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CCTV9英语新闻:罗马庆祝第一个皇帝

时间:2014-07-22 05:35:50

(单词翻译:单击)

Emperor Augustus again towers over the temple he once built. 

 

Two millennia1 since his death, a special sound and light show in the Forum2 of Augustus is celebrating his legacy3. Orginally named Gaius Octavianus, Augustus ruled for 41 years before his death in 14 AD. 

 

The light show tells the story of how Augustus came to power when he was 18, after the assassination4 of his uncle and adopted father, Julius Caesar. 

 

"Julius Caesar was very ambitious and Octavian was equally ambitious but he was more like a wolf in sheep's clothing in that he hid his ambition a little bit better," Laura Weinstein, Roman holiday tours said.

 

"oh, I don't want to have too much power, I am just here to help, we've had a lot of crazy stuff going on in this civil war, I just want to fix things up and we're going to go back to that democracy period as soon as possible, don't worry about it.' So in this way he calmed the people's fears about the fact that all of a sudden in reality we had essentially5 one Julio-Claudian dynasty, one royal family that had all the power."

 

The Greek word "euangelion" became a part of imperial rhetoric6 during the reign7 of Augustus. It means 'good news' and is used to honor his achievements to bring peace and stability to the empire, and demand loyalty8 from his subjects. 

 

Along the Tiber River in Rome stands the beautiful ancient monument Ara Pacis. This Altar to Peace was built as a reminder9 of the calm that Augustus brought to the empire.

 

"In the end he ruled for 41 years, so he must have done something right and not only that he ruled for 41 years and did something right, but in retrospect10 we call this the era of peace, the golden age of Rome," Laura Weinstein said.

 

Some of the techniques Augustus used to maintain power were later imitated by other leaders, from Napoleon to Mussolini - they include using his own image for propaganda. 

 

Augustus's legacy and his story draw thousands of tourists to Rome every year. Events marking the 2000th anniversary of Augustus's death run until October 21st. 


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1 millennia 3DHxf     
n.一千年,千禧年
参考例句:
  • For two millennia, exogamy was a major transgression for Jews. 两千年来,异族通婚一直是犹太人的一大禁忌。
  • In the course of millennia, the dinosaurs died out. 在几千年的时间里,恐龙逐渐死绝了。
2 forum cilx0     
n.论坛,讨论会
参考例句:
  • They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
  • The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。
3 legacy 59YzD     
n.遗产,遗赠;先人(或过去)留下的东西
参考例句:
  • They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
  • He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。
4 assassination BObyy     
n.暗杀;暗杀事件
参考例句:
  • The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
  • Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年,林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。
5 essentially nntxw     
adv.本质上,实质上,基本上
参考例句:
  • Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
  • She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。
6 rhetoric FCnzz     
n.修辞学,浮夸之言语
参考例句:
  • Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗?
  • Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后,他和军队的关系岌岌可危。
7 reign pBbzx     
n.统治时期,统治,支配,盛行;v.占优势
参考例句:
  • The reign of Queen Elizabeth lapped over into the seventeenth century.伊丽莎白王朝延至17世纪。
  • The reign of Zhu Yuanzhang lasted about 31 years.朱元璋统治了大约三十一年。
8 loyalty gA9xu     
n.忠诚,忠心
参考例句:
  • She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
  • His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。
9 reminder WkzzTb     
n.提醒物,纪念品;暗示,提示
参考例句:
  • I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
  • It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知,她才付应该交的房租。
10 retrospect xDeys     
n.回顾,追溯;v.回顾,回想,追溯
参考例句:
  • One's school life seems happier in retrospect than in reality.学校生活回忆起来显得比实际上要快乐。
  • In retrospect,it's easy to see why we were wrong.回顾过去就很容易明白我们的错处了。