第10章 古埃及——奇特的尼罗河文明(1)

古埃及文明是指在尼罗河第一瀑布至三角洲地区，包括公元前5000年的塔萨文化到公元641年阿拉伯人征服埃及这段历史。这是一个古老而神秘的文明，神奇的遗迹，恐怖的咒语，离奇的猜测，震撼的历史，吸引着无数的人们去探寻。这段美丽神秘的文明历时3000多年后在这片土地上神秘消失，它的失落之谜令人追寻。

1. Ancient Egypt：The process of historical culture， and the inheritance of living culture

Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa， concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC （according to conventional Egyptian chronology） with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh.

古埃及：历史文化的进程，生活文化的传承

古埃及是非洲东北部的一段古代文明，集中在尼罗河的下游河段，也即现在的埃及。埃及文明大约出现于公元前3150年，由第一位法老统治下的上埃及和下埃及融合而成（根据传统埃及年表记载）。

The historical periods and culturalheritage of ancient Egypt

The history of ancient Egypt occurred in a series of stable Kingdoms， separated by periods of relative instability known as Intermediate Periods： the Old Kingdom of the Early Bronze Age， the Middle Kingdom of the Middle Bronze Age and the New Kingdom of the Late Bronze Age. Egypt reached the pinnacle of its power during the New Kingdom， in the Ramesside period， after which it entered a period of slow decline. Egypt was invaded or conquered by a succession of foreign powers （such as the Libyans， Nubians， Assyria， Babylonia， Persian rule and Greece） in the Third Intermediate Period of Egypt and Late Period. In the aftermath of Alexander the Great's death， one of his generals， Ptolemy Soter， established himself as the new ruler of Egypt. This Ptolemaic Dynasty ruled Egypt until 30 BC， when it fell to the Roman Empire and became a Roman province.

The success of ancient Egyptian civilization came partly from its ability to adapt to the conditions of the Nile River Valley. The predictable flooding and controlled irrigation of the fertile valley produced surplus crops， which fueled social development and culture. With resources to spare， the administration sponsored mineral exploitation of the valley and surrounding desert regions， the early development of an independent writing system， the organization of collective construction and agricultural projects， trade with surrounding regions， and a military intended to defeat foreign enemies and assert Egyptian dominance.In the ancient Egypt， motivating and organizing these activities was a bureaucracy of elite scribes， religious leaders， and administrators under the control of a Pharaoh.

The many achievements of the ancient Egyptians include the quarrying， surveying and construction techniques that facilitated the building of monumental pyramids， temples， and obelisks； a system of mathematics， a practical and effective system of medicine， irrigation systems and agricultural production techniques， the first known ships， Egyptian faience and glass technology， new forms of literature， and the earliest known peace treaty with Hittites. Egypt left a lasting legacy. Its art and architecture were widely copied， and its antiquities carried off to far corners of the world. Its monumental ruins have inspired the imaginations of travellers and writers for centuries.

古埃及的历史时期与文化遗产

古埃及相继历经了一连串的王国，它的历史可以划分为几段相对易变的阶段。这其中有一阶段被称为中间期：青铜时代早期的古王国，青铜时代中期的中王国的和青铜时代晚期的新王国。埃及在新王国时期权力达到了顶峰，之后就进入了一个缓慢衰败的时期。在第三中间时期和后期，埃及被一连串的外国势力入侵或征服（如利比亚，努比亚，亚述，巴比伦，波斯和希腊），在亚历山大大帝死后他的一位将军托勒密自己登上了埃及新统治者的位置。托勒密王朝一直统治着埃及，直到公元前30年埃及被罗马帝国征服，后来它沦为罗马的一个省。

古埃及文明的成功，一部分来自它对尼罗河河谷的适应能力。当时的人可以预测洪水和控制肥沃山谷的适量灌溉，让这里的庄稼增收不少，这加速了社会的发展和文化的繁荣。由于资源丰富，政府赞助了山谷和周围沙漠地区的矿物开采和某个独立的书写系统的早期发展，同时集体建设和农业项目的组织、与周边地区的贸易，以及战胜外敌、维护埃及统治的军队建设也都得到发展。在古埃及，鼓励和组织这些活动的是一个法老控制下的由精英文士、宗教领袖和行政官员组成的官僚机构。

古埃及人的许多成就，包括不朽的金字塔、寺庙宇和方尖石塔的采石、测量和建筑技术；数学体系和切实有效的医学体系及灌溉系统和农业生产技术；第一批已知的船舶；埃及彩陶玻璃技术；新的文学形式与已知最早的与希泰人签订的和平条约。古埃及留下了一份不朽的遗产，它的艺术和建筑被广泛复制，它的文物被带到了世界的每个角落。几个世纪以来，它的不朽遗址不断启发着旅客和作家的想象力。

The daily life and popular culture of ancient Egyptians

Most ancient Egyptians were farmers tied to the land. Their dwellings were restricted to immediate family members， and were constructed of mud-brick designed to remain cool in the heat of the day. Each home had a kitchen with an open roof， which contained a grindstone for milling flour and a small oven for baking the bread. Walls were painted white and could be covered with dyed linen wall hangings. Floors were covered with reed mats， while wooden stools， beds raised from the floor and individual tables comprised the furniture.

The ancient Egyptians placed a great value on hygiene and appearance. Most bathed in the Nile and used a pasty soap made from animal fat and chalk. Men shaved their entire bodies for cleanliness； perfumes and aromatic ointments covered bad odors and soothed skin. Clothing was made from simple linen sheets that were bleached white， and both men and women of the upper classes wore wigs， jewelry， and cosmetics. Children went without clothing until maturity， at about age 12， and at this age males were circumcised and had their heads shaved. At that time， mothers were responsible for taking care of the children， while the father provided the family’s income.

Music and dance were popular entertainments for those who could afford them. Early instruments included flutes and harps， while instruments similar to trumpets， oboes， and pipes developed later and became popular. In the New Kingdom， the Egyptians played on bells， cymbals， tambourines， drums， and imported lutes and lyres from Asia. The sistrum was a rattlelike musical instrument that was especially important in religious ceremonies.