世界小史 第185期:皇位

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　　为了使皇权重新获得威望和受人敬畏，

　　he introduced new rituals and court ceremony, and magnificent, richly embroidered¹ robes for his courtiers and officials.

　　他实行了一套严格的宫廷礼仪并让宫廷人员和官员穿奢华、昂贵的刺绣衣服。

　　He was particularly insistent² that people should make sacrifices to the emperor, and so ruthlessly persecuted³ Christians⁴ throughout the empire.

　　他当然特别注重物色皇帝的牺牲品并因此而在全国尤为强烈地迫害基督徒。

　　This was the last and most violent of all the persecutions.

　　这是最后一次、最厉害的一次迫害。

　　After a reign⁵ of more than 20 years, Diocletian renounced⁶ his imperial title and retired⁷, a sick man, to his palace in Dalmatia.

　　在位了20多年之后，戴克里先放弃了自己的皇位并以疲惫、患病的私人身份在达尔马提亚的一座宫殿里过着隐居的生活。

　　There he lived long enough to see the futility⁸ of his battle against Christianity.

　　他不得不在那里看到，他与基督教的斗争多么徒劳无益。

　　It is said that his successor, the Emperor Constantine, abandoned this struggle on the eve of a battle against his rival, Maxentius.

　　因为他的皇位继承人君士坦丁，放弃了这场斗争。据说是君士坦丁在戴克里先的一位前副皇帝马克森提会战前

　　He had a dream in which he saw the Cross, and heard the words: "Beneath this sign you will be victorious⁹."

　　他在梦中见到了十字架并听见了这样的话：“这个标记将保佑你获胜。”

　　Victorious in that battle, he issued a decree in 313 that Christians should no longer be persecuted.

　　他获胜后，便在313年规定，基督教不再受到迫害。

　　He himself remained a pagan for a long time, and was only baptized on his death-bed.

　　不过他自己却是在很长时间内一直是异教徒，在临死前不久才接受洗礼。

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