世界小史 第64期:奇怪的事情
Something very strange happened between 550 and 500 BC. I don't really understand it myself, but perhaps that's what makes it so interesting.
在公元前550年與公元前500年間發(fā)生了某種奇怪的事情。本來我也不明白這是怎么發(fā)生的，但是這正是這件事的引人入勝之處。
In the high mountain chain that runs north of Mesopotamia a wild mountain tribe had long been living.
在聳立在美索不達(dá)米亞以北的高山山脈地區(qū)，長期以來就生活著一個未開化的山地民族。
They had a beautiful religion: they worshipped light and the sun and believed it to be in a state of constant warfare1 with the dark, that is, with the dark powers of evil.
這個民族的宗教是美好的：他們敬奉光明和太陽，并認(rèn)為光明不斷在與黑暗斗爭，也就是與邪惡的黑暗勢力作斗爭。
These mountain people were the Persians.
這個山地民族就是波斯人。
For hundreds of years they had been dominated, first by the Assyrians, and then by the Babylonians. One day they had had enough.
幾百年來他們一直在亞述人隨后又在巴比倫人的統(tǒng)治之下。有一天，他們不能忍受了。
Their ruler was a man of exceptional courage and intelligence called Cyrus, who was no longer prepared to put up with the oppression of his people.
他們的君主是一個名叫賽勒斯的勇敢和聰明人，他再也不愿意容忍自己的民族處于這樣從屬的地位。
He led his band of horsemen down onto the plain of Babylon.
就這樣，他率領(lǐng)騎兵隊(duì)向巴比倫平原進(jìn)發(fā)。
The Babylonians looked down from their mighty2 ramparts and laughed at the little band of warriors3 that dared attack their city.
當(dāng)巴比倫人在他們的巨大的城墻上向那一小股想占領(lǐng)他們的城市的武士們望去時，他們哈哈大笑。
