迦太基是远近一带最富有、最强大的城市，罗马将它的腓尼基居民称为“布匿人”。

　　Its ships went far across the seas, taking goods from one country to another and, since they were so near Sicily, they fetched grain from there.

　　他们的船队驶过遥远的大海，把世界各地的商品运往四面八方。由于他们的住地离西西里岛很近，他们便从那里获取粮食。

　　Because of this the Carthaginians had become Rome's first real opponents – and very dangerous ones too.

　　因为这样迦太基人成为罗马的头一批强大对手——也是很有威胁力的对手。

　　Unlike the Romans they didn't usually fight themselves, but could afford to pay foreign mercenaries to fight on their behalf.

　　他们不像罗马人那样亲自作战，但是他们有足够的钱可以雇佣外国士兵为自己作战。

　　In the war which now broke out in Sicily they won the early battles – not least because the Romans didn't have many ships,

　　在这场在西西里岛上爆发的战争中，开始时迦太基人取得了胜利——尤其是罗马人没有船只，

　　weren't used to sea voyages and sea warfare, and knew next to nothing about shipbuilding.

　　而且也根本不习惯于航海和在海上作战，同时罗马人也根本不会造船。

　　But one day a Carthaginian ship ran aground off Italy.

　　但是有一回一艘迦太基战船搁浅在意大利，

　　Using it as a model, and working in furious haste, the Romans managed to build a whole fleet of identical ships within two months.

　　罗马人把它当作模型，以飞快的速度在两个月内造了许多相同的船。