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Unfortunately the power of the kings of France did not stretch beyond the moat of their royal residence,
不過很不幸的是，法蘭西國王的權力從沒能越出他們皇家居住地的城堡之外，
while the Holy Roman Emperor was openly defied by his powerful subjects whenever it suited their fancy or their profit.
而神圣羅馬帝國的皇帝則常常受到實力強大的臣屬們出于自身利益的公然挑戰。
To increase the misery of the masses of the people, the triangle of western Europe (look at page 128, please) was for ever exposed to attacks from three sides.
他們的稱號皆有名無實。更增添人民痛苦的是，西歐三角地帶一直受到來自三個方向的兇惡敵人的挑戰：
On the south lived the ever dangerous Mohammedans.
南面是危險的穆罕默德信徒，他們占領著西班牙；
The western coast was ravaged by the Northmen.
西海岸常常受到北歐海盜的滋擾；
The eastern frontier(defenceless except for the short stretch of the Carpathian mountains) was at the mercy of hordes of Huns, Hungarians, Slavs and Tartars.
而東面除一小段喀爾巴阡山脈可以稍稍阻擋侵略者的馬隊，其它軍事防御形同虛設，只能聽任匈奴人、匈牙利人、斯拉夫人和韃靼人的蹂躪 。
The peace of Rome was a thing of the remote past, a dream of the "Good Old Days" that were gone for ever.
羅馬時代的升平景象已成為遙遠的過去，人們只能在夢中回憶這一去不返的"好日子"。
It was a question of "fight or die," and quite naturally people preferred to fight.
現在歐洲面臨的局勢是，"要么戰斗，要么死"！很自然，人們寧愿拿起武器。
Forced by circumstances, Europe became an armed camp and there was a demand for strong leadership.
出于環境的逼迫，公元1000年后的歐洲變成了一個大兵營，人們大聲吁求強有力的領導者。
Both King and Emperor were far away.
可國王和皇帝離得太遠，
The frontiersmen (and most of Europe in the year 1000 was "frontier") must help themselves.
解不了燃眉之急。于是，邊疆居民（事實上，公元1000年的大部分歐洲地區都屬于邊疆）必須自救，
They willingly submitted to the representatives of the king
他們很情愿地服從國王的代表，
who were sent to administer the outlying districts, provided they could protect them against their enemies.
即由他派出來管理本地區的行政長官，只有他們才有能力保護屬民免遭外敵的侵害。
Soon central Europe was dotted with small principalities,
很快，歐洲中部布滿了大大小小的公國、侯國，
each one ruled by a duke or a count or a baron or a bishop, as the case might be, and organised as a fighting unit.
每一個國家根據不同的情形，分別由一位公爵、伯爵、男爵或主教大人擔任統治者。
