第6节 (第2/2页)

efoundastone

    .likeeverythingelsei

    ithlittlefigures.butthisparticularslabof

    blackbasaltanythingthathadeverbeen

    disvered.itcarriedthreeinscriptions.ohesewas

    ihegreeklanguagehatis

    necessary,sohereasoned,``istoparethegreektexth

    theegyptianfigures,andtheyoheirsecrets.

    theplansoundedsileenoughbutittookrethan

    
    professorbythenaofchaolliooparethe

    greekandtheegyptiasofthefausrosettastone.in

    theyear18addisveredtheaning

    offourteenlittlefigures.ashorttilaterhediedfrobr>

    overainprinciplesofegyptianinghad

    beekoryofthevalleyofthenileis

    betterknoississippiriver.

    enrerdhousandyears

    oficledhistory.

    astheaegyptianhieroglyphicstheeans

    ``sacredinghaveplayedsuchaverygreatrolein

    history,afeindifiedforaveevenfoundtheir

    ething

    abouttheingenioussysteturiesago

    topreservethespokening

    geions.

    ofurse,youknoasignlanguageis.every

    indianstoryofoureplainshasachapterdevotedto

    strangessagesoflittlepicturesh

    tellhoanybuffaloesanyhunters

    thereainparty.asaruleitisnotdifficultto

    uandtheaningofsuchssages.

    aegyptian,hoasignlanguage.the

    cleverpeopleofthenilehadpassedbeyondthatstagelong

    before.theirpicturesantagreatdealrethantheobject

    heyrepresented,asishalltrytoexplaintoyounow.

    supposethatyoupollion,andthatyouwere

    exaningastackofpapyrussheets,allveredhhieroglyphics.

    suddenlyyouanh

    asaeansofursethat

    afarrouttocutdoree.thenyoutakeanother

    papyrus.ittellsthestoryofaqueentheage

    ofeightytidstofasentenceappearsthepicture

    ofthehandle

    saustansothingelse.but

    thatistheriddleanfinallysolved.

    hedisveredthattheegyptianshefirsttouse

    oftersh

    reproducethe``soundorphohespokenwordand

    akeitpossibleforustotranslateallourspokenwords

    intoa,hthehelpofonlyafesanddashes

    andpothooks.

    letusretuforanttothelittlefellohthesaw.

    theeaaintoolhyouwillfind

    ihepastteheverb

    ``tosee.

    thisishadhappeheheurse

    ofeantonlytheparticulartool

    eaninghadbeenlostandit

    ...