評論
打印
Whether this consistency
無論這種一致性是否
was always a positive thing,
一直是積極的事物
well, that was something completely different.
那就是另外一件事了
Segment 6e: Conclusions. 6e
結論
One, Rome is still important.
羅馬至今依然重要
The people are still fascinating.
人們依然為此著迷
The history is still instructive.
羅馬的歷史依然有指導意義
The legacy is still all around you
這些遺產依然在我們身邊
and all around everyone else in the western world.
在西方世界的每個人身邊
Like it or not, the United States of America
無論是否喜歡，美國
has assumed Rome's old roles
繼承了羅馬的位置
as the world's tough guy and the world's policemen.
成為世界的硬漢和世界警察
In the words of the great scholar Wilt Chamberlain,
知名學者威爾特·張伯倫說
"nobody roots for Goliath."
沒人支持歌利亞
Like the United States,
就像美國一樣
Rome rose from very humble beginnings
羅馬出身卑微
to rule, to become the one super power of their day.
之后開始統治，成為當時的超級大國
Because the Romans learned
因為羅馬人學習
how to rule their empire well,
如何很好地治理帝國
and did so for centuries,
他們這樣持續了數百年
they were genuinely appreciated
大家都贊賞羅馬
for their contributions to world peace.
為世界和平作出的貢獻
But once times began to get rough internally,
但是一旦羅馬內部出現了紛爭
and once the barbarians started crashing the gates,
一旦野蠻人不請自來
the Pax Romana disintegrated.
羅馬帝國統治下的和平分崩離析
Then Rome became a lot less popular.
羅馬的勢力下降
Then Goliath started to stagger.
歌利亞開始蹣跚
Then Rome found herself all alone.
之后，羅馬發現自己孤身一人
Then the Roman, Western Roman Empire fell apart.
接著，西羅馬帝國滅亡
The same thing happened to the Eastern Roman Empire.
東羅馬也滅亡了
Does this sound familiar?
這聽上去耳熟嗎?
I hope we never have to learn.
希望我們永遠也不要學習這一點
Number two, who knew?
第二點，誰知道?
Looking at Rome's beginnings, even in hindsight,
看看羅馬的開始，即使只回想一下
it would be hard to recognize a nation
很難承認一個國家
destined to dominate the world.
注定要統治世界
As one of just 40 or 50 podunk towns
羅馬一開始是Latium地區中
in the region of Latium,
四五十個無名小鎮中的一個
Rome would have been lucky
羅馬能最終通知拉丁聯盟
to wind up ruling the Latin league.
應該是很幸運的
As Camillus, the famous general observed,
卡美盧斯，這位著名的將軍認為
Rome's location was perhaps a little bit better
羅馬的地理位置很好
in that Rome was built on hills,
因為羅馬建立在山上
overlooking a ford of the Tiber.
俯瞰臺伯河的淺灘
But Rome's great advantage
但是羅馬最大的優勢
was really the Roman people.
在于羅馬人
Tough, focused, willing to put the collective,
堅韌，專注，愿意把集體，也就是
that is the Roman city-state,
羅馬城邦國的利益
ahead of their individual preferences.
放在個人利益之前
The Romans seemed to enjoy rising to challenges.
羅馬人喜歡應對各種挑戰
They got knocked down, but they got up again.
他們被打敗，但是會再次站起來
They also appeared as best we can tell
從文字記錄中
from the written records to take pride
我們可以看出來
in their national achievements.
他們為自己國家的成就而驕傲
Whatever internal struggles were going on,
無論內部發生了什么紛爭
the Romans always got their act together
在紛亂時期
when times, in time of trouble.
羅馬人總是一起行動
Or maybe the Romans were right all along,
或許羅馬人一直是對的
and maybe they were predestined by Jupiter
朱庇特可能賜予他們
to rule the entire Mediterranean world.
統治整個地中海區域的權利
Three, those funky Etruscans.
第三，伊特魯利亞人
It would be hard to say that the Romans were ashamed
很難說羅馬人為伊特魯利亞人
of the Etruscan part of their heritage.
的介入而感到羞恥
It would be hard to say that they consciously
很難說，羅馬人有意地
tried to block it out or rewrite it.
忽略或者改寫這一段歷史
But the Romans didn't do an awful lot
但是羅馬人不想做過多記錄
to help later generations appreciate
幫助后代人鑒別或者
or understand the Etruscans.
理解伊特魯利亞人
And that is quite a shame.
這一點很可惜
What little we can find out about the ancient
我們發現的和伊特魯利亞人有關的
Etruscans to this day is very fascinating.
少量史實是很有趣的
On the other hand,
另一方面
the Romans assimilated Etruscan culture
羅馬人吸收伊特魯利亞人文化
so thoroughly and so respectfully
非常徹底而帶有敬意
that it anticipated how the Romans would react
因此，可以推測出羅馬人
to the Greek Hellenic culture
會在幾個世紀后，如何應對
or Hellenistic culture in a couple of centuries.
希臘文化
