There are many old and wonderful stories telling of the love Romans had for their native land and of their faithfulness to its laws.
有許多古老的、美好的故事講述羅馬人的這種對家鄉(xiāng)的熱愛和他們對法律的忠誠。
Stories of fathers who sentenced their own sons to death without turning a hair, because the law so demanded,
有的故事講述父親泰然自若就處死了他們自己的兒子,因為法律要求這樣做。
and of heroes who didn't hesitate to give their lives for their fellow countrymen on the battlefield or in captivity1.
的故事講述英雄們在戰(zhàn)場上或在監(jiān)禁中毫不猶豫為其同胞作出自我犧牲。
While we don't have to believe every word of them,
這些故事我們不見得字字句句都信,
such stories give us an idea of what was expected of a Roman: the harshness2 and discipline that it was his duty to show towards himself and to others whenever his native land or the law were involved.
但是這些故事給我們的印象是羅馬人在評價一個人時看重的是什么:在涉及到法或祖國時的剛強和嚴厲。
Nothing could shake these Romans. They never gave up.
沒有什么不幸能把這些羅馬人嚇倒。他們從不放棄。
Not even when their city was captured and burnt to the ground by tribesmen from the north called Gauls, in 390 BC.
就連他們的城市在公元前390年被北方的一個部落,高盧人攻陷并燒毀的時候,
They just rebuilt it, fortified3 it, and gradually brought the small surrounding towns back under their control.
他們也沒有泄氣。他們將它重建,重新加固它并漸漸迫使各毗鄰的小城邦臣服。