评论
打印
The Roman Gods were State Functionaries. Each one managed his own department with great prudence and a deep sense of justice, but in turn he was exact in demanding the obedience of his worshippers. This obedience the Romans rendered with scrupulous care. But they never established the cordial personal relations and that charming friendship which had existed between the old Hellenes and the mighty residents of the high Olympian peak.
他们属于国家机构的一分子，每一位神都在努力管理着自己负责的部门。他们面目严肃，神态方圆，谨慎公正地施洒正义。作为回报，他们要求信徒们一丝不苟的顺眼，而罗马人也小心翼翼地献上了他们的服从。不过如古希腊人与奥林匹斯山颠的诸神之间存在着的和谐亲密、发自肺腑的神人关系，罗马人和他们的神抵之间则是从未有过。
The Romans did not imitate the Greek form of government, but being of the same Indo-European stock as the people of Hellas, the early history of Rome resembles that of Athens and the other Greek cities. They did not find it difficult to get rid of their kings, the descendants of the ancient tribal chieftains. But once the kings had been driven from the city, the Romans were forced to bridle the power of the nobles, and it took many centuries before they managed to establish a system which gave every free citizen of Rome a chance to take a personal interest in the affairs of his town.
虽然罗马人与希腊人同属印欧种族而且罗马早期的历史跟雅典和其他的希腊国家很相近，但他们没有模仿希腊人的政治制度。他们发现摆脱他们的国王也就是古老的部落酋长的后裔的束缚并不是那么难。但是一旦国王被驱除出这个城市，罗马人必须被迫束缚贵族的权利。罗马人需要很长的时间来建立一个使罗马的每个公民都能够支配自己的利益的体系。
Thereafter the Romans enjoyed one great advantage over the Greeks. They managed the affairs of their country without making too many speeches. They were less imaginative than the Greeks and they preferred an ounce of action to a pound of words. They understood the tendency of the multitude (the "plebe," as the assemblage of free citizens was called) only too well to waste valuable time upon mere talk. They therefore placed the actual business of running the city into the hands of two "consuls" who were assisted by a council of Elders, called the Senate (because the word"senex" means an old man).
他们不愿靠发表一大堆枯燥的言论和滔滔演讲来治理国家，他们的想象力和表现欲不如希腊人丰富，他们宁肯以一个现实的行动代替一百句无用的言辞。在他们看来，平民大会（"pleb"，即自由 民的集会）往往是一种空谈误国的恶习 ，无可救药。因此，他们将管理城市的实际事务交由两名执政官负责，并设立一个由一群老年人组成的"元老院"去辅佐他们。
