世界小史 第152期:羅馬公民

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 　　A Roman citizen living abroad always retained his separate status, for he lived according to Roman law.

　　但是一個(gè)羅馬公民始終跟一個(gè)當(dāng)?shù)厝擞泻艽蟮膮^(qū)別。他按羅馬法行事，

　　Wherever he happened to be in that vast empire, he could turn to a Roman official and say: "I am a citizen of Rome!' These words had the effect of a magic formula.

　　不管他在大羅馬帝國(guó)的什么地方，他都能求助于羅馬官員。“我是羅馬公民！”——這在當(dāng)時(shí)是一句有神奇魔力的慣用語(yǔ)。

　　If until then no one had paid him much attention, everyone would instantly become polite and obliging.

　　如果說(shuō)一個(gè)人先前幾乎不被人理睬的話，那么，假如這個(gè)人如今能說(shuō)這句話了，所有的人就會(huì)立刻對(duì)他彬彬有禮、殷勤周到。

　　In those days, however, the true rulers of the world were the Roman soldiers.

　　但是當(dāng)時(shí)世界的真正的主人其實(shí)卻是羅馬士兵。

　　It was they who held the gigantic empire together, suppressing revolts where necessary and ferociously1 punishing all who dared oppose them.

　　他們使這個(gè)強(qiáng)大的帝國(guó)凝固在一起，他們鎮(zhèn)壓不愿服從的當(dāng)?shù)厝瞬?yán)厲懲罰所有進(jìn)行反抗的人。

　　Courageous2, experienced and ambitious, they conquered a new land – to the north, to the south or to the east – almost every decade.

　　他們生性勇敢，能征善戰(zhàn)并愛好虛榮，他們每隔十年便占領(lǐng)北方、南方和東方的一個(gè)新國(guó)家。

　　People who saw the tight columns of well-drilled soldiers, marching slowly in their metal-plated tunics3, with their shields and javelins4,

　　如果人們看到士兵邁著整齊的步伐走來(lái)、身穿鍍金屬的皮盔甲，手握盾牌和標(biāo)槍，

　　their slings5 and swords and their catapults for hurling6 rocks and arrows, knew that it was useless to resist.

　　帶著射箭和投石機(jī)器，雄赳赳氣昂昂，那么就會(huì)望風(fēng)披靡。