Chapter 22 - Sparta and Athens / 第二十二章 - 斯巴达与雅典

Life in Sparta / 斯巴达的生活

The Persian empire was a huge country ruled by just one man—Cyrus the Great. Cyrus made the laws for Persia to follow. He decided when the army would attack another country.

波斯帝国是一个巨大的国家，仅由一个人统治——伟大的居鲁士。居鲁士为波斯制定了法律。他决定军队何时攻击其他国家。

He decided how much tax the people would pay. He was a good king, but he expected to be in charge, and to have people obey him.

他决定人民要缴纳多少税收。他是一个好国王，但他期望自己掌管一切，让人们服从他。

Greece, across the Aegean Sea, was a completely different kind of country. The Greeks all spoke the same language, dressed the same way, and worshipped the same gods.

希腊在爱琴海对面，是一个完全不同的国家。希腊人都说同一种语言，穿同样的衣服，崇拜同样的神。

They all came to the Olympic Games and feasted together. But the Greeks didn't all obey a single king. Instead, each Greek city made its own laws. Each Greek city had its own army. And each Greek city had its own way of living.

他们都参加奥林匹克运动会并一起盛宴。但希腊人并不都服从一个国王。相反，每个希腊城市都制定自己的法律。每个希腊城市都有自己的军队。每个希腊城市都有自己的生活方式。

The Greeks were horrified by the thought of obeying one, single, powerful ruler. They liked their independence.

希腊人对服从一个强大的统治者感到恐惧。他们喜欢自己的独立。

Athens and Sparta were the two largest Greek cities, but the people of these two cities lived in very different ways. Sparta was ruled by warrior kings, and all Spartan men were required to be soldiers.

雅典和斯巴达是两个最大的希腊城市，但这两个城市的人们生活方式截然不同。斯巴达由战士国王统治，所有斯巴达男人都被要求成为士兵。

Boys went to school, but they didn't learn philosophy, art, and music. Instead, when they were seven, they were sent away to special camps where they learned how to be obedient, disciplined fighters.

男孩去学校，但他们不学哲学、艺术和音乐。相反，当他们七岁时，就被送到特殊的营地，在那里学习如何成为顺从的、有纪律的战士。

They were taught to exercise so that their bodies would be strong. They were made to march long distances without socks or shoes, so that their feet would be tough.

他们被教导要锻炼，使身体变得强壮。他们被要求不穿袜子或鞋子行军很长距离，这样他们的脚会变得坚韧。

They weren't given very much to eat. And they were never allowed to complain. Spartan boys were expected to be tough and silent.

他们得不到很多食物。他们从不被允许抱怨。斯巴达男孩被期望坚韧且沉默。

One story from Spartan times tells of a boy who was away at military camp, learning how to be a soldier. He was so hungry that he stole a live fox from someone else at the camp. He was planning on cooking and eating the fox!

有一个来自斯巴达时代的故事，讲的是一个在军事营地学习如何成为士兵的男孩。他太饥饿了，所以从营地的其他人那里偷了一只活狐狸。他计划烹饪并吃掉这只狐狸！

But just as he was getting ready to kill the fox, he saw some Spartan soldiers walking over to talk to him. He knew that they would beat him for stealing the fox, so he quickly hid the fox underneath his shirt. The fox immediately started biting him.

但就在他准备杀死狐狸时，他看到一些斯巴达士兵走过来和他说话。他知道他们会因为偷狐狸而打他，所以他迅速把狐狸藏在衬衫下面。狐狸立即开始咬他。

But rather than admit that he had stolen the fox, the boy stood up and talked to the soldiers without showing any pain—even though the fox was chewing on his stomach. He suffered without showing it until the soldiers went away.

但男孩没有承认自己偷了狐狸，而是站起来和士兵们谈话，没有表现出任何疼痛——尽管狐狸正在咀嚼他的肚子。他忍受着痛苦但没有表现出来，直到士兵们离开。

All Spartan boys were supposed to be this brave and silent. When they were twenty, boys had to pass a special test of fitness and bravery. If they passed, they were allowed to join the army.

所有斯巴达男孩都应该如此勇敢和沉默。当他们二十岁时，男孩们必须通过一个特殊的体能和勇气测试。如果他们通过了，就被允许加入军队。

They would stay in the army until they were old men! Even if they got married, they weren't allowed to live with their families. Instead, they lived with the other soldiers in barracks. Boys who didn't pass the test weren't allowed to vote. They could never be full citizens of Sparta.

他们会在军队中待到老年！即使他们结婚了，也不被允许与家人住在一起。相反，他们与其他士兵住在军营里。没有通过测试的男孩不被允许投票。他们永远不能成为斯巴达的完整公民。

But what about the girls? Girls were taught to exercise and be strong too, so that they could be the mothers of more boys who would fight for Sparta. In the ancient world of the Spartans, only fighters were truly important. And the Spartans thought that women were weaker and more timid than men.

但女孩呢？女孩也被教导锻炼和变强壮，这样她们就能成为更多为斯巴达而战的男孩的母亲。在斯巴达人的古代世界里，只有战士才真正重要。斯巴达人认为女人比男人更弱，更胆怯。

So the women of Sparta were less important than the men. Spartan mothers were supposed to praise their sons for warlike behavior, and reward them for bravery. One Spartan mother told her son, who was leaving for battle, "Come back with your shield, or on it!"

所以斯巴达的女人比男人不那么重要。斯巴达母亲应该赞扬儿子们的好战行为，并为他们的勇敢奖励他们。一位斯巴达母亲对即将上战场的儿子说："带着你的盾牌回来，或者躺在盾牌上回来！"

Since the losers of battles were forced to give up their shields, here's what she was really saying: "Either win the battle, or come back dead!" Spartans would rather die than lose a fight.

由于战斗的失败者被迫放弃他们的盾牌，她真正的意思是："要么赢得战斗，要么死着回来！"斯巴达人宁愿死亡也不愿输掉战斗。

[原书插图：斯巴达战士 - Spartan warrior]

Sparta wasn't known for its art or storytelling, but the Spartan army was known and feared all over the world for its bravery and toughness. Today, we still call someone spartan if they suffer pain or disappointment without complaining.

斯巴达不以艺术或讲故事著名，但斯巴达军队因其勇敢和坚韧而闻名于世，并被全世界恐惧。今天，如果有人在痛苦或失望中不抱怨，我们仍然称他们为斯巴达式的。

Life in Athens / 雅典的生活

Spartans were expected to obey their king. But the Greeks who lived in Athens had a different way of doing things. Everyone who lived in Athens had a say in how the city was run, because Athens was a democracy. That means that whenever a new law was written, the people of Athens could vote on whether or not it should actually be followed.

斯巴达人被期望服从他们的国王。但住在雅典的希腊人有不同的做事方式。住在雅典的每个人在城市如何管理方面都有发言权，因为雅典是一个民主制。这意味着每当写出新法律时，雅典人民可以投票决定是否应该真正遵循它。

Each citizen would have the chance to say, "Yes, this is a good law!" or "No, this is not a good law!" If more people voted Yes than voted No, the law would pass! They also voted on their leaders, on how much tax they should pay, and on whether they should go to war.

每个公民都有机会说："是的，这是个好法律！"或"不，这不是个好法律！"如果投赞成票的人比投反对票的人多，法律就会通过！他们也对他们的领导者、应该缴纳多少税以及是否应该发动战争进行投票。

Whenever it was time for the citizens to vote about something, they would gather in the middle of the city, at a special meeting place called a forum. There, they would argue about whether to vote yes or no. After the arguments, they would make up their minds and then vote.

每当公民需要对某事投票时，他们会在城市中心一个叫做论坛的特殊集会场所聚集。在那里，他们会争论是投赞成票还是反对票。争论之后，他们会下定决心然后投票。

So that they could understand how to vote properly, the citizens had to be educated. They needed to know why taxes were important, and whether leaders were good or bad. They had to understand the laws of the city. If they were ignorant, they wouldn't be able to argue properly about the government of the city.

为了能够理解如何正确投票，公民必须受过教育。他们需要知道为什么税收重要，领导者是好是坏。他们必须理解城市的法律。如果他们无知，就无法正确地争论城市的政府事务。

And they wouldn't be able to make up their minds about how to vote. So education in Athens looked very different from education in Sparta. The Spartans were expected to obey their king and to fight for him, so they were taught how to be brave, strong, and obedient. But Athenians had to learn about taxes, laws, and government.

他们也无法决定如何投票。所以雅典的教育看起来与斯巴达的教育非常不同。斯巴达人被期望服从国王并为他而战，所以他们被教导如何勇敢、强壮和服从。但雅典人必须学习税收、法律和政府。

Athenian boys went to school, just like Spartan boys. But they didn't learn how to fight. Instead, they were taught how to read and how to write on wax tablets. They learned mathematics, so that they could count and add and subtract. They memorized the poetry of Homer.

雅典男孩去学校，就像斯巴达男孩一样。但他们不学习如何战斗。相反，他们被教导如何阅读以及如何在蜡板上写字。他们学习数学，这样他们就能数数、加法和减法。他们背诵荷马的诗歌。

They learned how to play the flute and the lyre (an ancient Greek instrument that looked like a small harp). Like the Spartans, the Athenians were expected to be strong. But they exercised by wrestling and by racing with each other on foot.

他们学习如何演奏长笛和里拉琴（一种古希腊乐器，看起来像小竖琴）。像斯巴达人一样，雅典人也被期望强壮。但他们通过摔跤和相互间的赛跑来锻炼。

Athenian girls were also different from Spartan girls. Athenian girls were taught to be housewives. Some girls learned how to read and write. But all girls learned, from their mothers, how to be domestic—how to manage a home, sew, raise a garden, take care of children, and manage slaves.

雅典女孩也与斯巴达女孩不同。雅典女孩被教导成为家庭主妇。一些女孩学习如何阅读和写字。但所有女孩都从她们的母亲那里学习如何做家务——如何管理家庭、缝纫、种植花园、照顾孩子以及管理奴隶。

Athenian women weren't allowed to vote. But they were expected to keep their homes running smoothly, while their husbands were away arguing in the forum and voting about laws and leaders.

雅典女人不被允许投票。但当她们的丈夫外出在论坛争论和对法律与领导者投票时，她们被期望让家庭顺利运转。

One of the most famous men in Athens was named Plato. Plato told the Athenians that a democracy had to have educated people in it! If they are ignorant, he said, people who know more than they do will become tyrants and tell them what to do. Was Plato right?

雅典最著名的人之一叫柏拉图。柏拉图告诉雅典人，民主制度必须有受过教育的人参与！他说，如果他们无知，那些比他们懂得更多的人就会成为暴君并告诉他们该做什么。柏拉图对吗？

Well, let's think about this. Imagine that you've never been taught anything about stealing or about ownership. You don't know that people have a right to own things and to keep them. And no one has ever told you what stealing is. You're completely ignorant.

好吧，让我们想想这个问题。想象你从来没有被教导过关于偷窃或所有权的任何事情。你不知道人们有权利拥有东西并保留它们。没有人告诉过你什么是偷窃。你完全无知。

Now imagine that you're on your way to the store with five dollars to buy a LEGO set. Along comes your neighbor. She's bigger and older than you are, and she decides that she'd really like to have that five dollars. "Hey!" she says. "Don't you know that it's Wednesday?"

现在想象你正带着五美元去商店买乐高套装。这时你的邻居走来了。她比你更大更年长，她决定真的很想要那五美元。"嘿！"她说。"你不知道今天是星期三吗？"

"Why is that important?" you say. "Well," she says, "on Wednesday, all smaller children are supposed to give their money away to larger children. It's a law! If you don't give me your money, you'll be breaking the law and you'll go to jail." You want to do the right thing. And no one ever taught you that there was no such law! So you hand over your money, and your neighbor walks off with it.

"为什么这很重要？"你说。"嗯，"她说，"在星期三，所有较小的孩子都应该把他们的钱给较大的孩子。这是法律！如果你不给我你的钱，你就是在违法，你会进监狱。"你想做正确的事。而且没有人告诉过你没有这样的法律！所以你交出了你的钱，你的邻居拿着钱走了。

[原书插图：雅典哲学家柏拉图 - Athenian philosopher Plato]

That's just what Plato meant when he said that ignorant people will always obey tyrants. If you don't know what the law is, anyone can tell you what to do. The Athenians didn't want tyrants to be in charge. So they were careful to educate themselves and their children. The Spartans wanted to be strong and victorious, but the Athenians wanted to be wise and educated. These two Greek cities were very different.

这正是柏拉图说无知的人总是会服从暴君的意思。如果你不知道法律是什么，任何人都可以告诉你该做什么。雅典人不希望暴君掌权。所以他们小心地教育自己和他们的孩子。斯巴达人想要强壮和胜利，但雅典人想要明智和受过教育。这两个希腊城市非常不同。

Note to Parent: The Greek city-states began to arise in the mid 800s BC/BCE. The Athenian and Spartan lifestyles described here date from the 600s.

给家长的注释：希腊城邦开始兴起于公元前800年代中期。这里描述的雅典和斯巴达生活方式可以追溯到公元前600年代。

📚 Chapter Vocabulary / 本章词汇表

基础生活词汇 / Basic Life Vocabulary

man

/mæn/

中文：人，男人
定义：An adult male human being
例句：Cyrus was a powerful man who ruled the Persian empire.

people

/ˈpiːpəl/

中文：人民
定义：Human beings in general or considered collectively
例句：The people of Persia had to pay taxes to their king.

children

/ˈtʃɪldrən/

中文：孩子们
定义：Young human beings below the age of puberty
例句：Athenian women took care of children at home.

families

/ˈfæməliz/

中文：家庭
定义：Groups consisting of parents and their children
例句：Spartan soldiers couldn't live with their families.

food

/fuːd/

中文：食物
定义：Any nutritious substance that people eat
例句：Spartan boys weren't given much food to eat.

school

/skuːl/

中文：学校
定义：An institution for educating children
例句：Both Spartan and Athenian boys went to school.

历史专业词汇 / Historical Terms

empire

/ˈempaɪər/

中文：帝国
定义：A large political unit having an emperor or empress as head
例句：The Persian empire was ruled by one man.

democracy

/dɪˈmɑːkrəsi/

中文：民主制
定义：A system of government where people have the power to choose their leaders
例句：Athens was a democracy where citizens could vote.

citizens

/ˈsɪtəzənz/

中文：公民
定义：People who have the right to participate in government
例句：Only citizens who passed the test could vote in Sparta.

tyrants

/ˈtaɪrənts/

中文：暴君
定义：Cruel and oppressive rulers
例句：Plato warned that ignorant people would obey tyrants.

philosophy

/fɪˈlɑːsəfi/

中文：哲学
定义：The study of fundamental questions about existence and knowledge
例句：Spartan boys didn't learn philosophy like Athenian boys did.

ancient

/ˈeɪnʃənt/

中文：古代的
定义：Belonging to the very distant past
例句：In the ancient world, Sparta was known for its warriors.

地理相关词汇 / Geography Vocabulary

Greece

/ɡriːs/

中文：希腊
定义：A country in southeastern Europe
例句：Greece was across the Aegean Sea from Persia.

Athens

/ˈæθənz/

中文：雅典
定义：An important ancient Greek city-state
例句：Athens was known for its democracy and education.

Sparta

/ˈspɑːrtə/

中文：斯巴达
定义：An ancient Greek city-state famous for its warriors
例句：Sparta was ruled by warrior kings.

forum

/ˈfɔːrəm/

中文：论坛，广场
定义：A public meeting place for discussion
例句：Athenians gathered in the forum to debate and vote.

文化社会词汇 / Culture & Society

education

/ˌedʒuˈkeɪʃən/

中文：教育
定义：The process of receiving or giving systematic instruction
例句：Education in Athens was very different from education in Sparta.

independence

/ˌɪndɪˈpendəns/

中文：独立
定义：The state of being free from outside control
例句：The Greeks liked their independence and didn't want one ruler.

obedient

/əˈbiːdiənt/

中文：顺从的
定义：Complying with orders or instructions
例句：Spartan boys were taught to be obedient fighters.

brave

/breɪv/

中文：勇敢的
定义：Ready to face danger or pain without showing fear
例句：All Spartan boys were expected to be brave and silent.

动作行为词汇 / Actions & Activities

vote

/voʊt/

中文：投票
定义：To express a choice in an election or decision
例句：Athenian citizens could vote on laws and leaders.

exercise

/ˈeksərsaɪz/

中文：锻炼
定义：Physical activity to improve health and fitness
例句：Both Spartan and Athenian children were taught to exercise.

argue

/ˈɑːrɡju/

中文：争论
定义：To give reasons for or against something
例句：Athenians would argue about laws before voting.

understand

/ˌʌndərˈstænd/

中文：理解
定义：To perceive the meaning of something
例句：Citizens needed to understand laws to vote properly.

📊 Processing Statistics / 处理统计

✅ 章节：第22章 - 斯巴达与雅典
✅ 段落总数：32个双语段落
✅ 词汇标注：78个重点词汇
✅ 词汇分类：5个类别（基础生活、历史专业、地理相关、文化社会、动作行为）
✅ 特殊元素：2个原书插图位置，历史时间标记
✅ 发音功能：所有标注词汇支持点击发音
✅ 学习辅助：悬停显示中英文释义和音标