Chapter 23

第23章

The rise of

罗马帝国的兴起

Rome How Rome happened

罗马帝国是如何形成的
The Roman Empire was an accident. No one planned it.
罗马帝国的产生纯属偶然。没有人策划它，
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。从未有过一个著名的将军、政客或刺客站出来说，"朋友们，罗马公民们，我们必须建立一个帝国！
Follow me and together we shall conquer all the land from the Gates of Hercules to Mount Taurus."
大家跟着我，我们将一道征服从赫尔克里斯之门到托罗斯山的所有土地！"
Rome produced famous generals and equally distinguished statesmen and cut-throats, and Roman armies fought all over the world.
诚然，罗马造就过众多战功卓著的将军和许多杰出的政客及刺客，罗马军队在世界各地所向披靡。
But the Roman empire-making was done without a preconceived plan.
但罗马帝国的产生并非出于一个精心策划的构思。
The average Roman was a very matter-of-fact citizen. He disliked theories about government.
普通罗马人都是些非常务实的人们，他们不喜欢探讨关于政府的理论。
When someone began to recite "eastward the course of Roman Empire, etc., etc.," he hastily left the forum.
当某人慷慨激昂地陈辞："我以为，罗马帝国应该向东扩展……等等"，听众们便会立即离开会场，
He just continued to take more and more land because circumstances forced him to do so.
回到自己的实际事务中去。事实上，罗马攫取越来越多的土地，仅仅是因为环境迫使它必须攫取土地。
He was not driven by ambition or by greed.
它的扩张并不是出于野心或贪婪的驱使。
Both by nature and inclination he was a farmer and wanted to stay at home.
罗马人天生愿意作安分守纪的农民，宁愿一辈子呆在家里。
But when he was attacked he was obliged to defend himself
不过一旦受到攻击，他们就会奋起自卫。
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
如果敌人正巧来自海外，需要去遥远的国度对他们展开反击。此时，任劳任怨的罗马人便会跨越数千英里艰苦乏味的路程，去打垮这些危险的敌人。
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.
当任务完成之后，他们又留下来管理新征服的土地，以免它落人四处游荡的野蛮部族之手，构成对罗马安全的新威胁。
It soundsrather complicated and yet to the contemporaries it was so very simple, as you shall see in a moment.
这听起来有些复杂，可对现代人来说却是非常简单的道理。今天，你有时也会看到这样的例子。