世界小史 第133期:贵族

 　　These were the patricians² – the word means something like 'city fathers' – although in those days they weren't citizens as we know them,

　　这些人是patricians（贵族）——这个词的意思大致相当于“市议员”——但是你不可以把这个时代的市议员想象为真正的城市居民，

　　but old landowning families with vast estates of fields and meadows.

　　其实他们只是拥有大片牧场和农田的富裕农民。

　　And they alone had the right to choose officials to govern the city, once there were no more kings.

　　自从不再有国王以后，只有这些人有权选举城市的官员。

　　In Rome the highest officials were the consuls⁴.

　　罗马的高级官员叫执政官。

　　There were always two of them ruling jointly⁵, and they held office for just one year.

　　总是同时有两名执政官，他们只行使一年职权。

　　Then they had to stand down.

　　然后他们就必须下台。

　　Of course, the patricians weren't the only people who lived in the city,

　　当然，古罗马贵族不是居住在这座城市的唯一居民。

　　but if you didn't have illustrious ancestors or great estates you weren't noble.

　　但是如果你不是出生于名门望族或只有少量农田，你就不高贵。

　　The others were the plebeians⁷, and they were almost a caste of their own as in India.

　　其他人被称为平民，他们几乎自成一个等级，就像在印度那样。

　　A plebeian⁶ couldn't marry a patrician¹. Still less could he become a consul³.

　　一个平民男子不可以娶贵族女子为妻。他自然更不会成为执政官。

　　He wasn't even allowed to voice his opinion at the People's Assembly on the Field of Mars outside the city gates.

　　是的，连在城外战神广场上的公民大会上投票表决的权利他都没有。

　　But the plebeians were many and every inch as strong-willed and stubborn as the patricians.

　　但平民人数众多并且是跟贵族一样严酷而又意志坚强的人。

1 patrician   

adj.贵族的，显贵的；n.贵族；有教养的人；罗马帝国的地方官

参考例句：

• The old patrician was buried in the family vault.这位老贵族埋在家族的墓地里。
• Its patrician dignity was a picturesque sham.它的贵族的尊严只是一套华丽的伪装。

2 patricians   

n.（古罗马的）统治阶层成员( patrician的名词复数 )；贵族，显贵

参考例句：

• There was a conflict between plebs and patricians in ancient Rome in 494BC. 在公元前494年，罗马发生了一次平民反对贵族的斗争。 来自互联网

3 consul   

n.领事；执政官

参考例句：

• A consul's duty is to help his own nationals.领事的职责是帮助自己的同胞。
• He'll hold the post of consul general for the United States at Shanghai.他将就任美国驻上海总领事(的职务)。

4 consuls   

领事( consul的名词复数 )； （古罗马共和国时期）执政官 （古罗马共和国及其军队的最高首长，同时共有两位，每年选举一次）

参考例句：

• American consuls warned that millions more were preparing to leave war-ravaged districts. 美国驻外领事们预告，还有几百万人正在准备离开战争破坏的地区。
• The legionaries, on their victorious return, refused any longer to obey the consuls. 军团士兵在凯旋归国时，不肯服从执政官的命令。

5 jointly   

ad.联合地，共同地

参考例句：

• Tenants are jointly and severally liable for payment of the rent. 租金由承租人共同且分别承担。
• She owns the house jointly with her husband. 她和丈夫共同拥有这所房子。

6 plebeian   

adj.粗俗的；平民的；n.平民；庶民

参考例句：

• He is a philosophy professor with a cockney accent and an alarmingly plebeian manner.他是个有一口伦敦土腔、举止粗俗不堪的哲学教授。
• He spent all day playing rackets on the beach,a plebeian sport if there ever was one.他一整天都在海滩玩壁球，再没有比这更不入流的运动了。

7 plebeians   

n.平民( plebeian的名词复数 )；庶民；平民百姓；平庸粗俗的人

参考例句：