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These wars were the crucible of our modern history,
這些戰爭孕育了現代歷史
for out of the fires of these wars came eventually a genuinely parliamentary monarchy.
因為正是經過這些炮火的洗禮 真正的議會制政體浴火而生
Of course, no one understood that at the time,
當然了 那個時候沒有人意識到這一點
no one was reading from a script which commanded "Go forth and be democratic.
畢竟沒有人有現成的劇本 "命令人們"向著民主前進吧"
So when the 24-year-old Charles became king,
因此當24歲的查理一世加冕時
no one in their right mind could possibly have imagined a war between parliament and the Crown.
沒有人能想象到 議會與王權會發生戰爭
No succession in over two centuries had been as settled or as unthreatened.
兩個多世紀間 從未有君主受到討伐和威脅
Charles may have been smaller than life, long faced, painfully formal,
查理一世有可能 身材瘦小 長臉 病態地拘謹
private to the point of being secretive,a stickler for decorum,as cool, as still and as pallid as marble,
孤僻到鬼祟的程度 過于拘泥禮節 如大理石般蒼白冰冷 沉默寡言
but to many this was rather a welcome contrast with his father, James,
但對很多人來說 這和他先父詹姆斯一世形成了有趣的對比
who'd been loud-mouthed,pedantic and uncouth.
詹姆斯一世聲音洪亮 頑固不化 粗暴無禮
From the beginning, for those paying attention,
從一開始的加冕大典開始
there was something ominously distant about this small man on a big horse,
稍加注意便會發現 國王身軀矮小卻要騎上大馬
too lofty to bother with a coronation procession.
這便隱隱預示了不祥
A man who believed that kings were little gods on earth.
認為國王是上帝派到世間的最高權威
Charles saw himself as the father of the nation,and like any 17th-century father,
查理一世視自己為國父 與十七世紀的其他普通父親一樣
he thought he was responsible for the well-being of his family,
他認為自己擔有家庭幸福的責任
but in return he expected to be strictly obeyed.
作為回報 也希望子民無條件服從自己的統治
