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When, in the year 410,Alaric the Goth sacked Rome
公元410年 哥特人阿拉里克洗劫了罗马
and the last two legions departed to prop up the tottering empire,
最后两个驻守的罗马军团 也撤回保卫摇摇欲坠的帝国
that chill developed into an acute anxiety attack.
惶恐不断升级 城内风声鹤唳
This was one of the genuinely fateful moments in British history,the legions departing.
这是不列颠史上真正决定性的时刻 罗马军团退散
It wasn't like Hong Kong in 1997,there were no flags flying or pipers piping.
这并非1997年的香港回归 没有更迭的国旗 亦无奏乐声飘扬
The Governor wasn't driving around his courtyard seven times pledging to return.
也无总督开车巡视七次宣誓撤出殖民
Doubtless,many of the Romano-British did hope and expect to see the eagles back someday.
无疑 很多罗马-不列颠人期许着 罗马有朝一日东山再起
The tax collectors, magistrates, town councillors,
税务官 地方法官 议员
poets, potters, musicians and the newly-Christian priests
诗人 陶艺家 音乐家 以及新兴的基督教牧师
all said to themselves, Well, this couldn't go on forever.
都自我安慰道 这种局面会结束的
We couldn't always look to Mother Rome,and Mother Rome is half-infested with barbarians anyway.
我们不能总求助于母国罗马 更何况她正深陷与蛮族鏖战的泥沼中
We can handle this.We've got the Saxon shore forts.
我们可以自救 我们有撒克逊沿岸堡垒
We can hire barbarians to deal with the other barbarians.
我们能雇佣蛮族来对付蛮族的入侵
We can handle this.We CAN handle this.
我们可以自救 肯定可以自救
For the less confident, of course,there was only one thing to do:
信心不足的他们 只有一条路可走
Bury their treasure and head for the hills.
埋藏好财宝 躲到山上去
planning, as refugees always do,to return when the worst was over and dig it all up again.
如同一切避难者所计划的 当一切硝烟散去 再回来挖回财产
