世界小史 第134期:屈服
Unlike the gentle Indians they didn't willingly submit.
不同于温和的印度人，他们不愿意屈服。
On more than one occasion they threatened to leave the city unless they were treated better and given a share of the fields and pastures which the patricians2 liked to keep for themselves.
他们多次威胁，若不改善他们的待遇，若不分给他们一部分迄今一直被贵族据为己有的、夺来的农田和牧场，他们就要离开这座城市。
After a relentless3 struggle which went on for more than 100 years,
经过历时一百年多年的艰苦卓绝的斗争，
the plebeians5 of Rome finally succeeded in obtaining the same rights as the patricians.
平民们终于成功获得跟贵族完全一样的权利。
Of the two consuls6, one would be a patrician1, the other a plebeian4.
两个执政官中的一个必须是贵族，另一个则必须是平民。
So justice was done.
这样就公正了。
The end of this long and complicated struggle coincided with the time of Alexander the Great.
这一场长期而复杂的斗争大致在亚历山大大帝时代宣告结束。
From this struggle you will have gained some idea of what the Romans were like.
从这场斗争中你已经能够大致看到罗马人是什么样的人。
They were not as quick-thinking or as inventive as the Athenians.
他们不像雅典人那样思维敏捷并富有创造精神。
Nor did they take such delight in beautiful things, in buildings, statues and poetry.
他们也不那么喜欢美的事物，不那么喜欢建筑物、雕像和歌曲。
Nor was reflecting on the world and on life so vital to them.
他们也不怎么重视思考世界和人生。
