三、英譯漢
The cultural and religious crisis through which the Roman Empire was passing in the
fourth century is one of the most significant events in the history of the world. The old
pagan culture came into collision with Christianity, which received official recognition
during the reign of Constantine at the beginning of the fourth century and was
declared the dominant State religion by Theodosius the Great at the end of that same
century. It might have seemed at first that these two clashing elements, representing
two diametrically opposed points of view, would never find a basis for mutual
agreement. But Christianity and pagan Hellenism did intermix gradually to form a
Christian-Greco-Eastern culture subsequently known as Byzantine. Its center was the
new capital of the Roman Empire, Constantinople.
The person who was chiefly responsible for the many changes in the empire was
Constantine the Great. During his reign Christianity stepped for the first time on the
firm ground of official recognition. From this time forward the old pagan empire
gradually changed into a Christian empire.
The conversion of nations or states to Christianity has usually taken place during
the early stage of their historical existence when the past has created no firmly
established traditions, but merely some crude and primitive customs and forms of
government. In such cases the conversion has caused no great crisis in the life of the
people. But this was not characteristic of the Roman Empire in the fourth century. It
already possessed an old world culture and had developed forms of government perfect
for that time. It had a great past and an extensive body of ideas which had been
assimilated by the population. This empire, changing in the fourth century into a
Christian state, entered upon an era during which its past was contradicted, at times
completely denied; this was bound to lead to an extremely acute and difficult crisis.