and not much economic surplus to support a bureaucratic class.

也没多少经济盈余能够维持官僚阶级
There was no separate caste of priests

没有独立的教会阶层
and there was very little concern, I don't mean any concern,

城邦里的人们很少关注来生这个概念
but very little concern with life after death

很少关注不是说完全没有关注
which was universally important in other civilizations.

此观念在当时的其他文明中是极为重要的
In this varied, dynamic, secular, and remarkably free context,

在高度自由的环境里万事欣欣向荣
there arose for the first time

人们第一次能够摆脱神学束缚
a speculative natural philosophy

做开放调查
based on observation and reason,

在观察和推理的基础上
the root of modern natural science and philosophy,

产生了思辨自然哲学
free to investigate or to ignore divinity.

这就是现代自然科学和哲学的起源
What most sets the Greeks apart is

希腊人与其他民族最大的不同