罗马帝国衰亡史 Vol. 3 · Chapter 30 · Part 2

Chapter XXX: Revolt Of The Goths.—Part II. 第三十章 哥特人的反叛——第二节

The emperor Honorius was distinguished, above his subjects, by the preeminence of fear, as well as of rank. The pride and luxury in which he was educated, had not allowed him to suspect, that there existed on the earth any power presumptuous enough to invade the repose of the successor of Augustus. The arts of flattery concealed the impending danger, till Alaric approached the palace of Milan. But when the sound of war had awakened the young emperor, instead of flying to arms with the spirit, or even the rashness, of his age, he eagerly listened to those timid counsellors, who proposed to convey his sacred person, and his faithful attendants, to some secure and distant station in the provinces of Gaul. Stilicho alone 34 had courage and authority to resist his disgraceful measure, which would have abandoned Rome and Italy to the Barbarians; but as the troops of the palace had been lately detached to the Rhaetian frontier, and as the resource of new levies was slow and precarious, the general of the West could only promise, that if the court of Milan would maintain their ground during his absence, he would soon return with an army equal to the encounter of the Gothic king. Without losing a moment, (while each moment was so important to the public safety,) Stilicho hastily embarked on the Larian Lake, ascended the mountains of ice and snow, amidst the severity of an Alpine winter, and suddenly repressed, by his unexpected presence, the enemy, who had disturbed the tranquillity of Rhaetia. 35 The Barbarians, perhaps some tribes of the Alemanni, respected the firmness of a chief, who still assumed the language of command; and the choice which he condescended to make, of a select number of their bravest youth, was considered as a mark of his esteem and favor. The cohorts, who were delivered from the neighboring foe, diligently repaired to the Imperial standard; and Stilicho issued his orders to the most remote troops of the West, to advance, by rapid marches, to the defence of Honorius and of Italy. The fortresses of the Rhine were abandoned; and the safety of Gaul was protected only by the faith of the Germans, and the ancient terror of the Roman name. Even the legion, which had been stationed to guard the wall of Britain against the Caledonians of the North, was hastily recalled; 36 and a numerous body of the cavalry of the Alani was persuaded to engage in the service of the emperor, who anxiously expected the return of his general. The prudence and vigor of Stilicho were conspicuous on this occasion, which revealed, at the same time, the weakness of the falling empire. The legions of Rome, which had long since languished in the gradual decay of discipline and courage, were exterminated by the Gothic and civil wars; and it was found impossible, without exhausting and exposing the provinces, to assemble an army for the defence of Italy.
霍诺留（Honorius）皇帝高居臣民之上，论地位之尊冠绝群伦，论畏怯之甚也无人能及。他自幼在骄矜与奢靡中长大，从不曾料到世间竟有哪股势力胆敢僭越，来搅扰奥古斯都继承人的安逸。左右阿谀逢迎，把逼近的危险一直遮掩着，直到阿拉里克（Alaric）兵临米兰的宫阙之下。待到战鼓声惊醒了这位年少的皇帝，以他的年纪，本该凭一腔血性、哪怕凭一股鲁莽挺身执戈，他却急切地听信那些胆小的谋臣：他们主张把圣驾连同忠心的扈从，护送到高卢（Gaul）行省某处安全而遥远的地方。唯有斯提利科（Stilicho）34既有胆识、又有权威，出面反对这一可耻之举——此举无异于把罗马与意大利拱手让给蛮族。然而宫廷卫队新近已被调往雷提亚（Rhaetia）边境，新兵的招募又迟缓而难以指望，这位西部统帅只能许诺：只要米兰的朝廷在他离开期间坚守不退，他必很快带回一支足以与哥特王一决高下的大军。此时每一刻都关系着国家的安危，他一刻也不敢耽搁，匆匆登舟渡过拉里乌斯湖（Larian Lake），又冒着阿尔卑斯严冬的酷寒，攀越冰雪覆盖的群山，出其不意地突然现身，一举震慑了那些扰乱雷提亚安宁的敌人。35这些蛮族或许是阿勒曼尼人（Alemanni）的几个部落，他们见这位主帅依旧以号令的口吻说话，无不敬畏他的坚毅；他屈尊从中挑选了一批最勇武的青年，蛮族把这看作器重与恩宠的表示。各步兵队摆脱了邻近敌人的威胁，便踊跃赶来，集结到帝国的军旗之下；斯提利科又向西部最偏远的驻军下令，命他们疾速进军，驰援霍诺留与意大利。莱茵河沿线的要塞尽被弃守；此后高卢的安危，全凭日耳曼人的信义，以及罗马之名往日的余威来维系。就连那支驻守不列颠边墙、用以抵御北方喀里多尼亚人（Caledonians）的军团，也被匆匆调回；36又有一支为数众多的阿兰骑兵被说动，前来投效焦急盼着主帅归来的皇帝。此番斯提利科的深谋与魄力展露无遗，而这件事同时也暴露出，这个行将崩塌的帝国已何等虚弱。罗马各军团的纪律与勇气日渐衰颓，早已萎靡不振，如今又在哥特战争与内战中消耗殆尽；事实证明，若不抽空各行省的驻军、任其门户洞开，便根本集结不起一支足以保卫意大利的军队。
The recall of the West: the frontiers emptied to raise one army for Italy 调回西部诸军：抽空各处边防，只为凑起一支保卫意大利的军队 THE RECALL OF THE WEST 调回西部诸军 “to assemble an army for the defence of Italy” 「一支足以保卫意大利的军队」 BRITAIN 不列颠 THE CALEDONIANS OF THE NORTH 北方的喀里多尼亚人 THE WALL OF BRITAIN 不列颠边墙 GAUL 高卢 GERMANY 日耳曼 ITALY 意大利 THE RHINE 莱茵河 RHAETIA 雷提亚 THE ALPS 阿尔卑斯山 MILAN 米兰 THE LARIAN LAKE 拉里乌斯湖 THE ALANI persuaded to engage in the service of the emperor 阿兰人，被说动投入皇帝麾下效力 THE LEGION OF THE WALL 边墙上的那支军团 “Even the legion, which had been stationed to guard the wall of Britain against the Caledonians of the North, was hastily recalled” 「就连那支驻守不列颠边墙、用以抵御北方喀里多 尼亚人的军团，也被匆匆调回」 THE FORTRESSES OF THE RHINE 莱茵河沿线的要塞 “The fortresses of the Rhine were abandoned; and the safety of Gaul was protected only by the faith of the Germans, and the ancient terror of the Roman name.” 「莱茵河沿线的要塞尽被弃守；此后高 卢的安危，全凭日耳曼人的信义，以及 罗马之名往日的余威来维系。」 THE MOST REMOTE TROOPS OF THE WEST, ordered to advance by rapid marches to the defence of Honorius and of Italy 西部最偏远的驻军，奉命疾速进军， 驰援霍诺留与意大利 a select number of their bravest youth — “perhaps some tribes of the Alemanni” 从中挑选一批最勇武的青年—— 「或许是阿勒曼尼人的几个部落」 I · THE JOURNEY OF THE GENERAL 一·主帅本人的行程 Without losing a moment, Stilicho hastily embarked on the Larian Lake, ascended the mountains of ice and snow, amidst the severity of an Alpine winter, and suddenly repressed, by his unexpected presence, the enemy who had disturbed the tranquillity of Rhaetia. 他一刻也不敢耽搁，匆匆登舟渡过拉里乌斯湖，又在阿尔卑斯严冬的酷寒之中攀越冰雪覆盖的群山， 凭着这出人意料的现身，一举震慑了那些扰乱雷提亚安宁的敌人。 II · ONE ARMY FOR ITALY 二·只为凑起一支保卫意大利的军队 The troops of the palace had been lately detached to the Rhaetian frontier, and the resource of new levies was slow and precarious; the timid counsellors of Honorius proposed to convey his sacred person to Gaul — Stilicho alone had courage and authority to resist. 宫廷卫队新近已被调往雷提亚边境，新兵的招募又迟缓而难以指望；霍诺留那些胆小的谋臣主张把天 子护送到高卢去——唯有斯提利科既有胆识、又有权威，出面反对。 A FRONTIER POST ABANDONED 弃守的边防要塞 TROOPS RECALLED UPON MILAN 奉调回师米兰的部队 THE JOURNEY OF STILICHO 斯提利科本人的行程 “it was found impossible, without exhausting and exposing the provinces, to assemble an army for the defence of Italy.” 「若不抽空各行省的驻军、任其门户洞开，便根本集结不起一支足以保卫意大利的军队。」
Fig. 30.2 — To assemble one army for the defence of Italy, Stilicho emptied the empire: the fortresses of the Rhine were abandoned, and even the legion that guarded the wall of Britain against the Caledonians was hastily recalled — an occasion that displayed the vigor of the general, and revealed, at the same time, the weakness of the falling empire. 图30.2——为集结一支保卫意大利的军队，斯提利科抽空了整个帝国：莱茵河沿线的要塞尽被弃守，连驻守不列颠边墙、抵御喀里多尼亚人的军团也被匆匆调回——斯提利科的深谋与魄力在这一场合展露无遗，而这个行将崩塌的帝国何等虚弱，也在同一场合暴露无遗。

Notes 注释

34 ↩
Solus erat Stilicho, &c., is the exclusive commendation which Claudian bestows, (del Bell. Get. 267,) without condescending to except the emperor. How insignificant must Honorius have appeared in his own court.
Solus erat Stilicho, &c.（唯有斯提利科……）：克劳狄安（Claudian）把这句赞誉独归斯提利科一人（del Bell. Get. 267），也不屑为皇帝留个例外。可见在自家宫廷之中，霍诺留是何等无足轻重。
35 ↩
The face of the country, and the hardiness of Stilicho, are finely described, (de Bell. Get. 340-363.)
那一带的地貌风光，以及斯提利科的坚忍强悍，都被描摹得极为出色（de Bell. Get. 340-363）。
36 ↩
Venit et extremis legio praetenta Britannis,
Quae Scoto dat frena truci.
—-De Bell. Get. 416.
Yet the most rapid march from Edinburgh, or Newcastle, to Milan, must have required a longer space of time than Claudian seems willing to allow for the duration of the Gothic war.
Venit et extremis legio praetenta Britannis, Quae Scoto dat frena truci.（那一军团也开赴而来——它远戍不列颠边陲，勒束凶蛮的苏格兰人。）——De Bell. Get. 416. 然而，从爱丁堡（Edinburgh）或纽卡斯尔（Newcastle）赶到米兰，行军再快，所需时日也必定长于克劳狄安似乎肯留给这场哥特战争的时间。