Atlantis: The Antedeluvian World — Page 3

English → Chinese CHAPTER II. Level 7/10

The Egyptian priest had said to Solon, "You have no antiquity of history, and no history of antiquity;" and Solon doubtless realized fully the vast importance of a record which carried human history back, not only thousands of years before the era of Greek civilization, but many thousands of years before even the establishment of the kingdom of Egypt; and he was anxious to preserve for his half-civilized countrymen this inestimable record of the past.

那位埃及祭司曾对梭伦说："你们没有历史的古老，也没有古老的历史。"梭伦无疑充分意识到了这份记录的巨大重要性——它不仅将人类历史追溯至希腊文明时代之前数千年，甚至早于埃及王国建立之前数千年；他渴望为他那半开化的同胞们保存这份无价的历史记录。

We know of no better way to commence a book about Atlantis than by giving in full the record preserved by Plato.

我们认为，开始一本关于亚特兰蒂斯的书，没有比完整呈现柏拉图所保存的记录更好的方式了。

It is as follows:

内容如下：

Critias. Then listen, Socrates, to a strange tale, which is, however, certainly true, as Solon, who was the wisest of the seven sages, declared.

克里提亚斯：那么请听，苏格拉底，这是一个奇异的故事，然而它确实是真实的，正如七贤中最睿智的梭伦所宣称的那样。

He was a relative and great friend of my great-grandfather, Dropidas, as he himself says in several of his poems; and Dropidas told Critias, my grandfather, who remembered, and told us, that there were of old great and marvellous actions of the Athenians, which have passed into oblivion through time and the destruction of the human race and one in particular, which was the greatest of them all, the recital of which will be a suitable testimony of our gratitude to you....

他是我曾祖父德罗皮达斯的亲戚和挚友，正如他自己在几首诗中所说；德罗皮达斯告诉了我的祖父克里提亚斯，祖父牢记于心，并告诉了我们：雅典人昔日曾有过伟大而奇异的壮举，这些壮举随着岁月流逝和人类的毁灭而被遗忘——其中有一件尤为突出，是所有壮举中最伟大的，讲述它将是我们向您表达感激之情的最好见证……

Socrates. Very good; and what is this ancient famous action of which Critias spoke, not as a mere legend, but as a veritable action of the Athenian State, which Solon recounted!

苏格拉底：很好；那么克里提亚斯所谈及的这一古代著名壮举究竟是什么呢？他并非将其视为一个普通的传说，而是视为梭伦所讲述的雅典城邦真实发生的事迹！

Critias.

克里提亚斯：

Vocabulary

那位: nà wèi — That (person), respectful classifier for individuals
埃及: Āijí — Egypt, the country in northeastern Africa
祭司: jìsī — Priest, religious official performing rituals
曾: céng — Once, formerly, indicating past experience
对: duì — To, toward; correct; facing someone
说: shuō — To say, speak, or tell something
你们: nǐmen — You (plural), referring to a group of people
没有: méiyǒu — Do not have; there is no; without
历史: lìshǐ — History, the record of past events
的: de — Structural particle indicating possession or modification
古老: gǔlǎo — Ancient, very old, dating back long ago
也: yě — Also, too, as well, likewise
无疑: wúyí — Undoubtedly, without doubt, certainly true
充分: chōngfèn — Fully, sufficiently, to an adequate degree
意识到: yìshí dào — To realize, become aware of something important
了: le — Particle indicating completed action or changed state
这份: zhè fèn — This (document/record), classifier for documents
记录: jìlù — Record, document, to record information
巨大: jùdà — Enormous, huge, of great magnitude
重要性: zhòngyàoxìng — Importance, significance, the quality of being important
它: tā — It, third-person singular pronoun for objects
不仅: bùjǐn — Not only, used to introduce additional information
将: jiāng — Will, shall; to bring or take forward
人类: rénlèi — Humanity, humankind, the human race
追溯: zhuīsù — To trace back, to go back to origins
至: zhì — To, until, reaching a point in time
希腊: Xīlà — Greece, the ancient and modern European nation
文明: wénmíng — Civilization, culture, advanced state of society
时代: shídài — Era, age, a period of historical time
之前: zhīqián — Before, prior to a certain time or event
数千年: shù qiān nián — Thousands of years, several millennia
甚至: shènzhì — Even, going so far as, to an extreme degree
早于: zǎo yú — Earlier than, predating a specific time or event
王国: wángguó — Kingdom, a realm ruled by a king or queen
建立: jiànlì — To establish, found, or set up something
他: tā — He, him, third-person singular male pronoun
渴望: kěwàng — To yearn for, crave, strongly desire something
为: wèi — For, on behalf of, in order to help
那: nà — That, those, referring to something previously mentioned
同胞们: tóngbāomen — Compatriots, fellow countrymen, people of same origin
保存: bǎocún — To preserve, keep, maintain something safely
无价: wújià — Priceless, invaluable, beyond monetary worth
我们: wǒmen — We, us, first-person plural pronoun
认为: rènwéi — To think, believe, consider something to be true
开始: kāishǐ — To begin, start; the beginning of something
一本: yī běn — One (book), classifier for bound publications
关于: guānyú — About, regarding, concerning a topic
书: shū — Book, a written or printed publication
比: bǐ — Than, compared to; a comparison marker
完整: wánzhěng — Complete, whole, intact, not missing any parts
呈现: chéngxiàn — To present, display, show, render something visually
所: suǒ — Particle linking verb to its object or clause
更好: gèng hǎo — Better, superior, more favorable than before
方式: fāngshì — Method, way, manner of doing something
内容: nèiróng — Content, substance, what is contained within
如下: rúxià — As follows, listed below, in the following manner
那么: nàme — Then, in that case, so, therefore
请听: qǐng tīng — Please listen, polite request to pay attention
这是: zhè shì — This is, used to introduce or identify something
一个: yī gè — One, a single (general classifier for objects/people)
奇异: qíyì — Strange, bizarre, unusual, remarkable
故事: gùshi — Story, tale, narrative account of events
然而: rán'ér — However, yet, nevertheless, contrasting conjunction
确实: quèshí — Indeed, truly, certainly, in fact
是: shì — Is, are, am; to be (copula verb)
真实: zhēnshí — True, real, authentic, factual
正如: zhèngrú — Just as, exactly as, in the same way
中: zhōng — Among, in the middle of, within a group
最: zuì — Most, superlative marker before adjectives
睿智: ruìzhì — Wise, sagacious, possessing great wisdom
宣称: xuānchēng — To claim, declare, assert publicly
那样: nàyàng — Like that, in that way, as described
我: wǒ — I, me, first-person singular pronoun
曾祖父: zēngzǔfù — Great-grandfather, father's father's father
亲戚: qīnqi — Relative, family member, kin
和: hé — And, together with, connecting nouns or clauses
挚友: zhìyǒu — Close friend, intimate companion, dear ally
自己: zìjǐ — Oneself, self, referring back to the subject
在: zài — In, at, on; to be located somewhere
几首: jǐ shǒu — Several (poems/songs), classifier for poetry
诗: shī — Poem, poetry, verse
所说: suǒ shuō — What was said, that which was spoken
告诉: gàosu — To tell, inform, let someone know
祖父: zǔfù — Grandfather, father's father
牢记于心: láojì yú xīn — To keep firmly in mind, remember deeply
并: bìng — And, moreover, furthermore, in addition
昔日: xīrì — In former days, in the past, of old
有过: yǒu guò — Once had, formerly experienced or possessed
伟大: wěidà — Great, magnificent, grand, of high importance
而: ér — And, but, yet; connecting contrasting clauses
壮举: zhuāngjǔ — Heroic deed, magnificent feat, bold achievement
这些: zhèxiē — These, referring to multiple nearby things
随着: suízhe — Along with, following, as something progresses
岁月: suìyuè — Years, time passing, the flow of time
流逝: liúshì — To pass away, elapse, flow by (of time)
毁灭: huǐmiè — To destroy, annihilate, bring to ruin
被: bèi — Passive marker, indicating action done to subject
遗忘: yíwàng — To forget, be forgotten, fall into oblivion
其中: qízhōng — Among them, within those, one of these
有: yǒu — To have, there is/are, to exist
一件: yī jiàn — One (matter/item), classifier for affairs or things
尤为: yóuwéi — Especially, particularly, most notably
突出: tūchū — Outstanding, prominent, standing out clearly
所有: suǒyǒu — All, every, entire, the whole of something
讲述: jiǎngshù — To narrate, recount, tell a story or account
向: xiàng — Toward, to, in the direction of
您: nín — You (polite/formal), respectful second-person pronoun
表达: biǎodá — To express, convey, communicate a feeling or idea
感激之情: gǎnjī zhī qíng — Feelings of gratitude, sense of thankfulness
最好: zuì hǎo — Best, optimal, the most favorable option
见证: jiànzhèng — To witness, testify; evidence or testimony
很好: hěn hǎo — Very good, excellent, quite fine
谈及: tán jí — To mention, bring up, touch upon a topic
这一: zhè yī — This (one), referring to a specific item
古代: gǔdài — Ancient times, antiquity, the old era
著名: zhùmíng — Famous, well-known, renowned, celebrated
究竟: jiūjìng — Exactly, after all, what on earth (emphatic)
什么: shénme — What, which thing, used in questions
呢: ne — Sentence-final particle for mild questions or tone
并非: bìng fēi — Not at all, by no means, certainly not
其: qí — Its, their, that; formal pronoun or determiner
视为: shì wéi — To regard as, consider to be, treat as
普通: pǔtōng — Ordinary, common, usual, not special
传说: chuánshuō — Legend, myth, folklore, traditional story
而是: ér shì — But rather, instead it is, used for contrast
雅典: Yǎdiǎn — Athens, capital city of Greece
城邦: chéngbāng — City-state, an independent self-governing city
发生: fāshēng — To happen, occur, take place
事迹: shìjì — Deeds, achievements, notable acts or exploits

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