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Other nations, Egyptians, Babylonians, Phoenicians, even Greeks, would have insisted upon a treaty of submission on the part of the"barbarians," The Romans did nothing of the sort. They gave the "outsider"a chance to become partners in a common "res publica"-or commonwealth.
其他國家，比如埃及、巴比倫、腓尼基甚至希臘，它們都曾堅持要那些非我族類的"野蠻人"簽定歸順條約，才肯提供必要的保護。可聰明的羅馬人沒這樣做。相反，他們給子"外來者"一個平等的機會，讓他們成為"共和國"或共同體的一員。
"You want to join us," they said. "Very well, go ahead and join. We shall treat you as if you were full-fledged citizens of Rome. In return for this privilege we expect you to fight for our city, the mother of us all, whenever it shall be necessary."
"你想加入我們，"羅馬人說，"那好，盡管來加人吧！我們可以將你視為具有充分權利的羅馬公民一樣來對待。但作為這種優待的回報，當我們的城市、我們共同的母親遭遇外敵人侵的危險，需要你拔刀相助時，我們希望你全力為它而戰！"
The "outsider" appreciated this generosity and he showed his gratitude by his unswerving loyalty.
這些"外來者"當然有感于羅馬人對他們的慷慨，于是便以無比堅定的忠誠來報答羅馬。
Whenever a Greek city had been attacked, the foreign residents had moved out as quickly as they could. Why defend something which meant nothing to them but a temporary boarding house in which they were tolerated as long as they paid their bills? But when the enemy was before the gates of Rome, all the Latins rushed to her defence. It was their Mother who was in danger. It was their true "home" even if they lived a hundred miles away and had never seen the walls of the sacred Hills.
在古希臘，每當某座城市遭受攻擊的時刻，所有外國居民總是迅速地收拾細軟逃之夭夭。他們認為，這里不過是他們臨時寄居的場所，僅僅因為不間斷地繳納稅款，才得到主人勉為其難的接待，憑什么要冒著生命危險去保衛對自己不存在絲毫意義的城市呢？相反，一旦敵人兵臨羅馬城下，所有的拉丁人便會不約而同地拿起刀劍，緊急馳援。因為這是他們共同的母親正在遭受危難。也許有些人可能居住在100英里之外，在其有生之年從未看過羅馬的城墻和圣山，但他們仍視之為自己真正的"家園"。
No defeat and no disaster could change this sentiment. In the beginning of the fourth century B.C. the wild Gauls forced their way into Italy. They had defeated the Roman army near the River Allia and had marched upon the city. They had taken Rome and then they expected that the people would come and sue for peace. They waited, but nothing happened. After a short time the Gauls found themselves surrounded by a hostile population which made it impossible for them to obtain supplies.
沒有什么了不起的失敗和災難能動搖他們對羅馬城的深厚情感。公元前4世紀初，野蠻的高盧人氣勢洶洶地闖進意大利。他們在阿里亞河附近擊潰了羅馬軍隊，浩浩蕩蕩地向羅馬進軍，最終順利拿下了這座城市。他們料想羅馬人會主動找上門來，以屈辱的條件吁求和平。他們悠閑愜意地等待著，等了好久，可什么事情也沒發生。過不多久，高盧人突然發現自己陷入了莫名的包圍之中，四處遍布充滿敵意的眼睛和緊閉的門戶，使他們根本無法得到必需的給養。
