The measurement known as a mile is a vestige of the Roman Empire’s rule over Britain. At this time, the Romans had a measurement known as mille pasuum (ME-lay PA-soo-em), or a thousand paces. A pace comprised five, possibly sandal shod, Roman feet. Using a simple mathematical calculation, we arrive at 5,000 feet per mile.
英里的测量系统保留了罗马帝国统治英国的印记。那时，罗马帝国建立了一套测量系统，叫英里，一英里包含5000英尺。
The demise of the Roman Empire left the Britons in a quandary. They now had a mile, consisting of 5,000 feet, and their own agricultural measurement, the furlong, used to measure the farmers’ fields for the purpose of property deeds, etc. Instead of using the Roman foot in calculating the measure of a furlong, they used the distance a horse could pull a plow, in a linear fashion, before the nag needed a nap. They agreed that this measurement consisted 660 feet.
罗马随后的灭亡给英国人留下了一个难题。英国人有了两套测量系统，一是罗马英里系统，一英里包含5000英尺；一是传统的农业测量系统-弗隆系统。他们习惯于使用弗隆系统进行土地丈量，这是马儿“一口气”拉犁铧形成的自然距离，他们约定一弗隆包含660英尺。
Now came the dilemma. The British wished to marry the furlong to the mile, but, as they wanted a mile to comprise eight furlongs, totaling 5,280 feet, instead of the Roman 5,000 feet per mile, they had no choice but to select one of the two. Not surprisingly, they chose their measurement over the Roman measurement because, as property deeds at the time were measured in furlongs, or 660 feet, a change to the Roman measurement would short the farmer or landowner.
那么问题来了。英国人想把英里系统和弗隆系统糅合起来，他们让一英里包含八弗隆，也就是5280英尺，但是罗马人留下的英里其实是5000英尺。这个时候他们只能二选一，他们最终选择了弗隆系统重于英里系统，即对罗马的英里进行改造，让一英里包含5280英尺。这可能是由于弗隆系统一直用于家庭财产的测量，显得尤为重要，更要命的是，罗马的英里系统会让农场主的财产缩水。