世界小史 第37期:齐阿普斯金字塔

 A great number of tombs were also found that appeared to date from the same time as Cheops's Great Pyramid in Egypt.

人们在这里找到了一大批墓穴，它们大约跟埃及的齐阿普斯金字塔建造的时期相同。

But while the pyramid was empty, these tombs were packed with the most astonishing treasures.

但是金字塔是空的，而这些墓穴里装满了最令人惊奇的珍宝。

Dazzling gold headdresses and gold vessels¹ for sacrifices, gold helmets and gold daggers² set with semi-precious stones.

有精美的金头饰和盛献祭品的金器皿，金头盔以及镶有半宝石的和金匕首，精致的竖琴，

Magnificent harps³ decorated with bulls' heads, and–would you believe it–a game-board, beautifully crafted and patterned like a chessboard.

它们用牛头作装饰，还有——你相信吗？——还找到了一个棋盘，上面有棋盘的方格图案，镶嵌工艺十分精美。

The explorer who found these treasures took many of them to England, where you can see them in the British Museum.

探险家把许多发现的珍宝带回来了英格兰，你可以在大英博物馆里见到它们。

Others are in the University of Pennsylvania and the Museum of Baghdad in Iraq.

其他的珍宝在宾夕法尼亚大学和伊拉克的巴格达博物馆。

They also found round seals and inscribed⁴ clay tablets in those tombs.

人们也在这些墓穴里找到了圆形印章和刻有铭文的泥板。

However, the inscriptions⁵ were not in hieroglyphs⁶, but in a totally different script that was, if anything, even harder to decipher.

但它不是象形文字，而是另一种文字，这种文字几乎更难辨认。

This was because pictures had been replaced by neatly⁷ incised single strokes ending in a small triangle, or wedge.

因为它不再使用图画，而是单一的尖笔画，它们看上去就像三角形或楔形物。

1 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 daggers   

匕首，短剑( dagger的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I will speak daggers to her, but use none. 我要用利剑一样的话刺痛她的心，但绝不是真用利剑。
• The world lives at daggers drawn in a cold war. 世界在冷战中剑拨弩张。

3 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

4 inscribed   

v.写，刻( inscribe的过去式和过去分词 )；内接

参考例句：

• His name was inscribed on the trophy. 他的名字刻在奖杯上。
• The names of the dead were inscribed on the wall. 死者的名字被刻在墙上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 inscriptions   

（作者）题词( inscription的名词复数 )； 献词； 碑文； 证劵持有人的登记

参考例句：

• Centuries of wind and rain had worn away the inscriptions on the gravestones. 几个世纪的风雨已磨损了墓碑上的碑文。
• The inscriptions on the stone tablet have become blurred with the passage of time. 年代久了，石碑上的字迹已经模糊了。

6 hieroglyphs   

n.象形字（如古埃及等所用的）( hieroglyph的名词复数 )；秘密的或另有含意的书写符号

参考例句：

• Hieroglyphs are carved into the walls of the temple. 寺庙的墙壁上刻着象形文字。 来自辞典例句
• This paper discusses the fundamental distinctions between the hieroglyphs andforerunner of writing. 英汉象形文字的比较是建立在象形文字具体内涵的基础上。 来自互联网

7 neatly   

adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地

参考例句：

• Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。
• The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。