世界小史 第51期:楔形文字

 How do you do it?

这件事你怎么做？

Why, every schoolchild knows the answer, You spell out the words.

为什么，每个小学生都知道答案,你拼写出单词。

Yes, all right, but what exactly do you mean?

对，但你到底是什么意思？

Well, there's an I, which makes "I",

是的，这里有一个I, 就组成了“I”,

and then a "C" and an "A" and an "N",

然后有一个C，一个A和一个N，

which spells "can" – and so on, and with 26 letters you can write anything down.

拼起来就是“can”——用26个字母就可以把一切都记下来了。

Anything?

一切？

Yes, anything. In any language? Just about.

是的，一切。在所有的语言中？本来就是的。

Isn't that amazing?

这不是神奇得很吗？

With 26 simple signs, each no more than a couple of squiggles,

用26个简单的符号，每个符号只有几个笔画，

you can write down anything you like, be it wise or silly, angelic or wicked.

你就能把一切记下来，不管聪明的话和蠢笨的话，还是神圣的事和恶劣的事

It wasn't anything like as easy for the ancient Egyptians with their hieroglyphs¹.

古埃及人的象形文字可没有这么简单。

Nor was it for the people who used the cuneiform script,

对于使用楔形文字的人们也没有这么简单，

for they kept on inventing new signs that didn't stand for just single letter sounds, but for whole syllables² or more.

因为他们总是发明新的符号，它们不表示字母，而是至少表示完整的音节。

1 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

2 syllables   

n.音节( syllable的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a word with two syllables 双音节单词
• 'No. But I'll swear it was a name of two syllables.' “想不起。不过我可以发誓，它有两个音节。” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记