Mesopotamia is the old name for the land around two rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates — mostly in today's Iraq, with edges in Syria, Turkey and nearby country. It is not a country on a modern map. You cannot fly to Mesopotamia the way you fly to Iraq; you are naming a place in the deep past.

Mesopotamia美索不達米亞 is the old name for the land around two rivers是「兩條河附近那片土地」的古名, the Tigris and the Euphrates也就是底格里斯河和幼發拉底河 — mostly in today's Iraq大部分在今天的伊拉克, with edges in Syria, Turkey and nearby country邊緣延伸到敘利亞、土耳其和附近地區。on a modern map在現代地圖上 It is not a country它不是一個國家。You cannot fly to Mesopotamia你沒辦法飛到美索不達米亞 the way you fly to Iraq像飛到伊拉克那樣; you are naming a place in the deep past你講的是一個屬於遙遠過去的地方。

The name is Greek, not what the first people there called their home. It means 'between rivers'.

The name is Greek這個名字是希臘文, not what the first people there called their home不是最早住在那裡的人自己對家鄉的稱呼; It means 'between rivers'意思是「兩河之間」。

Textbooks love a tidy line: here the world's first cities were built, and writing, laws on stone, and big temples grew. Sumer, Babylon and Assyria are the names you will meet.

Textbooks love a tidy line教科書喜歡一個整齊的說法: here the world's first cities were built世界上最早的城市在這裡建立, and writing, laws on stone, and big temples grew文字、刻在石頭上的法律，還有大型神廟也在這裡發展出來。Sumer, Babylon and Assyria are the names you will meet你會遇到蘇美、巴比倫和亞述這些名字。

People also say 'cradle of civilisation', as if city life began only here. That is tidier than the truth. Egypt, the Indus Valley and China had early cities too. Mesopotamia is one of the earliest we can see clearly, and one of the most famous — not the only beginning.

People also say 'cradle of civilisation'人們也會說這裡是「文明的搖籃」, as if city life began only here好像城市生活只從這裡開始。That is tidier than the truth這種說法比事實還整齊。Egypt, the Indus Valley and China had early cities too埃及、印度河流域和中國也有很早的城市。Mesopotamia is one of the earliest we can see clearly美索不達米亞是我們能清楚看到的最早例子之一, and one of the most famous也是最有名的之一 — not the only beginning但不是唯一的起點。

You meet the word in history class, in museums, and in talk about ancient Iraq. It always wants a capital M.

You meet the word你會遇到這個字 in history class, in museums, and in talk about ancient Iraq在歷史課、博物館，還有談論古伊拉克的場合裡。It always wants a capital M它的字首一定要大寫 M。