欧美文化博览 金雀花王朝之魔王世族(1)

In early medieval France, the Count of Anjou became enthroned by a mysterious woman.

在中世纪法国的早期,昂儒伯爵因为一位神秘的女性而登上王位。

They married and had several children.

于是他们结婚并且有了几个孩子。

But the Count grew concerned because his wife always left church before Mass was celebrated¹.

但昂儒的担心日渐增加，因为他的妻子总是在庆祝仪式开始前离开教堂。

One day he ordered his knights² to stop her.

有一天,他命令自己的骑士们阻止她这样的行为。

But she pulled free and flew out through a window.

但她巧妙脱身并且从窗户飞走。

The Countess of Anjou was never seen again.

自此再也不曾见过伯爵夫人的踪影。

According to this legend, all 15 Plantagenet kings of England were descended³ from the demon⁴ Countess of Anjou.

按照这个传说，所有15位英格兰金雀花王朝国王都是恶魔伯爵夫人的后裔。

Her blood flowed in their veins⁵.

她的血液在这些后代身上流动。

And over the centuries, this provided an explanation for the fierce temper, the bloody⁶ family feuds⁷ and the brutality⁸ of the Plantagenets.

而几个世纪过后,这种血缘关系或许就是金雀花王朝火爆脾气,家庭不和以及冷酷无情的原因。

Richard the Lionheart himself once declared defiantly⁹, "From the Devil we came, and to the Devil we will go."

狮心王理查自己曾公然宣布,“我们是魔鬼的化身,魔鬼去哪里我们就去哪里。”

In the medieval world, all politics was family politics, and the Plantagenet family dominated England for more than 300 years through some of the nation's most famous and infamous¹⁰ kings.

在中世纪的世界中,所有政治都是以家族为中心,在统治英国的300多年中，金雀花王朝家族涌现出最著名及最臭名昭著的国王。

King John. Henry V. Richard III.

约翰。亨利五世，理查德三世。

They were driven by dynastic ambition, striving to expand their power beyond their French homeland.

他们被王朝的野心驱使,努力扩大自己超出法国国土的力量。

1 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

2 knights   

骑士； （中古时代的）武士( knight的名词复数 )； 骑士； 爵士； （国际象棋中）马

参考例句：

• stories of knights and fair maidens 关于骑士和美女的故事
• He wove a fascinating tale of knights in shining armour. 他编了一个穿着明亮盔甲的骑士的迷人故事。

3 descended   

a.为...后裔的，出身于...的

参考例句：

• A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。
• The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。

4 demon   

n.魔鬼，恶魔

参考例句：

• The demon of greed ruined the miser's happiness.贪得无厌的恶习毁掉了那个守财奴的幸福。
• He has been possessed by the demon of disease for years.他多年来病魔缠身。

5 veins   

n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理

参考例句：

• The blood flows from the capillaries back into the veins. 血从毛细血管流回静脉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I felt a pleasant glow in all my veins from the wine. 喝过酒后我浑身的血都热烘烘的，感到很舒服。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

7 feuds   

n.长期不和，世仇( feud的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Quarrels and feuds between tribes became incessant. 部落间的争吵、反目成仇的事件接连不断。 来自英汉非文学 - 文明史
• There were feuds in the palace, no one can deny. 宫里也有斗争，这是无可否认的。 来自辞典例句

8 brutality   

n.野蛮的行为，残忍，野蛮

参考例句：

• The brutality of the crime has appalled the public. 罪行之残暴使公众大为震惊。
• a general who was infamous for his brutality 因残忍而恶名昭彰的将军

9 defiantly   

adv.挑战地，大胆对抗地

参考例句：

• Braving snow and frost, the plum trees blossomed defiantly. 红梅傲雪凌霜开。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• She tilted her chin at him defiantly. 她向他翘起下巴表示挑衅。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 infamous   

adj.声名狼藉的，臭名昭著的，邪恶的

参考例句：

• He was infamous for his anti-feminist attitudes.他因反对女性主义而声名狼藉。
• I was shocked by her infamous behaviour.她的无耻行径令我震惊。