They performed these miracles in little villages that covered less ground than four or five modern city blocks.
令人惊叹的是，他们创造了奇迹的场所，尽管是些相当于现代城市四、五个街区大小的小村庄。
And look, what finally happened!
看看最后发生了什么吧！
In the fourth century before our era, Alexander of Macedonia conquered the world. As soon as he had done with fighting, Alexander decided that he must bestow the benefits of the true Greek genius upon all mankind. He took it away from the little cities and the little villages and tried to make it blossom and bear fruit amidst the vast royal residences of his newly acquired Empire. But the Greeks, removed from the familiar sight of their own temples, removed from the well-known sounds and smells of their own crooked streets, at once lost the cheerful joy and the marvellous sense of moderation which had inspired the work of their hands and brains while they laboured for the glory of their old city-states. They became cheap artisans, content with second-rate work. The day the little city-states of old Hellas lost their independence and were forced to become part of a big nation, the old Greek spirit died. And it has been dead ever since.
公元前4世纪，马其顿的亚历山大大帝征服了全世界。一俟战事完毕，亚历山大就决意将真正的希腊精神传播给全人类。他将希腊精神从那些小村庄、小城市里带出来，努力让它们在自己新建立的辽阔帝国里开花结果。可一旦远离朝夕相处的熟悉庙宇，闻不到故乡弯曲的小巷里的亲切声响与味道，希腊人似乎一夜 之间便丧失了激发他们创造出伟大作品的生气勃勃的欢乐与良好的均衡感。他们的手和脑子失去了灵气，沦为廉价的艺匠，仅仅满足于二流的拙劣品。从古希腊的小城邦丧失独立；被迫成为一个伟大帝国的属地那天开始，古老的希腊精神即随之死去了。它永远地死去，再未曾复活过来。
