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Chapter 23
第23章
The rise of
羅馬帝國的興起
Rome How Rome happened
羅馬帝國是如何形成的
The Roman Empire was an accident. No one planned it.
羅馬帝國的產(chǎn)生純屬偶然。沒有人策劃它，
It "happened."No famous general or statesman or cut-throat ever got up and said "Friends, Romans, Citizens, we must found an Empire.
它是自己"形成"的。從未有過一個著名的將軍、政客或刺客站出來說，"朋友們，羅馬公民們，我們必須建立一個帝國！
Follow me and together we shall conquer all the land from the Gates of Hercules to Mount Taurus."
大家跟著我，我們將一道征服從赫爾克里斯之門到托羅斯山的所有土地！"
Rome produced famous generals and equally distinguished statesmen and cut-throats, and Roman armies fought all over the world.
誠然，羅馬造就過眾多戰(zhàn)功卓著的將軍和許多杰出的政客及刺客，羅馬軍隊(duì)在世界各地所向披靡。
But the Roman empire-making was done without a preconceived plan.
但羅馬帝國的產(chǎn)生并非出于一個精心策劃的構(gòu)思。
The average Roman was a very matter-of-fact citizen. He disliked theories about government.
普通羅馬人都是些非常務(wù)實(shí)的人們，他們不喜歡探討關(guān)于政府的理論。
When someone began to recite "eastward the course of Roman Empire, etc., etc.," he hastily left the forum.
當(dāng)某人慷慨激昂地陳辭："我以為，羅馬帝國應(yīng)該向東擴(kuò)展……等等"，聽眾們便會立即離開會場，
He just continued to take more and more land because circumstances forced him to do so.
回到自己的實(shí)際事務(wù)中去。事實(shí)上，羅馬攫取越來越多的土地，僅僅是因?yàn)榄h(huán)境迫使它必須攫取土地。
He was not driven by ambition or by greed.
它的擴(kuò)張并不是出于野心或貪婪的驅(qū)使。
Both by nature and inclination he was a farmer and wanted to stay at home.
羅馬人天生愿意作安分守紀(jì)的農(nóng)民，寧愿一輩子呆在家里。
But when he was attacked he was obliged to defend himself
不過一旦受到攻擊，他們就會奮起自衛(wèi)。
and when the enemy happened to cross the sea to ask for aid in a distant country then the patient Roman marched many dreary miles to defeat this dangerous foe
如果敵人正巧來自海外，需要去遙遠(yuǎn)的國度對他們展開反擊。此時，任勞任怨的羅馬人便會跨越數(shù)千英里艱苦乏味的路程，去打垮這些危險的敵人。
and when this had been accomplished, he stayed behind to administer his newly conquered provinces lest they fall into the hands of wandering Barbarians and become themselves a menace to Roman safety.
當(dāng)任務(wù)完成之后，他們又留下來管理新征服的土地，以免它落人四處游蕩的野蠻部族之手，構(gòu)成對羅馬安全的新威脅。
It soundsrather complicated and yet to the contemporaries it was so very simple, as you shall see in a moment.
這聽起來有些復(fù)雜，可對現(xiàn)代人來說卻是非常簡單的道理。今天，你有時也會看到這樣的例子。
