But he had great birth, and so he started getting more power politically and financially by setting himself up as the patron of the patronless.

但是出身很好，于是他通过给人当庇护人,来提高自己的政治及金融地位。

耶鲁公开课 - 新约课程节选

Only in the Roman Empire could slavery actually start being a way that you can move up in society, because you could-- if you were a talented slave, your owner might free you, probably would free you.

只有在罗马帝国，奴隶制可以成为,提高社会地位的手段，因为。。。,如果是一个能干的奴隶，主人可能会释放他，很有可能。

耶鲁公开课 - 新约课程节选

And it increases the role of these economic elites or their concern with maintaining their privileges against threats to their privileges and to their prosperity no matter where they come from.

这在提高了经济精英的地位的同时,也使他们更担心如何保持他们的特权,以及如何对抗对他们特权和繁荣的威胁,无论威胁来自何方

耶鲁公开课 - 欧洲文明课程节选