世界小史 第195期:原始时期

 　　This marked the end of the Roman Empire of the West and its Latin culture, 这是西罗马的讲拉丁语的帝国的结束，

　　together with the long period that goes all the way back to prehistoric¹ times, which we call "antiquity²". 所以人们也把这算作从原始时期开始的、被人们称作“古代”的整个漫长时期的结束。

　　So the date 476 marks the birth of a new era, the Middle Ages, given its name for no other reason than that it falls between antiquity and modern times. 从476年起，开始了一个新的时期即中世纪，它之所以这样被人称呼，理由很简单：因为它处在古代和近代之间。

　　But at the time no one noticed that a new era had begun. 但是当时人们丝毫也不曾察觉，一个新时代开始了。

　　Everything was just as confusing as before. 一切依然那样杂乱无章地继续进行着。

　　The Ostrogoths, who had previously³ fought alongside the army of the Huns, had settled in the Roman Empire of the East. 从前与匈奴人的军队一道征战的东阿特人已经在东罗马帝国安顿下来。

　　The Roman Emperor of the East, wishing to be rid of them, suggested that they might do better if they went to the Empire of the West and conquered Italy. 这时一心想摆脱他们的东罗马皇帝心生一计，他劝他们往西罗马帝国迁徙，占领意大利。

　　So in 493, led by their great king, Theodoric, the Ostrogoths went to Italy. 493年，东阿特人果真在其国王狄奥多里克率领下挺进意大利。

　　There, the battle-hardened soldiers made short work of a wretched, war-torn land. 惯于征战的他们，很快就占领了这个贫穷和被洗劫一空的国家。

1 prehistoric   

adj.（有记载的）历史以前的，史前的，古老的

参考例句：

• They have found prehistoric remains.他们发现了史前遗迹。
• It was rather like an exhibition of prehistoric electronic equipment.这儿倒像是在展览古老的电子设备。

2 antiquity   

n.古老；高龄；古物，古迹

参考例句：

• The museum contains the remains of Chinese antiquity.博物馆藏有中国古代的遗物。
• There are many legends about the heroes of antiquity.有许多关于古代英雄的传说。

3 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。