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Happy lived Mankind in the peaceful Valley of Ignorance.
在寧靜的無知山谷里，人們過著幸福的生活。
To the north, to the south, to the west and to the east stretched the ridges of the Hills Everlasting.
永恒的山脈向東西南北各個方向蜿蜒綿亙。
A little stream of Knowledge trickled slowly through a deep worn gully.
知識的小溪沿著深邃破敗的溪谷緩緩地流著。
It came out of the Mountains of the Past.
它發源于昔日的荒山。
It lost itself in the Marshes of the Future.
它消失在未來的沼澤。
It was not much, as rivers go. But it was enough for the humble needs off the villagers.
這條小溪并不象江河那樣彼瀾滾滾，但對于需求淺薄的村民來說，已經綽有余裕。
In the evening, when they had watered their cattle and had filled their casks, they were content to sit down to enjoy life.
晚上，村民們飲畢牲口，灌滿木桶，便心滿意足地坐下來，盡享天倫之樂。
The old Men Who Knew were brought forth from the shady corners where they had spent their day, pondering over the mysterious pages of an old book.
守舊的老人們被攙扶出來，他們在蔭涼角落里度過了整個白天。對著一本神秘莫測的古書苦思冥想。
They mumbled strange words to their grandchildren, who would have preferred to play with the pretty pebbles, brought down from distant lands.
他們向兒孫們叨嘮著古怪的字眼，可是孩子們卻惦記著玩耍從遠方捎來的漂亮石子。
Often these words were not very clear.
這些字眼的含意往往模糊不清。
But they were writ a thousand years ago by a forgotten race. Hence they were holy.
不過，它們是一千年前由一個已不為人所知的部族寫下的，因此神圣而不可褻瀆。
For in the Valley of Ignorance, whatever was old was venerable.
在無知山谷里，古老的東西總是受到尊敬。
And those who dared to gainsay the wisdom of the fathers were shunned by all decent people.
誰否認祖先的智慧，誰就會遭到正人君子的冷落。
And so they kept their peace.
所以，大家都和睦相處。
Fear was ever with them.
恐懼總是陪伴著人們。
What if they should be refused the common share of the products of the garden?
誰要是得不到園中果實中應得的份額，又該怎么辦呢？
Vague stories there were, whispered at night among the narrow streets of the little town, vague stories of men and women who had dared to ask questions.
深夜，在小鎮的狹窄街巷里，人們低聲講述著情節模糊的往事，講述那些敢于提出問題的男男女女。
They had gone forth, and never again had they been seen.
這些男男女女后來走了，再也沒有回來。
A few had tried to scale the high walls of the rocky range that hid the sun.
另一些人曾試圖攀登擋住太陽的巖石高墻。
