In that year, Agricola, governor of the province, led an army across the border,
那一年，当时身为英国州长的阿格里科拉率领军队跨越国境，
and began to hew his way into the Caledonian forests.
进入苏格兰森林。
The wary general advanced slowly, and secured his ground as he advanced,
阿格里科拉是位很谨慎的将军，
by building forts in commanding situations.
他率领军队向前缓慢推进，
The native tribes struggled bravely against the formidable invader,
所到之处都建立堡垒以作防卫之用。当地部落与强大的侵略者英勇作战，
but having little union or combination among themselves, they were taken singly, and overcome in detail.
但是他们内部不团结，分散作战，所以被各个击破。
The Romans carried on their operations with merciless vigour.
罗马人毫不留情地继续他们的行动。
Tacitus, Agricola's son-in-law, who writes an account of his life,
塔西佗是阿格里科拉的女婿，他在自己的生平记述中告诉我们，
tells us that it was his policy to overcome the Britons by the terror of his ravages. We understand what that means.
在英国土地上实行这种恐怖的暴政都是他的主意。我们都明白他的意思。
Yonder, for example, in a forest clearing, is a native village, fenced with its ditch and stockade of posts.
比如，在森林远处的开阔地带有一个当地的村庄，周围有沟渠和栅栏防护着。

It has children playing, cattle feeding, and patches of growing corn.
那里有正在玩耍的小孩，吃食的牛和长着玉米的土地。
The women sing the quern-song as they grind the meal for the evening repast in the quern or hand-mill.
女人们在磨粉做晚饭时唱着歌，
Some of the men are doing a little smith-work, or bit of homely carpentry; others are away hunting.
有些男子在打铁，还有的人在做家具；其他的人都外出狩猎了。
Suddenly, at the edge of the forest, there is a gleam as of the sun's rays on polished metal.
突然间，森林的边缘出现一道光，那是阳光照在磨光的金属上发出的光芒。
A body of armed men, sheathed in brass, issue from the wood, and sweep across the clearing, their burnished mail flashing as they go.
他们洗劫了这个村子，离开时身上的铠甲还在闪闪发光。
The lightsome quern-song changes into shrieks of terror.
轻快的曲调变成恐怖的尖叫声。
The villagers close the gate of their stockade, and grasp their bows.
村民们关上寨子的大门，握紧弓箭。
The arrows shot through the openings of the posts rattle vainly against the strong plate-armour of the assailants.
箭矢穿过柱子的开口，徒劳地打在袭击者坚硬的铠甲上，咔嗒作响。
The gate goes down before the strokes of the axe; sword and torch do the rest.
寨子的大门在斧头地敲击下倒塌；剑和火把毁掉了村子的其他部分。
The cattle are driven away, and the crops destroyed.
牛群被赶走，庄稼也毁坏了。