The First Written Laws: Hammurabi’s Code in Ancient Babylon

课文

1. Around 1754 BCE, King Hammurabi of Babylon ordered his laws to be carved on a tall stone pillar.

   约公元前1754年，巴比伦国王汉谟拉比下令将他的法律刻在一根高大的石柱上。

2. This code contained nearly 282 rules covering crime, trade, family life, and workers’ rights.

   该法典包含近282条规则，涵盖犯罪、贸易、家庭生活和劳动者权利等方面。

3. Many laws followed the principle of ‘an eye for an eye’, meaning punishment matched the harm done.

   许多条款遵循‘以眼还眼’原则，即刑罚与所造成的伤害相匹配。

4. Scribes copied the text onto clay tablets so more people could read or study it.

   书吏将条文抄写在泥板上，以便更多人阅读或研习。

5. Unlike earlier oral traditions, this code made justice visible, predictable, and publicly accessible.

   与早期口传传统不同，这部法典使司法变得可见、可预期且公开可及。

6. It did not treat all citizens equally—nobles, commoners, and slaves faced different penalties.

   但它并未平等对待所有公民——贵族、平民和奴隶所受处罚各不相同。

7. Still, it showed early efforts to limit rulers’ power through written standards.

   尽管如此，它仍体现了通过成文标准限制统治者权力的早期尝试。

8. Modern legal systems still echo its idea that laws should be clear and known to everyone.

   现代法律体系依然回响着其核心理念：法律应清晰明确，并为所有人所知。