China 运河与长城·中国

The ingenuity of China has been evident in their technology for thousands of years. People in ancient China are responsible for many significant breakthroughs, including gunpowder, paper, and the compass. Readers will be introduced to the ancient beginnings of Chinas technological dominance through some of their greatest achievements in farming, astronomy, and metalworking, while a timeline guides them through ancient Chinese history. Vivid photographs and historical images augment information about the building of the Great Wall and the Grand Canal, among other technological advances. Sidebars accompanying each section add even more detail to the informative social studies and science content. Whether interested in the development of money or early writing, readers will find the advances of ancient China captivating.

中国拥有世界上最古老的、连续不断的文明，一直站在科技创新的前沿。从罗马时期到中世纪，中国的科技经由丝绸之路传播到西方。丝绸之路的名称来源于中国最伟大的出口商品之一——丝绸。中国人给世界带来了造纸术、印刷术、火药、罗盘、船舵和马具等，其中马具改进了马在交通和农业中的使用。这些创新很多是由不知名的工匠完成的，也有一些是历朝历代的官员们取得的……

Rome 最坚固的路·罗马

The ancient Romans road-building technology was so good, some of their roads are still being used! Considered in the context of their other famous construction triumphs such as the Coliseum and Hadrian’s Wall, the Roman roads are just a small piece of their technological stamp on the world. Readers will be fascinated by the many modern innovations the Romans had a hand in developing, including running toilets and the 365-day calendar. As each section focuses on a new topic, such as the Romans farming technology, sidebars add fun facts and detail to flesh out knowledge readers encounter in the classroom. Present-day photographs of artifacts and existing structures enhance the main historical content while a timeline concisely summarizes the major events of ancient Rome. Readers will be immersed in ancient Roman culture and want to know even more!

在原属于罗马帝国的领土上，到处都有古罗马人的标志：城墙和桥梁、壮观的引水渠、别墅，以及那些著名的笔直官道。罗马人是杰出的建造者，但建筑只反映了罗马帝国科学技术的一个方面。科技还在农业和食品制造、纺织品制造，以及那些令人惊叹的玻璃器皿的创作中产生影响。许多罗马的“发明”其实是采用了前人的技术，比如希腊人的技术。科技在一系列微小的改进中逐步发展，而不是大踏步前进。

Greek 神话的故乡:希腊

The buildings of ancient Greece remain some of the most famous in the world. The Parthenon and temples showcase the sophisticated construction technology of people who lived thousands of years ago and many still stand. Readers will enjoy learning more about the culture and lives of the ancient Greeks through their agricultural, artistic, and mathematical achievements. Detailed sidebars complement the main historical content, while a timeline neatly summarizes ancient Greek history. From chapters about Aristotle and Archimedes to great Greek warships, each section has full-color images and photographs to inspire readers own ingenuity.

大约从公元前1600年起，古代希腊人就居住在爱琴海地区，直到大约公元前100年，罗马帝国吞并希腊。古代希腊人可能是历*有好奇心、*思考、最有冒险精神、最有创造力和最心灵手巧的民族。尽管科技以很小的步伐一步步发展，希腊的科学家试图理解的是这些事情为什么会发生，他们享受学习的乐趣，将学习视为一种智力的挑战。

Egypt 尼罗河宝藏·埃及

Perhaps the most well known innovation of the ancient Egyptians is mummification, but they knew far more about the human body than just how to preserve it. There’s evidence that the ancient Egyptians knew how to set broken bones and that they knew a person’s pulse and heart were linked. Readers will learn about ancient Egypt’s earliest technology, from that used in medicine, to arts like pottery, glassmaking, and weaving. Through historical content and each sections accompanying sidebar, readers also will have a strong introduction to a common social studies curriculum topic: the culture of the ancient Egyptians. Up-close photographs of artifacts as well as artistic renderings of Egyptian shipbuilding, architecture, and other activities will engage readers in the ancient world of Egypt while a detailed timeline highlights important events.

古代埃及的文明持续了3000多年。在那段时期，居住在尼罗河河谷的古埃及人在科学技术上取得了巨大的进步。他们吸收了一些其他早期民族（比如美索不达米亚人）的经验，也有自己的发明，比如如何建造外表面光滑的金字塔、如何保存死者的尸体（把重要人物的尸体制作成木乃伊）等。这些技术的进步是循序渐进的，而不是大踏步的前进，或是跨越式的发展。

Mesopotamia 古老伊甸园·美索不达米亚

It’s probable that the ancient people in Mesopotamia were the first to use the wheel for transportation around 3200 BC. If that’s not impressive enough, the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon were dreamed up and executed by this ancient culture. Sure to draw readers in, the main historical content covers the many cultures of ancient Mesopotamia and their technological advances in many areas, from shipbuilding to farming. Fascinating artistic renderings of ziggurats, Mesopotamian cities, and how arrowheads were made using clay molds enhance each section, along with up-close photographs of artifacts and ancient craftwork. A helpful timeline guides readers through the major historical events of the time while sidebars offer even more detail about each chapter.

美索不达米亚并不是一个国家，这个名字表示的是位于底格里斯河和幼发拉底河之间的区域，这里被誉为“文明的摇篮”。美索不达米亚人缺乏很多重要的资源。比如，他们的木材资源很少，也几乎没有金属资源。但他们却有很多很多泥巴，这些泥巴来自底格里斯河和幼发拉底河河岸。他们用泥巴制成泥砖，建造了世界上最早的城市。他们还用泥巴制作泥板，留下了世界上最早的文字记录。凭借他们的智慧和技术，美索不达米亚人创造了世界上最早的城市文化。

Americas 神秘的玛雅·美洲

When the Spanish encountered the native people of South America in the 15th and 16th centuries, they marveled at the abundance of gold and silver. In fact, the ancient peoples of Peru began making things from gold and silver about 3,000 years ago! Readers will be as fascinated as those first Spaniards were with the inventive and useful items the Aztec, Maya, and Inca cultures created before any Europeans arrived in the Americas. From hieroglyphs and special record-keeping systems to well-developed Incan roads, the technology described adds fun and interesting scientific detail to a common subject of the social studies curriculum. Readers will find even more facts about each topic in the sidebars of each section as well as on a helpful timeline, including information about farming, communication, and transportation. Colorful photographs of buildings and artifacts as well as artistic renderings of history will draw readers into the world of the ancient Americas.

早在欧洲人来到美洲的几个世纪前，美洲的原住民们已经是出色的建造者。尽管在许多早期的美洲文明中，并没有建造石头的建筑，多数人过着游牧的生活，这导致他们留下的记录很少，但在位于今美国西南部的沙漠里、墨西哥南部与中美洲的丛林中以及安第斯山脉附近，当时居住在那里的人们已经具有了很高的手工艺水平。他们以非凡的创新能力来适应恶劣的生存环境。你会发现，科技并不是大踏步地前进的，而是在一系列微小改进的基础上逐步发生改变的。