評論
打印
Bath was not the only place where Romano-Britons could wallow in the well-being of the province.
巴斯并非唯一羅馬-不列顛緊密融合之地
In Dover,the Romans built this 96-bedroom hotel,
在多佛 羅馬人修建了座有九十六間臥室的賓館
now 20 feet below street level but the last word in luxury for any VIP disembarking from Gaul.
這間深埋地下二十英尺卻極盡奢華房間 供以來自高盧的貴賓居住
By the fourth century, however, Rome was in deep trouble,
但在公元四世紀時 羅馬深陷泥沼
attacked by barbarians and undermined by political turmoil.
蠻族入侵與國內陰謀策反內外受敵
Britannia couldn't remain detached from the fate of the rest of the empire forever.
不列顛尼亞遲早也難免于 與帝國一樣受敵的命運
At some point, Dover's significance for Britannia changed from a port of entry to a defensive stronghold.
某種意義上 多佛之于不列顛尼亞 已不再是入港口 而成為了御敵大本營
The "Welcome" mat gave way to the "Keep Out" sign,
從敞開迎賓的大門成為了抵御外敵的城墻
in the shape of massive walls, built through the Grand Hotel's lobby.
由巨石堆砌而成 橫穿賓館大廳而建
This is the sort of wall the Romans built at Dover.
這便是羅馬人在多佛所筑的城墻
This is Portchester, a Roman shore fort,a truly colossal structure that makes all too clear
這是切斯特港 羅馬海濱堡壘 這龐然巨物使得羅馬人對
the scale of threat the Romans felt the barbarians posed.
蠻族入侵的懼怕 不言自明
Inside it lies a Norman castle, built 1,000 years later and now completely dwarfed by it.
內部構造與一千年后的諾曼第城堡相似 而與外城相比 卻如此矮小
It was one of several forts strung out along the south and east coasts.
這是并肩嚴守著東南海岸的堡壘之一
But not even fortifications like those of Portchester or Hadrian's Wall in the north,
但即使像切斯特港這樣的防御工事 或北部橫亙的哈德良長城
could work without adequate troops.
若無與之匹配的軍隊 都難以發揮作用
As more and more legionaries were sucked back to fight on the continent,
由于大批羅馬兵團被召回歐洲大陸作戰
and as Picts and Saxons, spotting weakness,started their own raids from the north and east,
而皮克特人與撒克遜人趁其羸弱之時 開始分別從東北方向刺探敵情
Britannia couldn't help but feel the chill of vulnerability.
不列顛尼亞自知危若累卵
