[8] Interea ea legione quam secum habebat militibusque, qui ex provincia convenerant, a lacu Lemanno, qui in flumen Rhodanum influit, ad montem Iuram, qui fines Sequanorum ab Helvetiis dividit, milia passuum XVIIII murum in altitudinem pedum sedecim fossamque perducit.
Eng: Meanwhile, with that legion which he had with him and the soldiers who had assembled from the Province, he fortifies a wall sixteen feet high and a trench, eighteen miles in length, from the Lake of Geneva, which flows into the River Rhone, to Mount Jura, which separates the territories of the Sequani from the Helvetii.
华文: 与此同时，他率领的这个军团和从省份召集来的士兵，从流入罗讷河的莱芒湖一直到将塞汝翁人的领土与瑞士分开的于拉山，修建了长达18英里、高16英尺的城墙和护沟。
Commentary: The wall was built in 58 BC and was intended to serve as a defense against the Helvetii, a tribe of Celtic people who had been causing problems for the Romans in the area. The wall was also not just a physical barrier, but also a psychological one. The Helvetii were intimidated by the sight of the wall, which gave them the impression that the Romans were powerful and well-organized. This may have helped to deter them from attempting to invade Roman territory.
Eo opere perfecto praesidia disponit, castella communit, quo facilius,si se invito transire conentur, prohibere possit. Ubi ea dies quam constituerat cum legatisvenit et legati ad eum reverterunt, negat se more et exemplo populi Romani posse iter ulli per provinciam dare et, si vim facere conentur, prohibiturum ostendit.
Eng: With that work having been completed, he arranged garrisons and fortified forts, so that he could more easily prevent them from crossing over if they attempted to do so against his will. When the day which he had set with the envoys arrived and the envoys returned to him, he says that he is unable to grant any passage through the province to anyone in the manner and custom of the Roman people, and he shows that he will prohibit them if they attempt to use force.
华文: 完成这项工作后，他部署了防御工事，建造了堡垒，以便更容易地阻止任何人试图在未经允许的情况下穿越。当他约定的时间到来时，使节们返回并与他会面，他拒绝了他们的请求，声称不能像罗马人民的习惯和例子一样为任何人提供通过省份的通行证，如果他们试图使用武力，他会阻止他们。
Commentary: This strategy of building walls and fortifications became a signature tactic of Caesar's military campaigns and influenced later defensive tactics in warfare.
Helvetii ea spe deiecti navibusiunctis ratibusque compluribus factis, alii vadis Rhodani, qua minima altitudo fluminis erat, non numquam interdiu, saepius noctu, si perrumpere possent conati, operis munitione et militum concursu et telis repulsi, hoc conatu destiterunt.
Eng: The Helvetians, having been deprived of this hope, having made boats joined with rafts and several bridges, some attempted to force their way through the shallows of the Rhone, which was the smallest depth of the river, sometimes during the day, more often at night. They were repulsed by the fortifications and the rush of soldiers and weapons. They abandoned this attempt.
华文: 赫尔维蒂人因失去这个希望而感到沮丧，于是他们制造了许多船和筏子。一些人试图通过罗讷河最浅的地方，有时在白天，更多的时候在夜晚，试图攻克障碍，但都被工事和士兵的抵抗和攻击击退，因此他们放弃了这次尝试。
Commentary: It is likely that the boats mentioned were rudimentary ones made of wood, possibly with animal skins or other materials used to make them watertight. Rafts may have been constructed by lashing together logs or bundles of reeds. The boats and rafts would have been relatively small and simple, as they were likely meant to transport individuals and small groups rather than large amounts of cargo or equipment. This is similar to the pontoons, today's military engineers use to construct bridges across waterways.
Relinquebatur una per Sequanos via, qua Sequanis invitis propter angustias ire non poterant. His cum sua sponte persuadere non possent, legatos ad Dumnorigem Haeduum mittunt, ut eo deprecatore a Sequanis impetrarent.
Eng: There remained only one route through the territory of the Sequani, which they could not pass through without the Sequani's consent due to the narrowness of the road. Since they could not convince them voluntarily, they sent envoys to Dumnorix, the Haeduan, so that with his intercession, they might obtain the consent of the Sequani.
华文: 留下了一条通过塞夸尼人无法通过的道路，因为他们无法因狭窄而前往。由于无法说服他们自愿放行，他们派遣使者到豪杜萨人的杜莫里克，希望他作为请求者向塞夸尼人请求。
Commentary: Dumnorix, the brother of Divico, the Helvetian leader who defeated the Romans at the Battle of Agen, was a powerful and influential figure among the Haedui.
Dumnorix gratia et largitione apud Sequanos plurimum poterat et Helvetiis erat amicus, quod ex ea civitate Orgetorigis filiam in matrimonium duxerat, et cupiditate regni adductus novis rebus studebat et quam plurimas civitates suo beneficio habere obstrictas volebat.
Eng: Dumnorix wielded great influence among the Sequani due to his popularity and generosity. He was also a friend to the Helvetii, having married the daughter of Orgetorix from that tribe. Driven by his ambition for power, he sought to create new alliances and hoped to gain the loyalty of as many tribes as possible through his acts of kindness.
华文: 杜莫里克凭借他在 塞夸尼人的影响力和慷慨，非常有能力，并且是赫尔维蒂人的朋友，因为他娶了奥尔杰托里吉斯的女儿作为妻子，并因渴望掌权而致力于追求新的机遇，他想让尽可能多的城市受到他的恩惠并受到他的约束。
Commentary: He had gained a great deal of influence among the Haedui through his generosity and charisma, as well as through his marriage to a daughter of the Haeduan nobility. Dumnorix used this influence to promote his own political agenda, which included expanding the Haeduan sphere of influence and securing his own position of power.
Itaque rem suscipit et a Sequanis impetrat ut per fines suos Helvetios ire patiantur, obsidesque uti inter sese dent perficit: Sequani, ne itinere Helvetios prohibeant, Helvetii, ut sine maleficio et iniuria transeant.
Eng: Therefore, he takes up the task and manages to persuade the Sequani to allow the Helvetians to pass through their territory, and they agree to exchange hostages: the Sequani, to not obstruct the Helvetians on their journey, and the Helvetians, to pass through without committing any mischief or wrongdoing.
华文: 于是他开始行动，并请求塞瓦纳人允许瑞士人穿过他们的领土，他们达成了交易：塞瓦纳人不阻止瑞士人的行程，而瑞士人则不进行任何破坏和伤害，并交换人质以示信守。
Commentary: This section highlights the importance of diplomacy and alliances in ancient Gaul. The Helvetii were able to secure safe passage through the Sequani's territory by negotiating and offering hostages as a sign of good faith. This type of diplomacy was common among the Gallic tribes, and alliances were constantly shifting as they formed and dissolved based on political and military considerations.
The Sequani were also in a difficult position, as they were caught between the Helvetii and the Roman province of Gaul. They could not afford to anger either side, and so had to carefully balance their interests and alliances. This dynamic illustrates the complex geopolitical landscape of ancient Gaul, with various tribes vying for power and influence in a constantly shifting environment.