評論
打印
Historians like a quiet life and usually they get it.
歷史學家多愛平靜的生活 也通常得償所愿
For the most part, history moves at a glacial pace,working its changes subtly.
多數時候 歷史是在緩慢的進程中 悄然變化著
In Britain, especially,we like to think there's something about our history,
特別是在不列顛 我們傾向認為自己的歷史向來不乏溫和
like our climate, our landscape, that's naturally moderate,
比如我們的氣候與地貌
not much given to earthquakes and revolutions.
沒有頻發的地震或劇烈的地殼運動
But there are times and places when history, British history,
但歷史上 不列顛的一些地方確有這種時期
comes at you with a rush, violent,decisive, bloody,a truckload of trouble
排山倒海般的劇變 暴力 果決 血腥與種種
knocking you down, wiping out everything that gives you your bearings in the world:
打擊與摧毀著給予人們文明舉止的一切力量
law, custom, loyalty and language.And this is one of those places.
法律 習俗 忠誠以及語言 這里便是其中之一
I know it doesn't look like the site of a national trauma,does it?
我知道這里看上去并不像民族血拼之地 不是嗎
Especially these days,it looks more suitable for a county fair than a mass slaughter.
特別是如今 這里更適于鄉村趕集 而非大規模殺戮
But this is the battlefield of Hastings,
但這里是黑斯廷斯戰役的戰場
and here one kind of England was annihilated and another kind of England was set up in its place.
英格蘭的一個時代在此終結 轉而開啟了另一個時代
Some historians will tell you that for most people of England Hastings didn't matter that much,
有些史學家會告訴你 對多數英格蘭人來說 黑斯廷斯之戰并沒有那么重要
that 1066 was mostly a matter of replacing Saxon lords with Norman knights.
1066年的改變不過是 諾曼騎士取代了撒克遜王族
Peasants still ploughed their fields and paid taxes to the king,
農民們仍一如既往地耕地納稅
prayed to avoid poverty and pestilence and watched the seasons roll round.
祈求遠離貧困與瘟疫 年復一年經歷著四季更迭
