BBC英国史

Lessons had been learned the hard way, at least for some.

至少对某些人而言 这是一个血的教训

So when barbarians started attacking Roman forts in the north,the Romans knew exactly what to do.

当蛮夷开始袭击罗马北部要塞时 罗马人早已深谙御敌之术

In 79 AD, an enormous pitched battle took place on the slopes of an unidentified highland mountain,

公元79前 一不知名的高山丘陵上 一场大规模激战在此上演

which Tacitus calls Mons Graupius.

塔西陀称其为格劳庇乌山

The result was another slaughter,but not before the Caledonian general, Calgacus,

结局是又一场屠杀 但已是古苏格兰王库斯

delivered the first great anti-imperialist speech on Scotland's soil.

伟大的反帝国演讲传遍苏格兰之后的事了

Here at the world's end,on its last inch of liberty,

在这世界之端 最后的自由地

we have lived unmolested to this day defended by our remoteness and obscurity.

我们得以偏安一隅至今 只因此地偏远神秘

But there are no other tribes to come, nothing but sea and cliffs

但在此只能与汪洋峭壁作伴

and these more deadly Romans whose arrogance you cannot escape by obedience and self-restraint, to plunder, butcher, steal.

但我们的顺从自律却逃不过 傲慢自大的罗马人 穷凶极恶地劫掠与偷窃

These things they misname empire,they make a desolation and they call it peace.

他们谬称其为帝国 还将劫掠后的荒芜 称为和平

Of course, Calgacus never said any such thing.

当然 库斯从未有过如此言论

This was a speech written long after the event by Tacitus and it's entirely Roman, not Scottish.

而是事件发生多年之后的塔西佗所撰写 并且通篇古罗马语 而非苏格兰语

Yet this burning sentiment would echo down the generations.

但这燃烧着的激情 却不失为那个时代的缩影

Like Britannia itself, the idea of free Caledonia was from the first, a Roman invention.

如不列颠尼亚与解放苏格兰的概念 都为罗马首创

词汇解析

1、defend

防御;保卫;保护

Every man who could fight was now committed to defend the ridge.

每个能够参加战斗的男子现在都决心要保卫这条山脊。

His courage in defending religious and civil rights inspired many outside the church.

他在捍卫宗教和公民权利时所表现出来的勇气鼓舞了许多教会之外的人。

替…辩护;为…辩解;维护

Matt defended all of Clarence's decisions, right or wrong.

克拉伦斯的决定，不管对错，马特都予以维护。

The author defends herself against charges of racism by noting that blacks are only one of her targets.

面对种族主义指控，作者替自己辩护说黑人只是她的抨击目标之一。

(律师)为(被告)辩护

a lawyer who defended political prisoners during the military regime.

在军人政权时期为政治犯辩护的律师

He has hired a lawyer to defend him against the allegations.

他已聘请了一位律师针对这些指控为自己辩护。

2、invention

发明物;创造的事物

It's been a tricky business marketing his new invention.

推广他的新发明一直是件棘手的事情。

The spinning wheel was a Chinese invention.

纺车是中国人的发明。

捏造;虚构

In these and several other respects, there are many inventions and exaggerations.

在这些方面和其他几个方面都存在许多捏造与夸张之处。

The story was certainly a favourite one, but it was undoubtedly pure invention.

这个故事当然特别受欢迎,但它无疑纯属虚构。