But about the size of this thing--let me back up.

但是这些城市的规模...让我倒回去
There's something else I wanted to say

我还想说点其他的
to indicate this notion of men

来解释一下人是城邦人
being the polis as opposed to anything tangible.

而不是任何实体地方的人这样的观点
When the Persians conquered the Greek cities of Asia Minor,

当波斯人占领小亚细亚上的希腊城邦
when they came to the coastal city of Phocaea,

敌舰到达海港城市福西亚时
the Phocaeans had a choice of either giving bread and water

福西亚人可以选择将水或面包献给伟大的王
to the great king and becoming subjects of the Persians--

并且成为波斯的附庸
all they would have had to do was pay taxes

他们要做的就是付税
and do military service for the king,

同时为国王服兵役
since he didn't go about killing people he conquered.

因为国王不会到处残杀已被征服的人民
The Phocaeans chose instead to take their city,which is to say,

而福西亚人选择不是带上整座城市