剑桥雅思19Test1Passage2阅读原文翻译 The pirates of the ancient Mediterranean 古地中海强盗
剑桥雅思19阅读第一套题目第二篇文章的主题为古地中海海盗。作者按照时间顺序，分别讲述了有关海盗的大众认知，海盗的起源，海盗的作用，最早有关海盗的记录，希腊人对海盗与众不同的态度，以及地中海海盗在罗马共和国时期的覆灭等。下面是具体每一段的翻译。
剑桥雅思19Test1Passage2阅读原文翻译
段落A
When one mentions pirates, an image springs to most people’s minds of a crew of misfits, daredevils and adventurers in command of a tall sailing ship in the Caribbean Sea. Yet from the first to the third millennium BCE, thousands of years before these swashbucklers began spreading fear across the Caribbean, pirates prowled the Mediterranean, raiding merchant ships and threatening vital trade routes. However, despite all efforts and the might of various ancient states, piracy could not be stopped. The situation remained unchanged for thousands of years. Only when the pirates directly threatened the interests of ancient Rome did the Roman Republic organise a massive fleet to eliminate piracy. Under the command of the Roman general Pompey, Rome eradicated piracy, transforming the Mediterranean into ‘Mare Nostrum’(Our Sea).
当人们提到“海盗”这个词时，大多数人脑海中浮现的画面，往往是一些离经叛道、胆大妄为又充满冒险精神的人，驾驶着高大的风帆船，在加勒比海上横行霸道。然而，早在这些加勒比海盗横扫一方的几千年前-公元前一千年到三千年之间，地中海早已是海盗的天下。他们袭击商船，威胁关键的贸易路线。尽管各个古代强国多次出手，倾尽全力想要铲除海盗，但始终未能奏效，这种局面持续了数千年。直到这些海盗的行径直接威胁到了古罗马的利益，罗马共和国才组织起一支庞大的舰队对其进行打击。在罗马名将庞培的率领下，罗马最终成功扫除海盗，将地中海变成了名副其实的“我们的海”（拉丁语称作 Mare Nostrum）。
段落B
Although piracy in the Mediterranean is first recorded in ancient Egypt during the reign of Pharaoh Amenhotep III (c 1390-1353 BCE), it is reasonable to assume it predated this powerful civilisation. This is partly due to the great importance the Mediterranean held at this time, and partly due to its geography. While the Mediterranean region is predominantly fertile, some parts are ragged and hilly, even mountainous. In the ancient times, the inhabitants of these areas relied heavily on marine resources, including fish and salt. Most had their own boats, possessed good seafaring skills, and unsurpassed knowledge of the local coastline and sailing routes. Thus, it is not surprising that during hardships, these men turned to piracy. Geography itself further benefited the pirates, with the numerous coves along the coast providing places for them to hide their boats and strike undetected. Before the invention of ocean-going caravels in the 15th century,ships could not easily cross long distances over open water. Thus, in the ancient world most were restricted to a few well-known navigable routes that followed the coastline. Caught in a trap, a slow merchant ship laden with goods had no other option but to surrender. In addition, knowledge of the local area helped the pirates to avoid retaliation once a state fleet arrived.
尽管关于地中海海盗的最早记载出现在古埃及时期，具体是在法老阿蒙霍特普三世（约公元前1390年至前1353年）统治时期，但可以合理推测，早在这个强大文明崛起之前，海盗活动就已经存在。这一推断部分源于当时地中海的重要性，部分则与其地理环境密切相关。地中海地区虽然大部分土地肥沃，但也有不少崎岖多山、地势复杂的区域。在古代，这些地方的居民主要依靠海洋资源为生，如捕鱼和采盐。他们大多拥有自己的船只，精通航海，并对沿海地形和航线文章来自老烤鸭雅思了如指掌。因此，在生计困难时，这些人转而从事海盗行为，也就不足为奇了。地理条件本身也为海盗提供了便利。沿海众多隐蔽的海湾成了他们藏船和发动袭击的理想地点。在15世纪远洋帆船“卡拉维尔”问世之前，船只很难在公海上长距离航行。因此，在古代世界中，大多数船只能沿着几条众所周知的近海航道行驶。一旦陷入埋伏，满载货物、行动迟缓的商船几乎毫无还手之力，只能选择投降。此外，对本地环境的熟悉，也帮助海盗在国家舰队前来追击时成功避开打击。
段落C
One should also add that it was not unknown in the first and second millennia BCE for governments to resort to pirates’services, especially during wartime, employing their skills and numbers against their opponents. This article is from laokaoya website. A pirate fleet would serve in the first wave of attack, preparing the way for the navy. Some of the regions were known for providing safe harbours to pirates, who, in return, boosted the local economy.
还应补充一点，在公元前一千年和两千年里，政府有时也会利用海盗的力量，尤其是在战争时期，他们会雇佣这些海盗及其船队来对抗敌人。海盗船队通常充当前锋部队，为正规海军的到来扫清障碍。某些地区甚至以为海盗提供安全的避风港而闻名，而作为回报，海盗的活动也刺激了当地经济的发展。
段落D
The first known record of a named group of Mediterranean pirates, made during the rule of ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten (c 1353-1336 BCE), was in the Amama Letters. These were extracts of diplomatic correspondence between the pharaoh and his allies, and covered many pressing issues, including piracy. It seems the pharaoh was troubled by two distinct pirate groups, the Lukka and the Sherden. Despite the Egyptian fleet’s best efforts, the pirates continued to cause substantial disruption to regional commerce. In the letters, the king of Alashiya (modern Cyprus) rejected Akhenaten’s claims of a connection with the Lukka (based in modern-day Turkey). The king assured Akhenaten he was prepared to punish any of his subjects involved in piracy.
我们已知的第一份关于地中海海盗的明确记载出现在古埃及法老阿肯那顿（约公元前1353年至公元前1336年）统治时期，记录载于《阿玛尔纳书信》中。这些信件是法老与其盟友之间的外交往来，涉及许多紧迫事务，其中就包括海盗问题。信中显示，法老当时正为两个不同的海盗团体所困扰-卢卡人和舍尔登人。尽管埃及海军尽了最大努力，这些海盗仍然对区域商业造成了严重破坏。在信中，阿拉什亚国王（即今日的塞浦路斯）否认与卢卡人（来自今土耳其地区）有任何联系，并向阿肯那顿保证，他愿意惩罚任何涉入海盗行为的臣民。
段落E
The ancient Greek world’s experience of piracy was different from that of Egyptian rulers. While Egypt’s power was land-based, the ancient Greeks relied on the Mediterranean in almost all aspects of life, from trade to warfare. Interestingly, in his works the Iliad and the Odyssey,the ancient Greek writer Homer not only condones, but praises the lifestyle and actions of pirates. The opinion remained unchanged in the following centuries. The ancient Greek historian Thucydides, for instance, glorified pirates’daring attacks on ships or even cities. For Greeks, piracy was a part of everyday life. Even high-ranking members of the state were not beyond engaging in such activities. According to the Greek orator Demosthenes, in 355 BCE, Athenian ambassadors made a detour from their official travel to capture a ship sailing from Egypt, taking the wealth found onboard for themselves! The Greeks’liberal approach towards piracy does not mean they always tolerated it, but attempts to curtail piracy were hampered by the large number of pirates operating in the Mediterranean.
古希腊世界对待海盗的态度与埃及统治者的经历截然不同。埃及的国力主要建立在陆地上，而古希腊人在几乎所有生活领域-从贸易到战争-都严重依赖地中海。有趣的是，在其史诗《伊利亚特》和《奥德赛》中，古希腊作家荷马不仅不谴责，反而赞美了海盗的生活方式和行为。这种看法在接下来的几个世纪中也未曾改变。例如，古希腊历史学家修昔底德就曾颂扬海盗对船只甚至城市发动的大胆袭击。对希腊人来说，海盗行为是日常生活的一部分。甚至国家高级官员也可能参与其中。公元前355年，希腊雄辩家德摩斯梯尼就指出，雅典的外交使节在官方出行途中曾绕道劫持一艘从埃及出发的船只，并将船上的财物据为己有！不过，希腊人对海盗的这种宽容态度并不意味着他们始终容忍海盗，只是由于地中海海盗众多，任何遏制行动都收效甚微。
段落F
The rising power of ancient Rome required the Roman Republic to deal with piracy in the Mediterranean. While piracy was a serious issue for the Republic, Rome profited greatly from its existence. Pirate raids provided a steady source of slaves, essential for Rome’s agriculture and mining industries. But this arrangement could work only while the pirates left Roman interests alone. Pirate attacks on grain ships, which were essential to Roman citizens, led to angry voices in the Senate, demanding punishment of the culprits. Rome, however, did nothing, further encouraging piracy. By the 1st century BCE, emboldened pirates kidnapped prominent Roman dignitaries, asking for a large ransom to be paid. Their most famous hostage was none other than Julius Caesar, captured in 75 BCE.
随着古罗马的崛起，罗马共和国不得不正面应对地中海的海盗问题。尽管海盗对共和国来说是一个严重的问题，罗马却也从中获利颇丰。海盗的袭击为罗马提供了稳定的奴隶来源，而奴隶正是罗马农业和矿业所必需的劳动力。然而，这种“默契”只能在海盗不侵犯罗马利益的前提下维持。一旦海盗开始袭击运送粮食的船只——这些粮食对罗马公民至关重要——元老院内便爆发愤怒的声音，强烈要求惩罚肇事者。但罗马政府却迟迟不采取行动，这反而助长了海盗的气焰。到了公元前1世纪，愈发猖狂的海盗甚至开始绑架罗马的显贵人物，并索要巨额赎金。其中最著名的人质，正是后来权倾天下的尤利乌斯·凯撒，他于公元前75年被海盗俘虏。
段落G
By now, Rome was well aware that pirates had outlived their usefulness. The time had come for concerted action. In 67 BCE, a new law granted Pompey vast funds to combat the Mediterranean menace. Taking personal command, Pompey divided the entire Mediterranean into 13 districts, assigning a fleet and commander to each. After cleansing one district of pirates, the fleet would join another in the next district. The process continued until the entire Mediterranean was free of pirates. Although thousands of pirates died at the hands of Pompey’s troops, as a long-term solution to the problem, many more were offered land in fertile areas located far from the sea. Instead of a maritime menace, Rome got productive farmers that further boosted its economy.
此时，罗马已经深知海盗的“利用价值”早已耗尽，是时候采取果断行动了。公元前67年，一项新法令授权庞培调动大量资金，以对抗横行地中海的海盗势力。庞培亲自挂帅，将整个地中海划分为13个战区，每个战区配备一支舰队和一位指挥官。在清剿完一个战区的海盗后，该舰队便会加入下一个战区的行动，如此步步推进，直到整个地中海都被肃清。尽管成千上万的海盗在庞培军队手下丧命，罗马在长期治理中却采取了更具远见的策略：将大量海盗迁移到远离海岸的肥沃土地上，让他们定居务农。结果，曾经肆虐海上的威胁，转化为推动罗马经济发展的生产型农民。
