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In the summer of 1348,
1348年夏
the English could be forgiven for thinking themselves unconquerable.
英格蘭人自詡天下無敵的狂言 或許也情有可原
They had vanquished the old enemies,the Scots and the French.
因為他們已經擊敗了宿敵 蘇格蘭人和法國人
Their king, Edward III,seemed the most powerful ruler in Europe.
他們的國王 愛德華三世 一躍而成歐洲最強悍君主
But they would be conquered,
然而他們終將一嘗敗績
and by a king against whom neither longbows nor warships offered any defence.
在這個進攻者面前 長弓戰艦毫無招架之力
King Death.His weapon was plague,
那就是死神 他的武器就是瘟疫
and by the end of his terrible campaign,
在他那毛骨悚然的戰役結束時
almost half the people of Britain would be dead.
幾乎一半的英國人死于非命
The country would survive the trauma,
這個國家終將走出傷痛
but first it had to undergo a purgatory of unimaginable misery,
但首先 它必須忍受 難以想象的悲慘煉獄
because hard on the heels of pestilence would come rebellion and civil war.
因為瘟疫來襲后不多久 叛亂和內戰接踵而來
The century of plague was a pilgrimage through pain,
整個世紀的瘟疫 是充滿痛苦的朝圣之旅
and this is the story of that journey.
而本集所訴說的 就是這段故事
