中英雙語話史記 第17期:商朝概況

Shang Dynasty

商朝

General

概況

Thousands of archaeological finds in the Huang He, Henan Valley, the apparent cradle of Chinese civilization----provide evidence about the Shang dynasty, which endured roughly from 1700 to 1027 B.C.

上千起在中國文明的搖籃——黃河河南流域的考古發現爲商朝（大約從公元前1700年持續到公元前1027年）提供了證據。

The Shang dynasty (also called the Yin dynasty in its later stages) is believed to have been founded by a rebel leader who overthrew the last Xia ruler.

據信，商朝（在其後期也被稱爲商殷）是由一個造反的領袖推翻了夏朝的最後一任統治者而建立的。

Its civilization was based on agriculture, augmented by hunting and animal husbandry.

它的文明以農業爲基礎，以打獵和動物飼養而擴大。

Two important events of the period were the development of a writing system, as revealed in archaic Chinese inscriptions found on tortoise shells and flat cattle bones (commonly called oracle bones or ),

這段時期有兩大重要事件，一個是文字系統的發展，表現爲在烏龜殼和憑證的牛骨上發現的古老的中國文字（一般稱爲甲骨文），

and the use of bronze metallurgy.

另一個是青銅冶金的使用。

A number of ceremonial bronze vessels with inscriptions date from the Shang period；

很多在慶典上使用的刻有銘文的青銅器皿都源於商朝。

The workmanship on the bronzes attests to a high level of civilization.

對於青銅器的技藝證實了其文明水平之高。