Atlantis: The Antedeluvian World — Page 6

English → Chinese CHAPTER II. Level 7/10

On one occasion, when he was drawing them on to speak of antiquity, he began to tell about the most ancient things in our part of the world--about Phoroneus, who is called 'the first,' and about Niobe; and, after the Deluge, to tell of the lives of Deucalion and Pyrrha; and he traced the genealogy of their descendants, and attempted to reckon how many years old were the events of which he was speaking, and to give the dates.

有一次，当他引导他们谈论上古之事时，他开始讲述我们这片土地上最古老的事情——关于被称为"第一人"的福罗纽斯，以及关于尼俄柏；还有在大洪水之后，讲述丢卡利翁和皮拉的生平；他追溯了他们后裔的族谱，并试图推算他所谈及的那些事件距今有多少年，并给出具体年代。

Thereupon, one of the priests, who was of very great age; said, 'O Solon, Solon, you Hellenes are but children, and there is never an old man who is an Hellene.'

于是，一位年岁极高的祭司说道："哦，梭伦，梭伦，你们希腊人不过是孩子，从来就没有一个真正年老的希腊人。"

Solon, bearing this, said, 'What do you mean?'

梭伦听后说道："您这话是什么意思？"

'I mean to say,' he replied, 'that in mind you are all young; there is no old opinion handed down among you by ancient tradition, nor any science which is hoary with age.

他回答说："我的意思是，在思想上你们都还年轻；你们之中没有任何通过古老传统传承下来的陈旧观念，也没有任何历经岁月积淀的学问。

And I will tell you the reason of this: there have been, and there will be again, many destructions of mankind arising out of many causes.

我来告诉你其中的原因：过去曾经有过，将来也还会有，由各种原因引起的对人类的多次毁灭。

There is a story which even you have preserved, that once upon a time Phaëthon, the son of Helios, having yoked the steeds in his father's chariot, because he was not able to drive them in the path of his father, burnt up all that was upon the earth, and was himself destroyed by a thunderbolt.

有一个故事甚至连你们自己都保存了下来：从前，赫利俄斯之子法厄同套上了父亲战车中的骏马，因为他无法沿着父亲的轨迹驾驭它们，烧毁了地球上的一切，他自己也被一道霹雳所摧毁。

Vocabulary

有: yǒu — To have; there is/are
一次: yī cì — Once; one time
当: dāng — When; while; at the time of
他: tā — He; him (third person masculine pronoun)
引导: yǐn dǎo — To guide; to lead someone toward something
他们: tā men — They; them (third person plural)
谈论: tán lùn — To talk about; to discuss a topic
上古: shàng gǔ — Ancient times; the remote past
之事: zhī shì — Affairs of; matters pertaining to (literary)
时: shí — When; at the time; moment
开始: kāi shǐ — To begin; to start something
讲述: jiǎng shù — To narrate; to tell a story or account
我们: wǒ men — We; us (first person plural)
这片: zhè piàn — This piece of; this stretch of land
土地: tǔ dì — Land; soil; territory
上: shàng — On; above; upon a surface
最: zuì — Most; the superlative degree marker
古老: gǔ lǎo — Ancient; very old; age-old
的: de — Structural particle indicating possession or modification
事情: shì qing — Matter; affair; thing; event
关于: guān yú — Regarding; about; concerning a topic
被: bèi — Passive marker; by (indicates passive voice)
称为: chēng wéi — To be called; to be known as
第一人: dì yī rén — The first person; the earliest human figure
以及: yǐ jí — As well as; and also; together with
还有: hái yǒu — Also; in addition; furthermore there is
在: zài — At; in; on (location or time marker)
大洪水: dà hóng shuǐ — The great flood; a catastrophic deluge
之后: zhī hòu — After; afterwards; following that event
和: hé — And; with; together with
生平: shēng píng — Life story; one's life and experiences
追溯: zhuī sù — To trace back; to investigate origins historically
了: le — Particle indicating completion or change of state
后裔: hòu yì — Descendants; offspring; posterity
族谱: zú pǔ — Genealogy; family tree; clan records
并: bìng — And; also; furthermore (conjunction)
试图: shì tú — To attempt; to try to do something
推算: tuī suàn — To calculate; to reckon dates or numbers
所: suǒ — Particle used before verbs in literary constructions
谈及: tán jí — To mention; to touch upon in conversation
那些: nà xiē — Those; referring to previously mentioned items
事件: shì jiàn — Event; incident; occurrence
距今: jù jīn — From the present; ago; before now
多少: duō shao — How many; how much; what quantity
年: nián — Year; years (unit of time)
给出: gěi chū — To provide; to give out specific information
具体: jù tǐ — Specific; concrete; detailed and particular
年代: nián dài — Era; age; specific historical period or date
于是: yú shì — Therefore; thereupon; as a result
一位: yī wèi — One (person); a (respectful measure word)
年岁: nián suì — Age; years of age; one's years lived
极高: jí gāo — Extremely high; very advanced in age
祭司: jì sī — Priest; religious officiant in a temple
说道: shuō dào — Said; spoke (narrative verb introducing speech)
哦: ó / ò — Oh; an exclamation expressing realization or response
你们: nǐ men — You all; second person plural pronoun
希腊人: Xī là rén — Greeks; people from Greece
不过: bù guò — Only; merely; no more than; however
是: shì — To be; is; am; are (copula verb)
孩子: hái zi — Child; children; kids
从来: cóng lái — Always; never (with negative); at any time
就: jiù — Just; then; indeed (emphasis or sequence particle)
没有: méi yǒu — Do not have; there is no; never
一个: yī gè — One; a single (general measure word)
真正: zhēn zhèng — True; genuine; real; authentic
年老: nián lǎo — Old in age; elderly; aged
听后: tīng hòu — After hearing; upon listening to that
您: nín — You (polite/respectful second person singular)
这话: zhè huà — These words; this statement or remark
什么: shén me — What; what kind of; whatever
意思: yì si — Meaning; sense; what something signifies
回答: huí dá — To answer; to reply; a response
说: shuō — To say; to speak; to tell
我: wǒ — I; me (first person singular pronoun)
思想: sī xiǎng — Thought; thinking; ideology; mindset
都: dōu — All; both; entirely; without exception
还: hái — Still; yet; also; in addition
年轻: nián qīng — Young; youthful; of a young age
之中: zhī zhōng — Among; within; in the midst of
任何: rèn hé — Any; whichever; no matter which
通过: tōng guò — Through; by means of; to pass through
传统: chuán tǒng — Tradition; traditional practices and beliefs
传承: chuán chéng — To pass down; to inherit and transmit culture
下来: xià lái — Down; to pass down (directional complement)
陈旧: chén jiù — Outdated; old-fashioned; obsolete
观念: guān niàn — Concept; idea; notion; way of thinking
也: yě — Also; too; as well; either
历经: lì jīng — To have gone through; to experience over time
岁月: suì yuè — Years; time; the passage of years
积淀: jī diàn — Accumulation over time; cultural sediment
学问: xué wen — Learning; knowledge; scholarship; erudition
来: lái — To come; used to indicate purpose or means
告诉: gào su — To tell; to inform someone of something
你: nǐ — You (second person singular pronoun)
其中: qí zhōng — Among them; within that; therein
原因: yuán yīn — Reason; cause; the reason why
过去: guò qù — The past; formerly; in the past
曾经: céng jīng — Once; at some past time; used to
有过: yǒu guò — To have had; there have been (past existence)
将来: jiāng lái — The future; in the future; forthcoming times
还会: hái huì — Will still; will again; going to again
由: yóu — By; due to; caused by; from
各种: gè zhǒng — Various kinds of; all sorts of
引起: yǐn qǐ — To cause; to trigger; to bring about
对: duì — Toward; regarding; directed at something
人类: rén lèi — Humanity; humankind; the human race
多次: duō cì — Many times; repeatedly; on multiple occasions
毁灭: huǐ miè — Destruction; annihilation; total ruin
故事: gù shi — Story; tale; narrative account
甚至: shèn zhì — Even; to the extent that; going so far
连: lián — Even; including; connected with (emphasis particle)
自己: zì jǐ — Oneself; yourself; itself; self
保存: bǎo cún — To preserve; to keep; to save for future
从前: cóng qián — In the past; formerly; once upon a time
之子: zhī zǐ — Son of; child of (literary possessive)
套上: tào shàng — To harness; to put on; to attach to
父亲: fù qīn — Father; one's male parent
战车: zhàn chē — War chariot; battle vehicle
中: zhōng — In; among; in the middle of
骏马: jùn mǎ — Fine horse; swift steed; thoroughbred horse
因为: yīn wèi — Because; since; due to the fact that
无法: wú fǎ — Unable to; incapable of; no way to
沿着: yán zhe — Along; following the path or direction of
轨迹: guǐ jī — Trajectory; track; path of motion
驾驭: jià yù — To control; to drive; to master and handle
它们: tā men — They; them (referring to non-human things)
烧毁: shāo huǐ — To burn down; to destroy by fire
地球: dì qiú — The Earth; the globe; our planet
一切: yī qiè — Everything; all things; the whole lot
一道: yī dào — A bolt of; together; a streak of lightning
霹雳: pī lì — Thunderbolt; a powerful lightning strike
摧毁: cuī huǐ — To destroy; to demolish; to crush completely

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