The emperors who succeeded him spent even more time at the frontiers and even less in Rome.

以后的皇帝们更频繁地逗留在边境，更少地呆在罗马。

They were true soldiers, elected by their troops and often dismissed or even killed by them too.

他们是地道的士兵，是被军队推选出来的，有时也会被军队罢免，有时甚至会被士兵打死。

Many of these emperors weren't Romans, but foreigners, for by now the legions had only a very small number of Romans in them.

这些皇帝中的许多位根本不是罗马人，而是外国人，因为当时军团里只还有极少数罗马人。

The Italian peasants who, in earlier times, had gone out to conquer the world as soldiers, had virtually disappeared,

从前曾一度作为士兵征服过世界的意大利农民几乎已经没有了，

while their farms had been absorbed into the huge estates owned by the rich and managed by foreign slaves,

因为各农家已成为富人的大型农庄，在这些农庄干活的是外国奴隶。

and the army was also made up of foreigners – you remember the Egyptians by the Danube.

军队也由外国人组成，如我们已经说过的多瑙河畔的埃及人。

Most of these soldiers were Germans who, as you know, were excellent warriors.

但是特别多的士兵是日耳曼人，你是知道的，这些日耳曼人士很好的武士。

And it was these foreign troops, stationed at all four corners of the vast empire,

你是知道的，这些日耳曼人士很好的武士。

at the frontiers of Germania and Persia and in Spain, Britain, North Africa, Egypt, Asia Minor and Romania – who now chose their favorite generals to be their emperors.

在这个庞大帝国的东方和西方，在日耳曼边境和波斯边境，在西班牙，在不列颠，在北非、埃及、小亚细亚和罗马尼亚，选举他们最喜欢的统帅当皇帝，

Then they all fought for power and had each other murdered, just as at the time of Marius and Sulla.

这些皇帝们争权夺利，自相残杀，类似马略和苏拉时代。