評論
打印
That was dangerous business for the borrower. In the end, the Lombards invariably owned the estates and the Knight became a bankrupt, who hired himself out as a fighting man to a more powerful and more careful neighbour.
這對借錢的人來說是一筆很危險的交易。最終，總是倫巴德人占有了莊園，而騎士卻破產(chǎn)了，只好受雇于某個更細(xì)心、更有權(quán)勢的鄰居，為他作戰(zhàn)。
His Grace could also go to that part of the town where the Jews were forced to live. There he could borrow money at a rate of fifty or sixty percent. interest. That, too, was bad business. But was there a way out? Some of the people of the little city which surrounded the castle were said to have money. They had known the young lord all his life. His father and their fathers had been good friends. They would not be unreasonable in their demands. Very well. His Lordship's clerk, a monk who could write and keep accounts, sent a note to the best known merchants and asked for a small loan. The townspeople met in the work-room of the jeweller who made chalices for the nearby churches and discussed this demand. They could not well refuse. It would serve no purpose to ask for "interest." In the first place, it was against the religious principles of most people to take interest and in the second place, it would never be paid except in agricultural products and of these the people had enough and to spare.
當(dāng)然，公爵大人還可以去城鎮(zhèn)的猶太人居住區(qū)。在那里，他能夠以50％一60％的利息借到這筆要命的旅費(fèi)?？伤瑯邮枪P很不劃算的生意。難道就沒有其他的出路了嗎？公爵尋思過去，尋思過來。對了，聽說城堡附近小鎮(zhèn)里的一些居民挺有錢的。他們打小就認(rèn)識年輕的公爵大人，他們的父輩和老公爵也一直是很好的朋友。這些人是不會提出不合理要求的。于是，大人的文書，一位知書識字、常年為公爵記賬的教士，給當(dāng)?shù)刈钣忻纳倘藢懥艘粡垪l子，要求一筆小小的貸款。這可是一件轟動的事情。城鎮(zhèn)里有頭有面的居民聚集到為附近教堂制作圣餐杯的珠寶商家里討論這件事。他們當(dāng)然不好拒絕公爵大人的要求?？墒杖?quot;利息"也沒什么用處。首先，收利息是違背大多數(shù)人的宗教原則的；其次，利息也只能以農(nóng)產(chǎn)品來支付，這些東西大家都綽綽有余，拿來有什么用處呢？
"But," suggested the tailor who spent his days quietly sitting upon his table and who was somewhat of a philosopher, "suppose that we ask some favour in return for our money. We are all fond of fishing. But his Lordship won't let us fish in his brook.
"不過……"，一直專注聆聽的裁縫突然開口了。此人成天都靜坐在自己的裁縫桌前，看起來挺像個哲學(xué)家的。"設(shè)想一下，我們何不請公爵大人恩允一件事情，作為我們借給他錢的交換。我們大家不是都喜歡釣魚嗎？可大人偏偏禁止我們在他的小河里釣魚。
