S013-03 美索不达米亚文明 Mesopotamia Culture
重点词汇：
engrave vt. 雕刻；刻画
【固】engrave her name on this medal.在这块奖牌上 雕刻她的名字。
【形】en+grave

identify vt认出 鉴定
【同】find out
【根】（ident) = same -样；ident+ify ；. ident+ical

identical 完全一样的

clay n 粘土，泥土

cylinder n.圆柱体，圆筒；汽缸

transaction n.交易，业务
【固】business ~商业交易
【缀根】trans+act+ion (跨越+行动）

原音重现：
With the development of trade, the Sumerians invented the concept of the contract. Cylindrical stone seals were carved and finely engraved with a negative bas-relief. When a contract was entered into or goods needed to be identified, the cylinder was rolled in clay. The mark it left on the clay sealed the transaction. That was also how the Sumerians, who held contracts in great esteem, began to make laws.
随着贸易的发展，苏美尔人发明了合同的概念。圆柱形的石章精心雕琢了一副向内凹的浮雕，当天需要订立合同或者确认商品时，把印章在粘土上滚转一圈，留下浮雕图案就证明交易的成立。十分敬重合同的苏美尔人也是用这个方法制定法律的。