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Chapter 18
第十八章
The Persian Wars
抗擊波斯人侵的戰(zhàn)爭
How the Greeks defended Europe Against Asiatic invasion and drove the Persians back across the Aegean Sea
希臘人成功抵御了亞洲對歐洲的入侵，將波斯人趕回了愛琴海對岸
The Greeks had learned the art of trading from the Aegeans who had been the pupils of the Phoenicians. They had founded colonies after the Phoenician pattern. They had even improved upon the Phoenician methods by a more general use of money in dealing with foreign customers. In the sixth century before our era they had established themselves firmly along the coast of Asia Minor and they were taking away trade from the Phoenicians at a fast rate. This the Phoenicians of course did not like but they were not strong enough to risk a war with their Greek competitors. They sat and waited nor did they wait in vain.
愛琴海人是職業(yè)商人腓尼基人的學(xué)生，之后希臘人從愛琴海人那里學(xué)會(huì)了貿(mào)易之道。他們模仿腓尼基人的模式，建起許多殖民地，并廣泛使用貨幣與外國客商交易，成效大大超越了腓尼基人。到公元前6世紀(jì)，他們已牢牢控制了小亞細(xì)亞沿岸，憑借更高的效率他們奪走了腓尼基人的大部分生意。當(dāng)然，腓尼基人對希臘人的后來居上懷恨在心，不過他們的實(shí)力還不夠?qū)οＥD人發(fā)動(dòng)一場戰(zhàn)爭。他們不愿冒險(xiǎn)，只是將仇恨悄悄理在心里，等待著報(bào)復(fù)的機(jī)會(huì)來臨。
In a former chapter, I have told you how a humble tribe of Persian shepherds had suddenly gone upon the warpath and had conquered the greater part of western Asia. The Persians were too civilised to plunder their new subjects. They contented themselves with a yearly tribute. When they reached the coast of Asia Minor they insisted that the Greek colonies of Lydia recognize the Persian Kings as their over-Lords and pay them a stipulated tax. The Greek colonies objected. The Persians insisted. Then the Greek colonies appealed to the home-country and the stage was set for a quarrel.
在前面的章節(jié)里，我已經(jīng)給你們講述過波斯帝國崛起的故事。一個(gè)來自波斯的默默無聞的游牧部落踏上了四處征伐的路途，他們在短時(shí)間內(nèi)攫取了西亞大部分土地。這些波斯人態(tài)度彬彬有禮，做事方式還算文明。他們并不劫掠歸順?biāo)麄兊某济?，只要這些臣民每年進(jìn)貢一定的賦稅就心滿意足了。當(dāng)波斯人挺進(jìn)到小亞細(xì)亞海岸時(shí)，他們堅(jiān)持要求自底亞地區(qū)的希臘殖民地承認(rèn)波斯國王是他們至高無上的主人，并按國王規(guī)定的數(shù)額繳稅。這些希臘殖民地拒絕了波斯人的無禮要求，并向愛琴海對岸的祖國求救。戰(zhàn)爭的大幕就此徐徐拉開。
For if the truth be told, the Persian Kings regarded the Greek citystates as very dangerous political institutions and bad examples for all other people who were supposed to be the patient slaves of the mighty Persian Kings.
如果史書記載得沒錯(cuò)，歷任的波斯國王一直將希臘的城邦制視為心腹大患。但歸順波斯帝國的諸多民族很可能以這種制度為榜樣，以至于反抗波斯的統(tǒng)治。因此，波斯人認(rèn)為，這種危險(xiǎn)的政治制度必須被消滅，讓波斯帝國的威嚴(yán)旗幟飄揚(yáng)在希臘的上空。
