Something very strange happened between 550 and 500 BC. I don't really understand it myself, but perhaps that's what makes it so interesting.

在公元前550年与公元前500年间发生了某种奇怪的事情。本来我也不明白这是怎么发生的，但是这正是这件事的引人入胜之处。

In the high mountain chain that runs north of Mesopotamia a wild mountain tribe had long been living.

在耸立在美索不达米亚以北的高山山脉地区，长期以来就生活着一个未开化的山地民族。

They had a beautiful religion: they worshipped light and the sun and believed it to be in a state of constant warfare with the dark, that is, with the dark powers of evil.

这个民族的宗教是美好的：他们敬奉光明和太阳，并认为光明不断在与黑暗斗争，也就是与邪恶的黑暗势力作斗争。

These mountain people were the Persians.

这个山地民族就是波斯人。

For hundreds of years they had been dominated, first by the Assyrians, and then by the Babylonians. One day they had had enough.

几百年来他们一直在亚述人随后又在巴比伦人的统治之下。有一天，他们不能忍受了。

Their ruler was a man of exceptional courage and intelligence called Cyrus, who was no longer prepared to put up with the oppression of his people.

他们的君主是一个名叫赛勒斯的勇敢和聪明人，他再也不愿意容忍自己的民族处于这样从属的地位。

He led his band of horsemen down onto the plain of Babylon.

就这样，他率领骑兵队向巴比伦平原进发。

The Babylonians looked down from their mighty ramparts and laughed at the little band of warriors that dared attack their city.

当巴比伦人在他们的巨大的城墙上向那一小股想占领他们的城市的武士们望去时，他们哈哈大笑。