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 victorious campaigns, they were received with great jubilation.

　　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。

　　Alas 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 wholesale 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 simplicity 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 doomed to disastrous 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 Mediterranean.

　　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 foe.

　　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 bondage 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 obstinate 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。