每个符号表示一个音，

and that just 26 of those signs were all you needed to write every conceivable word,

二十六个这样的符号就是你所有需要的去写每个可以想象的单词：

was a wholly new invention, one that can only have been made by people who did a lot of writing.

这是一项完完全全的新发明，只有经常书写的那些人才能发明的。

Not just sacred texts and songs, but all sorts of letters, contracts and receipts.

那些人不仅必须经常书写神圣的经文和歌，而且还得书写许多信件、契约、证书。

These inventors were merchants.

这些发明家是商人。

Men who traveled far and wide across the seas, bartering and trading in every land.

他们远航越过大海把世界各地的商品运往世界各地，进行交换进行通商。

They lived quite near the Jews, in the ports of Tyre and Sidon,

他们居住在离犹太人很近的地方，在港口城市泰尔和西顿，

cities much larger and more powerful than Jerusalem, and quite as noisy and bustling as Babylon.

在城市里，这些城市比耶路撒冷大得多、强大得多，那里人们熙来攘往，其繁华的程度与巴比伦颇为相似。

And in fact, their language and their religion were not unlike those of the peoples of Mesopotamia,

事实上，他们的语言和宗教也跟美索不达米亚各部族的很相似，

although they didn't share their love of war.

只不过就是腓尼基人（泰尔和西顿的民族就叫这个名字）不怎么好战。

The Phoenicians (for this was the name of the people of Tyre and Sidon) made their conquests by other means.

他们宁可以别的方式进行他们的征服活动。

They sailed across the seas to unknown shores, where they landed and set up trading posts.

他们扬帆远行越过大海驶往陌生的海岸并在那儿建立商行。