英国十八世纪史家爱德华•吉本，于游历罗马城废墟时发思古幽情，遂穷毕生之力，勾勒罗马帝国衰亡的历史。其著作上起罗马帝国早期两安东尼朝的黄金时期，直迄东罗马帝国毁于异族之手，举凡此1000多年的变幻风云，无不尽收笔下，精彩生动，充满洞见，堪称如椽巨笔。六卷本《罗马帝国衰亡史》自著竣至今已经200余年，吉本时代的典雅文风和宏阔精神为现代的拘谨和功利所横绝，西方史学界再无能望其项背的著作问世，使这部煌然巨著终成声遏行云的绝响，如同莎士比亚戏剧一样再难复制，后人引为一叹之余，备加珍惜和推崇。而今，举观西学经典，虽繁如沙粒，能与《罗马帝国衰亡史》比肩而立的，寥然无几。西方人每言及昔日荣光，必称罗马；每言及罗马，必称此书。可想见其在西方的地位。
《罗马帝国衰亡史》是最早进入中国学界视野的西方经典著作之一，然则因为其篇幅庞大，迻译困难，大陆一直没有全译本问世，只有商务印书馆出过两卷节译本，仅相当于全书三分之一。二十年来，大陆学界译事繁荣，乃至惠及西学二三流的著作，而如《罗马帝国衰亡史》这样超一流的巨著，竟付之阙如，通行仅为节译本，大陆学者和藏书家一直引为遗珠之憾。今吉林出版集团推出的全译本，译文为台湾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。席代岳译笔优雅朴素，颇有古风，足以传神吉本之风骨。同时本书业经大陆学者进行了严谨校勘，臻于完善。合海峡两岸之力，一代伟大史著的中译本终成完璧，大陆学者和藏书家终于等来迟到二十年的喜讯。
没有《罗马帝国衰亡史》，西方史学界将光华黯淡；没有《罗马帝国衰亡史》的完整中译本，中国大陆翻译界将引憾含羞；而作为一个有文化的人，藏书中没有一套完整版的《罗马帝国衰亡史》，书柜又怎能向他人展示和夸耀？
本书看点：1.本书是真正堪称经典的屈指可数的著作之一：如果开列出必须收藏阅读20部西学经典，必有《罗马帝国衰亡史》；如果开列出必须收藏阅读的10部中外史学名著，也必有《罗马帝国衰亡史》。2.本书文字高妙，语言优美，可读性强。是罕见的可以作为文学作品阅读的学术经典。3.本书是中国大陆通行的《罗马帝国衰亡史》诸汉译本的唯一全译本。4.本书揭示了历史盛衰兴替之规律，可做齐身、持家、治国之镜鉴。
爱德华·吉本(Edward Gibbon 1737年5月8日 - 1794年1月16日) 是英国著名历史学家，《罗马帝国衰亡史》的作者。
吉本出生于伦敦附近的普特尼，父亲是国会议员，他是家中独子。1763年，他前往欧洲大陆旅游，在巴黎结识了狄德罗，也去了罗马，1764年他在罗马废墟上，开始有写作罗马帝国史的念头。1772年，他开始写作《罗马帝国衰亡史》。1776年，第一卷出版。取得了巨大的成功，其受欢迎程度用洛阳纸贵形容不为过，他的书出现每张桌子上，乃至于上流社会仕女的妆台。吉本也一夜成名，受到英国艺文界的追捧。1788年，他完成了《罗马帝国衰亡史》的全部书稿，盛誉满天下。1794年，他在伦敦去世。
- 吉本穷毕生之力，勾勒罗马千年兴衰，文笔典雅宏阔。
- 两岸合力推出全译本，填补大陆无完整译本之遗憾。
- 被誉为西方史学绝响，地位堪比中国《资治通鉴》。
- 对古罗马历史、西方文明源流有浓厚兴趣的读者。
- 希望系统了解欧洲历史基石的学者与历史爱好者。
- 追求收藏经典巨著，提升人文素养的藏书家。
- 全书篇幅浩大，建议做好长期阅读的心理准备。
- 部分读者反映译文存在语病，建议搭配其他版本对照。
- 可先读节译本或导读，建立框架后再啃全本。
- 内容史诗感强，逻辑清晰，是理解西方文化必读之作。
- 译本质量争议较大，部分读者因翻译问题难以坚持。
- 尽管阅读门槛高，但攻克后的成就感与视野提升巨大。
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。
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- "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"
