![罗马帝国衰亡史 - [英] 爱德华·吉本](https://static.book345.com/covers/s/9787553449951.jpg)
书籍介绍
这套书的读者反馈呈现出一种奇特的撕裂：有人痛斥其「写得烂透」，也有人视之为「文采之巅峰」——真正的分水岭不在吉本的笔力，而在译者的功力。席代岳先生的译本被反复诟病「佶屈聱牙」「读起来痛不欲生」，连作者英文界第一的文采都散去了大半，以至于读者不得不「去读英文原版」来救场。正因如此，它更适合两类人：一类是愿意忍受艰涩、把中文版当作专业术语索引的学者型读者；另一类是干脆对照英文原版、亲自品味吉本「古雅」笔触的人。它不是一本可以轻松翻完的历史读物，而是一场对耐心与文言功底的考验，代价与收获同样沉重。
作者简介
爱德华·吉本，（1737～1794），英国著名历史学家、作家，启蒙运动代表人物。吉本出生于伦敦附近的普特尼镇一个富有家庭，父亲是国会议员，但幼年丧母、身体多病以及艰辛的求学历程，磨砺了他坚毅沉默的性格。自1764年-在罗马城废墟产生写作罗马帝国衰亡史的念头起至1787年完成全部六卷书稿，盛誉满天下，终其一生完成至今仍被称为“不朽宝籍”的伟大著作。
AI导读
核心看点
- 吉本以1300年跨度，全景式叙述罗马帝国从极盛到衰亡的宏大历史。
- 兼具文学美感与史学深度，被誉为18世纪启蒙时代英语史学著作巅峰。
- 剖析专制摧毁共和精神、宗教演变及生产力局限对帝国命运的决定性影响。
读者共识
- 公认其为不朽史学名著，文采斐然，但中文译本质量争议极大，阅读门槛高。
- 多数读者认为吉本主观臆断较多，存在偏见，需结合现代考古成果批判性阅读。
- 尽管翻译晦涩难懂，但其宏大的历史视野与深刻的兴衰思考仍具极高参考价值。
精彩摘录
- "。。。专制体制刻意摧毁共和精神，使人民变成政治侏儒，一群政治侏儒如何能支撑一个伟大的帝国。"
- "WHENEVER Tacitus indulges himself in those beautiful episodes, in which he relates some domestic transaction of the Germans or of the Parthians, his principal object is to relieve the attention of the reader from a uniform scene of vice and misery. From the reign of Augustus to the time of Alexander"
- "Artaxerxes had served with great reputation in the armies of Artaban, the last king of the Parthians, and it appears that he was driven into exile and rebellion by royal ingratitude, the customary reward for superior merit. His birth was obscure, and the obscurity equally gave room to the aspersions"
- "One of these, Erdaviraph, a young but holy prelate, received from the hands of his brethren three cups of soporiferous wine. He drank them off, and instantly fell into a long and profound sleep. As soon as he waked, he related to the king and to the believing multitude his journey to Heaven, and his"
- "Every mode of religion, to make a deep and lasting impression on the human mind, must exercise our obedience, by enjoining practices of devotion; and must acquire our esteem, by inculcating moral duties analogous to the dictates of our own hearts. The religion of Zoroaster was abundantly provided wi"
- "But there are some remarkable instances, in which Zoroaster lays aside the prophet, assumes the legislator, and discovers a liberal concern for private and public happiness, seldom to be found among the grovelling or visionary schemes of superstition. Fasting and celibacy, the common means of purcha"
- "Had Zoroaster, in all his institutions, invariably supported this exalted character, his name would deserve a place with those of Numa and Confucius, and his system would be justly entitled to all the applause which it has pleased some of our divines, and even some of our philosophers, to bestow on "
- "Such are the circumstances of. this ostentatious and improbable relation, dictated, as it too plainly appears, by the vanity of the monarch, adorned by the unblushing servility of his flatterers, and received without contradiction by a distant and obsequious senate. Far from being inclined to believ"
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