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They recognized it even further
建立者們在發明美國政府時
when they invented the American government.
進一步采用了羅馬傳統
The senior House of the United States legislature
美國立法機關的上院
is named the Senate, the same
被稱作參議院
as the Roman's senior legislative body.
和羅馬高級立法機關的名字一樣
The chief executive of the United States
美國的首席行政長官
is the president, a term derived from
被稱作總統，這個詞來自
the Latin verb praesidio,
拉丁語的動詞praesidio
which means to sit at the front.
意思是坐在前排
The chief executive of every state is the governor,
每個州的行政長官是州長
this is derived from the Latin noun gubernator,
來自拉丁語的名詞gubernator
which is itself derived from the Greek noun
這個詞源于希臘名詞
kybernetes or steersman.
kybernetes或steersman
The democratic ideals developed,
民主思想得到發展
even if they were not always actually practiced,
盡管羅馬人和希臘人沒有
by the Romans and ancient Greeks
在實際中應用這些理論
formed the basis of American citizenship to this day.
但是這些思想形成了美國今天的公民身份
Questions of cultural influence aside,
撇開文化影響的問題不看
it's not hard to see a common bond
不難發現古羅馬人
between ancient Romans and modern Americans.
和現代美國人的共同點
From ancient Roman literature, primarily poetry,
從古羅馬文獻，主要是詩，可以看到
we know that the Romans enjoyed
我們知道羅馬人
the ancient form of situation comedies,
喜歡古老形式的情景喜劇
that they were very fond of violent contact sports
他們喜歡暴力的身體接觸項目
and that they took great pride
羅馬人為國家的軍事成就
in their nation's military achievements.
感到自豪
Archeology teaches us that the ancient Romans
考古學告訴我們古羅馬人
built roads and buildings everywhere
在各地建造公路和建筑
and built them to last.
而且這些設施通過了時間的考驗
And that they were very fond of a sauce called garum,
他們很喜歡一種叫魚醬油的醬
made from the squeezings of rancid fish guts.
是壓榨腐臭的魚內臟做成的
Wherever you find Roman settlements,
在羅馬人居住的地方
you will find busted up jars of garum.
總能發現打破的罐子中裝著魚醬油
The ancient Romans, like us,
古羅馬人，和我們一樣
were very skeptical of their politicians.
對政治家持懷疑態度
And later on, they were skeptical of their emperors.
之后，他們對皇帝持懷疑態度
That did not, however, keep Roman politics
但是，這樣并沒有阻止
from being a blood sport
羅馬政治成為流血運動
complete with rioting in the streets.
同時伴隨著街上的暴亂
No matter how downtrodden
不管羅馬的下層社會
the Roman lower classes might be,
如何被踐踏
a Roman politician or Roman emperor
羅馬政治家或者羅馬皇帝
who didn't take the people seriously
如果不認真對待民眾
often came to a bad end.
就不會有好結果
On the one hand, the ancient Romans
一方面，古羅馬人
were fixated on the importance of
念念不忘保持光輝國家傳統
upholding their glorious national traditions,
的重要性，所謂的
the so-called mos maiorum or ways of the ancestors. mos maiorum
或祖先的方法
Consider this a warning, I will use the term
提醒一句，這學期，我會
mos maiorum over and over again this semester.
不停地使用mos maiorum
On the other hand, the ancient Romans
另一方面，古羅馬人
were almost always quite tolerant
對新的民族和新方法
of new peoples and new ways,
非常寬容
and even of new religions,
對新的宗教也很寬容
provided these new religions didn't offend
前提是這些新的宗教不會
the mos maiorum, look I said it again, too much.
觸犯mos maiorum，又說了一次
Rome's two millennia of growth, decline and fall
羅馬的發展，衰落和消亡歷經兩千年
have fascinated historians to this very day.
這一切至今還吸引歷史學家
Over its more than 2 thousand years of existence,
存在的兩千多年時間中
Rome passed from near utter insignificance
羅馬從無足輕重的地方
to a regional power,
變成了地區大國
from a regional power to a world power
從地區大國變成了世界大國
and from a world power
從世界大國變成了
to the most powerful nation of its day,
當時最強大的國家
perhaps of any time.
也許是人類歷史上最強大的國家
Upon becoming the most powerful nation of its day,
自從成了當時最強大的國家
internal distress in the time of Christ
耶穌時期的國內貧困
forced Rome to change from democracy to
迫使羅馬從民主制
something called the Principate,
轉向元首統治
monarchy wrapped up in the package of a democracy.
表面是民主，內核是君主政體
For nearly 2 centuries,
在接近兩個世紀的時間中
this new Roman Principate maintained
新的羅馬元首統治
Rome's status as the world's only super power,
確保羅馬是世界上僅有的超級大國
until internal and external pressures
直到內外交困
began to tear Rome apart, again.
迫使羅馬分裂
The so-called decline and fall of Rome,
所謂的羅馬的衰亡
a concept popularized by enlightenment historian
這是啟蒙運動歷史學家愛德華·吉本
Edward Gibbon has been held up for,
普及的概念，他認為
as a warning for civilizations,
這在過去三百年中
for the last 300 years.
是對文明的警示
