世界小史 第91期:文字

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 　　Their task was to perform sacrifices to the gods and look after the temples, and, as in Egypt, they were in charge of sacred knowledge.

　　他們的職責是照管給神靈的祭獻品和神廟，就像在埃及那樣，他們負責神圣的事情。

　　They had to learn all the chants and prayers off by heart so that they were preserved and handed down, unchanged.

　　他們必須背誦贊歌和祈禱文，以便將它們保存下來，不變地流傳下去。

　　They did this for more than 1,000 years until the texts were finally written down.

　　一千多年來他們一直這樣做，直到它們最終用文字被記述下來。

　　A tiny part of the population was excluded1 from any caste.

　　其中一小部分人不屬于任何種姓。

　　They were pariahs2 – people who were given the dirtiest and most unpleasant tasks.

　　他們是賤民——人們讓他們干最臟最累的活兒。

　　Not even members of the lowest castes could associate with them – their very touch was thought to be defiling3.

　　即使是下等種姓的人也不可以和他們呆在一起。據(jù)說人只要一接觸他們就會變臟，So they became known as the 'untouchables'.

　　所以他們叫做“不可接觸的人”。

　　They weren't allowed to fetch water from the streams that other Indians used, and had to make sure that their shadow never touched another person,他們不可以和別的印度人從同一條小河中取水，而且必須留神別讓哪怕是自己身體的影子落在另一個印度人身上，because even that was thought to be defiling.

　　因為甚至他們的影子也被認為是會把人弄贓的。

　　People can be very cruel.

　　人類竟然能夠如此殘忍。