我们这种灾难是咎由自取，因为使这些野蛮人强大起来的正是我们自己的罪孽；正如希西家那个时代，如今上帝也是借野蛮人的凶恶来体现他的愤怒。罗马军队往日天下无敌，如今却一见到敌军就吓得发抖。
后世的人谁会相信，罗马不得不在其国境之内，不是为荣耀，而是为生存而战呢？谁还会相信卢堪的话：“如果罗马衰弱的话，哪里还有强国呢？”
现在我听到可怕的谣言：罗马城被敌人包围了，市民不得不以黄金赎命。我的嗓子哽咽，泣不成声。昔日征服天下的城市，今日却被别人征服了。饥馑也在到处肆虐。
世界在土崩瓦解，一切都在毁灭，只有我们的罪孽在繁殖兴旺。伟大的罗马城被一场大火所吞噬，罗马人流落天涯。
谁能相信呢？谁能相信，在漫长的岁月中通过征服天下而建立起来的罗马竟然会崩溃，万国之母的罗马竟然变成它们的坟墓呢？
谁能想象，这座骄傲的城市，往日高枕无忧、富甲天下，如今却一落千丈，儿女沦为乞丐，流离失所呢？我们实在无以为助，只有同情他们，和他们一起流泪而已。
原来如此！
圣杰罗姆（St. Jerome, 340-420）将旧约圣经从希伯来文翻译成拉丁文，对世界历史影响深远。410年，西哥德王阿拉列（Alaric, 370-410）征服罗马，大肆掠城。圣杰罗姆得知这消息后，感到有如世界末日。这封信描述了罗马当时兵荒马乱之情，形势险峻。作者面对亡国之忧，表现激动，犹如切肤之痛。
妙笔生花
作者表现激动的词语有：
I shudder when I think of...
How many noble and virtuous women have been made the sport of these beasts!
the wolves of the North have been let loose...
My voice cleaves to my throat; sobs choke my utterance.
all things are perishing
The great city is swallowed up... 以对比的方式指出罗马今非昔比：
the Roman world is falling; yet we still hold up our heads instead of bowing them.
Rome’s army, once the lord of the world, trembles today at sight of the foe.
Rome has to fight...not for glory but for life.
The city which had taken the whole world captive is itself taken. 以设问句表达对国家衰亡的深切哀痛：
If Rome be weak, where shall strength be found?
Who could believe it? who could believe that Rome...had fallen; ... had become their tomb?
who could imagine...is brought so low...her children are outcasts and beggars?
增值英语
1 How many noble and virtuous women have been made the sport of these beasts!
sport 这里是比喻义，解作“娱乐工具；玩物”(= toy)。sb / sth is made the sport of sb 解作“某人 / 物成为某人的玩物”：
Often pets are made the sport of naughty children. 宠物时常变成顽童的玩具。
sport 解作“体育，运动”时通常是可数名词，多用复数：
I like all kinds of sports. 我喜欢各类运动。
sport 做定语时或用在复合词中，要加 -s：
This shop sells sportswear 这家商店卖运动服。
My brother is a sportsman 我哥哥是运动家。
其他跟 sports 配搭而成的名词有 sports car（跑车）；sports day（运动日）；sports jacket（运动外套）等。
a good sport 用来形容人时，指那人易相处：
He is a good sport at the party. 他在派对上表现随和。
相反词是 a bad sport，或 a spoil-sport 或 a wet blanket，指扫兴的人：
Don’t be a spoil-sport. Play with us. 不要这么扫兴，和我们一起玩吧。
注 sport (v.) 解作“穿得有型有款的”：
The model sports the latest spring wear at the fashion show.
那模特儿在时装表演会上穿上最新的春装。
The girls sported colourful tops at the rally. 在集会中女士们穿上颜色鲜艳的上衣。
2 ...the capitals of no mean states
句式 no 加在形容词前 (no + adj.) 把该形容词意义变成相反的。如与单数可数名词连用，可写成 not a + adj.：
Every donation to charity is of no small importance. 每项慈善捐款都很重要。
His physical handicap is no big / not a big obstacle to him. 他的伤残对他来说并非大障碍。
This is no difficult / not a difficult task for me. 这项任务对我来说并不困难。
3 ...a dreadful rumor has come to hand
用 hand 构成的习语很多，以下是一些易混淆的：
come to hand 解作“收到”：
The news of defeat has finally come to hand. 战败的消息最终传到了。
to hand 则解作“在身旁，方便随时备用”(= in reserve for use)：
The manager has an interpreter to hand whenever he meets foreign guests. 经理无论何时会见外宾总有一位随身传译员。
I don’t have the information you want to hand. 我手头没有你所需要的资料。
on hand 也有随时备用的意思 (= available)，或需要处理的意思：
I don’t have enough cash on hand. Can I pay by credit card? 我手头现金不够，可以用信用卡支付吗？
I have a lot of work on hand. 我手头有很多工作。
in hand 表示稳拿在手里的：
I have time and money in hand. 我拥有时间和金钱。
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.（谚语）一鸟在手胜过两鸟在林。
in hand 也可指充分掌握，控制 (= under control)：
The police announced that security at the ceremony was well in hand. 警方宣布该仪式的安全得到了充分的保障。
out of hand (= out of control)是 in hand 的反义词：
The demonstration has got out of hand. 示威变得失控了。
off hand 则解作“不假思索地”：
I don’t have the answer to hand. I can’t give it to you off hand.
我手头没有答案，一时不能回复你。