which was killing great numbers of them

瘟疫夺去了无数人的生命
and destroying their moral fiber.

打垮了雅典人的精神意志
In the anecdote that I quoted at the beginning of this talk,

在这节课开始的时候我提到过一件轶事
Plutarch speaks of Pericles' response to

普卢塔克谈到伯里克利在
the praise of his military prowness, you'll remember.

他人对自己的军事力量进行恭维时
He expressed astonishment -- you know they thought he was sleeping,

表示惊诧人们都以为他睡了
it turned out he wasn't.

事实上他还醒着
He was hearing what they were saying.

一切尽入其耳
He expressed astonishment that they should be praising

他说他惊异于大家只赞美
what was the result of good fortune as much as his own talents,

他的好运及才华所带来的成果
and what many others had accomplished.

或是许多其他人的成就
Instead, he said,

相反他说到