From the Rio Grande（格蘭德河）to the southern continent extends（延伸）the great land bridge connecting North and South America, forming（構(gòu)成）a region（地區(qū)）which might properly（適當(dāng)?shù)?；正確地；恰當(dāng)?shù)兀゜e called Middle America.?This region divides naturally into several sections（地區(qū)）.?To the north is the body of Mexico, its coastal（沿海的；海岸的）lands mounting（增加；上升）abruptly（突然地；唐突地）on the western side, but rising more gradually（逐步地；漸漸地）on the eastern littoral（沿海地區(qū)）toward the broad（寬的，遼闊的；顯著的；大概的）central plateau（高原）, the shape of which — roughly（粗糙地；概略地）triangular（三角的，[數(shù)] 三角形的；三人間的）, with its apex（頂點(diǎn)；尖端）in the?lofty（高的；崇高的）mountains of the south — conforms（符合；一致的；順從的）to that of the whole land north of the Isthmus （地峽）of Tehuantepec（特萬(wàn)特佩克）.?Next to this is the low-lying（低洼的）peninsular（半島的）region of Yucatan, ascending（上升；登高；追溯）into mountains toward the Pacific, and forming（形成，構(gòu)成）a great broadening（擴(kuò)展，增寬）of the southward（向南的；在南方的）tapering（使逐漸變窄；逐漸減少）land.?A second bulge（脹；膨脹；凸出部分）is Central America, lying between the Gulf（海灣；深淵；分歧；漩渦）of Honduras（洪都拉斯）and the?Mosquito Gulf（蚊子灣）, and terminating（結(jié)束，終止；結(jié)果）in the thin?Isthmus（地峽）forming an arc（弧（度）；弧光 全稱(chēng)electric arc；弧形物；天穹）about the Bay of Panama（巴拿馬灣）.?

在格蘭德河與南方大陸間延伸出的連接南北美洲的大陸橋構(gòu)成了被稱(chēng)為中美洲的地區(qū)。這一地區(qū)通常被劃分為以下幾個(gè)部分。北部是墨西哥的主體部分，從其西部沿海至形狀恰好契合南部特萬(wàn)特佩克地峽的廣闊中央高原（大致呈三角形，頂峰位于其南部的山脈上），高度陡增，東部的高度則增加的更加平緩。其下，是低洼的尤卡坦半島，靠近太平洋的部分逐步增高，形成了北寬南窄的地區(qū)（形成了逐步增寬，向南逐步變窄的地區(qū)）。第二個(gè)凸出部分便是中美洲，位于洪都拉斯灣與蚊子灣之間，止步于巴拿馬灣的弧形狹窄地峽。

The physiography（地文學(xué)，地相學(xué)；自然地理學(xué)；自然現(xiàn)象志）of the region is an Index （指標(biāo)；指數(shù)；索引；指針）to its?pre-Columbian（前哥倫布時(shí)期）ethnography（民族志；人種志；人種學(xué)）.?The northern portion（部分；一份；命運(yùn)）, including Lower California （下加利福尼亞）and, roughly, the mainlands in its?latitudes（緯度 ，某一緯度地區(qū)）, was a region of wild tribes（部落）, the best of them much?inferior（差的；自卑的；下級(jí)的，下等的）in culture to the Pueblo（普韋布洛）Indians on the Gila（希拉河）and the upper Rio Grande, and the lowest as destitute （窮困的；無(wú)的；缺乏的）of arts as any in America.?Yuman （尤馬）and Waicurian？tribes in Lower California; Seri?on the Island of TIburon?and the neighbouring mainland; PIman?in the north central and western mainlands; Apache?In the desert-like lands south of the Rio Grande; and Tamaulipecan?on the east, coasting the Gulf of Mexico — these are the principal（主要的）groups of this region, peoples whose ideas （想法；主意；概念）and myths differ little from those of their kindred （家族；相似；親屬關(guān)系）groups of the arid （干旱的；不毛的）South-west of North America.?The Piman?group, however, possesses（擁有，掌握）a special interest in that it forms a possible?connexion（連接，聯(lián)系）between the Shoshonean?to the north and the Nahuatlan?nations of the Aztec world.?Such peoples as the Papago, Yaqui, Tarahumare, and Tepehuane are the wilder cousins of the Nahua, while the Tepecano, Hulchol, and Cora tribes, just to the south, distinctly（明顯地；無(wú)疑地，確實(shí)地）show Aztec acculturation（文化適應(yīng)；文化移入；文化互滲）.?In general, the Mexican tribes north of the?Tropic（回歸線(xiàn)）?of Cancer（巨蟹；癌癥）?belong, in habit and thought, with the groups of the South-West of the northern continent; ethnically（人種上；民族上）, Middle America falls south of the Tropic.?

本地區(qū)的自然地理可謂是對(duì)本地前哥倫布諸民族的指針。北部，包含下加利福尼亞和回歸線(xiàn)附近的大陸區(qū)域，是諸多原始部落的所在地，其中文明程度最高的也不過(guò)是位于希拉河和格蘭德河下游的普韋布洛人的水準(zhǔn)，最低的同其他原住民一樣缺乏藝術(shù)。Yuman 和Waicurian部落位于下加利福尼亞；Seri 位于蒂伯龍島和其附近的大陸上；PIman位于大陸正北方和西方；Apache位于格蘭德河以南的荒蕪地域；Tamaulipecan位于東部的墨西哥灣沿岸地域——這些是這一地區(qū)的主要部落，這些人的各式神話(huà)和傳統(tǒng)觀念與他們?cè)诒泵乐尬髂喜康挠H緣族群差異極小。但Piman部落卻在此間握有一種特殊的？興趣？，這構(gòu)筑了在北方的Shoshonean和阿茲特克世界的Nahuatlan 之間的一種可能的聯(lián)系。諸如Papago, Yaqui, Tarahumare, Tepehuane等部落是Nahua的更為野性的表親，盡管Tepecano, Hulchol和 Cora 部落確實(shí)表現(xiàn)出了部分為阿茲特克文化影響的痕跡（僅在其南部）?？偟膩?lái)說(shuō)，回歸線(xiàn)以北的墨西哥諸部落？巨蟹星空下？在文化風(fēng)俗和思想方面可以歸屬于北美洲西南地區(qū)；但在人種上，中美地區(qū)仍歸屬于回歸線(xiàn)以南的族群。

Below this line, extending（延伸；擴(kuò)大；推廣；伸展）as far as the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, is the region dominated（主導(dǎo)，控制，支配）by the empire of the Aztec, marked（標(biāo)志；做標(biāo)記于）?by the civilization which?bears（忍受，承受；相稱(chēng)表現(xiàn)；帶有?）their name.?As a matter of fact, although at the time of the culmination（頂點(diǎn)；高潮；中天）?of their power this whole region was politically（政治上）subordinated（把…列入下級(jí)；使居次要地位）to the Aztec (It was not completely conquered by them), it contained several centres（中心）of culture, each in degree（程度，等級(jí)；度；學(xué)位；階層）distinct（明顯的；獨(dú)特的；清楚的；有區(qū)別的）. To the north, about the Panuco, were the Huastec, a branch（分支；分公司；分部；樹(shù)枝；支流；岔路；（血管）分枝）of the Maya stock（股份，股票；庫(kù)存；血統(tǒng)；樹(shù)干；家畜）; while immediately（立即，立刻；直接地）south of them, and also on the Gulf Coast, were the Totonac, possibly of Maya kinship（親屬關(guān)系，家屬關(guān)系；親密關(guān)系）. The central highlands, immediately west of these peoples, were occupied by the OtomI, primitive（原始的，遠(yuǎn)古的；簡(jiǎn)單的，粗糙的）and warlike（戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)的；好戰(zhàn)的；有戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)危險(xiǎn)的）foes（敵人；反對(duì)者；危害物）of the Aztec emperors. On their west, in turn（反過(guò)來(lái)；轉(zhuǎn)而；輪流，依次）, the Otomi?had a common frontier（前沿；邊界；國(guó)境）with Nahuatlan?tribes — Hulchol, Cora,?and others — forming a transitional（變遷的；過(guò)渡期的）group between the wild tribes of the north and the civilized Nahua. Quite（很；相當(dāng)；完全）surrounded by Nahuatlan?and Otomian?tribes was the Tarascan?stock of Michoacan, a group of peoples whose culture certainly antedates（先于；前于）that of the Nahua, of whom, indeed, they may have been the teachers. Still to the south —their territories（地區(qū)；領(lǐng)土；邊疆區(qū)）nearly conterminous（相接的；連接的；同一延伸的）with the state of Oaxaca?—were the Zapotecan?peoples, chief among them the Zapotec?and Mixtec, whose civilization ranks with those of Nahua?and Maya in individual（個(gè)人的；個(gè)別的；獨(dú)特的）quality, while in native vitality（活力，生氣；生命力，生動(dòng)性）it has proved stronger than either.

從此線(xiàn)延伸至特萬(wàn)特佩克地峽的廣大地區(qū)為阿茲特克帝國(guó)所支配？并被以其名所稱(chēng)呼的文明留下了深刻的印記？事實(shí)上，即便是在其力量鼎盛時(shí)期，這一地區(qū)也僅是其政治上的附屬?lài)?guó)。（并未被其完全征服）這一地區(qū)仍然包含著數(shù)個(gè)？具有獨(dú)特？程度？階層？的文化中心。在北方，？臨近？帕奴可的瓦斯特克，是瑪雅主干的一個(gè)分支；就在其南方，同樣是/也是在海灣地區(qū)，是可能與瑪雅有親屬關(guān)系的托托納克。在中央高地，即是在正西方的那些人，他們?yōu)閵W托米人所征服，奧托米人是阿茲特克統(tǒng)治者們的原始而又善戰(zhàn)的敵人。反過(guò)來(lái)看奧托米人的西部，他們與納瓦人部落——Hulchol, Cora和其他一些部落——有著很正常的邊界，這構(gòu)成了北部的原始部落和更文明的納瓦人之間的過(guò)渡性部落群。為奧托米人和納瓦人所完全包圍的是位于米卻肯的塔拉斯科人主干，這些人的文明先于納瓦人，或許是納瓦人某種程度上的老師。仍在南部，他們的土地與瓦哈卡相連，瓦哈卡人屬于薩巴特克人，其他薩巴特克人和米斯特克人串雜在其間，他們的文化同納瓦人和瑪雅人相比更注重個(gè)人，在個(gè)人的身體素質(zhì)方面他們被證明優(yōu)于其他部族。

The Zoquean?tribes (Mixe, Zoque, and others), back from（回歸，退回）the Gulf of Tehuantepec, form a transition（過(guò)渡；轉(zhuǎn)變）to the next great culture centre, that of the Maya nations. The territories （地區(qū)；領(lǐng)土；邊疆區(qū)）of this most?remarkable（卓越的；非凡的；值得注意的）of all American civilizations Included the whole of Yucatan, the greater portions（部分；一份；命運(yùn)）of Tabasco, Chiapas, and Guatemala, and the lands bordering（接近；接界；近似）on both sides of the Gulf of Honduras. Thus（因此；從而；這樣；如此）the Mayan regions dominate the strategy（戰(zhàn)略，策略）of the Americas, since they not only control the juncture（接縫；連接；接合；特定時(shí)刻，關(guān)頭；交接處，接合點(diǎn)；音渡）of the continents, but, stretching（（柔軟或彈性物）伸展；拉緊；（使）過(guò)分延長(zhǎng)；（資金、資源）足夠；大量要求；（使）最大限度利用（才能）；夸大；延續(xù)）out toward the Greater Antilles（安的列斯群島）, command（命令；統(tǒng)率（陸軍、海軍等）；值得（同情、尊重等）；俯瞰；控制（情感）；掌握，擁有）the passage（一段（文章）；走廊；通路；通過(guò)；旅程，行程；船費(fèi)）between the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. It is easily conceivable（可想像的；可相信的）that, had a free maritime（海運(yùn)的，航海的，海事的；近海的，沿海的）commerce（貿(mào)易；商業(yè)；商務(wù)）grown up, the Maya might have become, not merely（僅僅，只不過(guò)；只是）the Greeks, but the Romans, of the New World.

Zoquean部落（包含Mixe, Zoque和其他一些部落），退回了特萬(wàn)特佩克地峽，這構(gòu)成了像下一個(gè)偉大的文化中心的過(guò)渡，？這歸屬于？瑪雅諸國(guó)。這一在所有美洲文明中最為卓越的國(guó)家領(lǐng)土包含了整個(gè)尤卡坦，塔巴斯科、恰帕斯和危地馬拉的一大部分，？領(lǐng)土的邊界與洪都拉斯灣的兩邊均相接？因此，瑪雅控制了美洲的？戰(zhàn)略要地？他們不僅控制了大陸的連接點(diǎn)，并且延長(zhǎng)至了大安的列斯群島，控制了位于墨西哥灣和加勒比海之間的走廊。很容易構(gòu)想，在這一區(qū)域內(nèi)的海洋自由貿(mào)易的興起，瑪雅或許能成為，不僅僅像是新世界的希臘，而更像是新世界的羅馬的國(guó)度。

Central America, occupied by no less than a dozen distinct（明顯的；獨(dú)特的；清楚的；有區(qū)別的）linguistic（語(yǔ)言的；語(yǔ)言學(xué)的）stocks（股份，股票；庫(kù)存；血統(tǒng)；樹(shù)干；家畜）, forms a fourth cultural district.Its peoples show not only the influences of the Maya and Nahua to the north (a tribe of the Nahuatlan stock had?penetrated（鞭辟入里）as far south as Lake Nicaragua), but also of the Chibchan（奇布查）civilization?of the southern continent, dominant（顯性的；占優(yōu)勢(shì)的；支配的，統(tǒng)治的）In the Isthmus of Panama, and extending beyond Costa Rica up into Nicaragua. In addition（另外，此外）, there is more than a suggestion of influence from the Antilles（安的列斯群島）and from the sea-faring（航海的）Carib（加勒比人）. Here, we can truly say, is the meeting-place（會(huì)場(chǎng)；聚會(huì)地點(diǎn)）of the continents.

中美洲，為不少于一打的具有獨(dú)特語(yǔ)言學(xué)血統(tǒng)的民族所占據(jù)，？構(gòu)筑了文明第四起源？這些民族不僅僅展現(xiàn)出瑪雅人和納瓦人對(duì)北方的影響（納瓦人的一支部落，遠(yuǎn)至尼加拉瓜湖南，仍有發(fā)現(xiàn)），也展現(xiàn)出對(duì)南方大陸的奇布查文明的影響，在巴拿馬地峽居于統(tǒng)治性地位，其拓展超出了哥斯達(dá)黎加遠(yuǎn)至尼加拉瓜。此外，不止一條證據(jù)可以證明其對(duì)安的列斯群島和航海民族加勒比人的影響。這里，我們可以說(shuō)，是正片大陸的“文明會(huì)場(chǎng)”/文明聚集點(diǎn)。

The nodes（節(jié)點(diǎn)；瘤；[數(shù)] 叉點(diǎn)）of interest in the culture and history of Middle America are the Aztec and Maya civilizations, which are justly（公正地；正當(dāng)?shù)?；恰?dāng)?shù)兀徽钡兀﹔egarded（注重，考慮；看待；尊敬；把…看作；與…有關(guān)）as marking the highest attainment（達(dá)到；成就；學(xué)識(shí)）of native Americans.?Neither Aztec nor Maya could vie（爭(zhēng)奪，激烈競(jìng)爭(zhēng)）with the Peruvian（秘魯人的；秘魯?shù)模﹑eoples In the engineering（工程，工程學(xué)）and political（政治的；黨派的）skill which made the empire of the Incas such a marvel of organization; but in the general level of the arts, in the intricacy（錯(cuò)綜，復(fù)雜；難以理解）of their science, and above all in the possession（擁有；財(cái)產(chǎn)；領(lǐng)地；自制；著迷）of systems of hieroglyphic（象形文字的；（尤指藝術(shù)）風(fēng)格化的；似象形文字的）writing and of monumental（不朽的；紀(jì)念碑的；非常的）records（記錄，記載；唱片；（過(guò)去的）經(jīng)歷，履歷；紀(jì)錄，最佳成績(jī)；前科，犯罪記錄）the Middle Americans had touched a level properly comparable（類(lèi)似的，可比較的；同等的，相當(dāng)?shù)模﹚ith the earliest civilizations of the Old World, nor can theirs have been vastly（非常，極其；極大地，廣大地；深遠(yuǎn)地）later than Old World culture In origin.

對(duì)中美洲歷史與文化的興趣節(jié)點(diǎn)是阿茲特克文明和瑪雅文明，它們被恰當(dāng)?shù)恼J(rèn)為是美洲原住民中取得最高成就的民族。無(wú)論是阿茲特克人還是瑪雅人都可以與秘魯人在工程和政治技巧上一較高下——這是使印加帝國(guó)成為如此令人驚奇的國(guó)家組織的原因，但在藝術(shù)上的總體等級(jí)、他們令人難以理解的科學(xué)技術(shù)和？他們?nèi)康牧钊酥缘?？象形文字和紀(jì)念碑形式的記錄，中美洲人達(dá)到了一個(gè)或許可以與舊世界的最早期的文明相提并論的水平，？他們?cè)跁r(shí)間上非常晚于舊世界文明的起源？