1.We can read of things that happened 5,000 years ago in the Near East, where people first learned to write.
我们从书籍中可读到5,000年前近东发生的事情，那里的人最早学会了写字。
read of读到，看到，阅悉
where是定语从句，修饰in the Near East.
first第一次学习写字。the first to do sth第一个做某事的人。
2.The only way that they can preserve their history is to recount it as sagas -- legends handed down from one generation of another.
他们保存历史的唯一办法是将历史当作传说讲述，由讲述人一代接一代地将史实描述为传奇故事口传下来。
hand down传下来，宣布。除此之外，还有一个意思：很轻松得赢得……
Jason didn't put in his full effort and he still won hands down.
杰森并未尽全力, 却也轻松获胜。
to recount it as sagas是表语。表语既可以用名词，也可用动名词，不定式或从句。但是这里的主语中含有Only,表语只能用不定式形式。
3.These legends are useful because they can tell us something about migrations of people who lived long ago, but none could write down what they did.
这些传说是有用的，因为他们告诉我们很久以前生活在这里的移民的一些事情，但是没有人能写下来。
who lived long ago是定语从句，修饰people。
write down写下来，记下来，记录
You may write down sth important and special on your notes.
你们可以在自己的笔记本上记录一些较为重要和特殊的内容。
