第6节
【】essanynehings. itissafetosaythatindueurseoftitheywouldhave givenupthewaysofsavagesandwouldhavedevelopeda civilisationoftheiroeao theirisolation.theyovered. atravellerfronunknohlando ountainpasseshadfoundhisway totheefrobr> africa.hisho. thevalleyofthenilehaddevelopedahighstageofcivilisation thousandsofyearsbeforethepeopleofthehad dreadofthepossibilitiesofaforkorawheelorahouse. andhereforeleavereatgrandfathersin theircaves,thesoutheaeshoresof thediterranean,oodtheearliestschoolofthe hunrace. theegyptianshavetaughtusnythings.theywere excellentfarrs.theykneirrigation.theybuilt teleserhegreeksandh servedastheearliestdelsforthehesinhweworship noedadarhproved sueasuringti thatithassurvivedost iortantofall,theegyptianshadleaedhoopreserve speechforthebeoffuturegeions.theyhadied theartofing. edtoneagazines thatakeitfrahattheworldhasalwaysbeen abletoreadandatteroffact,ost iortantofalliions,isquiteten dotssanddogs,each theirkittensandtheirpuppiesafeplethingsandwho, becausetheyote,possessnohey keuseoftheexperiehosegeionsofcatsand dogsthathavegonebefore. inthefirste toegypt,theyfoundthevalleyfullelittlepictures edtohavesothingtodohthehistory oftheuntry.buttheronsiedin``anything fnanddidnotinquireintotheinofthesequeer figuresplesandthewallsof thepalaadeoutofthe papyrusreed.thelastoftheegyptiaswhohad uoodtheholyartofkingsutureshaddiedseveral yearsbefyptdeprivedofitsindependencehad beeastorehousefilledportanthistorients hlyuse toeither. seventeeuriesainedaland ofstery.butintheyear1798afreneralbythe naofbonapartehappeovisiteasteafricatoprepare foranattackupoishindianlonies.hedid beyondthenile,andhiscaaign, quiteactally,thefausfrenchexpeditionsolvedthe probleftheaegyptianpicturelanguage. onedayayoungfrenuchboredbythedreary lifeofhislittlefortressontherosettariverauthofthe niledeagingang theruinsofthea.andbeholdhefoundastone .likeeverythingelsei ithlittlefigures.butthisparticularslabof blackbasaltanythingthathadeverbeen disvered.itcarriedthreeinscriptions.ohesewas ihegreeklanguagehatis necessary,sohereasoned,``istoparethegreektexth theegyptianfigures,andtheyoheirsecrets. theplansoundedsileenoughbutittookrethan professorbythenaofchaolliooparethe greekandtheegyptiasofthefausrosettastone.in theyear18addisveredtheaning offourteenlittlefigures.ashorttilaterhediedfrobr> overainprinciplesofegyptianinghad beekoryofthevalleyofthenileis betterknoississippiriver. enrerdhousandyears oficledhistory. astheaegyptianhieroglyphicstheeans ``sacredinghaveplayedsuchaverygreatrolein history,afeindifiedforaveevenfoundtheir ething abouttheingenioussysteturiesago topreservethespokening geions. ofurse,youknoasignlanguageis.every indianstoryofoureplainshasachapterdevotedto strangessagesoflittlepicturesh tellhoanybuffaloesanyhunters thereainparty.asaruleitisnotdifficultto uandtheaningofsuchssages. aegyptian,hoasignlanguage.the cleverpeopleofthenilehadpassedbeyondthatstagelong before.theirpicturesantagreatdealrethantheobject heyrepresented,asishalltrytoexplaintoyounow. supposethatyoupollion,andthatyouwere exaningastackofpapyrussheets,allveredhhieroglyphics. suddenlyyouanh asaeansofursethat afarrouttocutdoree.thenyoutakeanother papyrus.ittellsthestoryofaqueentheage ofeightytidstofasentenceappearsthepicture ofthehandle saustansothingelse.but thatistheriddleanfinallysolved. hedisveredthattheegyptianshefirsttouse oftersh reproducethe``soundorphohespokenwordand akeitpossibleforustotranslateallourspokenwords intoa,hthehelpofonlyafesanddashes andpothooks. letusretuforanttothelittlefellohthesaw. theeaaintoolhyouwillfind ihepastteheverb ``tosee. thisishadhappeheheurse ofeantonlytheparticulartool eaninghadbeenlostandit ...