Now the Athenians had not been idle since their great victory at Marathon.
这时人们在雅典自取得那场马拉松大胜利以来一直没闲着。
And they had a new leader called Themistocles, an astute and far-sighted man,
尤其是一位名叫泰米斯托克利斯的新领袖,一个特别智慧和目光远大的人,
who repeatedly warned his fellow citizens that a miracle like Marathon could only happen once,
一再地对他的同胞们说:像马拉松这样的奇迹只会发生一次,
and that if Athens were to continue to hold out against the Persians, it must have a fleet. So a fleet was built.
如果要长期抵抗波斯人,雅典就必须有一支舰队。于是,这支舰队建立起来了。
Themistocles had the whole of Athens evacuated, not that the population can have been very large in those days,
泰米斯托克利斯让全体居民撤离雅典——当时大概没有很多人
and sent to the little island of Salamis nearby.
并将他们送到雅典附近的萨拉米斯小岛上。
The Athenian fleet then positioned itself by this island.
雅典舰队在这个岛附近集结。
When the Persian land army arrived and found Athens abandoned, they set fire to the city and razed it to the ground,
当波斯陆军开进来时,他们发现雅典是座空城,便烧毁了这座城市,
while the Athenians on their island remained unharmed as they watched their burning city from afar.
但是对从远处看着自己的城市化为灰烬的雅典人来说却毫发未伤。
But now the Persian fleet appeared, and threatened to surround Salamis.
不过,现在波斯舰队驶过来并威胁要围困萨拉米斯岛。
The allies panicked, and were all for taking to their ships and leaving the Athenians to their fate.
雅典人的同盟者开始害怕了,他们要乘自己的船逃离而去并丢下雅典人不管。
At this moment Themistocles demonstrated his extraordinary ingenuity and daring.
这时泰米斯托克利斯显示了自己的过人才智和胆识。