纪录片《大英博物馆世界简史》 011古埃及法老德闻的凉鞋标签（3）

The nearest modern equivalent I can think of to this is the ID card that everybody working in an office now has to wear round their necks to get past the security check.

我认为这物品最相当于现代社会的办公室里，大家都佩戴在脖子上通过安全检查时的工作身份牌。

It's not immediately clear who was meant to read these labels, whether they're aimed at the gods of the afterlife or perhaps the servants that might not know their way around.

我们现在不能立刻知道究竟这标签是给谁看的，也许是来世中的神灵，也许是那些不认识自己国王的仆人们吧。

The images themselves are made by scratching into the ivory and then rubbing a black resin¹ into the incisions²,

这些图像是先在这牙片上雕刻出来，然后再浸渍在黑色树脂里，使树脂渗进牙片的下凹处，

so that you get a wonderful contrast between the black and the cream of the ivory.

于是就产生了美观而对比强烈的黑白图案。

So, through this little ivory name tag, we're immediately close to these first kings of Egypt;

所以通过这小小的牙牌名片，我们马上与那些埃及早期的法老王们接近了距离，

rulers around 3000 BC, of a new kind of civilisation³ that would produce some of the greatest monumental art and architecture ever.

他们是公元前3000年左右一种新文明的统治者，那文明产生了人类史上一些最伟大的不朽艺术与建筑。

Before the first pharaohs, Egypt was very much a country divided, split between the east-west Mediterranean-facing strip of the Delta⁴ in the north,

然而在早期法老王出现之前，埃及还是一个四分五裂的国家，分割成位于北方三角洲、

and the north-south string of settlements along the river itself.

面向地中海的东部西部地带，

With the Nile flooding every year, harvests were plentiful⁵, so there was enough food for a rapidly growing population and there was still some surplus to trade with.

及沿着尼罗河的南北一长串的各个定居村落。随着尼罗河年年一涨一息的洪水，农作物年年丰收，所以支撑了人口的持续增加，

But there was absolutely no extra fertile land beyond the flooding area.

同时还有一些盈余可以进行贸易。

So, inevitably⁶, people fought over what land was available. Conflict followed conflict,

然而在尼罗河每年洪水淹没不到的地方，却绝对没有肥沃的土壤，

with those from the Delta eventually being conquered by the people from the south and, just before 3000 BC, Egypt was united.

于是，不可避免的，人民开始争夺那片最有利用价值的土地。年复一年，连绵不断的冲突，最终三角洲一带的部落被业自南方的人所征服了，于是古埃及大概于公元前3000年左右统一起来。

1 resin   

n.树脂，松香，树脂制品；vt.涂树脂

参考例句：

• This allyl type resin is a highly transparent, colourless material.这种烯丙基型的树脂是一种高度透明的、无色材料。
• This is referred to as a thixotropic property of the resin.这种特性叫做树脂的触变性。

2 incisions   

n.切开，切口( incision的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Cruciate incisions heal poorly and are not required. 不需要愈合差的十字形切口。 来自辞典例句
• After two days red incisions appear on their bodies. 一两天内身体会出现粉红色的损伤。 来自电影对白

3 civilisation   

n.文明，文化，开化，教化

参考例句：

• Energy and ideas are the twin bases of our civilisation.能源和思想是我们文明的两大基石。
• This opera is one of the cultural totems of Western civilisation.这部歌剧是西方文明的文化标志物之一。

4 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

5 plentiful   

adj.富裕的，丰富的

参考例句：

• Their family has a plentiful harvest this year.他们家今年又丰收了。
• Rainfall is plentiful in the area.这个地区雨量充足。

6 inevitably   

adv.不可避免地；必然发生地

参考例句：

• In the way you go on,you are inevitably coming apart.照你们这样下去，毫无疑问是会散伙的。
• Technological changes will inevitably lead to unemployment.技术变革必然会导致失业。