Now, the second great strand in the history of the West

现在我们谈谈西方历史的第二大主线
is the Judeo Christian tradition,

犹太基督教传统
a very different tradition from the one I have just described.

一种与之前谈论的截然不同的文化传统
Christianity's main roots were in Judaism,

基督的主要来源是犹太教
a religion that worshipped a single,

这种宗教崇拜单一的
all powerful deity, who is sharply separated from human beings,

无所不能的神它独立于人类而存在
makes great moral demands upon them, and judges them all,

作出种种道德要求和评判
even kings and emperors.

即使君主和帝王也不例外
Christianity began as a persecuted religion

基督教最初作为被迫害的宗教
that ultimately captured the Roman empire

最终征服了整个罗马帝国
only after centuries of

而在此之前它经过了数世纪
hostility towards the Empire, towards Rome,

对帝王对罗马以及