During the last ten years of the eighth century, however, Charles was obliged to devote himself exclusively to affairs of the South. The Pope, Leo III, had been attacked by a band of Roman rowdies and had been left for dead in the street. Some kind people had bandaged his wounds and had helped him to escape to the camp of Charles, where he asked for help. An army of Franks soon restored quiet and carried Leo back to the Lateran Palace which ever since the days of Constantine, had been the home of the Pope. That was in December of the year 799. On Christmas day of the next year, Charlemagne, who was staying in Rome, attended the service in the ancient church of St. Peter. When he arose from prayer, the Pope placed a crown upon his head, called him Emperor of the Romans and hailed him once more with the title of "Augustus" which had not been heard for hundreds of years.
不過，到了公元8世紀(jì)的最后10年，查理曼不得不將其全部精力放到解決歐洲南部的諸多糾紛之上。教皇利奧八世受到一群羅馬暴徒的襲擊，暴徒們以為他死了，將他的尸體隨便扔在大街上。一些好心的路人為教皇包扎傷口，并幫助他逃到查理曼的軍營。一支法蘭克軍隊被迅速派出，平定了羅馬城的騷亂。利奧八世在法蘭克士兵的護衛(wèi)下回到拉特蘭宮，這里從康士坦丁時代開始，便一直是歷代教皇的住所。到公元799年12月，即教皇被襲事件發(fā)生后第二年的圣誕節(jié)，查理曼當(dāng)時呆在羅馬，正在出席在圣彼得古教堂舉行的盛大祈禱儀式。當(dāng)查理曼念完禱詞準(zhǔn)備起身之際，教皇把一頂事先準(zhǔn)備好的皇冠戴在他頭上，宣布他為羅馬皇帝，并且以好幾百年沒有使用過的"奧古斯都"的偉大稱號，帶領(lǐng)眾人向他熱烈歡呼。
Once more Northern Europe was part of a Roman Empire, but the dignity was held by a German chieftain who could read just a little and never learned to write. But he could fight and for a short while there was order and even the rival emperor in Constantinople sent a letter of approval to his "dear Brother."
現(xiàn)在，歐洲北部再度成為羅馬帝國的一部分了。不過帝國的至高尊嚴(yán)，此時卻為一個只認得簡單幾個字而從未學(xué)會過書寫的日爾曼酋長所擁有。不過，他精于作戰(zhàn)，在一段時期內(nèi)恢復(fù)了歐洲的和平與秩序。過不多久，甚至連他的對手，君士坦丁堡的東羅馬皇帝也寫信給這位"親愛的兄弟"，向他表達親睦與贊許。
Unfortunately this splendid old man died in the year 814. His sons and his grandsons at once began to fight for the largest share of the imperial inheritance.
很不幸，這位精明能干的老人死于公元814年。查理曼一死，他的兒孫立即為爭奪最大份額的帝國遺產(chǎn)，相互攻伐，激戰(zhàn)連連。
來源:可可英語 http://www.ccdyzl.cn/Article/201705/504138.shtml
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