It was quite natural that the professional fighting-men of the Middle Ages should try to establish some sort of organisation for their mutual benefit and protection. 欧洲中世纪的职业战士会尝试建立某种形式的组织，可以相互扶助，维护共同利益。

Out of this need for close organisation, Knighthood or Chivalry was born. 出于这种密切团 结的需要，骑士制及骑士精神便从此诞生了。

We know very little about the origins of Knighthood. 我们对于骑士制度的起源知之甚少。

But as the system developed, it gave the world something which it needed very badly-a definite rule of conduct which softened the barbarous customs of that day 但随着这一制度的不断发展，它正好给当时混乱无序的社会提供了一种极其需要的东西--一整套明确的行为准则。它多少缓和了那个时代的野蛮习 俗，

and made life more livable than it had been during the five hundred years of the Dark Ages. 使生活变得比此前500年的黑暗时代稍微容易一些，精致一些。

It was not an easy task to civilise the rough frontiersmen who had spent most of their time fighting Mohammedans and Huns and Norsemen. 想要教化粗野的边疆居民，这并非易事。他们大部分时间在与穆斯林、匈奴人或北欧海盗苦苦作战，挣扎在不是你死就是我亡的残酷环境中。

Often they were guilty of back-sliding, and having vowed all sorts of oaths about mercy and charity in the morning, they would murder all their prisoners before evening. 作为基督徒，他们当然对自己的堕落行为深感忏悔。他们每天早晨发誓从善，向上帝许诺要行为仁慈和态度宽容。可不等太阳落山，他们便把诺言抛诸脑后，一口气杀光所有的俘虏。

But progress is ever the result of slow and ceaseless labour, 不过进步来自于缓慢而坚持不懈的努力。

and finally the most unscrupulous of knights was forced to obey the rules of his "class" or suffer the consequences. 最终，连最无法无天的骑士都不得不遵守他们所属"阶层"的准则，否则就要自食其果。

These rules were different in the various parts of Europe, but they all made much of "service" and "loyalty to duty." 这些骑士准则或骑士精神在欧洲各地不尽相同，但它们无一例外地强调"服务精神"和"敬忠职守"。

The Middle Ages regarded service as something very noble and beautiful. 在中世纪，"服务"被视为非常高贵、非常优美的品德。

It was no disgrace to be a servant, provided you were a good servant and did not slacken on the job. 做仆人并无任何丢脸之处，只要你是一个好仆人，对工作勤勤恳恳、毫不懈怠。

As for loyalty, at a time when life depended upon the faithful per-formance of many unpleasant duties, it was the chief virtue of the fighting man. 至于忠诚，当处于一个必须忠实履行许多职责才能维持正常生活的时代，它当然会成为骑士们首屈一指的重要品德。