[6] Erant omnino itinera duo, quibus itineribus domo exire possent: unum perSequanos, angustum et difficile, inter montem Iuram et flumen Rhodanum, vix qua singuli carri ducerentur, mons autem altissimus impendebat, ut facile perpauci prohibere possent;
Eng: There were indeed two ways by which they could leave home: one was through the Sequani, a narrow and difficult route between the Jura Mountains and the river Rhone, where only a few wagons could pass, and a very high mountain towered over, so that it could be easily blocked by a small number of people.
华文: 总共有两条路可以出门：一条是经过瑟库安人的狭窄艰难之路，位于于尔根山和罗讷河之间，几乎只能单独通过，而且山非常高，很容易被少数人阻止；
Commentary: The Sequani route was one of the two main routes the Helvetii could take to leave their homeland in modern-day Switzerland, and it was the more difficult of the two options. However, it was also the safer route as it avoided crossing the territory of the Aedui, a neighboring tribe who were in alliance with the Romans.
The Rhone river has played an important role in the history and culture of the region. It has been celebrated in art, literature, and music, and its banks are home to many historical sites, including the Roman theater in Orange, the medieval city of Avignon, and the Pont du Gard aqueduct.
alterum per provinciam nostram, multo facilius atque expeditius,propterea quod inter fines Helvetiorum et Allobrogum, qui nuper pacati erant, Rhodanus fluit isque non nullis locis vado transitur.
Eng: The other route, through our province, is much easier and more convenient, because the Rhone river flows between the territories of the Helvetii and the Allobroges, who were recently pacified, and in some places it can be crossed by a ford.
华文: 另一条则是穿过我们的省份，要容易和方便得多，因为罗讷河流经亨永图人和阿洛布罗格人的边界，他们最近刚刚被平定，而且在一些地方可以浅滩涉水通过。
Commentary: The second route mentioned in Caesar's account of the Helvetian migration was through the Roman province, which was much easier and more convenient due to the presence of a river, the Rhone, which could be crossed at several points.
The Roman province mentioned here is Gallia Narbonensis, which was one of the earliest Roman provinces established in Gaul. It was created in 121 BC after the defeat of the Celtic tribe of the Volcae Tectosages.
The Allobroges were a powerful Celtic tribe that lived in the region corresponding to modern-day Savoy and Dauphiné in France. They were subdued by the Romans in 121 BC and became a part of the province of Gallia Narbonensis.
Extremum oppidum Allobrogum est proximumque Helvetiorum finibus Genava. Ex eo oppido pons ad Helvetios pertinet. Allobrogibus sese vel persuasuros, quod nondum bono animo in populum Romanum viderentur, existimabant vel vi coacturos ut per suos fines eos ire paterentur. Omnibus rebus ad profectionem comparatis diem dicunt, qua die ad ripam Rhodani omnes conveniant. Is dies erat a. d. V. Kal. Apr. L. Pisone, A. Gabinio consulibus. [B.C. 58.]
Eng: The furthest town of the Allobroges, and the closest to the borders of the Helvetii, is Geneva. From that town a bridge leads to the Helvetii. They thought that they could either persuade the Allobroges, who did not yet seem to be in a friendly mood towards the Roman people, or force them by violence to allow them to pass through their territories. When all things had been prepared for the journey, they set a day on which they should all meet at the bank of the Rhone. That day was the fifth day before the kalends of April, with Lucius Piso and Aulus Gabinius as consuls.
华文: 阿洛布罗格人的最后一个城镇是靠近日内瓦与瑞士人的边境。从那座城镇通向瑞士人的桥梁。阿洛布罗格人认为，他们要么说服瑞士人，因为他们对罗马人民的态度不友好，要么强制他们通过他们的领土。他们准备好了一切行李，并宣布了一天，即在罗讷河岸上汇聚的那一天。那一天是在卢修斯·皮索, 执政下的4月5日。
Commentary: The town of Geneva, mentioned in this passage, was an important center of trade and commerce during the Roman era. It was strategically located at the confluence of the Rhone and Arve rivers, making it a key transportation hub for goods and people traveling across the region.
The date mentioned in the passage (the fifth day before the kalends of April) corresponds to March 28th on the Julian calendar, which was used by the Romans at the time. This calendar was introduced by Julius Caesar in 45 BC, and remained in use until the adoption of the Gregorian calendar in the 16th century.
Lucius Piso and Aulus Gabinius, who were serving as consuls at the time, were both prominent political figures in ancient Rome. Piso was known for his oratory skills and served as governor of various provinces, while Gabinius was a successful military commander who played a key role in several campaigns, including the conquest of Syria.
[7] Caesari cum id nuntiatum esset, eos per provinciam nostram iter facereconari, maturat ab urbe proficisci et quam maximis potest itineribus in Galliam
ulteriorem contendit et ad Genavam pervenit. Provinciae toti quam maximum potestmilitum numerum imperat (erat omnino in Gallia ulteriore legio una), pontem,
qui erat ad Genavam, iubet rescindi.
Eng: When this was reported to Caesar, that they were reconnoitering a route through our Province, he hastens to set out from the city and make his way with the greatest possible speed to Further Gaul, and arrives at Geneva. He orders the whole province to furnish as great a number of soldiers as possible (there was only one legion in Further Gaul), and commands the bridge which was at Geneva to be cut down.
华文: 凯撒听到有关他们要穿过我们的省份的消息后，他匆忙从城里出发，尽可能快地赶往加利亚的边缘，到达了日内瓦。他命令整个省份尽可能多地征召士兵（当时在加利亚边缘只有一支军团），并下令砍掉了通往日内瓦的桥梁。
Commentary: The fact that there was only one legion stationed in the region of Gallia ulterior where Caesar arrived is significant because it highlights the Roman Republic's limited military presence in the region at that time. It is believed that the Roman Republic was more concerned with securing its eastern borders, particularly against the threat posed by the Parthians, than with expanding its territory in Gaul. As a result, only one legion was stationed in the area, and Caesar had to rely on the local tribes for additional troops during his campaign.
Ubi de eius adventu Helvetii certiores facti sunt, legatos ad eummittunt nobilissimos civitatis, cuius legationis Nammeius et Verucloetius
principem locum obtinebant, qui dicerent sibi esse in animo sine ullo maleficio
iter per provinciam facere, propterea quod aliud iter haberent nullum: rogare
ut eius voluntate id sibi facere liceat. Caesar, quod memoria tenebat L.
Cassium consulem occisum exercitumque eius ab Helvetiis pulsum et sub iugum
missum, concedendum non putabat;
Eng: Upon learning of the Helvetii's approach, the noblest citizens of their state sent ambassadors to Caesar, including Nammeius and Verucloetius, who held a leading position. They told him that they had no intention of making their way through the province with any harm, as they had no other route, and asked for his permission to proceed according to their will. Caesar, remembering that the consul L. Cassius had been killed and his army defeated and forced to pass under the yoke by the Helvetii, did not think it appropriate to grant their request.
华文: 当赫尔维蒂人听说凯撒的到来后，他们派出了该城最贵族的使节，使节中的南麦伊乌斯和韦卢克罗伊乌斯担任主要职务，他们表示他们打算在没有任何犯罪意图的情况下穿越该省，因为他们没有其他路可走，请求凯撒允许他们这样做。凯撒记得卢基乌斯·卡西乌斯领军并被赫尔维蒂人击败、被赶出罗马境内，甚至被迫臣服的历史，因此认为不应该让赫尔维蒂人通过。
Commentary: Nammeius and Verucloetius were two of the most prominent members of the Helvetian delegation that approached Caesar. Their names suggest that they were members of the Helvetian aristocracy and held positions of authority within their community.
Julius Caesar was serving as governor of the province of Gallia Narbonensis at the time and was responsible for maintaining Roman authority in the region. The Roman consul Lucius Cassius was sent to stop the Helvetii from crossing into Roman territory, but he was defeated and killed in battle. This was a significant blow to Roman prestige and led to concerns about the security of the province.
neque homines inimico animo, data facultate per provinciam itineris faciundi, temperaturos ab iniuria et maleficio existimabat. Tamen, ut spatium intercedere posset dum milites quos imperaverat convenirent, legatis respondit diem se ad deliberandum sumpturum: si quid vellent, ad Id. April. reverterentur.
Eng: nor did he think that men with hostile intentions, given the opportunity to travel through the province, would refrain from harm and mischief. However, in order to allow time for the soldiers he had ordered to gather, he told the envoys that he would take a day to consider their request: if they wished, they could return on the Ides of April.
华文: 他认为，人心怀敌意，在获得通过省份旅行的机会后，会克制不从事不正当的行为。然而，为了让他所下令召集的士兵们聚集到一起，以便亲自考虑这个请求，他告诉这些使者要等到4月13日。如果他们有什么要求，可以在那之前回来。
Commentary: The Helvetii were known for their warrior culture and placed great emphasis on courage, bravery, and loyalty. Their society was hierarchical, with nobles and warriors holding a higher status than commoners. They also had a strong sense of community and kinship, with extended families and clans forming the basis of their social organization.
In terms of warfare, the Helvetii followed a strict code of honor and chivalry, which included taking prisoners of war and treating them with respect, adhering to a strict set of battle rules, and not attacking unarmed civilians. They also had a tradition of ritual combat, which involved single combat between two warriors before a battle, as a way of determining the outcome without causing unnecessary bloodshed. Thus Caesar's fears about the conduct of the Helvetii if passage was granted is questionable.
In terms of daily life, the Helvetii were skilled farmers, herders, and craftsmen, and had a rich culture of music, art, and storytelling. They also had a deep reverence for nature and the natural world, with many of their religious practices revolving around the worship of nature spirits and deities.