In the Egyptian religion, certain animals were sacred: cats, for example.

在埃及的宗教中，有些动物也是神圣的，譬如猫。

Other gods were represented in animal form.

人们把某些神描绘为动物的形态。

The creature we know as the Sphinx, which has a human head on a lion's body, was a verypowerful god.

这个有着狮子身体和人的脑袋的怪物，我们称之为"司芬克斯"，是一位威力巨大的神。

Its statue near the pyramids is so vast that a whole temple would fit inside.

它的巨大的雕像摆放在金字塔近旁，它大得足可以容纳下整座庙宇。

Buried from time to time by the desert sands, the Sphinx has now been guarding the tombs ofthe pharaohs for more than 5,000 years.

神一直守护着法老们的坟墓到现在已有5000多年，沙漠里的沙土则时不时地将它掩盖。

Who can say how long it will continue to keep watch?

谁知道，它还将在那里守护多久?