Ignoring his advice, they attacked Hannibal at a place called Cannae.
他們不聽他的建議,在一個(gè)叫坎尼的地方攻打漢尼拔。
There they were decisively1 beaten: 40,000 dead on the Roman side.
羅馬人遭到了毀滅性的打擊:死了4萬(wàn)羅馬人。
This battle, which took place in 217 BC, was their bloodiest2 defeat.
這場(chǎng)發(fā)生在公元 前217年的戰(zhàn)役是他們最可怕的失敗。
Yet despite his victory Hannibal did not march on Rome.
盡管如此,漢尼拔當(dāng)時(shí)還是沒(méi)有向羅馬進(jìn)軍。
Favoring caution3, he stayed put and waited for reinforcements from home.
他謹(jǐn)慎從事,他想等候國(guó)內(nèi)給他派來(lái)援軍,
And this was his undoing4.
而這卻是他失敗的原因。
For Carthage sent no fresh troops and his men began to run wild, robbing and plundering5 the Italian cities.
因?yàn)殄忍藳](méi)有派來(lái)援軍,他自己的軍隊(duì)在意大利各城市里燒殺搶掠,漸漸變得難以管束。
Though the Romans no longer dared attack him directly, they called up all their men to fight.
而這卻是他失敗的原因 。因?yàn)殄忍藳](méi)有派來(lái)援軍,他自己的軍隊(duì)在意大利各城市里燒殺搶掠,漸漸變得難以管束。
Every one of them – even young boys and slaves.
他們中的每一個(gè)人——甚至是年輕少年們和奴隸們。
Every man in Italy became a soldier, and these weren't hired soldiers like Hannibal's.
意大利的每個(gè)人都成了士兵,他們可不像漢尼拔的士兵那樣只是雇傭兵。
They were Romans, and you know what that means.
他們是羅馬人,你知道,這意味著什么。
They fought the Carthaginians both in Sicily and in Spain.
他們和西西里島和西班牙的迦太基人作戰(zhàn),
And everywhere they fought, as long as it wasn't Hannibal they were fighting, they always won.
只要漢尼拔不是他們的對(duì)手,他們便總是取勝。