![罗马帝国衰亡史 - [英] 爱德华·吉本](https://static.book345.com/covers/9787553449951.jpg)
书籍介绍
《罗马帝国衰亡史》以堂皇宏阔的篇幅，叙述了罗马帝国从公元2世纪安东尼时代的赫赫盛极，到1453年君士坦丁堡陷落时黯然谢幕的1300多年的历史风貌。作者在近400万的洋洋文字中，既发怀古之幽思，悲怆叹惋千年帝国的无奈衰颓乃至烟灭；又阐思辨之深彻，诠释剖析盛衰兴替的永恒历史命题。《罗马帝国衰亡史》修订版装帧精美、选材上乘，同时译者席代岳先生参考专家及读者意见，全面审视了原六卷译本，做了精心的修订，愿这颗耀眼的珍珠继续释放夺目的光芒！
吉林出版集团于2008年3月出版《罗马帝国衰亡史》中文全译简体版，译文为台湾地区翻译家席代岳先生所作，席代岳先生国文西文兼长，以迻译《罗马帝国衰亡史》为平生大愿，并费十数年之功力，终遂此愿。其译笔优雅朴素，颇有古风，足以传神吉本之风骨。《罗马帝国衰亡史》自出版以来，受到广大读者的喜爱和追捧。
《罗马帝国衰亡史》修订版本装帧精美、选材上乘，同时参考专家及读者意见，全面审视了原六卷译本，做了以下修订：
一参照原文，对译本文字进行全面谨慎的修订，改动原译文错讹多处，使译文更加严谨。
二将初版中部分人名地名按照大陆现行最新译法进行改正，以便读者更准确理解原文。
三对译文进行订正、修补等工作，增加四百余条注释，举凡西式用语的当……的時候、但是、虽然，以及若干表示时态的子句或被动式、所有格代名词等等，尽量删除。
四本次修订在第一卷增加全六卷总目录，方便读者通览全书。
五原文的段落非常冗长，本次修订加以分段，更能吻合现代人的阅读习惯，同时本次修订选用国际通行大开本，版式疏朗、清晰。
本书在20世纪获得的定评是“文重于质”，亦即“文学杰作”的名气已超越“史学巨著”，真正感到的压力在于如何表达出文学的特质和美感，特别是中文所要体现的流畅、优雅和博大。
修订再版如此精深的著作，仍深感压力巨大，失误在所难免，恳请学界一如既往地提出宝贵意见，使之臻于完美，希望这颗耀眼的珍珠继续释放夺目的光芒！
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。
适合谁读
- 对欧洲古代史、罗马文明兴衰及帝国治理逻辑有浓厚兴趣的历史爱好者。
- 欣赏典雅文风，希望领略18世纪启蒙思想与古典文学魅力相结合的读者。
- 具备一定历史知识储备，能接受长句阅读，或有意对照英文原版研读的学者。
读前提醒
- 译本虽经修订，但部分读者反馈译文佶屈聱牙，建议耐心阅读或备查英文。
- 吉本观点带有18世纪启蒙色彩，对基督教持批判态度，需辩证看待其历史局限。
- 全书篇幅浩大，建议结合目录通览，不必强求一次性读完，可作工具书索引查阅。
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。
本导读基于书籍简介、目录、原文摘录、短评和书评生成，不等同于全文精读。
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"
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。
Z-Library
收藏