英语听力—环球英语 866 Warrior Slaves

　　Voice 1
Welcome to Spotlight¹. I’m Robin² Basselin.
Voice 2
And I’m Ryan Geertsma. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand - no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
The Colosseum is a beautiful, ancient building. It is in the city of Rome, Italy. Roman leaders built it nearly 2,000 years ago. They built it to celebrate after winning a war. The Colosseum was a symbol of Rome’s wealth. Even today, it is one of the most well-known buildings in the world.
Voice 2
This beautiful building was an arena³. It was a building used for sport – particularly the sport of fighting. In ancient Rome, thousands of people gathered at the Colosseum. They came to watch gladiators fight. These men fought for many different reasons. But gladiators all had one thing in common - they were fighting for their lives. Today’s Spotlight is on the glory and tragedy of Roman gladiators and arena fighting.
Voice 1
Gladiators were an important part of ancient Roman culture. People saw them as a symbol of Rome’s power. Gladiators were both heroes and victims. Sometimes, gladiators fought against animals. Other times, they fought against other gladiators. And usually, they fought until someone died.
Voice 2
The first Roman gladiators were not trained fighters. They were slaves, people who were captured in wars, and criminals. This is why some people call gladiators “warrior slaves.” Most of these early gladiators did not want to fight. They fought because they were forced to. And they fought to save their lives. However, there were some gladiators who wanted to fight. They chose to be gladiators to win money, honor, and fame. Gladiators who won many fights often became famous - like sports heroes today.
Voice 1
Flamma was a very famous gladiator. He fought until the day he died. At first, Flamma was forced to fight because he was a slave. However, after many victories, officials offered him freedom. In fact, officials offered him freedom four different times. But each time, he decided⁴ to keep fighting.
Voice 2
Flamma was proud of his fighting. He won over 20 gladiator fights. Flamma died at the age of 30. After he died, his friends honoured him. They put a stone where he is buried. It says he was a great man. It also lists a record of his many battles and victories.
Voice 1
Marcus Atillius was another famous gladiator. He was not a slave. Instead, he fought for money. He is most famous for defeating two great gladiators. They were the most honored gladiators of his time - Hilarus and Lucius Raecius.
Voice 2
Marcus Atillius’ battles with Hilarus and Lucius were unusual. In most battles, the losing gladiator was killed. However, Hilarus and Lucius fought very well. So, officials allowed them to live. Sometimes, gladiators like Hilarus and Lucius won honor and freedom - even when they lost a battle.
Voice 1
Gladiators like Flamma and Marcus Atillius chose to fight for money and fame. However, most gladiators did not want to fight. They wanted to be free. Priscus and Verus fought each other in one of the longest gladiator battles ever. They fought long and evenly. In fact, they both admitted defeat at the exact same time. Since they fought so well, the Roman emperor or leader declared them both winners. And he awarded them their freedom.
Voice 2
Some gladiators protested their poor treatment. And some even tried to escape their slavery. Spartacus was the most famous rebel gladiator. He was born in northern Greece. And he was sold into Roman slavery. As a slave, Spartacus was forced to become a gladiator. He trained at a gladiator school. Slaves like Spartacus were given shelter and fed good food. This was to help them become better fighters. However, they were still unhappy. The men who guarded the gladiators were very mean. For most of the slaves, life in gladiator school was bad.
Voice 1
The gladiators were unhappy with these conditions. So, Spartacus and nearly 70 other gladiators planned a revolt. They formed a group and escaped. Other rebel slaves joined them. Together, they became a slave army. They fought the Romans for their freedom. However, the Romans had a better trained army. And after many battles, Spartacus died. Soon, the revolt ended. The slaves did not win their freedom. However, even today people still remember Spartacus and his slave army. Spartacus was a gladiator who valued his freedom more than money or fame.
Voice 2
Slaves were not the only people forced to fight in arenas⁵ like the Colosseum. Many criminals were punished and killed in these arenas. And some people were killed because of their religious beliefs. In the first and second century, some Roman leaders killed Christians⁷. At this time, the Christian⁶ community was new and growing. The Christians refused to worship the Roman leaders. And many Christians died for their beliefs.
Voice 1
Perpetua was one of the most famous Christians killed in arena fighting. You may have heard another Spotlight program called “Perpetua: A Woman of Faith.” This program told the story of how Perpetua refused to worship anyone but God. She was put in prison. Later, guards brought her to the arena. They released wild animals to attack her. Finally, she was killed by a gladiator.
Voice 2
Today, many people still visit the Colosseum in Rome. They remember it as a sign of Roman power and wealth. They remember the gladiators and think of them as heroes who fought for honor. But we must not forget the other side of arena fighting. Many gladiators were forced to fight as slaves. Other people died for their beliefs. Alan Baker⁸ explains both the good and bad sides of Roman arena fighting. In his book, “The Gladiator” he writes,
Voice 3
“The gladiators were the superstars of their day. People loved them and followed them in the streets... At the same time, their job promised that they would have a horrible, bloody⁹ death. Some gladiators won money, retired¹⁰, and then lived in peace. But most died in hot sand, surrounded by the cheers of the crowd.”
Voice 1
There are often two sides to a story. There is the good side and the bad. This is true for the story of Roman arena fighting. Some gladiators were superstars. And some were victims. We may want to concentrate only on the good parts of the story. But it is important to remember both the good and the bad – the glory and the tragedy.
 

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 robin   

n.知更鸟，红襟鸟

参考例句：

• The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
• We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。

3 arena   

n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台

参考例句：

• She entered the political arena at the age of 25. 她25岁进入政界。
• He had not an adequate arena for the exercise of his talents.他没有充分发挥其才能的场所。

4 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

5 arenas   

表演场地( arena的名词复数 )； 竞技场； 活动或斗争的场所或场面； 圆形运动场

参考例句：

• Demolition derbies are large-scale automobile rodeos that take place in big arenas. 撞车比赛指的是在很大的竞技场上举行的大型汽车驾驶技术表演。
• Are there areas of privacy in the most public of arenas? 在绝大部分公开的场合中存在需要保护隐私的领域吗？

6 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

7 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

8 baker   

n.面包师

参考例句：

• The baker bakes his bread in the bakery.面包师在面包房内烤面包。
• The baker frosted the cake with a mixture of sugar and whites of eggs.面包师在蛋糕上撒了一层白糖和蛋清的混合料。

9 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

10 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。