

although they didn't share their love of war.

只不過就是腓尼基人（泰爾和西頓的民族就叫這個名字）不怎么好戰(zhàn)。

The Phoenicians (for this was the name of the people of Tyre and Sidon) made their conquests by other means.

他們寧可以別的方式進行他們的征服活動。

They sailed across the seas to unknown shores, where they landed and set up trading posts.

他們揚帆遠行越過大海駛往陌生的海岸并在那兒建立商行。