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The conquest of Greece in the second century BC
在公元前二世紀征服希臘以后
reintroduced Romans to Greek culture, or Hellenism,
羅馬重新極大地接觸了
in a much greater way. The term Hellenism describes a
希臘文化，或者說叫古希臘文化
culture adapted from the classical Ancient Greeks and
古希臘文化該詞指由古典古希臘發(fā)源
spread through the Eastern Mediterranean and
并通過馬其頓征服者亞歷山大大帝
the Near East by the conquests of one Alexander
傳播到東地中海和近東
the Great of Macedonia. Even after Alexander's empire
甚至在亞歷山大帝國瓦解后
crumbled, and after the Romans conquered the empires
羅馬人政府亞歷山大后繼者的帝國后
of Alexander's successors, Alexander's Hellenistic ways
亞歷山大的古希臘方式和
and customs took root and survived. Roman soldiers
習俗還是生根發(fā)芽
who had experienced Hellenistic life came back home
羅馬戰(zhàn)士經(jīng)歷過古希臘的生活回到家后
describing luxuries on a scale previously unimaginable
描述它的奢華
to a culture steeped in the mos maiorum. Greeks
程度上對于祖制里的文化是不可想象的
reclined at dinner instead of sitting bolt upright,
希臘人斜躺著吃飯，而不是坐得直直狼吞虎咽
Greek homes were comfortable and attractively designed,
希臘人的家很舒適而且設計得很吸引人
Greeks worshipped in huge, beautiful temples and
希臘人崇敬巨大的，美麗的寺廟
attended dramatic performances in giant theaters
喜歡坐在巨大的劇院里看戲劇
were they sat down. Romans were impressed at the
羅馬人很驚訝于
attention Greeks paid to their food and to their dress
希臘人對于食物和他們的衣服
and even to their music.To the simple small farmers who
甚至對他們的音樂的熱情
grew their own food and wore the clothes their wives
對于那些自己種植食物，穿他老婆們
made for him, the Hellenistic culture of Greece was
為他們做的衣服的小農(nóng)們，古希臘的文化很
positively dazzling. Educated Romans were impressed
令人驚訝，有教養(yǎng)的羅馬人更驚訝于
further by the range of arts and literature and by the
希臘人藝術與文學的類別
scientific advancement of the Greeks. The Romans' own
以及希臘人的科學先進水平
intellectual achievements seemed all of a sudden
羅馬人自己的知識成就似乎突然就
rather scanty, and it became a point of Roman pride to
顯得稀少不足了，所以在任何可能的時候
match Greek cultural achievements whenever possible.
羅馬為了自尊跟希臘文化成就對比競爭
The military achievements of the Greeks, their great
希臘人的軍事成就，無論成敗
success and great failures, were studied eagerly by
都被羅馬軍官急切地研究著
Roman generals.Some unusually enlightened Romans,such
一些非常開明的羅馬人
as the family of Scipio Africanus, believed that Greek
例如大西庇阿家族，相信
philosophy andthe study of Greek political institutions
希臘哲學和希臘政治制度
could even improve Roman government.
可以甚至改進羅馬政府
To this fact we owe the writings of the Greek Polybius
對于這個事實我們有希臘的波利比奧斯
And his study of the Roman constitution,
的作品和他對于羅馬憲法的研究
which was written in Greek. It soon became customary
他是用希臘語寫的
for wealthy Romans to have their own Greek teachers
很快出現(xiàn)一種習慣，富有的羅馬人擁有自己的
and Greek philosophers at home, many of whom were
希臘老師和希臘哲學家在家，很多都是奴隸
still slaves. They preferred slavery in many cases,in a
他們在很多時候?qū)幵高x擇在一個富有的
wealthy Roman family, to freedom in their native land.
羅馬家庭里做奴隸，也不要在自己國土上的自由
By the first century BC, it had also become customary
到公元前一世紀，習慣變成了
for wealthy young Romans to attend public speaking
富有的年輕羅馬人去希臘上公共演講學校
schools in Greece, taking instruction in Greek and
在希臘得到指導
delivering orations in Greek. They spoke Latin in public life, but often switched to Greek in private. From the second century BC on, to be an educated Roman, one,
并在希臘發(fā)表演說，他們在公共生活中說拉丁語，但常常在私下用希臘語從公元前二世紀起要成為一個有教養(yǎng)的羅馬人
more and more, now had to be an educated Greek.
越來越多的人必須也成為一個有教養(yǎng)的希臘人
Yet not everyone was uniformly thrilled by this mania for all things Greek. The more traditional Romans referred to Hellenophilia as aemulatio, a term meaning envy of the Greeks. Cato the Censor,
但不是所有人都對這種對希臘所有的狂熱感冒更加傳統(tǒng)的羅馬人把古希臘文化看做是"忌邪之心"表示希臘人的嫉妒
deleter of Carthage, insisted that Hellenism would shatter the mos maiorum and bring the Roman world to its knees.He pretended not to know any Greek himself
監(jiān)察官加圖以及迦太基的擴張者堅持認為古希臘文明會動搖祖制并且使整個羅馬世界崩潰他假裝不知道任何關于希臘的事情
In one fifty five BC he even ordered that Greek philosophers residing in Rome had to be run out of town
在公元前155年他甚至下令讓居住在羅馬的希臘哲學家離開
Cato himself protested far too much. He wrote a history of Rome,which drew upon Greek models and Greek sources,
加圖他自己并沒有特別的反對，他寫了羅馬的歷史，采用了希臘模式和希臘資源
his anti-Hellenism was mainly a political show against the Scipio Africanus family, which embraced Hellenism.
他反對古希臘文化主要是針對歡迎古希臘文化的大西庇奧家族的政治表現(xiàn)
