世界小史 第90期:斯巴达人

 In time, most of the continent was subdued¹ by the descendants of these invaders²,

当时，该大陆的大部分被这些侵略者的后裔征服，

who, like the Spartans³, maintained a distance between themselves and the peoples they had conquered.

他们像斯巴达人一样，保持他们和他们所奴役民族之间的距离。

Traces of this division persist today in what is known as the "caste system".

这种划分延续至今，被称为“种姓制度”。

In it, professions or occupations are strictly⁴ separated from each other.

该制度中，不同职业被严格地分开。

Men who were warriors⁶ had to remain warriors, and their sons had to be warriors too, because they belonged to the warrior⁵ caste.

是武士的男人必须永远当武士，他们的子孙也只可以当武士，因为他们属于武士种姓。

Other castes were similarly closed, like those of farmers and craftsmen⁷.

其它种姓几乎同样严格自成一体，如手工业者和农民。

A farmer could never become a craftsman⁸, or a craftsman a farmer – nor could their sons.

一个农民永远不能成为手工业者，反之亦然——他的儿子也不能。

Someone who was a member of one caste couldn't marry a girl from another – or even share a meal with a member of another caste.

一个种姓的男子不可以娶另一个种姓的姑娘为妻——连与另一个种姓的某个人同桌吃饭也不行。

At the top were the priests, or Brahmins – even higher than the warriors.

最高种姓是僧侣，是婆罗门——他们的地位比武士还高。

1 subdued   

adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He seemed a bit subdued to me. 我觉得他当时有点闷闷不乐。
• I felt strangely subdued when it was all over. 一切都结束的时候，我却有一种奇怪的压抑感。

2 invaders   

入侵者，侵略者，侵入物( invader的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They prepared to repel the invaders. 他们准备赶走侵略军。
• The family has traced its ancestry to the Norman invaders. 这个家族将自己的世系追溯到诺曼征服者。

3 spartans   

n.斯巴达（spartan的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The ancient Spartans used to expose babies that they did not want. 古斯巴达人常遗弃他们不要的婴儿。
• But one by one the Spartans fell. 可是斯巴达人一个一个地倒下了。

4 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

5 warrior   

n.勇士，武士，斗士

参考例句：

• The young man is a bold warrior.这个年轻人是个很英勇的武士。
• A true warrior values glory and honor above life.一个真正的勇士珍视荣誉胜过生命。

6 warriors   

武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I like reading the stories ofancient warriors. 我喜欢读有关古代武士的故事。
• The warriors speared the man to death. 武士们把那个男子戳死了。

7 craftsmen   

n. 技工

参考例句：

• rugs handmade by local craftsmen 由当地工艺师手工制作的小地毯
• The craftsmen have ensured faithful reproduction of the original painting. 工匠保证要复制一幅最接近原作的画。

8 craftsman   

n.技工，精于一门工艺的匠人

参考例句：

• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。
• The craftsman is working up the mass of clay into a toy figure.艺人把一团泥捏成玩具形状。