世界小史 第52期:神圣的經(jīng)文和歌
The idea that each sign might represent one sound,
每個(gè)符號(hào)表示一個(gè)音，
and that just 26 of those signs were all you needed to write every conceivable word,
二十六個(gè)這樣的符號(hào)就是你所有需要的去寫每個(gè)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(xiàng)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(yuǎn)航越過大海把世界各地的商品運(yùn)往世界各地，進(jìn)行交換進(jìn)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(qiáng)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(shí)上，他們的語言和宗教也跟美索不達(dá)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(gè)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(jìn)行他們的征服活動(dòng)。
They sailed across the seas to unknown shores, where they landed and set up trading posts.
他們揚(yáng)帆遠(yuǎn)行越過大海駛往陌生的海岸并在那兒建立商行。
