世界小史 第1章:從前
All stories begin with "Once upon a time".
所有的故事都以"從前 "開頭。
And that's just what this story is all about: what happened, once upon a time.
那恰好是這個(gè)故事所要講的：從前發(fā)生了什么?
Once you were so small that, even standing on tiptoes, you could barely reach your mother's hand.
從前你非常小，站著都幾乎夠不著你母親的手。
Do you remember?
你記得嗎?
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Your own history might begin like this:
你自己的故事可能這樣開頭：
"Once upon a time there was a small boy" – or a small girl – "and that small boy was me".
“從前有一個(gè)小男孩”--或者一個(gè)小女孩--“那個(gè)小男孩就是我”。
But before that you were a baby in a cradle.
在那以前你是一個(gè)襁褓中的嬰孩。
You won't remember that, but you know it's true.
這一點(diǎn)你回憶不起來了，但是你知道。
Your father and mother were also small once, and so was your grandfather, and your grandmother.
你的父親和母親從前也是小孩，你的祖父和祖母也一樣。
a much longer time ago, but you know that too.
這已經(jīng)是很久以前的事，但你仍然知道這件事。
After all, we say: "They are old".
我們說：“他們是老人”。
But they too had grandfathers and grandmothers, and they, too, could say:"Once upon a time".
他們也曾經(jīng)有過祖父和祖母，所以他們也曾經(jīng)可以說："從前"。
And so it goes on, further and further back.
所以就這樣永遠(yuǎn)上溯，再上溯。
Behind every "Once upon a time" there is always another.
在每一個(gè)"從前"之后總是還有另一個(gè)。
