世界小史 第81期:城市的公民

 These laws were so strict that people still speak of Draconian¹ severity.

这些法律十分严厉以致人们今天还在谈论德拉古的严厉。

But the people of Athens, who had roamed the seas in their ships, and had heard and seen so many different things, did not consent to this for long.

但是雅典人民乘坐他们的船四处远航，见多识广，他们没有长久容忍这种状况。

It was, in fact, a nobleman who had the wisdom to try to give the little state a new system of government.

事实上，有一个贵族竟然如此贤明，想在整个小国家中建立一种新的制度。

His name was Solon, and the laws he introduced in 594 BC – at the time of Nebuchadnezzar – were named after him.

他的名字叫梭伦，他在公元前594年创立的法律——也就是在尼布甲尼撒时期——以他的名字命名。

They stated that the people, that is, the city's inhabitants, should decide the city's affairs themselves.

该法律规定这个民族，即这座城市的公民，应该自己决定城市的事务。

They should assemble in the marketplace of Athens and vote.

他们应该集合在雅典的集市投票表决。

The majority should decide and should elect a council of experts to put those decisions into effect.

根据多数人的意志作出决定，也选举一些有经验的人组成委员会，让这个委员会去实施作出的决定。

This sort of government is called democracy, or "the rule of the people", in Greek.

这样的政府叫民主政治，或在希腊语中叫“统治人民”。

This didn't mean that everyone who lived in Athens was entitled to vote in the Assembly.

当然并非每一个居住在雅典的人都有权在大会上有表决。

Citizenship² depended on wealth and influence, and many people, including women and slaves, played no part in government.

这要视个人的财产状况和影响力而定，许多雅典居民，包括妇女和奴隶并不参与执政。

But many Athenians could at least have their say, and so they took an interest in how their city was run.

但许多雅典居民至少能各抒己见，所以每个人也就都对城市的各项事务感兴趣。

"Polis" is Greek for city, 'politics', the affairs of a city.

“Polis”在希腊语中的意思是城市，城邦，“politics”就是一个城市的事务。

1 draconian   

adj.严苛的；苛刻的；严酷的；龙一样的

参考例句：

• You can't expect the people to obey such draconian regulations.你不能指望人民服从如此严苛的规定。
• The city needs a draconian way of dealing with robbers.这个城市需要一个严苛的办法来对付强盗。

2 citizenship   

n.市民权，公民权，国民的义务(身份)

参考例句：

• He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生，但没有瑞典公民身分。
• Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后，她选择了澳大利亚国籍。