世界小史 第70期:馬拉松長跑
This was the famous Marathon Run after which we call our race.
這便是著名的馬拉松長跑的由來。
Famous, because the messenger ran so far and so fast that all he could do was deliver his message before he fell down dead.
馬拉松長跑之所以這么著名是因為這位使者跑得非常遠，非?？爝@樣他能在他倒地身亡前將消息傳到。
Meanwhile Miltiades and his army had taken the same route, marching in tremendous haste.
同時米爾提亞德斯也率領整支大軍順著這同一條道路以極快的速度行軍，
This was just as well, for no sooner had they reached the harbor at Athens than the Persian fleet appeared over the horizon.
恰恰就在全軍到達雅典港口的時候，波斯艦隊出現在地平線上。
But there was no more fighting: at the sight of their heroic enemy, the disheartened Persians turned tail and sailed for home.
但他們之間沒有發(fā)生戰(zhàn)爭：看到他們的敵人這么英勇，灰心喪氣的波斯艦隊掉頭就跑，劃船回家。
And not just Athens, but the whole of Greece was saved. This was 490 BC.
不僅雅典，而且整個希臘都得救了。這是發(fā)生在公元前490年的事。
How the great Darius, King of Kings, must have cursed when he learned of the defeat at Marathon!
大流士大國王，這位王中王得知在馬拉松吃敗仗時一定氣得直咒罵！
But at the time there was little he could do about Greece, for a revolt had broken out in Egypt which had to be suppressed.
但是他暫時無法對希臘采取多少新的行動，因為在埃及已爆發(fā)一場起義，他得領軍去鎮(zhèn)壓起義。
