The Murder of Caesar
Should a good leader be loved or feared? This question is as relevant to leaders today as it was to Julius Caesar when he took control of Rome in 44 BC. How Caesar treated his enemies is a valuable lesson on forgiveness, arrogance, and absolute power.
PS: 一个好的领导者应该被爱还是被怕？这个问题对于今天的领导人来说，就像公元前44年凯撒大帝控制罗马时一样重要。凯撒是如何对待敌人的，这是一个关于宽恕、傲慢和绝对权力的宝贵教训。
forgiveness原谅; 宽恕; 宽宏大量
arrogance傲慢; 自大 英 [ˈærəɡəns] 美 [ˈærəɡəns]
absolute power绝对权力
After Caesar seized power, he had to decide how to handle those who opposed him. Roman politics had always been bloody. The previous dictator had murdered 5 ,000 of his rivals and confiscated their property after coming to power. Caesar's enemies expected a similar punishment.
PS: 凯撒掌权后，他必须决定如何处理那些反对他的人。罗马政治一直是血腥的。前任独裁者在上台后谋杀了5000名对手并没收了他们的财产。凯撒的敌人期望得到类似的惩罚。
seized抓住; 捉住; 夺; 夺取，攻占，控制; 逮捕; 捉拿; 俘获; seize的过去分词和过去式
seize power 夺取政权
opposed强烈反对; 截然不同; 反对; 抵制; 阻挠; 与…对垒，与…角逐; oppose的过去分词和过去式
bloody用以加强语气; 很多人认为含冒犯意; 嗜杀的; 血腥的; 残暴的; 血淋淋的; 流血的; 血染; 使为血所污
dictator独裁者; 发号施令者; 专横的人 英 [dɪkˈteɪtə(r)] 美 [ˈdɪkteɪtər]
murdered谋杀; 凶杀; 糟蹋; 毁坏; 弄坏; 彻底打败，打垮; murder的过去分词和过去式
rivals竞争对手; 与…相匹敌; 比得上; rival的第三人称单数和复数 英 [ˈraɪvlz] 美 [ˈraɪvlz]
come to power 执政，当权
confiscated没收，把…充公; confiscate的过去分词和过去式 英 [ˈkɒnfɪskeɪtɪd] 美 [ˈkɑːnfɪskeɪtɪd]
enemies敌人; 仇人; 反对者; 敌国; 敌军; 敌兵; 危害物; 大敌; enemy的复数
But Caesar was determined not to rule through fear. If he were to reform the government, he would need the support of the people. So he made a fateful decision: rather than punish or kill his enemies, he offered them mercy and incentives. He didn't seize their property, and he even rewarded some of them with high-ranking government positions.
PS: 但凯撒决心不因恐惧而统治。如果他要改革政府，他需要人民的支持。所以他做出了一个决定：他没有惩罚或杀死他的敌人，而是给予他们仁慈和激励。他没有没收他们的财产，甚至还奖励他们中的一些人担任高级政府职务。
fateful对未来有重大影响的
punish处罚; 惩罚; 对…判罪; 判定…的处罚方式; 责怪; 自责
mercy仁慈; 宽恕; 幸运; 恩惠
seize抓住; 捉住; 夺; 夺取，攻占，控制; 逮捕; 捉拿; 俘获
rewarded奖励; 奖赏; 给以报酬; reward的过去分词和过去式
high-ranking职位高的; 显要的
reform改革，革新，重组
incentive . n.鼓励，刺激 英 [ɪnˈsentɪv] 美 [ɪnˈsentɪv]
However, not all of his enemies wanted to be forgiven. Caesar's rivals came from the aristocracy. Many had held power in the senate for centuries. By expanding and reforming the senate, Caesar had shifted power away from the aristocracy and taken it for himself. The high-ranking positions he had given as rewards had no real authority. For the aristocracy, to live without power was not forgiveness, but humiliation.
PS: 然而，并不是所有的敌人都想被原谅。凯撒的对手来自贵族。许多人在参议院掌权已有几个世纪了。通过扩大和改革参议院，凯撒已经把权力从贵族手中转移出来，并将其据为己有。他作为奖励而给予的高级职位没有真正的权威。对贵族来说，没有权力的生活不是宽恕，而是羞辱。
aristocracy贵族 英 [ˌærɪˈstɒkrəsi] 美 [ˌærɪˈstɑːkrəsi]
reforming改革; 改进; 改良; 改正，改造; 悔改; reform的现在分词
high-ranking职位高的; 显要的
live without在没有…的情况下生活；少…也可以生活
forgiveness原谅; 宽恕; 宽宏大量
humiliation英 [hjuːˌmɪliˈeɪʃn] 美 [hjuːˌmɪliˈeɪʃn] n.耻辱;屈辱;丢脸;蒙羞;丢脸的事;尴尬的场合
Caesar should have known that many senators hated him, but his arrogance seems to have blinded him. After he made himself dictator for life, he proclaimed himself a god and consolidated more power. These actions infuriated his enemies and even his allies. However, he still considered many senators to be his loyal friends. He even dismissed his personal security force.Ironically, when he was assassinated, it was his good friend, Brutus, who led the plot.
PS: 凯撒应该知道许多参议员恨他，但他的傲慢似乎使他失明。当他成为终身独裁者后，他宣称自己是上帝，巩固了更多的权力。这些行为激怒了他的敌人甚至他的盟友。然而，他仍然认为许多参议员是他的忠实朋友。他甚至解散了他的私人保安部队。讽刺的是，当他被暗杀时，是他的好朋友布鲁特斯领导了这场阴谋。
arrogance傲慢; 自大
blinded使变瞎; 使失明; 使眼花; 使目眩; 使思维混沌; 使失去判断力; blind的过去分词和过去式
dictator独裁者; 发号施令者; 专横的人
for life拼命地; 尽最大努力地; 终生
infuriated使极为生气; 使大怒; 激怒; infuriate的过去分词和过去式英 [ɪnˈfjʊərieɪtɪd] 美 [ɪnˈfjʊrieɪtɪd]
personal security个人担保；人身安全
assassinated暗杀，行刺; assassinate的过去分词和过去式
proclaim英 [prəˈkleɪm] 美 [prəˈkleɪm] v.宣布;宣告;声明;明确显示;成为标志;表明
consolidate英 [kənˈsɒlɪdeɪt] 美 [kənˈsɑːlɪdeɪt] v.使加强;使巩固;(使)结成一体，合并
allies 英 [əˈlaɪz] 美 [əˈlaɪz] n.(尤指战时的)同盟国;(尤指从政者的)盟友，支持者;(第一次世界大战中的)协约国;(第二次世界大战中的)同盟国v.与…结盟 ally的第三人称单数和复数
dismiss解雇，开除
ironically英 [aɪˈrɒnɪkli] 美 [aɪˈrɑːnɪkli] adv.具有讽刺意味的是;令人哭笑不得的是;讽刺挖苦地;说反话地
plot英 [plɒt] 美 [plɑːt] n.故事情节;布局;阴谋;密谋;(专用的)小块土地v.密谋;暗中策划;(在地图上)画出，标出;绘制(图表)
Perhaps it is better for a leader to be feared. If Caesar hadn't let his rivals live, he might not have been murdered. But was forgiveness the problem? Caesar's reforms took power from the aristocracy, and his arrogance angered both friends and enemies. Perhaps if he hadn't been so arrogant, or acted like a god, he would have survived.
PS: 或许一个领导者更值得畏惧。如果凯撒不让他的对手活着，他就不会被谋杀。但是宽恕是问题吗？凯撒的改革从贵族手中夺走了权力，他的傲慢激怒了朋友和敌人。如果他不是那么傲慢，或者表现得像个神，他可能会活下来。
feared害怕; 畏惧; 惧怕; 担心; 担忧; 恐怕; fear的过去分词和过去式
Caesar凯撒; computerized automation by electronic system with automated reservations 通过电子系统和自动预定实现的计算机化自动操作
rivals竞争对手; 与…相匹敌; 比得上; rival的第三人称单数和复数
murdered谋杀; 凶杀; 糟蹋; 毁坏; 弄坏; 彻底打败，打垮; murder的过去分词和过去式
forgiveness原谅; 宽恕; 宽宏大量
arrogance傲慢; 自大 英 [ˈærəɡəns] 美 [ˈærəɡəns]
angered使发怒; 激怒; anger的过去分词和过去式
arrogant傲慢的; 自大的
Exercises:
1.How did Ceasar treat his enemies after he seized power?
He offered them mercy and incentives.
2. What does the author believe about Ceasar's forgiveness?
It wasn't the only factor that contributed to his death.
3. What does the author believe about Ceasar's arrogance?
It blinded him to the dangers around him and led to his death
4. What is the story saying about leadership?
Arrogance can be a dangerous quality in a leader.
5. How did the aristocracy feel about Caesar's reforms?
They felt angry and humiliated.
5. To humiliate somenone means to make them feel foolish and ashamed.
6. To reform something means to make changes to it to improve it.
7. To infuriate someone means to make them feel extremely angry.
8. To confiscate something means to take possession of it.
Please tap the first correct sentence to appear:
1. How did Ceasar consolidate his power?
By expanding and reforming the senate, Caesar had shifted power away from the aristocracy and taken it for himself.
2. Why couldn't Ceasar see the danger facing him?
Caesar should have known that many senators hated him, but his arrogance seems to have blinded him.
3. How had the previous dictator handled those who oppose him?
PS: oppose英 [əˈpəʊz] 美 [əˈpoʊz] v.反对(计划、政策等);抵制;阻挠;(在竞赛中)与…对垒，与…角逐
The previous dictator had murdered 5 ,000 of his rivals and confiscated their property after coming to power.
4. How did Ceasar handle his opposition?
So he made a fateful decision: rather than punish or kill his enemies, he offered them mercy and incentives.
Fill in the blanks:
1. By expanding and reforming the senate, Caesar had shifted power away from the aristocracy and taken it for himself.
2. After Caesar seized power, he had to decide how to handle those who opposed him. Roman politics had always been bloody. The previous dictator had murdered5 ,000 of his rivals and confiscated their property after coming to power. Caesar's enemies expected a similar punishment.
Repeat & Read Sentences:
1.Perhaps if he hadn't been so arrogant, or acted like a god, he would have survived.
2. The high-ranking positions he had given as rewards had no real authority.
3.He even dismissed his personal security force.
4. If he were to reform the government, he would need the support of the people.
5. If Caesar hadn't let his rivals live, he might not have been murdered.
6. However, he still considered many senators to be his loyal friends.
7. The previous dictator had murdered 5 ,000 of his rivals and confiscated their property after coming to power.
8. This question is as relevant to leaders today as it was to Julius Caesar when he took control of Rome in 44 BC.
