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On the Shores of the Great Sea, 02. Into Africa

02. Into Africa

"And Abraham went down into Egypt to sojourn there." —GEN. xii. 10.

The land of Canaan was now before him. It was a low-lying country, now marked on modern maps as Syria,—the old highway between the tract of land known as Asia and that known now as Africa. Its coast was washed by the blue sea, known to men of old time as the Great Sea, on the waters of which no one had as yet ventured to trust themselves.

As pilgrims travel now in the East, so would Abraham have travelled then through this land of Canaan, with his wife and young Lot. With all his possessions heaped high on the backs of camels and asses, with his slaves running along by his side, with his flocks of sheep and goats moving under the towering forms of the camels, he would start slowly into the new country. Abraham himself, in a scarlet robe, as chief of the tribe, would guide the march, settling where the nightly tent should be pitched, and arranging pasture and water for the flocks and herds. On and on, under the fiercely blazing sun, the long caravan would slowly travel, ever journeying southwards.

He was the first explorer of a new land of whom there is a full account.

But while he yet journeyed, there came on one of those droughts to which the land of Canaan was always subject, when day after day the sky was blue and cloudless, when no rains fell to water the thirsty land, and Abraham went on still farther south till he reached Africa.

Now, while the great colony on the banks of the river Euphrates was growing and thriving away in Asia, another colony was growing along the banks of the Nile—the greatest river in Africa. Here family after family had come, attracted by the fertile land watered by the Nile, in just the same way as the Chaldeans had settled by the Euphrates. And this country was known as Egypt—the gift of the Nile.

So out of the shadowland of early history we get these two settlements—the Chaldeans on the Euphrates in Asia and the Egyptians on the Nile in Africa. They were hundreds of miles apart, and though men may have journeyed from one to the other before, yet Abraham is the first traveller of whom we have any record.

It must have been with feelings of awe that he approached the land of Egypt. He might be denied the corn he had come hither to obtain, he might be slain, unknown dangers and difficulties might lie before him. He must have been surprised at what he found in Egypt, after all. He found a very old settlement, as old as—perhaps older than—that from which he had come.

The Egyptians could tell him stories of a king, that had ruled over them thousands of years ago, called Menes, a king who had built their wonderful city of Memphis on the Nile, where the modern town of Cairo stands to-day. They could point to their thirty pyramids, the tombs of their kings, and the great temple of the Sphinx, standing round about their old city, even as some of them stand round about Cairo to-day.

They could tell Abraham the story of how those pyramids were built; of the immense granite blocks which were brought five hundred miles; of the great causeway, which took ten years to construct, along which these blocks could be carried; of the twenty years it took to build one pyramid, and the thousands and thousands of men employed in the work.

And under these massive structures the old Eastern kings slept their last sleep; while to-day we still wonder at the industry and patience of the ancient Egyptians.

"Soldiers," said the great Napoleon, as he led the French army through the heart of Egypt some hundred years ago—"Soldiers, forty centuries look down upon you, from the top of the pyramids." Indeed, later on, when roads cut up the countries of the earth, and ships sailed on the seas, these old pyramids of Egypt were ranked among the Seven Wonders of the World.

This strange land to which Abraham had come was a land of plenty; there was corn growing along the fertile valley, for the mighty Nile depended not on local rains to water the earth. And the great king, or Pharaoh, as he was called, treated Abraham well. It is said that the Chaldean explorer taught the Egyptians astronomy; he certainly did well in the strange land, and when he left, Pharaoh gave him sheep and oxen, men-servants and maid-servants, and Abraham was a very rich man.

02. Into Africa 02. Nach Afrika 02. Into Africa 02. En Afrique 02. In Africa 02. 아프리카 속으로 02. Into Africa 02\. В Африку 02. В Африку 02.走进非洲 02.走進非洲

"And Abraham went down into Egypt to sojourn there." "Und Abraham zog hinab nach Ägypten, um dort zu wohnen." —GEN. xii. 10.

The land of Canaan was now before him. Теперь перед ним была земля Ханаанская. It was a low-lying country, now marked on modern maps as Syria,—the old highway between the tract of land known as Asia and that known now as Africa. Это была низменная страна, ныне отмеченная на современных картах как Сирия, — старая магистраль, соединявшая участок земли, известный как Азия, и участок земли, известный теперь как Африка. 那是一个地势低洼的国家，现在在现代地图上被标记为叙利亚——连接被称为亚洲的土地和现在被称为非洲的土地之间的古老公路。 Its coast was washed by the blue sea, known to men of old time as the Great Sea, on the waters of which no one had as yet ventured to trust themselves. Seine Küste wurde von dem blauen Meer umspült, das den Menschen der alten Zeit als das Große Meer bekannt war und auf dessen Wasser sich bisher noch niemand getraut hatte. Берега его омывало синее море, известное в древности как Великое Море, в воды которого еще никто не осмеливался довериться. 它的海岸被蔚蓝的大海冲刷着，古代人们将其称为大海，至今还没有人敢于信任自己。

As pilgrims travel now in the East, so would Abraham have travelled then through this land of Canaan, with his wife and young Lot. Как теперь странствуют паломники на Востоке, так и Авраам тогда путешествовал по земле Ханаанской со своей женой и юным Лотом. 正如朝圣者现在在东方旅行一样，亚伯拉罕那时也会带着他的妻子和年轻的罗得穿越这片迦南地。 With all his possessions heaped high on the backs of camels and asses, with his slaves running along by his side, with his flocks of sheep and goats moving under the towering forms of the camels, he would start slowly into the new country. Со всем своим имуществом, нагроможденным на спины верблюдов и ослов, со своими рабами, бегущими рядом с ним, со своими стадами овец и коз, двигающимися под высокими формами верблюдов, он медленно двинулся в новую страну. 他的所有财产都堆在骆驼和驴背上，他的奴隶在他身边奔跑，他的羊群和山羊在骆驼高耸的身躯下移动，他将慢慢地开始进入新的国家。 Abraham himself, in a scarlet robe, as chief of the tribe, would guide the march, settling where the nightly tent should be pitched, and arranging pasture and water for the flocks and herds. Abraham selbst, in einem scharlachroten Gewand, würde als Häuptling des Stammes den Marsch leiten, festlegen, wo das nächtliche Zelt aufgeschlagen werden sollte, und Weideland und Wasser für die Schafe und Rinder besorgen. Сам Авраам в багряной мантии, как вождь племени, руководил походом, устанавливая место для ночлега и устраивая пастбища и водопои для мелкого и крупного скота. 亚伯拉罕本人身穿猩红色长袍，身为部落首领，他将带领行军，安顿在夜间应该搭帐篷的地方，并为羊群和牛群安排草场和水源。 On and on, under the fiercely blazing sun, the long caravan would slowly travel, ever journeying southwards. Снова и снова под палящим солнцем длинный караван медленно путешествовал, все время направляясь на юг. 一路前行，在烈日的照耀下，长长的商队缓缓前行，一路向南。

He was the first explorer of a new land of whom there is a full account. Er war der erste Entdecker eines neuen Landes, über den es einen umfassenden Bericht gibt. Он был первым исследователем новой земли, о котором есть полное описание. 他是第一个有完整记载的新大陆的探险家。

But while he yet journeyed, there came on one of those droughts to which the land of Canaan was always subject, when day after day the sky was blue and cloudless, when no rains fell to water the thirsty land, and Abraham went on still farther south till he reached Africa. Doch während er noch unterwegs war, kam eine jener Dürren, denen das Land Kanaan immer ausgesetzt war, wenn der Himmel Tag für Tag blau und wolkenlos war und kein Regen fiel, um das durstige Land zu bewässern, und Abraham zog noch weiter nach Süden, bis er Afrika erreichte. Но пока он был еще в пути, случилась одна из тех засух, которым всегда была подвержена земля Ханаанская, когда день за днем небо было голубым и безоблачным, когда не было дождя, чтобы напоить жаждущую землю, и Авраам пошел еще дальше. на юг, пока не достиг Африки. 但是，当他还在旅行的时候，迦南地经常遭受的旱灾发生了，一天又一天，天空蔚蓝，万里无云，没有雨水浇灌干渴的土地，亚伯拉罕继续前行向南直到他到达非洲。

Now, while the great colony on the banks of the river Euphrates was growing and thriving away in Asia, another colony was growing along the banks of the Nile—the greatest river in Africa. Während die große Kolonie an den Ufern des Euphrat in Asien wuchs und gedieh, wuchs eine andere Kolonie an den Ufern des Nil, des größten Flusses in Afrika. Теперь, в то время как большая колония на берегах реки Евфрат росла и процветала в Азии, другая колония росла на берегах Нила — величайшей реки в Африке. 现在，当幼发拉底河沿岸的大殖民地在亚洲发展壮大时，另一个殖民地正在沿着非洲最大的河流尼罗河沿岸发展。 Here family after family had come, attracted by the fertile land watered by the Nile, in just the same way as the Chaldeans had settled by the Euphrates. Сюда приезжала семья за семьей, привлеченные плодородной землей, омываемой Нилом, точно так же, как халдеи селились у Евфрата. 一家接着一家来到这里，被尼罗河滋润的肥沃土地所吸引，就像迦勒底人在幼发拉底河定居一样。 And this country was known as Egypt—the gift of the Nile. И эта страна была известна как Египет — дар Нила. 这个国家被称为埃及——尼罗河的馈赠。

So out of the shadowland of early history we get these two settlements—the Chaldeans on the Euphrates in Asia and the Egyptians on the Nile in Africa. Таким образом, из тени ранней истории мы получаем эти два поселения — халдеев на Евфрате в Азии и египтян на Ниле в Африке. 因此，从早期历史的阴影中，我们得到了这两个定居点——亚洲幼发拉底河上的迦勒底人和非洲尼罗河上的埃及人。 They were hundreds of miles apart, and though men may have journeyed from one to the other before, yet Abraham is the first traveller of whom we have any record. Они находились в сотнях миль друг от друга, и хотя люди, возможно, путешествовали из одного места в другое раньше, тем не менее Авраам — первый путешественник, о котором у нас есть какие-либо записи. 他们相隔数百英里，尽管人们以前可能从一个地方旅行到另一个地方，但亚伯拉罕是我们有任何记录的第一个旅行者。

It must have been with feelings of awe that he approached the land of Egypt. Er muss sich dem Land Ägypten mit einem Gefühl der Ehrfurcht genähert haben. Должно быть, с чувством благоговения он приблизился к земле Египта. 他一定是怀着敬畏的心情走近埃及的。 He might be denied the corn he had come hither to obtain, he might be slain, unknown dangers and difficulties might lie before him. Man könnte ihm das Getreide verweigern, um das er gekommen war, man könnte ihn erschlagen, unbekannte Gefahren und Schwierigkeiten könnten vor ihm liegen. Ему могут отказать в зерне, за которым он пришел сюда, его могут убить, его могут ждать неизвестные опасности и трудности. 他可能会被剥夺他来这里获得的谷物，他可能会被杀，未知的危险和困难可能摆在他面前。 He must have been surprised at what he found in Egypt, after all. В конце концов, он, должно быть, был удивлен тем, что нашел в Египте. 毕竟，他一定对他在埃及的发现感到惊讶。 He found a very old settlement, as old as—perhaps older than—that from which he had come. Он нашел очень старое поселение, столь же старое, а может быть, и древнее, чем то, из которого он приехал. 他找到了一个非常古老的定居点，和他来的地方一样古老——也许比这还要古老。

The Egyptians could tell him stories of a king, that had ruled over them thousands of years ago, called Menes, a king who had built their wonderful city of Memphis on the Nile, where the modern town of Cairo stands to-day. Египтяне могли рассказать ему истории о царе, правившем ими тысячи лет назад, по имени Менес, царе, который построил их чудесный город Мемфис на Ниле, где сегодня стоит современный город Каир. 埃及人可以向他讲述几千年前统治他们的国王梅内斯的故事，这位国王在尼罗河上建造了他们美丽的孟菲斯城，现代的开罗城就坐落于此。 They could point to their thirty pyramids, the tombs of their kings, and the great temple of the Sphinx, standing round about their old city, even as some of them stand round about Cairo to-day. Sie konnten auf ihre dreißig Pyramiden, die Gräber ihrer Könige und den großen Tempel der Sphinx hinweisen, die rund um ihre alte Stadt standen, so wie einige von ihnen heute noch rund um Kairo stehen. Они могли указать на свои тридцать пирамид, гробницы своих царей и великий храм Сфинкса, стоящие вокруг их старого города, как некоторые из них стоят сегодня вокруг Каира. 他们可以指着他们的三十座金字塔、他们的国王的陵墓和狮身人面像的大神庙，它们矗立在他们的旧城周围，就像今天他们中的一些人站在开罗周围一样。

They could tell Abraham the story of how those pyramids were built; of the immense granite blocks which were brought five hundred miles; of the great causeway, which took ten years to construct, along which these blocks could be carried; of the twenty years it took to build one pyramid, and the thousands and thousands of men employed in the work. Они могли бы рассказать Аврааму историю о том, как были построены эти пирамиды; об огромных гранитных глыбах, доставленных за пятьсот миль; о большой дамбе, на строительство которой ушло десять лет, по которой можно было носить эти блоки; из двадцати лет, которые потребовались, чтобы построить одну пирамиду, и тысячи и тысячи людей, занятых в работе. 他们可以告诉亚伯拉罕这些金字塔是如何建造的。运来五百英里的巨大花岗岩块；花了十年时间建造的大堤，这些石块可以沿着这条大堤运走；建造一座金字塔花费了二十年的时间，以及成千上万的人从事这项工作。

And under these massive structures the old Eastern kings slept their last sleep; while to-day we still wonder at the industry and patience of the ancient Egyptians. И под этими массивными сооружениями спали свой последний сон старые восточные короли; в то время как сегодня мы все еще удивляемся трудолюбию и терпению древних египтян. 在这些巨大的建筑物下，古老的东方国王睡着了他们的最后一觉。而今天我们仍然对古埃及人的勤奋和耐心感到好奇。

"Soldiers," said the great Napoleon, as he led the French army through the heart of Egypt some hundred years ago—"Soldiers, forty centuries look down upon you, from the top of the pyramids." «Солдаты, — сказал великий Наполеон, ведя французскую армию через сердце Египта несколько сотен лет назад, — солдаты, сорок веков смотрят на вас с вершины пирамид». “士兵们，”伟大的拿破仑在数百年前率领法国军队穿过埃及中心时说道——“士兵们，四十个世纪以来，从金字塔的顶端俯视着你们。” Indeed, later on, when roads cut up the countries of the earth, and ships sailed on the seas, these old pyramids of Egypt were ranked among the Seven Wonders of the World. Später, als Straßen die Länder der Erde zerschnitten und Schiffe die Meere befuhren, zählten die alten Pyramiden Ägyptens zu den Sieben Weltwundern. Действительно, позже, когда дороги пересекали страны земли, а корабли плыли по морям, эти древние пирамиды Египта были причислены к семи чудесам света. 的确，后来，当道路切断地球的国家，船只在海上航行时，这些古老的埃及金字塔被列为世界七大奇迹之一。

This strange land to which Abraham had come was a land of plenty; there was corn growing along the fertile valley, for the mighty Nile depended not on local rains to water the earth. Эта чужая земля, в которую пришел Авраам, была землей изобилия; в плодородной долине росла кукуруза, ибо могучий Нил не зависел от дождей, орошавших землю. 亚伯拉罕来到的这片陌生之地是一片富饶之地。肥沃的山谷里长着玉米，因为强大的尼罗河并不依赖当地的雨水来浇灌大地。 And the great king, or Pharaoh, as he was called, treated Abraham well. И великий царь, или фараон, как его называли, хорошо обращался с Авраамом. 伟大的国王，或称法老，对亚伯拉罕很好。 It is said that the Chaldean explorer taught the Egyptians astronomy; he certainly did well in the strange land, and when he left, Pharaoh gave him sheep and oxen, men-servants and maid-servants, and Abraham was a very rich man. Говорят, что халдейский исследователь обучал египтян астрономии; он, конечно, хорошо жил в чужой земле, и когда он ушел, фараон дал ему овец и волов, слуг и служанок, а Авраам был очень богатым человеком. 据说迦勒底探险家教埃及人天文学；他在异地的确过得很好，他走的时候，法老把牛羊、仆人和婢女给了他，亚伯拉罕是一个非常富有的人。