美国学生人类历史 第91期:罗马帝国的故事(1)

 　　Chapter 24

　　第二十四章

　　The roman empire

　　罗马帝国的故事

　　How the republic of Rome after centuries of unrest and revolution become an empire

　　罗马共和国历经数世纪的动乱和革命，终于变成了罗马帝国

　　When the Roman armies returned from these many victorious¹ campaigns, they were received with great jubilation².

　　罗马军队从一连串的辉煌胜利中凯旋，罗马人举行盛大的游行和狂欢来欢迎他们。

　　Alas³ and alack! this sudden glory did not make the country any happier.

　　可惜，这种突然的荣耀，并未让人民的生活变得幸福一些。

　　On the contrary. The endless campaigns had ruined the farmers who had been obliged to do the hard work of Empire making.

　　相反，绵延不绝的征战使农夫们疲于应付国家的兵役，使农事荒芜，毁掉了他们的正常生活。

　　It had placed too much power in the hands of the successful generals (and their private friends) who had used the war as an excuse for wholesale⁴ robbery.

　　通过战争，那些功勋卓著的将军及他们的亲朋好友掌握了太大的权力。他们以战争之名，行大捞个人利益之实。

　　The old Roman Republic had been proud of the simplicity⁵ which had characterised the lives of her famous men.

　　古老的罗马共和国崇尚简朴，许多著名人士都过着非常朴素的生活。

　　The new Republic felt ashamed of the shabby coats and the high principles which had been fashionable in the days of its grandfathers.

　　可如今的共和国却追求奢侈浮华，耻于简朴的物质生活，早把先辈时代流行的崇高的生活准则丢到了九霄云外。

　　It became a land of rich people ruled by rich people for the benefit of rich people.

　　罗马变成了一个由富人统治、为富人谋利、被富人享有的地方。

　　As such it was doomed⁶ to disastrous⁷ failure, as I shall now tell you.

　　这样一来，它便注定要以灾难性的结局而告终的。现在我就将告诉你们。

　　Within less than a century and a half. Rome had become the mistress of practically all the land around the Mediterranean⁸.

　　在短短不到150年的时间里，罗马事实上成为了地中海沿岸所有土地的主人。

　　In those early days of history a prisoner of war lost his freedom and became a slave.

　　在早期历史中，作为一名战俘，其命运肯定是失去自由 ，被卖为奴隶。

　　The Roman regarded war as a very serious business and he showed no mercy to a conquered foe⁹.

　　罗马人将战争视为生死存亡的事情，对被征服的敌人毫无怜悯之心。

　　After the fall of Carthage, the Carthaginian women and children were sold into bondage¹⁰ together with their own slaves.

　　迦太基陷落后，当地的妇女和儿童被捆绑着，与他们的奴隶一起被卖为奴隶。

　　And a like fate awaited the obstinate¹¹ inhabitants of Greece and Macedonia and Spain and Syria when they dared to revolt against the Roman power.

　　对那些敢于反抗罗马统治的希腊人、马其顿人、西班牙人、叙利亚人，等待他们的是同样的结局。

1 victorious   

adj.胜利的，得胜的

参考例句：

• We are certain to be victorious.我们定会胜利。
• The victorious army returned in triumph.获胜的部队凯旋而归。

2 jubilation   

n.欢庆，喜悦

参考例句：

• The goal was greeted by jubilation from the home fans.主场球迷为进球欢呼。
• The whole city was a scene of jubilation.全市一片欢腾。

3 alas   

int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等)

参考例句：

• Alas!The window is broken!哎呀！窗子破了！
• Alas,the truth is less romantic.然而，真理很少带有浪漫色彩。

4 wholesale   

n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售

参考例句：

• The retail dealer buys at wholesale and sells at retail.零售商批发购进货物，以零售价卖出。
• Such shoes usually wholesale for much less.这种鞋批发出售通常要便宜得多。

5 simplicity   

n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯

参考例句：

• She dressed with elegant simplicity.她穿着朴素高雅。
• The beauty of this plan is its simplicity.简明扼要是这个计划的一大特点。

6 doomed   

命定的

参考例句：

• The court doomed the accused to a long term of imprisonment. 法庭判处被告长期监禁。
• A country ruled by an iron hand is doomed to suffer. 被铁腕人物统治的国家定会遭受不幸的。

7 disastrous   

adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的

参考例句：

• The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。
• Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨，血本无归。

8 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

9 foe   

n.敌人，仇敌

参考例句：

• He knew that Karl could be an implacable foe.他明白卡尔可能会成为他的死敌。
• A friend is a friend;a foe is a foe;one must be clearly distinguished from the other.敌是敌，友是友，必须分清界限。

10 bondage   

n.奴役，束缚

参考例句：

• Masters sometimes allowed their slaves to buy their way out of bondage.奴隶主们有时允许奴隶为自己赎身。
• They aim to deliver the people who are in bondage to superstitious belief.他们的目的在于解脱那些受迷信束缚的人。

11 obstinate   

adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的

参考例句：

• She's too obstinate to let anyone help her.她太倔强了，不会让任何人帮她的。
• The trader was obstinate in the negotiation.这个商人在谈判中拗强固执。