美国学生世界地理教材 第153期:新月之国(2)

 One dark night many years ago an army was approaching Constantinople, 很多年前，一个漆黑的夜晚，一支敌军正在接近君士坦丁堡。

but it was so dark the people in the city did not see it and did not know they were about to be attacked. 但是由于天太黑了，城里的人没有看到这支部队，更没有意识到他们即将遭到进攻。
Suddenly the moon shone out from behind a cloud. 突然月亮从云后现出来了，
By the light of the moon the watchmen saw the enemy, sounded the alarm, and the city was saved. 借着月光巡夜人看见了敌人，发出警报，城市得救了。
Ever since then the Turks have used the new moon on their churches as we do a cross and a new moon and a star on their flag, 从那以后，土耳其人将新月标志安装在他们的教堂上，就像我们在教堂上安装十字架一样，他们还在国旗上印上一弯新月和一颗星星，
as these had brought good luck. A new moon is called a "crescent." 因为新月和星星曾给他们带来好运。新月也被称作“月牙”。
The Turks have a society, the same society as our Red Cross; 土耳其人也有一个类乎“红十字会”的协会。
but as a cross is a Christian 1 sign, they don't use it, so they call their society the Red Crescent. 但是，由于“十字”是基督教的标志，他们不用“十字”，而称他们的协会为“红新月会”。
One of the largest churches in the World was built in Constantinople before the Turks came. 世界上最大的教堂之一，在土耳其人到来之前就建在君士坦丁堡。
It was called the church of Holy 2 Wisdom 3, which in Greek 4 is Santa Sophia. 它被称作“圣哲教堂”，希腊语称作“圣索菲娅教堂”。
Perhaps you may know a girl named Sophie. 你也许认识一个名叫索菲（“索菲娅”的昵称）的女孩。
Well, she may be wise or she may not, but her name means 5 wise. 她也许很聪明，也许不聪明，但是她的名字是“聪明”的意思。
When the Turks captured 6 the Christian city of Constantinople they changed Santa Sophia and all the other churches in the city to Mohammedan churches, 当土耳其人占领了君士坦丁堡这座基督教城市后，他们把圣索菲娅大教堂和城里的其他教堂都改成了伊斯兰教的教堂，
which are called mosques 7, and they tore down the crosses on top of the churches and put up in the place of each a crescent. 叫做“清真寺”，他们拆掉教堂顶上的十字架，安装上新月标志。
There are now over eight hundred mosques in the city. 现在这座城市有八百多座清真寺。
Finally not very many years ago they changed Constantinople's name to Istanbul. 最后，就在没多少年前，他们把“君士坦丁堡”这个名字改成了“伊斯坦布尔”。
You might think it would be better if I hadn't told you the old name of Istanbul. 你也许认为，如果我不告诉你伊斯坦布尔以前的名字会更好些。
Then you would have one less long name to remember. 那样你只需要记一个短一点的名字了。
But Constantinople was the name of the city for a much longer time than Istanbul has been. 但是作为城市的名字，“君士坦丁堡”存在的时间比“伊斯坦布尔”长得多了。
Even now Constantinople is a better-known name than Istanbul. 甚至现在，君士坦丁堡这个名字也要比伊斯坦布尔知名得多。
I won't, however, tell you what the city was called before it became Constantinople. 然而，我不会再告诉你，在被称作君士坦丁堡之前，这座城市叫什么。
Two names are enough to learn about any city. 两个名字足以让你了解一座城市。
So if you want to know Istanbul's earliest name you'll have to ask some one or find it in some other book. 所以，如果你想知道伊斯坦布尔最早的名字，你就得去问别人或在其他书中查找。