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Added to which, the Athenians all knew what was at stake: their freedom and their lives, and those of their wives and children.
再加上全部的雅典人都知道，这关系到什么：关系到他们的自由和他们的生命，关系到他们妻子和孩子们的生命。
So there at Marathon they formed ranks, and fell upon the startled Persians. And they were victorious.
所以他们在马拉松集结并向受惊的波斯人发起攻击。雅典人打了胜仗。
The Persians suffered heavy losses. Those remaining took to their ships and fled. Such a victory!
许多波斯人阵亡了。剩下的波斯人登船逃跑了。竟然在获胜几率如此低的情况下取得了胜利！
And against such odds! Others in his place might have thought of nothing but celebration.
其他人在取得这样一次胜利后也许只会想着庆祝。
But Miltiades was shrewd as well as brave.
但是米尔提亚德斯不但勇敢，而且还富有智谋。
He had noted that instead of sailing back the way they had come, the Persian ships had turned towards Athens, which lay undefended and open to attack.
他注意到波斯舰队根本就没有真正驶离而去，而是向雅典方向驶去了，现在雅典根本就没有一个士兵，轻易就可以被攻破。
But as luck would have it, the distance from Marathon to Athens was greater by sea than by land.
幸好海路比从马拉松出发的陆路远。人们得划船绕过一个长长的岬角，
For ships had to negotiate a long spit of land easily crossed on foot.
而这个岬角人们也可以步行横越的。
This Miltiades did. He sent a messenger ahead, who was to run as fast as he could, to warn the Athenians.
米尔提亚德斯就这样做了。他派遣一名使者以尽量快的速度跑去提醒雅典人。
