世界小史 第142期:罗马人的军队

 　　But Hannibal found a way through for his army and they finally reached Italy.

　　但是汉尼拔为他的大军开出一条道路，并且他们最终到达意大利。

　　There he was confronted by the Romans, but he defeated them in a bloody¹ battle.

　　那里罗马人阻击他，他在一场血腥的战役中击溃了罗马人的军队。

　　Later a second Roman army surprised his camp under cover of darkness.

　　第二支罗马军队夜袭他的营地，

　　But Hannibal, having been forewarned, saved himself with a cunning trick.

　　但是汉尼拔施计谋得以逃脱。

　　He tied flaming torches to the horns of a herd² of cattle and drove them down the mountainside where his camp was billeted.

　　他把燃着的火把绑在一群牛的角上并将它们从他扎营的山上驱赶下去。

　　In the darkness the Roman soldiers mistook them for Hannibal's soldiers and rushed off in hot pursuit.

　　罗马人在黑暗中以为，那里是汉尼拔的士兵们打着火把在行进，就向他们追去。

　　How I would love to have seen their faces when they finally caught up with them and found they were cows!

　　当他们追上时，我多想看看他们脸上的表情，他们发现原来是牛！

　　The Romans had a very gifted general called Quintus Fabius Maximus, who wanted to avoid meeting Hannibal in battle.

　　罗马人有一个非常聪明的统帅名叫克文图斯.法皮乌斯.马克西穆斯，他不想攻击汉尼拔。

　　He believed that Hannibal would eventually become impatient and, being in a foreign country, was bound to make a blunder.

　　他认为汉尼拔在异国他乡最终会心情焦急起来，一定会铸成大错。

　　But the Romans didn't like his waiting game and mocked Quintus Fabius Maximus, calling him "Cunctator" – "Hesitator".

　　但是罗马人却不愿意久等，他们嘲笑克文图斯.法皮乌斯.马克西穆斯，称他为Cunctator——“犹豫不决者”。

1 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

2 herd   

n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• He had no opinions of his own but simply follow the herd.他从无主见，只是人云亦云。