(单词翻译:单击)
From the very beginning of the Old Kingdom, about 2649 BCE, pyramids started to become part of Egyptian life.
从古王国一开始，也就是大约公元前2649年，金字塔就开始成为埃及人生活的一部分。
Egyptian pyramids were essentially massive royal tombs that could reach over 300 feet tall.
埃及金字塔本质上是巨大的皇家陵墓，可以达到300多英尺高。
But who actually built these architectural wonders?
但究竟是谁建造了这些建筑奇观呢？
For a long time, popular belief concluded that enslaved people built the pyramids, in particular the Pyramids of Giza.
很长一段时间以来，人们普遍认为是被奴役的人建造了金字塔，特别是吉萨的金字塔。
Writing by the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, misinterpretations of the biblical book of Exodus, and Hollywood films have all contributed to the idea.
古希腊历史学家希罗多德的著作，对圣经“出埃及记”的曲解，以及好莱坞电影都促使人们形成了这一观念。
But in reality, most archaeologists and historians today think that paid laborers, not enslaved people, built the Pyramids of Giza.
但在现实中，今天大多数考古学家和历史学家都认为，建造吉萨金字塔的是有偿的劳动者，而不是被奴役的人。
A few archeological findings support this theory.
一些考古学上的发现可以支撑这一理论。
Deceased builders were buried in a place of honor: tombs close to the pyramids themselves, furnished with supplies for the afterlife.
已故的建造者被埋葬在一个光荣的地方：在金字塔附近的坟墓里，配备着死亡后的补给物品。
It's unlikely that enslaved workers would either be buried in close proximity to pharaohs or be prepared for burial with such care.
被奴役的工人不太可能被葬在法老附近，对他们的埋葬也不太可能如此隆重。
Archaeologists have also discovered the remains of communities on the Giza plateau where large gallery-style buildings are thought to have served as barracks for rotating groups of builders.
考古学家还在吉萨高原发现了群落的遗迹，人们认为那里大型画廊风格的建筑是轮流建造金字塔的人们的营房。
The setting is thought to have resembled something like feudal Europe, where regular people rendered service to a lord in exchange for land, financial support, and protection.
这个场景与封建欧洲相似，在那里，普通人为地主服务，以换取土地、财政支持和保护。
Like working on a farm under feudalism, constructing pyramids in ancient Egypt was likely just a typical job.
就像在封建主义统治下的农场工作一样，在古埃及建造金字塔很可能只是一种普通的工作。
