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LESSON 24 The "white ship"
第二十四課 白輪船
AD 1120, King Henry I. went over to Normandy with his son Prince William and a great retinue,
公元1120年，亨利一世帶著兒子威廉王子和大批隨從前往諾曼底，
to have the prince acknowledged as his successor by the Norman nobles,
去參加由諾曼貴族舉行的王子繼位儀式，
and to contract the promised marriage between him and the daughter of the Count of Anjou.
并為他和安茹伯爵的女兒訂婚。
When both these things had been done with great show and rejoicing, the whole retinue prepared to embark for the voyage home.
兩件事都圓滿完成后，隨從們準備啟程回家。
When all was ready, there came to the king, Fitz-Stephen, a sea-captain,
一切都準備妥當后，船長菲茨·斯蒂芬來參見國王，
and said: "My liege, my father served your father all his life, upon the sea.
他說：“陛下，我父親一生都服侍您的父親。
He steered the ship with the golden boy upon the prow, in which your father sailed to conquer England.
他在您的父親出征去征服英國時，帶著勇敢的青年操縱著船只。
I beseech you to grant me the same office.
我請求您可以給我同樣的機會，
I have a fair vessel in the harbour here, called the White Ship, manned by fifty sailors of renown.
我這里有一艘同樣漂亮的船舶在港口，名叫“白輪船”，由50名富有名望的水手駕駛。
I pray you, sire, to let your servant have the honour of steering you in the White Ship to England."
我請求您，陛下，讓您的仆人用這艘白輪船載著您的榮譽返回英國吧。”
"I am sorry, friend," replied the king, "that my vessel is already chosen,
“對不起，我的朋友，”國王答道，“我的船早已經(jīng)選好，
and that I cannot therefore sail with the son of the man who served my father.
而且我此刻也不能與服侍過我父親之人的兒子一起航行。
But the prince, with all his company,
但是王子殿下有他自己的同行者，
shall go along with you, in the fair White Ship, manned by the fifty sailors of renown."
可以和你一起乘坐這條由50名富有名望的水手駕駛的漂亮的白輪船。”
An hour or two afterward, the king set sail in the vessel he had chosen, accompanied by other vessels,
一兩個小時之后，國王乘坐著早已選好的船只起航了，隨行的還有其他船只。
and, sailing all night with a fair and gentle wind, arrived upon the coast of England in the morning.
他們借助平穩(wěn)的風力整夜航行，于次日清晨到達英國沿岸。
While it was yet night, the people in some of the ships heard a faint wild cry come over the sea, and wondered what it was.
到了晚上，船上的人聽到些微弱的叫喊聲從海上傳來，他們想知道到底發(fā)生了什么。
