世界小史(MP3+中英字幕) 第27章:古埃及人

 　　But the Egyptians knew what they were doing.

　　但是古埃及人知道他们在做什么。

　　Every detail is clear: how they used great nets to catch ducks on the Nile,

　　每一个细节都一目了然：他们如何在尼罗河畔用大网捕鸭，

　　how they paddled their boats and fished with long spears,

　　他们如何划船并用长矛叉鱼，

　　how they pumped water into ditches to irrigate¹ the fields,

　　他们如何把水抽进渠道灌溉田地，

　　how they drove their cows and goats to pasture,

　　他们如何放牧奶牛和山羊，

　　how they threshed grain, made shoes and clothes, blew glass - for they could already do that!

　　他们如何打谷、制鞋和做衣服、吹玻璃--这些事他们当时就已经会做了！

　　- and how they shaped bricks and built houses.

　　--还有他们如何烧砖和盖房子。

　　And we can also see girls playing catch, or playing music on flutes²,

　　我们还可以看到女孩子们如何玩球、吹笛子，

　　and soldiers going off to war, or returning with loot and foreign captives, such as black Africans.

　　士兵们投入战争并将俘获的异地战俘，譬如黑人，连同掠夺物一起带回家。

　　In noblemen's tombs we can see embassies arriving from abroad, laden³ with tribute, and the king rewarding faithful ministers with decorations.

　　在埃及贵族们的墓穴里我们可以看到异乡的使者给他们送来的珍宝，国王给他的忠诚的大臣们颁发的勋章。

　　Some pictures show the long-dead noblemen at prayer, their arms raised before the statues of their gods,

　　一些图画描绘了早已死去的贵族，高举双手向神像祈祷，

　　or holding banquets in their houses, with singers plucking harps⁴, and clowns performing somersaults.

　　或是在家里大摆宴席，歌手弹着竖琴歌唱，小丑蹦蹦跳跳。

1 irrigate   

vt.灌溉，修水利，冲洗伤口，使潮湿

参考例句：

• The farmer dug several trenches to irrigate the rice fields.这个农民挖了好几条沟以灌溉稻田。
• They have built canals to irrigate the desert.他们建造成水渠以灌溉沙漠。

2 flutes   

长笛( flute的名词复数 )； 细长香槟杯（形似长笛）

参考例句：

• The melody is then taken up by the flutes. 接着由长笛奏主旋律。
• These flutes have 6open holes and a lovely bright sound. 笛子有6个吹气孔，奏出的声音响亮清脆。

3 laden   

adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的

参考例句：

• He is laden with heavy responsibility.他肩负重任。
• Dragging the fully laden boat across the sand dunes was no mean feat.将满载货物的船拖过沙丘是一件了不起的事。

4 harps   

abbr.harpsichord 拨弦古钢琴n.竖琴( harp的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She continually harps on lack of money. 她总唠叨说缺钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He could turn on the harps of the blessed. 他能召来天使的竖琴为他奏乐。 来自辞典例句