Rome began as a small village on central Italy's Tiber River.

羅馬最初是意大利中部臺伯河畔的一個小村莊。

In the coming centuries, it grew into an empire that stretched from the North Atlantic all the way to the Persian Gulf.

在接下來的幾個世紀裡，它逐漸發展成為一個從北大西洋一直延伸到波斯灣的帝國。

During this transformation, Rome displayed a political, military, and cultural prowess that enabled it to become a superpower and helped shape what would become known as Western civilization.

在這一轉變過程中，羅馬展現出了強大的政治、軍事和文化實力，使其成為一個超級大國，並幫助塑造了後來的西方文明。

The lifespan of ancient Rome can be divided into three major periods, the regal, the republican, and the imperial.

古羅馬的生命週期可分為三個主要時期，即王權時期、共和時期和帝國時期。

During the regal period, Rome was monarchical and ruled by a succession of about seven kings.

在王權時期，羅馬實行君主制，由大約七位國王相繼統治。

Rome's first king, according to legend, was a man named Romulus.

傳說中，羅馬的第一位國王名叫羅穆盧斯。

He and his twin brother Remus are said to have founded Rome in 753 BC.

據說，公元前 753 年，他和他的孿生兄弟雷穆斯建立了羅馬。

In 509 BC, Rome adopted a republican system of governance in which the state was primarily ruled by two annually elected representatives called praetors, who were later called consuls.

公元前 509 年，羅馬實行共和政體，國家主要由兩名每年選舉產生的代表統治，他們被稱為 "元帥"，後來又被稱為 "執政官"。

One of them became a famous general and dictator, Julius Caesar.

其中一位成為了著名的將軍和獨裁者，他就是凱撒大帝。

The imperial period followed.

隨後是帝國時期。

It was characterized by the rise of the Roman Empire and notorious leaders such as Octavian, Rome's first emperor who ushered in an era of peace, and Nero, who some scholars believe was Rome's cruelest emperor.

其特點是羅馬帝國的崛起和臭名昭著的領導人，如開創和平時代的羅馬第一位皇帝屋大維，以及一些學者認為羅馬最殘忍的皇帝尼祿。

Rome's focus and pride in its military was vital to the civilization's growth, and this ethos was evident as early as the regal period when Rome was only a small village.

羅馬對軍事的重視和自豪對文明的發展至關重要，這種精神早在羅馬還只是一個小村莊的王權時期就已顯現。

Still, Rome slowly conquered and annexed neighboring peoples.

儘管如此，羅馬還是慢慢征服和吞併了周邊的民族。

This slow and steady expansion eventually led to the Romans' domination of the Italian peninsula and the entire Mediterranean Sea where they conquered the Greeks, Egyptians, and Carthaginians.

這種緩慢而穩定的擴張最終導致羅馬人統治了意大利半島和整個地中海，並在那裡征服了希臘人、埃及人和迦太基人。

Military conquests would later help Rome conquer lands as far away as Britain and Iraq.

軍事征服後來幫助羅馬征服了遠在英國和伊拉克的土地。

This massive scale and growing populace necessitated advancements in Roman engineering.

龐大的規模和不斷增長的人口要求羅馬工程技術不斷進步。

Aqueducts were constructed, which increased the public's access to water, helped improve public health, and paved the way for Rome's famed bathhouses.

水渠的修建增加了公眾的用水量，有助於改善公眾健康，併為羅馬著名的澡堂鋪平了道路。

A 50,000-mile-long road system was built as well.

此外，還修建了長達 50,000 英里的公路系統。

While made originally for the military, it facilitated the movement of people and ideas throughout the empire.

雖然最初是為軍隊製造的，但它為整個帝國的人員和思想流動提供了便利。

This transmission of ideas and increased contact with diverse cultures also enabled other aspects of Roman culture to evolve.

思想的傳播和與不同文化的接觸也使羅馬文化的其他方面得以發展。

A key to Rome's success and longevity was the empire's inclusion of cultures from the lands they conquered.

羅馬成功和長盛不衰的關鍵在於，帝國吸納了其征服地的文化。

From the nearby land of Latium, Rome acquired the Latin language, which became the empire's official language and the ancestor to Europe's Romance languages.

羅馬從附近的拉齊奧獲得了拉丁語，這種語言成為帝國的官方語言，也是歐洲羅曼語的祖先。

Romans also adopted cultural aspects from the ancient state of Etruria, including their religion, alphabet, and the spectacle of gladiator combat.

羅馬人還採用了古代伊特魯里亞的文化，包括他們的宗教、字母和角鬥士戰鬥的場面。

However, no other civilization influenced the Romans as much as the ancient Greeks.

然而，沒有其他文明能像古希臘文明那樣對羅馬人產生如此大的影響。

Their influence is probably most apparent in Rome's art and architecture.

他們的影響可能在羅馬的藝術和建築中最為明顯。

Upper-class Romans commissioned paintings and sculptures to imitate Greek art.

上層階級的羅馬人委託他人模仿希臘藝術進行繪畫和雕塑創作。

Greek architectural styles, such as columns, were implemented in Roman structures, such as the Pantheon and Colosseum.

羅馬萬神殿和鬥獸場等羅馬建築都採用了希臘建築風格，如圓柱。

One cultural shift in particular that resonated throughout the empire was the rise of Christianity.

基督教的興起是引起整個帝國共鳴的文化轉變之一。

Originating in the Middle East, the religion found a strong advocate in Constantine I, the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity.

該宗教起源於中東，第一個皈依基督教的羅馬皇帝君士坦丁一世為其找到了強有力的支持者。

He enabled Rome's transition into a Christian state and encouraged the religion to spread across Europe.

他使羅馬轉型為基督教國家，並鼓勵宗教在歐洲傳播。

By the fourth century, after a lifespan of over a millennium, the Roman Empire declined.

到了四世紀，羅馬帝國在經歷了一千多年的歷史後衰落了。

Factors including political corruption, economic crises, and class conflict led to the empire's decay from within, while invasions and other military threats caused it to break down from outside.

政治腐敗、經濟危機和階級矛盾等因素從內部導致了帝國的衰敗，而入侵和其他軍事威脅則從外部導致了帝國的瓦解。

Rome's ability to incorporate diverse cultures, dominate rivals, and adapt political systems to the needs of its people are all lessons to be learned for time eternal.

羅馬吸納多元文化的能力、統治對手的能力，以及根據人民需求調整政治制度的能力，都是值得永遠學習的經驗。

Hope not the end of a century, but a future period.

希望不是一個世紀的結束，而是一個未來的時期。