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科学揭秘:罗马帝国灭亡的真正原因
Climate change could have been responsible for bringing down the Roman Empire, scientists believe。
据科学家们的推测,气候变化或是导致鼎盛一时的罗马帝国覆灭的“元凶”。
Researchers studied ancient tree growth rings to show links between climate change and major events in human history such as migrations, plagues and the rise and fall of empires。
通过对古树年轮的走向的研究之后,科学家们发现,气候的变化与例如人口迁移、瘟疫、王朝兴衰等人类社会的重大历史事件之间都存在着联系。
They discovered that periods of warm, wet weather coincided with period of prosperity, while droughts or varying conditions occurred at times of political upheaval such as the demise of the Roman Empire。
他们发现,在气候温暖湿润的时期,社会经济发展呈现出欣欣向荣的景象,而在干旱或其他极端天气的影响下,政治动乱频发,而这便是导致了罗马帝国灭亡的原因。
To match the environmental record with the historical one, researchers looked at more than 7,200 tree fossils from the past 2,500 years。
为了印证环境情况与人类历史之间的关系,科学家们研究了超过7200多块树龄在2500年以上的古树化石。
The study, published in the journal Science, said: 'The rise and fall of past civilizations have been associated with environmental change, mainly due to effects on water supply and agricultural productivity, human health and civil conflict。
这篇发表于《科学》杂志的报告称,人类文明的兴衰起伏总是与气候环境的变化密切相关,这主要便现在水源供应、农业生产、人体健康和社会冲突方面。
'Wet and warm summers occurred during periods of Roman and Medieval prosperity。
在夏季温暖潮湿的时期正是罗马和中世纪的繁荣时期。
'Increased climate variability from AD 250 to 600 coincided with the demise of the Western Roman Empire and the turmoil of the Migration Period。
而从公元250年到600年间,气候变法平凡,这正好配合了西罗马帝国的衰落以及动荡的迁移时期的到来。
'Distinct drying in the third century paralleled a period of serious crisis in the western Roman Empire marked by barbarian invasion, political turmoil and economic dislocation in several provinces in Gaul.'
三世纪时爆发大规模的干旱,西罗马帝国在这时惨遭野蛮的入侵,在高卢的很多地区政治局面不稳,经济凋敝。