世界小史 第152期:罗马公民

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　　但是一个罗马公民始终跟一个当地人有很大的区别。他按罗马法行事，

　　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.

　　不管他在大罗马帝国的什么地方，他都能求助于罗马官员。“我是罗马公民！”——这在当时是一句有神奇魔力的惯用语。

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

　　如果说一个人先前几乎不被人理睬的话，那么，假如这个人如今能说这句话了，所有的人就会立刻对他彬彬有礼、殷勤周到。

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

　　但是当时世界的真正的主人其实却是罗马士兵。

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

　　他们使这个强大的帝国凝固在一起，他们镇压不愿服从的当地人并严厉惩罚所有进行反抗的人。

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

　　他们生性勇敢，能征善战并爱好虚荣，他们每隔十年便占领北方、南方和东方的一个新国家。

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

　　如果人们看到士兵迈着整齐的步伐走来、身穿镀金属的皮盔甲，手握盾牌和标枪，

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

　　带着射箭和投石机器，雄赳赳气昂昂，那么就会望风披靡。

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