You don't need me to tell you that human civilization is very, very old.

人类的文明是非常非常古老的,这不用我来告诉大家了吧。

耶鲁公开课 - 旧约导论课程节选

This civilization, like these other ancient Mediterranean kingdoms, was rather advanced.

这样的文明,与其它古老的地中海文明类似,是相当先进发达的

耶鲁公开课 - 古希腊历史简介课程节选

So you have trade with the Mediterranean and most especially the eastern Mediterranean, because that's where the older, more sophisticated, more civilized cultures were and that's where wealth was too, compared to what was out in the west.

由此你知道了他们与地中海,特别是地中海东部地区有贸易往来,因为在那里有比西方更古老,更先进,更教化的文明,同时相比西方而言,那里也是富裕之地

耶鲁公开课 - 古希腊历史简介课程节选