History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire — Volume 1 — Page 11
The more peaceful and didactic episodes on the development of the Roman law, or even on the details of ecclesiastical history, interpose themselves as resting-places or divisions between the periods of barbaric invasion.
Los episodios más pacíficos y didácticos sobre el desarrollo del derecho romano, o incluso sobre los detalles de la historia eclesiástica, se interponen como lugares de descanso o divisiones entre los períodos de invasión bárbara.
In short, though distracted first by the two capitals, and afterwards by the formal partition of the empire, the extraordinary felicity of arrangement maintains an order and a regular progression.
En resumen, aunque distraída en un principio por las dos capitales, y después por la partición formal del imperio, la extraordinaria felicidad de la disposición mantiene un orden y una progresión regular.
As our horizon expands to reveal to us the gathering tempests which are forming far beyond the boundaries of the civilized world—as we follow their successive approach to the trembling frontier—the compressed and receding line is still distinctly visible; though gradually dismembered and the broken fragments assuming the form of regular states and kingdoms, the real relation of those kingdoms to the empire is maintained and defined; and even when the Roman dominion has shrunk into little more than the province of Thrace—when the name of Rome, confined, in Italy, to the walls of the city—yet it is still the memory, the shade of the Roman greatness, which extends over the wide sphere into which the historian expands his later narrative; the whole blends into the unity, and is manifestly essential to the double catastrophe of his tragic drama.
A medida que nuestro horizonte se expande para revelarnos las tempestades que se están formando mucho más allá de los límites del mundo civilizado —a medida que seguimos su aproximación sucesiva a la trémula frontera— la línea comprimida y en retroceso sigue siendo claramente visible; aunque gradualmente desmembrada y los fragmentos rotos asumen la forma de estados y reinos regulares, la relación real de esos reinos con el imperio se mantiene y se define; e incluso cuando el dominio romano se ha reducido a poco más que la provincia de Tracia —cuando el nombre de Roma, confinado, en Italia, a las murallas de la ciudad— aún es el recuerdo, la sombra de la grandeza romana, la que se extiende sobre la amplia esfera en la que el historiador expande su narrativa posterior; el conjunto se funde en la unidad, y es manifiestamente esencial para la doble catástrofe de su drama trágico.
But the amplitude, the magnificence, or the harmony of design, are, though imposing, yet unworthy claims on our admiration, unless the details are filled up with correctness and accuracy.
Pero la amplitud, la magnificencia o la armonía del diseño son, aunque imponentes, reclamaciones indignas de nuestra admiración, a menos que los detalles estén completados con corrección y precisión.
No writer has been more severely tried on this point than Gibbon.
Ningún escritor ha sido sometido a prueba más severa en este punto que Gibbon.
Vocabulary
- Los
- The (plural masculine article)
- episodios
- Episodes or incidents in a sequence of events
- más
- More; additional or greater in quantity
- pacíficos
- Peaceful; calm and free from conflict
- didácticos
- Didactic; designed or intended to teach
- sobre
- About; concerning or regarding a topic
- el
- The (singular masculine article)
- desarrollo
- Development; growth or gradual unfolding
- del
- Of the; contraction of de + el
- derecho
- Law; a system of rules and regulations
- romano
- Roman; relating to ancient Rome
- incluso
- Even; including or up to a point
- detalles
- Details; small individual parts or elements
- de
- Of; indicating possession or association
- la
- The (singular feminine article)
- historia
- History; record of past events and time
- eclesiástica
- Ecclesiastical; relating to the church
- se
- Reflexive pronoun; oneself or themselves
- como
- As; in the role or function of
- lugares
- Places; locations or physical spaces
- descanso
- Rest; a period of relaxation or pause
- divisiones
- Divisions; separation into distinct parts
- entre
- Between; in the space separating things
- períodos
- Periods; spans of time or historical eras
- invasión
- Invasion; act of entering by force
- bárbara
- Barbaric; uncivilized or savage in nature
- En
- In; indicating location or circumstance
- resumen
- Summary; a brief account of main points
- aunque
- Although; despite the fact that
- distraída
- Distracted; having attention diverted elsewhere
- un
- A or an; indefinite singular article
- principio
- Beginning; the start of something
- por
- By; indicating agent or means of action
- dos
- Two; the number 2
- capitales
- Capitals; chief cities or major cities
- después
- After; at a later time or subsequently
- partición
- Partition; division into separate parts
- formal
- Formal; official or ceremonial in nature
- imperio
- Empire; a group of countries under rule
- extraordinaria
- Extraordinary; very unusual or remarkable
- felicidad
- Happiness; state of being happy
- disposición
- Disposition; arrangement or tendency
- mantiene
- Maintains; keeps in a certain state
- orden
- Order; arrangement or systematic sequence
- una
- A or an; indefinite singular feminine article
- progresión
- Progression; a series advancing in sequence
- regular
- Regular; occurring in a normal pattern
- medida
- Measure; a unit or degree of extent
- que
- That; which or introducing a clause
- nuestro
- Our; belonging to us collectively
- horizonte
- Horizon; the line where earth meets sky
- expande
- Expands; increases in size or scope
- para
- For; indicating purpose or destination
- revelarnos
- Reveal to us; disclose or uncover
- tempestades
- Storms; violent weather or disturbances
- están
- Are; present tense of estar
- formando
- Forming; creating or taking shape
- mucho
- Much; a great quantity or extent
- allá
- There; at or toward that place
- límites
- Limits; boundaries or edges of something
- mundo
- World; the earth or human society
- civilizado
- Civilized; advanced in culture and society
- seguimos
- We follow; we continue in a direction
- su
- His, her, or their; possessive pronoun
- aproximación
- Approach; a way of dealing with something
- sucesiva
- Successive; following in order one after
- frontera
- Border; boundary line between regions
- línea
- Line; a long thin mark or boundary
- comprimida
- Compressed; squeezed or reduced in size
- retroceso
- Retreat; movement backward or decline
- sigue
- Follows; continues in the same direction
- siendo
- Being; present participle of ser
- claramente
- Clearly; in a clear or obvious manner
- visible
- Visible; able to be seen or perceived
- gradualmente
- Gradually; in a slow progressive manner
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