人類的故事

前言

　　For Hansje and Willem：　　WHEN I was twelve or thirteen years old，an uncle of mine whogave me my love for books and pictures promised to take me upon amemorable expedition. I was to go with him to the top of the tower ofOld Saint Lawrence in Rotterdam.　　And so，one fine day，a sexton with a key as large as that of SaintPeter opened a mysterious door. "Ring the bell，"he said， "when youcome back and want to get out，"and with a great grinding of rustyold hinges he separated us from the noise of the busy street andlocked us into a world of new and strange experiences.　　For the first time in my life I was confronted by the phe-nomenon of audible silence. When we had climbed the first flight ofstairs， I added another discovery to my limited knowledge of naturalphenomena——that of tangible darkness. A match showed us where theupward road continued. We went to the next floor and then to thenext and the next until I had lost count and then there came still an-other floor， and suddenly we had plenty of light. This floor was on aneven height with the roof of the church， and it was used as a store-room. Covered with many inches of dust， there lay the abandonedsymbols of a venerable faith which had been discarded by the goodpeople of the city many years ago. That which had meant life anddeath to our ancestors was here reduced to junk and rubbish. The in-dustrious rat had built his nest among the carved images and the everwatchful spider had opened up shop between the outspread arms of akindly saint.

內(nèi)容概要

　　著名荷蘭裔美國作家房龍對于我國廣大讀者來說，已不能算是一個十分陌生的名字。自本世紀(jì)20年代以來，房龍發(fā)表了一系列用輕巧俏皮的文字撰寫的通俗歷史著作，大多成為美國的暢銷書，并被譯成多種文字，尤為青年讀者們所鐘愛。房龍于1882年生于荷蘭的鹿特丹，父母的分居導(dǎo)致他從小“逃避的過去之中”，從10歲起就沉溺于史學(xué)。房龍后來曾在德國和美國求學(xué)，獲得了博士學(xué)位，但他并沒有成為一個書齋里的學(xué)究。他當(dāng)過教師、編輯、記者，屢經(jīng)漂泊，同時苦練寫作，1921年寫出的《人類的故事》使他一舉成名，飲譽(yù)世界。對待學(xué)問和文字，房龍在堅持人文主義立場的同時，逐漸形成了一套自己的理解和表達(dá)方式，他認(rèn)為：“凡學(xué)問一到穿上專家的拖鞋，躲進(jìn)了它的‘精合’，而反它的鞋子上的泥土作肥料去的時候，它就宣布自己以預(yù)備死了。與人隔絕的知識生活是引到毀滅去的?！庇谑牵钊霚\出地將艱深枯燥的學(xué)問化作輕松風(fēng)趣的精神食糧呈現(xiàn)給讀者，成了房龍作品的顯著特征。房龍多才多藝，精通十種文字，拉得一手優(yōu)美的小提琴，還親自將自己的大部分作品配了稚拙可愛的插圖。這一切都注定房龍會是一個“人民”的作家，將對廣大讀者產(chǎn)生深刻的啟迪和影響。 房龍的通俗歷史著作曾打動過老一輩的中國讀者，郁達(dá)夫在評價他的寫作藝術(shù)時說：“房龍的筆，有一種魔力……是將文學(xué)家的手法，拿來用以講述科學(xué)……無論大人小孩，讀他書的人，都覺得娓娓忘倦了。”80年代以來，房龍作品的中譯本在我國再度走紅，而且十幾年來暢銷不衰，這是我國文化市場繁榮、國際交流正?；慕Y(jié)果，也證明房龍作品的不朽魅力。 不言而喻，對于我 學(xué)習(xí)英語的廣大讀者來說，幽默、親切、通俗的房龍作品原著更是絕佳的閱讀文本。讀他的書，既可提高英語閱讀水平，又能豐富歷史、科學(xué)、文化知識。為了借鑒和繼承世界精神文化遺產(chǎn)，填補(bǔ)我國出版界外語類通俗社會科學(xué)讀物的空白，外語教學(xué)與研究出版社將陸續(xù)推出幾種房龍作品的原版書，歡迎讀者提出改進(jìn)意見，幫助我們做得更好?！　　度祟惖墓适隆纷髡叻魁?921年寫出的《人類的故事》使他一舉成名，飲譽(yù)世界。他深入淺出地將艱深枯燥地人類歷史化作輕松風(fēng)趣的精神食糧呈現(xiàn)給讀者，并附有近150張圖畫。

書籍目錄

1. THE SETTING OF THE STAGE2. OUR EARLIEST ANCESTORS3. PREHISTORIC MAN BEGINS TO MAKE THINGS FOR HIMSELF4. THE EGYPTIANS INVENT THE ART OF WRITING AND THE RECORD OF HISTORY BEGINS5. THE BEGINNING OF CIVILISATION IN THE VALLEY OF THE NILE6. THE RISE AND FALL OF EGYPT7. MESOPOTAMIA——THE SECOND CENTRE OF EASTERN CIVILISATION8. THE SUMERIAN NAIL WRITERS，WHOSE CLAY TABLETS TELL US THE STORY OF ASSYRIA AND BABYLONIA，THE GREAT SEMITIC MELTING-POT9. THE STORY OF MOSES，THE LEADER OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE10. THE PHCENICIANS，WHo GAVE Us OUR ALPHABET11. THE INDO-EUROPEAN PERSIANS CONQUER THE SEMITIC AND THE EGYPTIAN WORLD12. THE PEOPLE OF THE JEGEAN SEA CARRIED THE CIVILISATION OF OLD ASIAINTO THE WILDERNESS OF EUROPE13. MEANWHILE THE INDO-EUROPEAN TRIBE OF THE HELLENES WAS TAKINGPOSSESSION OF GREECE14. THE GREEK CITIES THAT WERE REALLY STATES15. THE GREEKS WERE THE FIRST PEOPLE TO TRY THE DIFFICULT EXPERI MENT OF SELF-GOVERNMENT16. HOW THE GREEKS LIVED17. THE ORIGINS OF THE THEATRE，THE FIRST FORM OF PUBLIC AMUSEMENT18. HOW THE GREEKS DEFENDED EUROPE AGAINST AN ASIATIC INVASION ANDROVE THE PERSIANS BACK ACROSS THE EGEAN SEA19. HOW ATHENS AND SPARTA FOUGHT A LONG AND DISASTROUS WAR FORTHE LEADERSHIP OF GREECE20. ALEXANDER THE MACEDONIAN ESTABLISHES A GREEK WORLD-EMPIRE，AND WHAT BECAME OF THIS HIGH AMBITION21. A SHORT SUMMARY OF CHAPTERS 1 TO 2022. THE SEMITIC COLONY OF CARTHAGE. ON THE NORTHERN COAST OFAFRICA AND THE INDO-EUROPEAN CITY OF ROME ON THE WEST COAST OF ITALY FOUGHT EACH OTHER FOR THE POSSESSION OF THE WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN AND CARTHAGE WAS DESTROYED23. How ROME HAPPENED24. HOW THE REPUBLIC OF ROME，AFTER CENTURIES OF UNREST AND REVOLUTION，BECAME AN EMPIRE25. THE STORY OF JOSHUA OF NAZARETH，WHOM THE GREEKS CALLEDJEsus26. THE TWILIGHT OF ROME27. HOW ROME BECAME THE CENTRE OF THE CHRISTIAN WORLD28. AHMED，THE CAMEL DRIVER，WHo BECAME THE PROPHET OF THE ARABIAN DESERT， AND WHOSE FOLLOWERS ALMOST CONQUERED THE ENTIRE KNOWN WORLD FOR THE GREATER GLORY OF ALLAH，THE "ONLYTRUE GOD29. How CHARLEMAGNE，THE KING OF THE FRANKS，CAME TO BEAR THE TITLE OF EMPEROR AND TRIED TO REVIVE THE OLD IDEAL OF WORLDEMPIRE30. WHY THE PEOPLE OF THE TENTH CENTURY PRAYED THE LORD TO PROTECT THEM FROM THE FURY OF THE NORSEMEN31. How CENTRAL EUROPE， ATTACKED FROM THREE SIDES， BECAME ANARMED CAMP AND WHY EUROPE WOULD HAVE PERISHED WITHOUT THOSE PROFESSIONAL SOLDIERS AND ADMINISTRATORS WHO WERE PART OF THE FEUDAL SYSTEM32. CHIVALRY33. THE STRANGE DOUBLE LOYALTY OF THE PEOPLE OF THE MIDDLE AGES AND HOW IT LED TO ENDLESS QUARRELS BETWEEN THE POPES ANTHE HOLY ROMAN EMPERORS34. BUT ALL THESE DIFFERENT QUARRELS WERE FORGOTTEN WHEN THETURKS TOOK THE HOLY LAND， DESECRATED THE HOLY PLACES ANEINTERFERED SERIOUSLY WITH THE TRADE FROM EAST TO WEST. EUROPE WENT CRUSADING35. WHY THE PEOPLE OF THE MIDDLE AGES SAID THAT "CITY AIR IS FREEAIR36. HOW THE PEOPLE OF THE CITIES ASSERTED THEIR RIGHT TO BE HEARDIN THE ROYAL COUNCILS OF THEIR COUNTRY37. WHAT THE PEOPLE OF THE MIDDLE AGES THOUGHT OF THE WORLD INWHICH THEY HAPPENED TO LIVE38. HOW THE CRUSADES ONCE MORE MADE THE MEDITERRANEAN A BUSYCENTRE OF TRADE AND HOW THE CITIES OF THE ITALIAN PENINSULABECAME THE GREAT DISTRIBUTING CENTRE FOR THE COMMERCEWITH ASIA AND AFRICA39. PEOPLE ONCE MORE DARED TO BE HAPPY JUST BECAUSE THEY WEREALIVE. THEY TRIED TO SAVE THE REMAINS OF THE OLDER AND MOREAGREEABLE CIVILISATION OF ROME AND GREECE AND THEY WERE SOPROUD OF THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS THAT THEY SPOKE OF A "RENAIS SANCE" OR RE-BIRTH OF CIVILISATION40. THE PEOPLE BEGAN TO FEEL THE NEED OF GIVING EXPRESSION TOTHEIR NEWLY DISCOVERED JoY OF LIVING. THEY EXPRESSED THEIRHAPPINESS IN POETRY AND IN SCULPTURE AND IN ARCHITECTUREAND PAINTING， AND IN THE BOOKS THEY PRINTED41. BUT NOW THAT PEOPLE HAD BROKEN THROUGH THE BONDS OF THEIRNARROW MEDI，LIEVAL LIMITATIONS，THEY HAD TO HAVE MORE ROOMFOR THEIR WANDERINGS THE EUROPEAN WORLD HAD GROWN Too SMALL FOR THEIR AMBITIONS. IT WAS THE TIME OF THE GREAT VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY42. CONCERNING BUDDHA AND CONFUCIUS43．THE PROGRESS OF THE HUMAN RAcE Is BEST COMPARED TO A GIGAN TIC PENDULUM WHICH FoREVER SWINGS FoRWARD AND BACKWARDTHE RELIGIOUS INDIFFERENCE AND THE ARTISTIC AND LITERARY EH THUSIASM OF THE RENAISSANCE WERE FOLLOWED BY THE ARTISTIAND LITERARY INDIFFERENCE AND THE RELIGIOUS ENTHUSIASM O THE REFoRMATIoN44 THE AGE OF THE GREAT RELIGIOUS CONTROVERSIES45．How THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN THE“DIVINE RIGHT OF KINGS-AND THE LESS DIVINE BUT MORE REASONABLE“RIGHT OF PARLIAMENTENDEDDISASTROUSLYFORKINGCHARLESl46．IN FRANCE．ON THE OTHER HAND．THE“DIVINE RIGHT OF KINGS”CONTINUED WITH GREATER PoMP AND SPLENDOR THAN EVER BEFOREAND THE AMBITION OF THE RULER WAS ONLY TEMPERED BY THE NEWLY INVENTEDLAWOFTHE“BALANCEOFPOWER47．THE STORY OF THE MYSTERIOUS MUSCOVITE EMPIRE WHICH SUD DENLY BURST UPON THE GRAND POLITICAL STAGE OF EUROPE 48．RUSSIA AND SWEDEN FIGHT MANY WARs TO DECIDE WHO SHALL BE THE LEADING POWER OF NORTH．EASTERN EUROPE49．THE EXTRAORDINARY RISE OF A LITTLE STATE IN A DREARY PART OF NORTHERN GERMANY．CALLED PRUSSIA50．How THE NEwLY FOUNDED NATIONAL OR DYNASTIC STATES OF EuROPE TRIED TO MAKE THEMSELVES RICH AND WHAT WAS MEANT BY THE MERCANTILE SYSTEM5 1．AT THE END OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY EUROPE HEARD STRANGE REPORTS OF SOMETHING WHICH HAD HAPPENED IN THE WILDERNESS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN CONTINENT．THE DESCENDANTS OFTHE MEN WHO HAD PUNISHED KING CHARLES FOR HIS INSISTENCEUPON HIS。DIVINE RIGHTS”ADDED A NEW CHAPTER TO THE OLDSTORY OF THE STRUGGLE FOR SELFGOVERNMENT52．THE GREAT FRENCH REVOLUTION PROCLAIMS THE PRINCIPLES OF LIBERTY，F(xiàn)RATERNITY AND EQUALITY UNTO ALL THE PEOPLE OF THEEARTH53．NAPOLEON……

章節(jié)摘錄

　　doubt as to the future of unrepentant sinners. The Teutons weredeeply impressed. They still had a deep respect for the wisdom of theancient city of Rome. Those men were Romans.　They probablyspoke the truth. Soon the Christian missionary became a power in thesavage regions of the Teutons and the Franks. Half a dozen mission-aries were as valuable as a wh　　le regiment of soldiers. The Emperorsbegan to understand that the Christian might he of great use to them.In some of the provinces they were given equal rights with those whoremained faithful to the old gods. The great change however cameduring the last half of the fourth century.　　Constantine, sometimes （Heaven knows why） called Constan-tine the Great, was emperor. He was a terrible ruffian, but people oftender qualities could hardly hope to survive in that hard-fightingage. During a long and checkered career, Constantine had experi-enced many ups and downs. Once, when almost defeated by his ene-mies, he thought that he would try the power of this new Asiatic de-ity of whom everybody was talking. He promised that he too wouldbecome a Christian if he were successful in the coming battle. Hewon the victory and thereafter he was convinced of the power of theChristian God and allowed himself to be baptised.　　From that moment on, the Christian church was officially recog-nised and this greatly strengthened the position of the new faith.　　But the Christians still formed a very small minority of all thepeople, （not more than five or six percent, ） and in order to win,they were forced to refuse all compromise. The old gods must he de-stroyed. For a short spell the emperor Julian, a lover of Greek wis-dom, managed to save the pagan Gods from further destruction. ButJulian died of his wounds during a campaign in Persia and his succes-sor Jovian re-established the church in all its glory. One after the oth-er the doors of the ancient temples were then closed. Then came theemperor Justinian （who built the church of Saint Sophia in Con-stantinople）, who discontinued the school of philosophy at Athenswhich had been founded by Plato.

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