这是在冈比西斯死之后，在一位名叫大流士的伟大君主的统治期间。

He governed the vast Persian empire – which now stretched from Egypt to the frontiers of India – in such a way that nothing happened anywhere that he himself had not decreed.

他将如今从埃及延伸至印度边境的整个巨大的波斯帝国管理得井井有条——他的政令到处都得以畅通实施。

He built roads so that his orders might be carried without delay to the furthest parts of his kingdom.

他建造道路，使他的命令立刻就能传达到帝国的四面八方，

And even his highest officials, the satraps, were spied on by informers known as 'the king's eyes and ears'.

他也使用自己的那些称为“国王的耳目”的密探监视他的那些称为地方总督的最高级官员。

Darius now began to extend his empire out into Asia Minor, along whose coasts lay the cities of the Ionian Greeks.

这个大流士还把帝国扩展到小亚细亚，那些伊安尼尔人的希腊城市便坐落在小亚细亚的海岸。

Now the Greeks were not used to being part of a great empire,

那时希腊人根本不习惯从属于一个大帝国并听命于一个君主，

with a ruler who sent orders from God knows where in the heart of Asia, expecting instant obedience.

这个君主在亚洲中心的天知道的什么地方发布命令。

Many of the people who lived in the Greek colonies were rich merchants,

希腊殖民地的居民大都是富有的商人，

used to running their own affairs and making their own decisions about the administration of their cities, jointly and independently.

他们习惯共同或独立自主地安排和处理他们的市政事务。