美国学生人类历史 第96期:罗马帝国的故事(6)

 　　As for Sulla, he became "Dictator," which meant sole and supreme¹ ruler of all the Roman possessions. He ruled Rome for four years, and he died quietly in his bed, having spent the last year of his life tenderly raising his cabbages, as was the custom of so many Romans who had spent a lifetime killing² their fellow-men.

　　至于苏拉，他当了"独裁 官"，意思就是罗马帝国及其全部财产、属地的唯一而至高的统治者。他在位4年后退休，安详地死于卧榻。像许多一辈子屠杀自己同胞的罗马人一样，他的晚年安闲适意，把大部分的时间花在了浇花种菜上。

　　But conditions did not grow better. On the contrary, they grew worse. Another general, Gneus Pompeius, or Pompey, a close friend of Sulla, went east to renew the war against the ever troublesome Mithridates. He drove that energetic potentate³ into the mountains where Mithridates took poison and killed himself, well knowing what fate awaited him as a Roman captive. Next he re-established the authority of Rome over Syria, destroyed Jerusalem, roamed through western Asia, trying to revive the myth of Alexander the Great, and at last (in the year 62) returned to Rome with a dozen ship-loads of defeated Kings and Princes and Generals, all of whom were forced to march in the triumphal procession of this enormously popular Roman who presented his city with the sum of forty million dollars in plunder⁴.

　　不过罗马的政治情势并未因苏拉的死去而好转，相反，局势急转直下。苏拉的密友庞培将军再度领军东征，讨伐不断给帝国制造麻烦的米特拉达特斯国王。庞培将这位精力旺盛的反抗者赶人山区，四面包围起来。绝望的米特拉达特斯深知，若成为罗马人的俘虏，等待他命运将是什么。于是他也像多年前穷途末路的汉尼拔一样，服毒自杀了。庞培继续攻城略地。他打败叙利亚，将其重新置于罗马的统治之下；他摧毁了耶路撒冷，并挥师席卷整个西亚，试图重建一个罗马人的亚历山大帝国。最后在公元62年，他返回罗马，随行的12艘舰船上满载着被他俘虏的国王、王子和将军。在罗马人为庞培举行的盛大凯旋仪式上，这些曾显赫一时的国王将军们被迫走在队列之中，作为庞培伟大战功的一部分向罗马民众展示。此外，这位将军还向罗马献上了高达4000多万的财富。

　　It was necessary that the government of Rome be placed in the hands of a strong man. Only a few months before, the town had almost fallen into the hands of a good-for-nothing young aristocrat⁵ by the name of Catiline, who had gambled away his money and hoped to reimburse⁶ himself for his losses by a little plundering⁷.

　　现在，罗马确实需要一位政治强人来统治。仅仅在几个月前，罗马城险些落人一个一无是处的年轻贵族之手。此人名叫卡梯林，因赌博 输光了家产。他妄图发动政变，以便趁火打劫，捞一笔钱来弥补自己的损失。

1 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

2 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

3 potentate   

n.统治者；君主

参考例句：

• People rose up against the despotic rule of their potentate.人们起来反抗君主的专制统治。
• I shall recline here like an oriental potentate.我要像个东方君主一样躺在这.

4 plunder   

vt.劫掠财物，掠夺；n.劫掠物，赃物；劫掠

参考例句：

• The thieves hid their plunder in the cave.贼把赃物藏在山洞里。
• Trade should not serve as a means of economic plunder.贸易不应当成为经济掠夺的手段。

5 aristocrat   

n.贵族，有贵族气派的人，上层人物

参考例句：

• He was the quintessential english aristocrat.他是典型的英国贵族。
• He is an aristocrat to the very marrow of his bones.他是一个道道地地的贵族。

6 reimburse   

v.补偿，付还

参考例句：

• We'll reimburse you for your travelling expenses.我们将付还你旅费。
• The funds are supposed to reimburse policyholders in the event of insurer failure.这项基金将在保险公司不能偿付的情况下对投保人进行赔付。

7 plundering   

掠夺，抢劫( plunder的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The troops crossed the country, plundering and looting as they went. 部队经过乡村，一路抢劫掳掠。
• They amassed huge wealth by plundering the colonies. 他们通过掠夺殖民地聚敛了大笔的财富。