The rise of the polis is based upon critical,

城邦的兴起是基于关键方面
economic, military,social,and political changes,

经济军事社会和政治的变革
all of which produce a world that's really strikingly different

所有的一切都造就了一个
from the one that was just before it.

与之前的时代截然不同的新世界
I suppose the first apparently historical event

我认为第一个已知的重大历史事件
that we know something about is the first Olympic Games,

就是第一次奥林匹克运动会
which according to Greek tradition

根据希腊人的口头传述
were held in 776 B.C.

那是发生在公元前七百七十六年
The precision of that,of course,

当然这个时间的精确度
is not to be taken seriously,

并没有经过严格考证
but it gives you a general idea of when we are talking about.

但是它使我们对这件事的时间有个大体的概念
What's interesting about that is the Olympic games,

奥林匹克运动会的有趣之处在于