It took all the money they had, but with their brand new fleet they defeated the Carthaginians, who were soon forced to cede1 Sicily to the Romans.
他們花費了他們的全部金錢造了這些船,但他們用這支嶄新組建的船隊戰(zhàn)勝了迦太基人,迦太基人不得不把西西里島讓給羅馬人。
This happened in 241 BC.
這發(fā)生在公元前241年。
However, it was only the start of the war between the two cities.
但是這才是兩個城邦之間戰(zhàn)斗的開始。
They've taken Sicily,the Carthaginians said to themselves, so we'll take Spain.
他們已經奪走了西西里島,迦太基人心想,我們就占領西班牙好啦
Now at the time we're talking about there weren't any Romans in Spain, only wild tribes.
那里沒有羅馬人,只有未開化的部落。
Even so, the Romans would not allow it.
但是連這個羅馬人也不允許。
It so happened that there was a Carthaginian commander in Spain whose son Hannibal was a truly extraordinary young man.
恰巧這時迦太基人在西班牙有一位統(tǒng)帥,他的兒子漢尼拔是一個十分了不起的年輕人。
Reared among soldiers, he knew everything there was to know about warfare2.
他在士兵中長大,比誰都更了解戰(zhàn)爭。
Hunger and cold, heat and thirst, forced marches night and day, he had seen them all.
饑餓和寒冷,炎熱和口渴,日日夜夜連續(xù)行軍,這一切他都習以為常
He was fearless, unbelievably tenacious3 and a born leader.
他無所畏懼、異常頑強,是一個天生的領導者。
He could outwit the enemy with his cunning and sum up a situation in an instant, and he had a cool head.
他可以用他的機智巧計取勝敵人,迅速審時度勢,他還有清醒的頭腦。