世界小史 第69期:妻子和孩子
Added to which, the Athenians all knew what was at stake: their freedom and their lives, and those of their wives and children.
再加上全部的雅典人都知道，這關(guān)系到什么：關(guān)系到他們的自由和他們的生命，關(guān)系到他們妻子和孩子們的生命。
So there at Marathon they formed ranks, and fell upon the startled Persians. And they were victorious1.
所以他們在馬拉松集結(jié)并向受驚的波斯人發(fā)起攻擊。雅典人打了勝仗。
The Persians suffered heavy losses. Those remaining took to their ships and fled. Such a victory!
許多波斯人陣亡了。剩下的波斯人登船逃跑了。竟然在獲勝幾率如此低的情況下取得了勝利！
And against such odds2! Others in his place might have thought of nothing but celebration.
其他人在取得這樣一次勝利后也許只會想著慶祝。
But Miltiades was shrewd as well as brave.
但是米爾提亞德斯不但勇敢，而且還富有智謀。
He had noted3 that instead of sailing back the way they had come, the Persian ships had turned towards Athens, which lay undefended and open to attack.
他注意到波斯艦隊根本就沒有真正駛離而去，而是向雅典方向駛?cè)チ耍F(xiàn)在雅典根本就沒有一個士兵，輕易就可以被攻破。
But as luck would have it, the distance from Marathon to Athens was greater by sea than by land.
幸好海路比從馬拉松出發(fā)的陸路遠。人們得劃船繞過一個長長的岬角，
For ships had to negotiate a long spit of land easily crossed on foot.
而這個岬角人們也可以步行橫越的。
This Miltiades did. He sent a messenger ahead, who was to run as fast as he could, to warn the Athenians.
米爾提亞德斯就這樣做了。他派遣一名使者以盡量快的速度跑去提醒雅典人。
