世界小史 第175期:漂亮的图书馆

 　　Every rich Roman had several country houses, usually near the sea, with many slaves to run them,

　　每一个富有的罗马人都有几栋乡村别墅，大多坐落在海边。他们有许多当仆役的奴隶，

　　and fine libraries in which the works of all the best Greek and Latin poets were to be found.

　　有漂亮的图书馆，藏有所有优秀的希腊和拉丁诗人的作品。

　　The villas¹ of the rich even had their own sports grounds and cellars stocked with the best wines.

　　连专用的运动场富人的别墅里也有，还有装满葡萄美酒的酒窖。

　　If a Roman felt bored at home he would take himself to the marketplace, the law-courts or to the baths.

　　如果一个罗马人在家里呆腻了，他就去市场，去法院或进浴场。

　　The bath houses, or therms, were monumental buildings supplied by aqueducts with water from distant mountains.

　　这些浴场叫公共温泉浴场，是极大的设施，由水管从遥远的山脉供水，

　　They were magnificently furnished and decorated and had halls for hot baths, cold baths and steam baths, and others for practicing sports.

　　装有富丽堂皇的设备，有可洗热水浴和冷水浴的厅堂，有可洗蒸汽浴和进行体育锻炼的大厅。

　　Ruins of these colossal² therms can still be seen.

　　这样巨大的浴室或公共温泉浴场的遗址今天还可以见到。

　　With their high vaulted³ ceilings, their brightly colored marble pillars and their pools tiled with rare and precious stones, they look more like fairy-tale palaces.

　　你会以为它们是神奇的王宫，它们有那么多巨大的圆顶、彩色的大理石柱和用贵重岩石砌成的水池。

　　Bigger still, and even more impressive were the theaters.

　　更大更有气派的是剧场。

1 villas   

别墅，公馆( villa的名词复数 )； （城郊）住宅

参考例句：

• Magnificent villas are found throughout Italy. 在意大利到处可看到豪华的别墅。
• Rich men came down from wealthy Rome to build sea-side villas. 有钱人从富有的罗马来到这儿建造海滨别墅。

2 colossal   

adj.异常的，庞大的

参考例句：

• There has been a colossal waste of public money.一直存在巨大的公款浪费。
• Some of the tall buildings in that city are colossal.那座城市里的一些高层建筑很庞大。

3 vaulted   

adj.拱状的

参考例句：

• She vaulted over the gate and ran up the path. 她用手一撑跃过栅栏门沿着小路跑去。
• The formal living room has a fireplace and vaulted ceilings. 正式的客厅有一个壁炉和拱形天花板。