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LESSON 58 The romans in Britain
第五十八课 罗马人在英国
It was the afternoon of a September day, and the forest leaves were already touched with the first tints of autumn,
那是九月的一个下午，森林里的树叶已经有了一丝秋天的气息，
when Julius Caesar's fleet of eighty ships drew up off the shore of Kent.
凯撒大帝率领着由80艘船组成的舰队在肯特王国的岸边登陆。
The natives lined the beach with horse, foot, and chariots, and stood prepared to defend their island home.
当地人有的骑着马，有的光着脚，有的在战车上，准备抵御外敌，保卫国土。
The Roman soldiers, clad as they were in heavy plate-armour of brass,
罗马士兵穿着铜制铠甲，
and afraid of being struck down before they could gain firm footing, hesitated to leap into the water.
担心还未站稳脚跟就会被敌军冲杀，所以都畏畏缩缩不敢下船。
Caesar opened on the Britons a heavy discharge of stones and darts from the engines used in sieges, which his galleys had on board.
凯撒用上了装在船上的重型投石器，对着岸上的英国人投掷石块和箭镳，
This made the enemy give back a little.
迫使敌军后退了一些。
Still the soldiers hesitated to leap from the ships.
可是，士兵们还是不敢下船。
Then the standard-bearer of the tenth legion,
这时，第十军团的旗手大喊：
crying "Leap, comrades, unless you wish to see your standard taken by the enemy!"
“同志们，快跳啊，难道你们想看着敌人攻过来吗？”
sprang overboard, and began to carry forward the standard.
他跳下船，扛着军旗向前推进。
Roused by his example, the whole twelve thousand soldiers dashed at once into the sea.
将士们都倍受鼓舞，十万两千名将士立即冲入大海。
The Britons met them in the water.
英国人就在水里和他们交战，
A fierce and deadly struggle took place, and much brave blood reddened the waves.
战斗很激烈，鲜血染红了海浪。
Gradually the Romans fought their way to land.
罗马军队渐渐将英军逼上了岸。
They formed and charged, and the terrible rush of their disciplined battalions swept the Britons before them.
罗马军队登陆后马上排成战斗队形，这支训练有素的军队横扫英军。
This was the beginning of the Roman invasion of Britain.
这是罗马入侵英国的开端。
Nearly a century and a half passed after this, however, before they invaded Scotland.
但就在一个半世纪左右前，他们入侵了爱尔兰。
Up to the year 80 after Christ, while nearly the whole of England had been reduced to the condition of a Roman province,
公元80年，整个英国几乎都被罗马军队征服，划入罗马帝国的版图，
the Romans possessed no land north of the Solway Firth.
打到索尔韦湾后，罗马军队才停止了侵略步伐。
