世界小史 第154期:战斗英雄

 　　They would give their all for him. Not just on foreign soil but at home as well.

　　他们愿意为他竭尽全力，不但在敌国，而且在家乡。

　　For, in their eyes, a great hero of the battlefield was just what was needed to keep order at home, where there was often trouble brewing¹.

　　因为他们认为，谁是一位如此出色的战斗英雄，谁就一定善于维持好家乡的秩序。这往往是必要的，因为在罗马的情况并非总是很好。

　　For Rome had become a huge city with large numbers of destitute² people who had no work and no money.

　　它成了一座巨大的城市，有许多贫穷的人，他们生活没有着落，

　　If the provinces failed to send grain it meant famine in Rome.

　　一旦各行省不送来粮食，罗马城里便会发生饥荒。

　　Two brothers, living in about 130 BC, that is, 16 years after the destruction of Carthage,

　　一对兄弟有一一次，在公元前130年左右，迦太基被毁后的16年，

　　thought up a plan to encourage this multitude³ of poor and starving people to move to Africa and settle there as farmers.

　　试图关心这些贫穷的、忍饥挨饿的人并将他们迁至隔海相望的非洲务农。

　　These brothers were the Gracchi. But they were both killed in the course of political struggles.

　　这就是格拉古两兄弟，但是在政治斗争的过程中他们俩背打死了。

　　The same blind devotion that the soldiers gave their general went to any man who gave grain to the multitudes⁴ and put on splendid festivals.

　　跟士兵一样，这些穷人也总是死心塌地愿意为每一个给他们提供粮食和精彩的竞技会的人竭尽全力，因为罗马人非常喜欢竞技会。

　　For Romans loved festivals.

　　因为罗马人非常喜欢竞技会。

1 brewing   

n. 酿造, 一次酿造的量 动词brew的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• It was obvious that a big storm was brewing up. 很显然，一场暴风雨正在酝酿中。
• She set about brewing some herb tea. 她动手泡一些药茶。

2 destitute   

adj.缺乏的；穷困的

参考例句：

• They were destitute of necessaries of life.他们缺少生活必需品。
• They are destitute of common sense.他们缺乏常识。

3 multitude   

n.众多，大量，大群，大众

参考例句：

• He has a multitude of friend.他有许多朋友。
• A growing economy covers a multitude of sins for the government.蓬勃的经济为政府掩盖种种见不得人的东西。

4 multitudes   

大量( multitude的名词复数 )； 许多； 大众； 人群

参考例句：

• There are multitudes of islands on the Pacific. 太平洋中有许多岛屿。
• Not seldom, it had been seen by multitudes. 许多人都曾多次见过。 来自英汉文学 - 红字