Ancient Rome and Greece
There is a quality of cohesiveness about the Roman world that applied neither to Greece nor perhaps to any other civilization, ancient or modern. Like the stone of Roman wall, which were held together both by the regularity of the design and by that peculiarly powerful Roman cement, so the various parts of the Roman realm were bonded into a massive, monolithic entity by physical, organizational, and psychological controls. The physical bonds included the network of military garrisons, which were stationed in every province, and the network of stone-built roads that linked the provinces with Rome. The organizational bonds were based on the common principles of law and administration and on the universal army of officials who enforced common standards of conduct. The psychological controls were built on fear and punishment-on the absolute certainty that anyone or anything that threatened the authority of Rome would be utterly destroyed.
1.罗马：a quality of cohesiveness
so the various parts of the Roman realm were bonded into a massive, monolithic entity by physical, organizational, and psychological controls.
utterly destroyed.完全地摧毁
enforce 执行
物理，组织的，还有心理控制
The source of Roman obsession with unity and cohesion may well have lain in the pattern of Rome's early development. Whereas Greece had grown from scores of scattered cities, Rome grew from one single organism. While the Greek world had expanded along the Mediterranean seas lanes, the Roman world was assembled by territorial conquest. Of course, the contrast is not quite so stark: in Alexander the Great the Greeks had found the greatest territorial conqueror of all time; and the Romans, once they moved outside Italy, did not fail to learn the lessons of sea power. Yet the essential difference is undeniable. The key to the Greek world lay in its high-powered ships; the key to Roman power lay in its marching legions. The Greeks were wedded to the sea; the Romans, to the land. The Greek was a sailor at heart; the Roman, a landsman.
背景知识：
这段是讲希腊和罗马的对比：希腊是分散的城市，罗马是单一的组织
the Roman world was assembled by territorial conquest.罗马是通过领土征服而聚集在一起的
Alexander the Great 是希腊最伟大的一个领导者，也是领土征服的例子
罗马在海上也经常吃教训
The key to the Greek world lay in its high-powered ships;
the key to Roman power lay in its marching legions.
习惯用法：
lain in 存在于。。
the contrast is not quite so stark 对比不是很强烈
Yet the essential difference is undeniable. 但不可能否认的本质是。。
were wedded to the sea; 希腊人嫁给了大海
The Greeks were wedded to the sea; the Romans, to the land. The Greek was a sailor at heart; the Roman, a landsman.
Certainly, in trying to explain the Roman phenomenon, one would have to place great emphasis on this almost instinct for the territorial imperative. Roman priorities lay in the organization, exploitation, and defense of their territory. In all probability it was the fertile plain of Latium, where the Latins who founded Rome originated, that created the habits and skills of landed settlement, landed property, landed economy, landed administration, and a land-based society. From this arose the Roman genius for military organization and orderly government. In turn, a deep attachment to the land, and to the stability which rural life engenders, fostered the Roman virtues: gravitas, a sense of responsibility, pietas, a sense of devotion to family and country, and iustitia, a sense of the natural order.
have to place great emphasis on this almost instinct for the territorial imperative.
have to place great emphasis on 必须非常重视
this almost instinct for the territorial imperative.
对领土一种迫切的渴求。
From this arose the Roman genius for military organization and orderly government.
产生了罗马对军事组织和有序的政府
Modern attitudes to Roman civilization range from the infinitely impressed to the thoroughly disgusted. （现代人和历史学家对罗马的印象是负面的）As always, there are the power worshippers, especially among historians, who are predisposed to admire whatever is strong, who feel more attracted to the might of Rome than to the subtlety of Greece. At the same time, there is a solid body of opinion that dislikes Rome. For many, Rome is at best the imitator and the continuator of Greece on a larger scale. Greek civilization had quality; Rome, mere quantity. Greece was original; Rome, derivative. Greece had style; Rome had money. Greece was the inventor; Rome, the research and development division. Such indeed was the opinion of some of the more intellectual Romans. "Had the Greeks held novelty in such disdain as we," asked Horace in his epistle, "what work of ancient date would now exist?"
the power worshippers, are predisposed to admire roma的power
imitator and the continuator of Greece on a larger scale
disdain 蔑视
Rome`s debt to Greece was enormous. The Romans adopted Greek religion and moral philosophy. In literature, Greek writers were consciously used as models by their Latin successors. It was absolutely accepted that an educated Roman should be fluent in Greek. In speculative philosophy and the sciences, the Romans made virtually no advance on early achievements.
罗马也是用的希腊教育。哲学和科学这块 罗马完全没有任何领先
Yet it would be wrong to suggest that Rome was somehow a junior partner in Greco-Roman civilization. The Roman genius was projected into new spheres -especially into those of law, military organization, administration, and engineering. Moreover, the tensions that arose within the Roman state produced literary and artistic sensibilities of the highest order. It was no accident that many leading Roman soldiers and statesmen were writers of high caliber.
the tensions 紧张的局势
artistic sensibilities 艺术感
a junior partner 初级的伙伴
The Roman genius was projected into new spheres -especially into those of law, military organization, administration, and engineering
罗马的天才被推向新的领域： those of law, military organization, administration, and engineering
It was no accident that many leading Roman soldiers and statesmen were writers of high caliber.
high caliber 高素质
caliber： the quality of someone's character or the level of their ability.
high caliber 高素质
The Roman genius was projected into new spheres -especially into those of law, military organization, administration, and engineering
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