世界小史 第77期:奥林匹克运动会

 　　Since the Olympic Games took place once every four years, and were attended by all the Greeks, they provided everyone with a convenient way to measure time.

　　由于奥林匹克运动会每四年举行一次,而且所有的希腊人都来观看，所以运动会提供给每个人一种方便的计时方法。

　　This was gradually adopted throughout Greece.

　　这渐渐地被整个希腊的人所采用。

　　Just as we say BC meaning "Before the birth of Christ" or AD for after the birth of Christ (Anno Domini which means the year of our Lord in Latin),

　　比如我们今天说"公元前"，基督出生以前或"公元"，基督出生以后（Anno Domini 在拉丁语中指耶稣基督纪元），

　　the Greeks would say: 'At the time of this or that Olympiad'. The first Olympiad was in 776 BC.

　　当时希腊人说“在某某届奥林匹克运动会上”。第一届奥林匹克运动会在公元前776年举行。

　　Can you work out when the 10th would have been?

　　你能算出第十届什么时候举行吗？

　　But don't forget! They only happened every four years.

　　但是你不要忘记，每隔四年举行一届！

　　But it wasn't only the Olympic Games that brought all the Greeks together.

　　但是奥林匹克运动会并非是全体希腊人共同参与的唯一的一件事。

　　There was another sanctuary¹ which they all held sacred.

　　还有另一个圣地所有的人都崇敬地聚集。

　　This one was at Delphi, and belonged to the sun god Apollo, and there was something most peculiar² about it.

　　这个就在德尔菲，即太阳神阿波罗在德尔菲的圣地。有些关于它的最奇怪的一些事情。

1 sanctuary   

n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区

参考例句：

• There was a sanctuary of political refugees behind the hospital.医院后面有一个政治难民的避难所。
• Most countries refuse to give sanctuary to people who hijack aeroplanes.大多数国家拒绝对劫机者提供庇护。

2 peculiar   

adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的

参考例句：

• He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
• He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。