It took all the money they had, but with their brand new fleet they defeated the Carthaginians, who were soon forced to cede Sicily to the Romans.
他们花费了他们的全部金钱造了这些船,但他们用这支崭新组建的船队战胜了迦太基人,迦太基人不得不把西西里岛让给罗马人。
This happened in 241 BC.
这发生在公元前241年。
However, it was only the start of the war between the two cities.
但是这才是两个城邦之间战斗的开始。
They've taken Sicily,the Carthaginians said to themselves, so we'll take Spain.
他们已经夺走了西西里岛,迦太基人心想,我们就占领西班牙好啦
Now at the time we're talking about there weren't any Romans in Spain, only wild tribes.
那里没有罗马人,只有未开化的部落。
Even so, the Romans would not allow it.
但是连这个罗马人也不允许。
It so happened that there was a Carthaginian commander in Spain whose son Hannibal was a truly extraordinary young man.
恰巧这时迦太基人在西班牙有一位统帅,他的儿子汉尼拔是一个十分了不起的年轻人。
Reared among soldiers, he knew everything there was to know about warfare.
他在士兵中长大,比谁都更了解战争。
Hunger and cold, heat and thirst, forced marches night and day, he had seen them all.
饥饿和寒冷,炎热和口渴,日日夜夜连续行军,这一切他都习以为常
He was fearless, unbelievably tenacious and a born leader.
他无所畏惧、异常顽强,是一个天生的领导者。
He could outwit the enemy with his cunning and sum up a situation in an instant, and he had a cool head.
他可以用他的机智巧计取胜敌人,迅速审时度势,他还有清醒的头脑。