美国学生人类历史第20期:尼罗河河谷(3)

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　　他们懂得，人不能只考虑眼前的利益，这是大有害处的。他们将人们关注的目光引向来世。

　　when his soul would dwell beyond the mountains of the west and must give an account of his deeds to Osiris,

　　人的灵魂要住在西方高山的那边，他的生前一切行为要在乌悉利斯神前受审判。

　　the mighty² God who was the Ruler of the Living and the Dead and who judged the acts of men according to their merits.

　　到那时，人的灵魂将居住在西部的群山之外，并将向威力无穷、掌管生死的大神奥赛西斯汇报自己前世的作为，神则根据他们的德行做出裁决。

　　Indeed, the priests made so much of that future day in the realm of Isis and Osiris

　　事实上，祭司们过分强调在大神奥赛西斯与艾西斯国土里的来世生活了，

　　that the Egyptians began to regard life merely as a short preparation for the Hereafter and turned the teeming³ valley of the Nile into a land devoted⁴ to the Dead.

　　这使得古埃及人将此生仅仅当作是为来世所做的短暂准备，把富绕而生机勃勃的尼罗河谷变成了一块奉献给死者的国土。

　　In a strange way, the Egyptians had come to believe that no soul could enter the realm of Osiris without the possession of the body which had been its place of residence in this world.

　　很奇怪的是，古埃及人渐渐相信：一个人如果失去了今世的寄身之躯，他的灵魂也就不可能进入奥赛西斯的国土。

　　Therefore as soon as a man was dead his relatives took his corpse⁵ and had it embalmed⁶.

　　因此当人一死，他的亲属们马上便对其尸体进行处理，涂上香料和药物防腐。

　　For weeks it was soaked in a solution of natron and then it was filled with pitch.

　　然后，放在氧化钠溶液里浸泡数星期，再填以树脂。

　　The Persian word for pitch was "Mumiai" and the embalmed body was called a "Mummy."

　　在波斯文里，树脂读作“木米乃”（mumiai），因此经过防腐处理的尸体便被称为“木乃伊”（mummy）。

　　It was wrapped in yards and yards of specially⁷ prepared linen⁸ and it was placed in a specially prepared coffin⁹ ready to be removed to its final home.

　　木乃伊用特制的亚麻布层层包裹起来，放在事先准备好的特制棺材中，运往死者最后的安居之所。

　　But an Egyptian grave was a real home

　　不过，埃及人的坟墓倒是像一个真正的家，

　　where the body was surrounded by pieces of furniture and musical instruments (to while away the dreary¹⁰ hours of waiting)and by little statues of cooks and bakers¹¹ and barbers

　　墓室里摆放着家具和乐器（以打发等待进入奥赛西斯国土的沉闷岁月），还有厨师、面包师和理发师的小雕像环立四周

　　(that the occupant of this dark home might be decently provided with food and need not go about unshaven).

　　（这样墓室的主人就能体面地梳洗、进食，不至于胡子拉茬的四处乱走）。

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