世界小史 第81期:城市的公民

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 These laws were so strict that people still speak of Draconian1 severity.

這些法律十分嚴(yán)厲以致人們今天還在談?wù)摰吕诺膰?yán)厲。

But the people of Athens, who had roamed the seas in their ships, and had heard and seen so many different things, did not consent to this for long.

但是雅典人民乘坐他們的船四處遠(yuǎn)航，見(jiàn)多識(shí)廣，他們沒(méi)有長(zhǎng)久容忍這種狀況。

It was, in fact, a nobleman who had the wisdom to try to give the little state a new system of government.

事實(shí)上，有一個(gè)貴族竟然如此賢明，想在整個(gè)小國(guó)家中建立一種新的制度。

His name was Solon, and the laws he introduced in 594 BC – at the time of Nebuchadnezzar – were named after him.

他的名字叫梭倫，他在公元前594年創(chuàng)立的法律——也就是在尼布甲尼撒時(shí)期——以他的名字命名。

They stated that the people, that is, the city's inhabitants, should decide the city's affairs themselves.

該法律規(guī)定這個(gè)民族，即這座城市的公民，應(yīng)該自己決定城市的事務(wù)。

They should assemble in the marketplace of Athens and vote.

他們應(yīng)該集合在雅典的集市投票表決。

The majority should decide and should elect a council of experts to put those decisions into effect.

根據(jù)多數(shù)人的意志作出決定，也選舉一些有經(jīng)驗(yàn)的人組成委員會(huì)，讓這個(gè)委員會(huì)去實(shí)施作出的決定。

This sort of government is called democracy, or "the rule of the people", in Greek.

這樣的政府叫民主政治，或在希臘語(yǔ)中叫“統(tǒng)治人民”。

This didn't mean that everyone who lived in Athens was entitled to vote in the Assembly.

當(dāng)然并非每一個(gè)居住在雅典的人都有權(quán)在大會(huì)上有表決。

Citizenship2 depended on wealth and influence, and many people, including women and slaves, played no part in government.

這要視個(gè)人的財(cái)產(chǎn)狀況和影響力而定，許多雅典居民，包括婦女和奴隸并不參與執(zhí)政。

But many Athenians could at least have their say, and so they took an interest in how their city was run.

但許多雅典居民至少能各抒己見(jiàn)，所以每個(gè)人也就都對(duì)城市的各項(xiàng)事務(wù)感興趣。

"Polis" is Greek for city, 'politics', the affairs of a city.

“Polis”在希臘語(yǔ)中的意思是城市，城邦，“politics”就是一個(gè)城市的事務(wù)。