A day in the life of a Roman soldier - Robert Garland

翻译人员: Wendy Li 校对人员: Lipeng Chen

The year is 15 CE and the Roman Empire is prospering.

15世纪，罗马帝国繁荣发展着。

Most of the credit will go to the emperor,

这主要归功于帝国皇帝，

but this success wouldn’t have been possible

但是如果没有像Servius Felix一样忠诚的士兵们，

without loyal soldiers like Servius Felix.

这种成功不可能发生。

Servius enlisted as a legionary eight years ago at age 18,

八年前，十八岁的Servius 成为罗马军团的一名士兵，

the son of a poor farmer with few prospects.

作为一个贫穷农夫的孩子， 他并没有什么前程。

Unlike the majority of legionaries, he doesn’t gamble,

不想很多其他的士兵， 他不赌博，

so he’s been able to save most of his wages.

所以他存下了他的薪水。

He’s even kept his viaticum,

他甚至存下了他的入伍费，

the three gold coins he received when he enlisted.

那是在他入伍时收到的三个金币。

If he survives until retirement, he’ll receive several acres of land.

如果他能活到他退伍， 他将能收到一些土地。

And he’s grown rather fond of a girl back home

他会喜欢上一个家乡的女孩，

whom he intends to marry.

一个他想娶回家的人。

But he’ll have to wait until he completes his 25 years of service

但是他必须等到他 完成25年的服役之后

before that can happen.

这些才有可能。

And the life of a legionary is dangerous and grueling.

军队的生活是危险且疲惫的。

Today, Servius’s legion, along with three others,

今天， Servius的军团 和其他三个团，

has undertaken a “great march” of 30,000 Roman paces,

进行了3万罗马步（古罗马 长度单位）的宏大行军仪式，

the equivalent of nearly 36 kilometers.

相当于近36千米。

Servius’s armor and weapons,

Servius的盔甲和武器，

including his gladius,

包括他的短剑，

scutum,

长形盾，

and two pila,

两个短矛，

weigh over 20 kilograms.

重20多千克。

And that’s not counting his backpack, or sarcina,

这还不包括他的 背包或行军包裹，

which contains food and all the tools he needs to help build the camp –

里面装满了食物 和他需要的扎营工具——

spade,

saw,

铲子，

锯子，

pickaxe,

十字镐，

and basket.

和篮子。

Although Servius is exhausted, he won’t sleep much tonight.

虽然 Servius很累， 今晚他还是无法睡得很好。

He’s been assigned the first watch,

他负责第一轮望风，

which means looking after the baggage animals

他要注意随行的动物，

and keeping alert against a possible ambush.

警觉潜在的埋伏。

After he’s done, he lies awake, dreading the day ahead,

之后，他躺着但无法入眠， 思索着明天，

which will force him to recall his worst nightmare.

不得不回忆起他最坏的噩梦。

At dawn, Servius eats breakfast with his seven tent companions.

黎明时，Servius和他的七个 同帐篷的士兵一起吃过早饭。

They’re like a family, all bearing scars from the battles they’ve fought together.

他们就像是一家人， 身上有着一起战斗的疤痕。

Servius is from Italia,

Servius来自意大利，

but his fellow soldiers hail from all over the empire,

但是他其他的同伴们 来自帝国的其他各个地方，

which stretches from Syria to Spain.

从叙利亚到西班牙，

So they’re all far from home in the northern land of Germania.

他们都远离家乡 在北日耳曼服役。

Servius’s legion and three others with him today

Servius的军团 和其他三个军团

are under the command of Emperor Tiberius’s nephew Germanicus,

服从于皇帝台比留的外甥 格马尼库斯的命令，

named for his father’s military successes against the Germanic tribes.

他肩负着父亲的英名 对抗日耳曼部落。

Each legion has close to 5,000 men,

每个军团有近5000人，

divided into cohorts of about 500,

被分成500人的队列，

further subdivided into centuries of around 80-100 men.

又被分成80-100人的百人团。

Each century is commanded by a centurion.

每个百人团有 一个百夫长，

An aquilifer, or eagle-bearer, marches at the head of each legion

每个鹰旗长带领一个军团，

carrying its eagle standard.

手持鹰旗，

The centurions march beside the legionaries belting out orders,

百夫长在军团旁游行。

“Dex, sin, dex, sin,"

“dex，sin，dex，sin，”

“Right, left, right, left,"

“左，右，左，右，”

starting with the right foot as the left is considered unlucky or sinister.

先迈左脚因为右脚被 认为是不吉利的。

Despite the strict discipline, there’s tension in the air.

尽管有严格的纪律， 气氛还是很紧张。

Last year, some legions in the area revolted,

去年，区域内的一些军团起义，

demanding better pay and a cut in the length of service.

要求更好的待遇 和减少服役时长。

Only their general’s charisma and negotiating skills

将军用他的人格 魅力和谈判技巧

prevented wholesale mutiny.

阻止了大规模暴动。

Today is a “just march,” only 30 kilometers.

今天是“只有行军”， 仅仅30千米。

As the marshes and forests of Germania lie beyond the empire’s road system

因为日耳曼沼泽和森林 穿过帝国的道路系统，

the men must build causeways and bridges to make headway—

士兵们必须建筑 堤道和桥梁来通过。

something they’ve recently spent more time doing than fighting.

有时候他们会花费比战斗 更多的时间来做这些。

Finally, they arrive at their destination, a place Servius knows too well.

最后他们到了目的地， Servius对这里了如指掌。

It’s a clearing on the outskirts of the Teutoburg Forest,

这里是顿堡森林郊区，

where six years ago, during the reign of the Emperor Augustus,

六年前，奥古斯都皇帝 统治着这里。

Germanic tribes under their chieftain Arminius

日耳曼部落在酋长 阿米纽斯的带领下，

ambushed and destroyed three legions.

在这里埋伏并摧毁了 三个罗马军团。

Proceeding along a narrow path,

沿着狭窄的道路前进，

the legions were attacked from forest cover under torrential rain

军团受到在暴雨中受到袭击，

with their escape blocked.

退路被截断。

It was one of the worst defeats the Romans ever suffered

这是罗马人经历过的 最惨的失败之一，

and Augustus never lived it down.

也是奥古斯都皇帝 一生的耻辱。

Servius was one of the few survivors.

Servius是少数的幸存者之一，

Servius still has nightmares of his comrades lying where they fell.

Servius至今还会梦到 他死去的同伴们躺在那里。

But now the army is back to bury the dead with full military honors.

但是现在军队回到了这里 埋葬这些献身的战士。

As he helps in the task,

当他埋葬他们时，

he can’t help wondering whether the bones he handles belonged to someone he knew.

他忍不住想这些骨头 是否属于他认识的人。

Several times he wants to weep aloud, but he pushes on with the task.

多少次他想要落泪， 但他忍住了继续完成任务。

The glory of the Empire can go to the crows.

让帝国的荣耀去见鬼吧！

All he craves is to retire on a small farm with his wife-to-be,

他所想要的不过是和 他未来的妻子退休到一个小农场，

if the gods should spare his life for 17 more years.

如果上帝可以让他活过这17年。