《罗马帝国衰亡史》序言的部分译文发表。

[grimace]

主要是抛砖引玉，请大家指正。
The great work of Gibbon is indispensable to the student of history.
The literature of Europe offers no substitute for "The Decline and Fall
of the Roman Empire." It has obtained undisputed possession, as
rightful occupant, of the vast period which it comprehends. However
some subjects, which it embraces, may have undergone more complete
investigation, on the general view of the whole period, this history is
the sole undisputed authority to which all defer, and from which few
appeal to the original writers, or to more modern compilers. The
inherent interest of the subject, the inexhaustible labor employed upon
it; the immense condensation of matter; the luminous arrangement; the
general accuracy; the style, which, however monotonous from its uniform
stateliness, and sometimes wearisome from its elaborate art., is
throughout vigorous, animated, often picturesque always commands
attention, always conveys its meaning with emphatic energy, describes
with singular breadth and fidelity, and generalizes with unrivalled
felicity of expression; all these high qualifications have secured, and
seem likely to secure, its permanent place in historic literature.
Gibbon的伟大著作对于学习历史的人来说是必不可少的一本书。在欧洲没有一本著作能取代《罗马帝国衰亡史》。在漫长的时间中，它赢得了无可争议的声誉和公正的地位。尽管有些部分包含了尚待进一步完善研究的余地，就对整个时期的把握而言，这部历史书对其后所有历史作者拥有独一无二、无可质疑的权威性，对于现代的编者更是如此。这部艰辛劳动成果，因为它的主题充满了意趣，历史素材概括精炼，章节编排合理，描述保持一贯的精确，再加上那有时庄严而精雕细镂的文笔，虽然有时略显单调或沉闷，使它充满了动力、活力，读来与众不同，极具吸引力。它运用饱含力量的笔调表达作者的寓意，它忠实的描述总是体现着作者广阔的视野，它的归纳总结又是无以伦比的巧妙，所有的这些优点使得，并将继续确保，它在历史著作中占据永恒的地位。
This vast design of Gibbon, the magnificent whole into which he has
cast the decay and ruin of the ancient civilization, the formation and
birth of the new order of things, will of itself, independent of the
laborious execution of his immense plan, render "The Decline and Fall
of the Roman Empire" an unapproachable subject to the future
historian:* in the eloquent language of his recent French editor, M.
Guizot: --
"The gradual decline of the most extraordinary dominion which has ever
invaded and oppressed the world; the fall of that immense empire,
erected on the ruins of so many kingdoms, republics, and states both
barbarous and civilized; and forming in its turn, by its dismemberment,
a multitude of states, republics, and kingdoms; the annihilation of the
religion of Greece and Rome; the birth and the progress of the two new
religions which have shared the most beautiful regions of the earth;
the decrepitude of the ancient world, the spectacle of its expiring
glory and degenerate manners; the infancy of the modern world, the
picture of its first progress, of the new direction given to the mind
and character of man -- such a subject must necessarily fix the
attention and excite the interest of men, who cannot behold with
indifference those memorable epochs, during which, in the fine language
of Corneille --
'Un grand destin commence, un grand destin s'achève.'"
Gibbon在《罗马帝国衰亡史》中对这个早期文明的腐化、衰落以及对新生秩序的形成、产生的描述，体现了他宏伟而华丽的构思。不用谈论在这之后的辛勤撰写劳动，单是这种构思的本身就已经足以使这本书成为将来历史学家难以逾越的丰碑。他同时期的法国编辑Guizot先生用雄辩的语言说：那个曾经侵略和压迫全世界的最令人恐惧政权的逐步衰亡；那个辽阔帝国的覆灭，在它的废墟上建立起野蛮或文明的王国、共和国和政权，以及在它转变过程中，伴随着它的解体所形成的众多政权、共和国及王国；希腊、罗马传统宗教的消亡，两个占据了世界上最美丽地区的新兴宗教的产生和发展；显示旧世界的老化、逐步褪色的荣耀和堕落的社会风气；新世界的幼年，它向人类新的精神风貌和外观特征所迈出的第一步等等--这么一个主题必将吸引那些对那个难忘的年代无法保持淡漠的人们的注意，激发他们的兴趣，正如Corneille的警句所说，那是"一个注定伟大的开端，一个注定伟大的结局"（Un
grand destin commence, un grand destin s'achève）的年代。
This extent and harmony of design is unquestionably that which
distinguishes the work of Gibbon from all other great historical
compositions. He has first bridged the abyss between ancient and modern
times, and connected together the two great worlds of history. The
great advantage which the classical historians possess over those of
modern times is in unity of plan, of course greatly facilitated by the
narrower sphere to which their researches were confined. Except
Herodotus, the great historians of Greece -- we exclude the more modern
compilers, like Diodorus Siculus -- limited themselves to a single
period, or at least to the contracted sphere of Grecian affairs. As far
as the Barbarians trespassed within the Grecian boundary, or were
necessarily mingled up with Grecian politics, they were admitted into
the pale of Grecian history; but to Thucydides and to Xenophon,
excepting in the Persian inroad of the latter, Greece was the world.
Natural unity confined their narrative almost to chronological order,
the episodes were of rare occurrence and extremely brief. To the Roman
historians the course was equally clear and defined. Rome was their
centre of unity; and the uniformity with which the circle of the Roman
dominion spread around, the regularity with which their civil polity
expanded, forced, as it were, upon the Roman historian that plan which
Polybius announces as the subject of his history, the means and the
manner by which the whole world became subject to the Roman sway. How
different the complicated politics of the European kingdoms! Every
national history, to be complete, must, in a certain sense, be the
history of Europe; there is no knowing to how remote a quarter it may
be necessary to trace our most domestic events; from a country, how
apparently disconnected, may originate the impulse which gives its
direction to the whole course of affairs.
Gibbon的著作与其它所有伟大的历史作品的区别，毫无疑问是它广阔而和谐的构思。是他首先在古代和现代的鸿沟上架起了桥梁，并将这两者的历史融会贯通。传统历史学家优于现代历史学家在于他们计划的整体性，当然这很大程度上是由他们狭窄的研究范围所决定的。除了伟大的希腊历史学家Herodotus，我们除外了更多的现代编者例如Diodoru
Siculus，传统历史学家将自己的研究领域局限在某一单个的时期，或是至少在希腊这个被压缩的空间内。至于蛮族闯入希腊境内，以及他们与希腊政治必然的融合，这些都是希腊历史的范畴，但是对Thucydides和
Xenophon而言，除了后来波斯人的入侵，希腊就是整个世界。顺其自然的整体性使他们的叙述几乎完全按照时间顺序，事件情节发生的频率很少，描述的也极简略。研究罗马的历史学家也同样简化和制定他们的写作方法。罗马是他们研究整体的核心。罗马统治圈的一致性和罗马文化圈规则性，极大的影响了于罗马历史学家，以至于Polybius要写的历史主题的计划宣称，整个世界的处事原则和风俗全部都服从罗马的统治。欧洲的王国们复杂的政治制度有多么的复杂！将所有的国家的历史完整汇总，从某种意义上来说，就是欧洲的历史。我们没有办法知道我们跟踪最身边的事件会最终需要探求到最远的什么地方，也没有办法知道一个有可能策划、指导了事件的整个过程的国家，表面上究竟可以伪装得有多深。

[Daneen]

我的译稿：

                           编者前言

吉本（ Gibbon）的这本巨著对于学习历史的人来说是不言而喻的，已经出版的欧洲文献中，还没有一本书能取代《罗马帝国衰亡史》。在漫长的时间里，它获得了公正、无可置疑的声誉。尽管某些细枝末节仍待进一步考证，但就对罗马时代的整体关照而言，这本书拥有独一无二的权威性，相对随后出现的历史撰写者是如此，相对现代的编辑者更是如此。出版人员不辞辛劳正是基于这项工作内在的乐趣，这部书取材精练，编织精巧，叙述精准，尽管作者行文威严而缺少变化，过于饱满的笔调使人感到困乏，但这种雄壮、健旺的风格，却独具风采。这种风格不仅饱含力量地传承内涵，以非凡的视野和真实来叙述历史，也以巧夺天工的概括来展现历史。所有这些优点，确立这本书在历史著作中永恒的地位，并将一直保持下去。

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 

[danee...@gmail.com]

我的译稿，继续上面的：

　　吉本（Gibbon）构思的深广、宏大，体现在他对罗马古文明衰落、灭亡以及新秩序诞生、成型的构筑当中。且不管他这宏伟设想之后的具体执行，单就构思本身而言就足以使《罗马帝国衰亡史》成为后人不可逾越的丰碑。与他同时代相近的法国编辑M.
Guizot意味深长地说：——

“那个曾经侵略和欺压整个世界的霸主，它的逐步衰弱；那个曾经疆土辽阔的帝国陨落后，在它昔日的废墟上雨后春笋般建立的一个又一个或文明或残暴的君主王国、共和政体和民族国家；伴随着这个帝国的解体以及它转化过程中形成的众多国家；希腊和罗马信仰的幻灭；两个共享了世界上最美好区域的新兴宗教的诞生和发展；古老世界的腐朽，荣光不再的景象和堕落的生活方式；现代世界的初生，以及它向人类新的精神风貌和品质特征迈出第一步的美景——这主题必将吸引那些怀念旧时代的遗老们的注意，激发他们的兴趣，正如Corneille的谚语所说：——'Un
grand destin commence, un grand destin s'achève.'”

[grimace]

再抛一块砖，希望引到更多的玉。
　　序言的接下去部分：

　　In imitation of his classical models, Gibbon places Rome as the
cardinal point from which his inquiries diverge, and to which they bear
constant reference; yet how immeasurable the space over which those
inquiries range; how complicated, how confused, how apparently
inextricable the causes which tend to the decline of the Roman empire!
how countless the nations which swarm forth, in mingling and indistinct
hordes, constantly changing the geographical limits -- incessantly
confounding the natural boundaries! At first sight, the whole period,
the whole state of the world, seems to offer no more secure footing to
an historical adventurer than the chaos of Milton -- to be in a state
of irreclaimable disorder, best described in the language of the poet:
--
　　"A dark Illimitable ocean, without bound, Without dimension,
where length, breadth, and height, And time, and place, are lost: where
eldest Night And Chaos, ancestors of Nature, hold Eternal anarchy,
amidst the noise Of endless wars, and by confusion stand."
　　起初，Gibbon设计他那经典的叙事模型时，就将罗马作为一个中心，再从那里出发向各个方向进行探索，同时又将罗马作为探索的固定参照。他探索的领域是那样的辽阔，那样的复杂，那样的混乱，那些与导致罗马帝国衰落的原因有时那样的互相纠缠难以厘清，有那么多因为内部混杂在一起的不同部落的攒动而频繁改变边界以至于无法明了国境的政权。整个时代、整个世界给人的第一影响似乎是杂乱得让历史研究者无从着手，一如Milton在他那诗句中描写的那无可救药的混沌状态：“黑沉沉的大海，无边，无际，无从度量，吞噬了一切时空。在那里，远古黑暗和混沌、自然的始祖，在无尽的战争喧嚣中，暧昧地维系着永恒的混乱。”

个人感觉，序言的作者文笔华丽程度超过吉本，很难翻译出其中的妙味。弥尔顿的诗，如果有现成的译文，希望网友能提供。

[robertwa...@gmail.com]

关于那句法语，谈谈我的看法。s'achever 的意思是
Conduire à sa fin une action commencée，Arriver à la dernière
perfection。英语就是A great destiny commences, a great destiny
achieves ( self driven ,arrives at its final
perfection).中文的准确翻译要能表现出 it drives itself to
perfection 就可以了。

[Daneen]

继续重译，请大家指点。

<编者前言>第三小节：

This extent and harmony of design is unquestionably that which distinguishes the work of Gibbon from all other great historical compositions. He has first bridged the abyss between ancient and modern times, and connected together the two great worlds of history. The great advantage which the classical historians possess over those of modern times is in unity of plan, of course greatly facilitated by the narrower sphere to which their researches were confined. Except Herodotus, the great historians of Greece -- we exclude the more modern compilers, like Diodorus Siculus -- limited themselves to a single period, or at least to the contracted sphere of Grecian affairs. As far as the Barbarians trespassed within the Grecian boundary, or were necessarily mingled up with Grecian politics, they were admitted into the pale of Grecian history; but to Thucydides and to Xenophon, excepting in the Persian inroad of the latter, Greece was the world. Natural unity confined their narrative almost to chronological order, the episodes were of rare occurrence and extremely brief. To the Roman historians the course was equally clear and defined. Rome was their centre of unity; and the uniformity with which the circle of the Roman dominion spread around, the regularity with which their civil polity expanded, forced, as it were, upon the Roman historian that plan which Polybius announces as the subject of his history, the means and the manner by which the whole world became subject to the Roman sway. How different the complicated politics of the European kingdoms! Every national history, to be complete, must, in a certain sense, be the history of Europe; there is no knowing to how remote a quarter it may be necessary to trace our most domestic events; from a country, how apparently disconnected, may originate the impulse which gives its direction to the whole course of affairs.

 

吉本（Gibbon）构思的博大以及内在和谐，无疑使该著作从其他史学巨著中的突显出来。他率先在古代和现代之间架起跨越鸿沟的桥梁，将两个伟大世界的历史联系在一起。古典历史学家胜出现代历史学家在于他们构思的统一性，当然，造成这种状况这很大程度上源于后者的研究被限定在的某一狭窄的领域。除了古希腊大历史学家希罗多德（Herodotus）——以及像Diodorus Siculus这样众多的现代编辑之外——现代历史学家都把自己局限在单一的历史时期，甚至是希腊历史这样既定的狭小领域。至于蛮族对希腊的侵入，以及随后与希腊政治的必然融合，都算是希腊历史的范畴。但是对修昔底德（Thucydides）和色诺芬（Xenophon）来说，除了随后的波斯人侵入，希腊就是整个世界。天然的统一性使他们的叙述完全遵循时间的先后次序，缺乏情节的事件也就一笔带过了。至于古罗马历史学家，他们的记叙同样简单、呆板。罗马是这个联合体的中心；古罗马统治圈一致性的延伸，以及市民政治周期性的膨胀，强烈地影响了罗马历史学家，波里比乌斯（Polybius）在他的历史研究的计划中宣称，整个世界的思想和行为都将服从罗马的支配。欧洲王国复杂的政治何等迥异！一定意义上，一部完整的国家史，首先须是欧洲史；我们无法知道某个可能是我们追寻大部分国内事件必知的角落有多么遥远；（也无法知道）某个可能在整个历史进程中施以引导而兴奋的国家，是多么明显地背离历史脉络。



 

[grimace]

"遗老"不合适吧。“谚语”是在民间形成的，我觉得我的“警句”要好一些。您觉得呢？

[Daneen]

《罗马帝国衰亡史》编者前言第四小节译文

 

 

In imitation of his classical models, Gibbon places Rome as the cardinal point from which his inquiries diverge, and to which they bear constant reference; yet how immeasurable the space over which those inquiries range; how complicated, how confused, how apparently inextricable the causes which tend to the decline of the Roman empire! how countless the nations which swarm forth, in mingling and indistinct hordes, constantly changing the geographical limits -- incessantly confounding the natural boundaries! At first sight, the whole period, the whole state of the world, seems to offer no more secure footing to an historical adventurer than the chaos of Milton -- to be in a state of irreclaimable disorder, best described in the language of the poet: --
　　"A dark
 Illimitable ocean, without bound,
 Without dimension, where length, breadth, and height, And time, and place, are lost: where eldest Night And Chaos, ancestors of Nature, hold
 Eternal anarchy, amidst the noise
 Of endless wars, and by confusion stand."

从考证的分歧到各自坚持的历史参照，吉本（Gibbon）都以罗马为支点来复原他的经典原型。他探讨的领域是如此宽广；导致罗马帝国衰弱的原因是如此复杂、混乱，而且显然无法回避！那些处于混沌状态、蜂拥而至的游牧部落建立的国家如此众多，他们不断地突破地缘限制——不断的打破国家、民族、部落之间的自然界线！乍看之下，似乎整个时代、整个世界无法提供给历史冒险家一个更安全的庇护之所，而是弥尔顿（Milton）式的混乱——在一种无可救药的混乱状态下，这首诗就是最好的写照：——
 黑暗，
 浩瀚的大海，
 零度空间，不再有
 长短、宽幅、高度、时间、方位：
 远古的黑夜、混沌和造物主，
 在在无尽的战争喧嚣中，主宰着
 永恒的混乱。


[danee...@gmail.com]

参考grimace兄的译文，碧羽朱砂、ernie、萧让、看图、夏天的老K诸位网友的指正，重译了“编者前言”1——4节。希望大家继续批评指正。　
　　《罗马帝国衰亡史》
　　 编者前言
　　对历史研究者而言，吉本（Gibbon）的这本著作的意义不言而喻，在欧洲文献中，《罗马帝国衰亡史》无可替代。如同合法所有者，这本著作对其所涵盖的漫长历史时期拥有无可质疑的所有权。尽管它所包涵的某些主题可能已经有更为透彻的研究，但就罗马时代的整体观照而言，这本书（阐述的历史）是唯一信服的权威，我们无须诉诸于最早的那些历史作者，也无须诉诸于近、现代的历史学家。该书主题内在的重要性，作者对其投入的毕生精力；对历史事件的高度提炼；脉络的清晰；概括的精准；尽管如一的庄严透出单调，精细的说明时有乏味，但始终力量充沛、生动活泼、独特有趣的风格，永远令人瞩目，始终饱含力量地传递着该书的内涵。宏大、忠实地描述，措辞恰如其分地概括；所有这些优点已经使这本书赢得历史著作中永恒的地位，并将一直保持下去。
　　吉本（Gibbon）宏大的构思，他对罗马古文明的衰亡以及新秩序的形成、诞生的宏伟描写，独立于宏伟蓝图的辛勤实施之外的这种意志，使得《罗马帝国衰亡史》成为未来历史学家望尘莫及的主题，正如紧随其后的法国编辑M.
Guizot雄辩有力地说道：——
　　
“那个曾经侵略和欺压整个世界的霸主，它的逐步衰弱；那个曾经疆土辽阔的帝国陨落后，在它昔日的废墟上雨后春笋般建立的一个又一个或文明或残暴的君主王国、共和政体和民族国家；伴随着这个帝国的解体以及它转化过程中众多国度的形成；希腊和罗马信仰的幻灭；两个共享了世界上最美好的区域的新兴宗教，它们的诞生和发展；古老世界的腐朽，荣光不再的景象和腐化的生活方式；现代世界的初生，以及它向人类新的精神风貌和品质特征迈出第一步的美景——这主题必将牢牢抓住怀念那些难忘时代的人们，吸引他们的注意，激发他们的兴趣，正如Corneille的警句所说的：'Un

grand destin commence, un grand destin

s'achève.'（伟大的开始，伟大的结束。）”
　　这种构思的和谐和博大，无疑使吉本的著作从所有其他的史学作品中突显出来。他率先跨越古代和现代的鸿沟，连接两伟大个世界的历史。古典历史学家相对现代历史学家，其巨大优势在于计划的统一性，当然，这很大程度是他们的研究被限定在更为狭窄的范围所促就的。除了希腊大历史学家希罗多德（Herodotus）——除了像Diodorus
Siculus这样更为现代的编辑之外——都把自己局限在单一的历史时期，甚至是希腊历史这样既定的领域。至于蛮族入侵希腊，以及随后与希腊政治的必然融合，都被算作希腊历史的范畴；但是对修昔底德（Thucydides）和色诺芬（Xenophon）来说，除了随后波斯人的入侵，希腊就是整个世界。然而这种天然的统一性限制了他们的叙述几乎完全遵循时间的先后次序，鲜常发生的事情，其情节描述也极其简略。对于罗马历史学家，这个过程同样的清楚和明确。罗马成为他们整体研究的中心；古罗马统治圈一致性的延伸，以及市民政治周期性的膨胀，如同曾经那样，强烈的支配着罗马历史学家，波里比乌斯（Polybius）在他的历史主题中宣称，整个世界的思想和行为都将服从罗马的支配。欧洲王国复杂的政治何等迥异！一定意义上，一部完整的国家史，首先须是欧洲史；我们无法知道，可能是探寻大部分国内事件必不可少的地区有多么遥远；也无法知道，对历史进程施以自己的引导，产生这种欲望的国家，是多么明显地支离破碎。
　　吉本（Gibbon）以罗马为支点，进行发散式的探究，并将这探究做为研究的固定参考，来复原他的经典模型；其探究的空间如此宽广；罗马帝国趋于衰弱的原因是如此复杂，如此混乱，如此明显地无可挽救！那些处于混沌状态，蜂拥而至的游牧部落建立的国家如此众多，他们不断地突破地缘限制——不断的打破自然界线！乍看之下，似乎整个时代、整个世界无法为历史冒险家提供一个更安全的庇护之所，有的只是弥尔顿（Milton）式的混乱——在一种无可救药的混乱状态下，这首诗就是最好的写照：——在一种无可救药的混乱状态下，这首诗就是最好的写照：——
　　黑暗
　　无限的海洋，无垠无岸，
　　没有度量，
　　也就失去了
　　高度，长短和宽广，
　　时间和地方——
　　远古的黑夜、混沌和造物主，
　　在在无尽的战争喧嚣中，主宰着
　　永恒的无序和混乱。
　　

[我爱玫瑰]

"there is no knowing to how remote a quarter it may be necessary to
trace our most
domestic events; from a country, how apparently disconnected, may
originate
the impulse which gives its direction to the whole course of affairs."

我在美国多年，阅读原文没问题，译成中文就不成了。
impulse 指的是冲量，物理名词，大约可用动量代替
这句话大概意思是：我们国内发生的事，说不定有极远极隐晦的源头；或由一个看起来跟我们完全无关的国家，给了引致现在局势的最初推动。 请斟酌。