Since the remaining small farmers could not compete
因为剩下的小农无法与大庄园竞争
with the latifundia, they were lucky just to survive.
他们能生存下来就很幸运了
That is, the farmers who had survived the
指在第二次布匿战争幸存下来的
Second Punic War. The widows of soldiers who died
战士死于战争,他们的寡妇
in the war,uncompensated for the loss of their husbands
无法获得赔偿
usually sold their land to latifundia operators at
通常只好向大庄园运营者出卖他们的土地
ridiculously low prices. Some small farmers left
价格低得惊人,有的小农离开了
because they couldn't even afford to pay their taxes.
因为他们甚至无法缴足够的税
With nowhere else to go, these former small farmers
无处可去,这些以前的小农和他们的家人
and their families were forced to move to the big city,
被逼搬往大城市,一般是去罗马
which almost always Rome. By this time,
在那个时候
the old patrician-plebeian breakdown had faded away,
老的贵族平民没有了
surviving only in the office of the Tribunate and
幸存在位的只有护民官
in the existence of the Popular Assembly. Thanks
和全民议会
to the Sextio-Licinian laws of three sixty seven BC,
多亏了公元前367年的Sextio-Licinian法律
the classes had been permitted to intermarry.
不同阶级之间允许通婚
This brought fresh blood into the upper class and it
上层阶级有新鲜血液
gave ambitious and gifted plebeians something to
有野心,有天赋的平民有了机会
shoot for. The old patrician class had been replaced
老的贵族阶级被贵族取代
by the nobility. Membership in the noble class was
要想成为贵族阶级的一员
determined by being elected consul, or by being the
必须被选为执政员或者
descendant of somebody who had been elected consul.
是过去执政员的后代
Rome was still, surely, an oligarchy in keeping with
罗马当然依然还是寡头政治
the dear old mos maiorum.
维护老的祖制
It's just that plebeian blood had revitalized the
只是平民血液为老旧的统治阶级
old ruling class. As elsewhere, Rome profited from
注入了青春,正如其它地方一样,罗马
its adaptability in allowing social mobility.
从社会流动性中获益
The only drawback to being a member of the noble
作为贵族或者元老院阶级的一员的
or senatorial class was that senators were expected
唯一缺点是元老不应有
to be above having business interests.
商业利益
According to the mos maiorum, it was assumed that
根据祖制,元老们
senators were already wealthy farmers in need of
已经是富有的农民
no additional income. Since they still wanted
不需要额外的收入
additional income, because who doesn't?
但他们依旧想要额外的收入,谁不想呢?
The latifundia were the perfect business venture.
大庄园制就是完美的商业投机
Romans who chose not to be in the senatorial class
罗马人中不愿意成为元老院阶级
and compete for slots on the cursus honorum could
而竞争于晋升体系的
belong to the equestrian class, also known as the
归为马术阶级,也被称为骑士阶级
class of knights. Once a term for Roman soldiers who
曾经指作为骑兵的罗马战士
served as cavalrymen, the equestrian class of Rome's
罗马共和国晚期的骑士阶级由那些
late Republic was made up of those who chose to
关注商业利益而非政治的
focus upon business interests instead of politics.
人组成
These men were often but not always from less
这些人来自暂时
established families, and less wealthy, temporarily.
不太有名望不太富有的家庭
Some equestrians later aspired to become members of
一些骑士后来渴望成为
the senatorial class,but for the most part equestrians
元老阶级的一员,但是大多是的骑士
were happy making money and adopting individual
只想很高兴的赚钱并把元老
senators as their patrons. Also about this time
作为保护人
politicians began to sort themselves out into
同时政治家开始把他们自己分为两派
two factions called optimates and populares.
贵族派和民众派
Neither faction, the optimates and populares,
就美国意义而言两派都无法被成为
could be called a political party in the American sense,
政治派别
neither had a particular agenda or world view
两派都没有一个具体的议程或者世界观
other than getting the people who belonged to it
只是帮助属于这一派别的人
elected to the cursus honorum. The factions differed
进入晋升体系罢了
primarily in the noises they made in order to get
两派主要不同于他们为了获得一席政治职位
political office. The populares talked furiously about
而发出的声音,平民派激烈地讨论
their deep concern for the Roman masses.
他们对于罗马大众的深切关注
They applauded the powers of the tribunes and
他们欢迎护民官获得权力
appealed to the Council of the Plebeians,
上诉庶民委员会
but basically they just wanted to get elected.
但是基本上他们只是想赢得竞选