The southern part of ancient Mesopotamia — the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, in what is now southern Iraq. People lived in cities there from about 3500 BC, and it is usually called the earliest civilisation in the world, or one of the earliest. The people were the Sumerians. Their cities — Ur, Uruk, Eridu, Lagash — were separate small states, each with a temple tower called a ziggurat in the middle.

The southern part of ancient Mesopotamia古代美索不達米亞的南部 — the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers底格里斯河和幼發拉底河之間的土地, in what is now southern Iraq也就是現在的伊拉克南部。People lived in cities there人們大約從西元前3500年起就在那裡的城市定居 from about 3500 BC, and it is usually called而它通常被稱為 the earliest civilisation in the world世界上最早的文明, or one of the earliest或最早文明之一。The people當地的人 were the Sumerians就是蘇美人。Their cities他們的城市 — Ur, Uruk, Eridu, Lagash（烏爾、烏魯克、埃利都、拉格什） — were separate small states都是各自獨立的小城邦, each with每個城邦中央都有 a temple tower called a ziggurat一座被稱為 ziggurat（金字形神塔）的神廟高塔 in the middle。

Two things they are famous for. They wrote: cuneiform, wedge-shaped marks pressed into wet clay, is the oldest writing we can read, and because clay does not burn, we still have their tax records, school exercises, and the story of Gilgamesh. And they are believed to have invented the wheel, along with early work on the plough, irrigation canals, and dividing the hour into sixty minutes — that is still their number system, sitting in your watch.

Two things有兩件事 they are famous for是他們最出名的。They wrote第一，他們有文字: cuneiform楔形文字, wedge-shaped marks pressed into wet clay是壓印在濕黏土上的楔形記號, is the oldest writing we can read是我們能讀懂的最古老文字, and because clay does not burn而且因為黏土不會被燒毀, we still have我們才還保有 their tax records, school exercises, and the story of Gilgamesh他們的稅務記錄、學生習作、還有吉爾伽美什史詩。And they are believed to have invented第二，他們被認為發明了 the wheel輪子, along with early work on the plough, irrigation canals還有犁具、灌溉渠道的早期發展, and dividing the hour into sixty minutes以及把一小時分成六十分鐘 — that is still their number system這仍然是他們的數字系統, sitting in your watch如今就藏在你的手錶裡。

In English the word is a name only, used in history and museums; it is not a word you will hear in daily conversation.

In English在英文裡, the word這個詞 is a name only只是一個專有名詞, used in history and museums用在歷史和博物館的場合; it is not a word you will hear in daily conversation不是你在日常對話裡會聽到的詞。