美国学生人类历史 第168期:中世纪的城市(12)

 This, in a very general way, is what happened during the centuries which followed the Crusades. 在十字军东征之后的几个世纪时间里，这种情形在欧洲各地普遍发生。

It was a slow process, this gradual shifting of power from the castle to the city. 当然，权力由封建城堡向城市的转移，是一个缓慢而逐渐的过程。

There was some fighting. A few tailors and jewellers were killed and a few castles went up in smoke. 时不时的，也发生过一些流血战斗，有几个裁缝和珠宝商被杀，有数座孤零零的城堡被焚毁。

But such occurrences were not common. 不过，这样极端的事件并不多见。

Almost imperceptibly the towns grew richer and the feudal¹ lords grew poorer. 几乎是不知不觉的，城镇变得越来越富有，封建领主却越来越穷。

To maintain themselves they were for ever forced to exchange charters of civic² liberty in return for ready cash. The cities grew. 为维持自己的排场，开销一直很大，封建主总是被迫拿放宽公民自由的特许权来交换他们急需的现金。城市不断地成长壮大，

They offered an asylum³ to run-away serfs who gained their liberty after they had lived a number of years behind the city walls. 甚至敢于收留逃跑的农奴。当他们在城墙背后居住若干年后，就获得了新的身份和宝贵的自由。

They came to be the home of the more energetic elements of the surrounding country districts. 同时，城市也吸引着附近乡村地区的精力充沛、天性活跃的分子，取代了城堡的中心位置，他们为自己新获得的重要地位深感骄傲。

They were proud of their new importance and expressed their power in the churches and public buildings 沿着几个世纪以来一直进行着鸡蛋、绵羊、蜂蜜、盐等等商品的以货易货交易的古老市场周围，

which they erected⁴ around the old market place, where centuries before the barter⁵ of eggs and sheep and honey and salt had taken place. 他们新建起教堂和公共建筑，在此聚会、讨论，公然表达他们的权利。

They wanted their children to have a better chance in life than they had enjoyed themselves. 他们期望子女们获得比自己更好的生活机遇，

They hired monks⁶ to come to their city and be school teachers. 便出钱雇佣僧侣到城市来做学校教师。

When they heard of a man who could paint pictures upon boards of wood, they offered him a pension 当他们听说有某个巧匠能够在木版上画出美妙的图画，就慷慨地许以重金，

if he would come and cover the walls of their chapels⁷ and their town hall with scenes from the Holy Scriptures⁸. 请他来把教堂和市政厅的四壁涂满金碧辉煌的圣经图画。

Meanwhile his Lordship, in the dreary⁹ and drafty halls of his castle, saw all this up-start splendour and regretted the day 与此同时，年老体衰的公爵大人坐在自己潮湿透风的城堡大厅里，看着这一切欣欣向荣的暴富景象，不由得悔从心生。

when first he had signed away a single one of his sovereign rights and prerogatives¹⁰. 他想起那倒霉透顶的一天，他稀里糊涂地签署了第一张出卖自己封建特权的许可状。这看起来就像是一个无伤大雅的小小施与，可事情怎么就落到了这个地步呢？

But he was helpless. The townspeople with their well-filled strong-boxes snapped their fingers at him. 大人后悔不迭，但已无计可施。那些保险箱被特许状和文件塞得满满的镇民，如今他们对公爵大人已是不屑一顾。、他们还对他伸指头呢！

They were free men, fully¹¹ prepared to hold what they had gained by the sweat of their brow 他们变成了自由人，已经充分准备好享受他们新获得的权利。要知道，这些权利可是他们额头流汗，

and after a struggle which had lasted for more than ten generations. 经过十几代人的持续斗争才辛苦得来的呀！

1 feudal   

adj.封建的，封地的，领地的

参考例句：

• Feudal rulers ruled over the country several thousand years.封建统治者统治这个国家几千年。
• The feudal system lasted for two thousand years in China.封建制度在中国延续了两千年之久。

2 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

3 asylum   

n.避难所，庇护所，避难

参考例句：

• The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
• Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。

4 ERECTED   

adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立

参考例句：

• A monument to him was erected in St Paul's Cathedral. 在圣保罗大教堂为他修了一座纪念碑。
• A monument was erected to the memory of that great scientist. 树立了一块纪念碑纪念那位伟大的科学家。

5 barter   

n.物物交换，以货易货，实物交易

参考例句：

• Chickens,goats and rabbits were offered for barter at the bazaar.在集市上，鸡、山羊和兔子被摆出来作物物交换之用。
• They have arranged food imports on a barter basis.他们以易货贸易的方式安排食品进口。

6 monks   

n.修道士，僧侣( monk的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The monks lived a very ascetic life. 僧侣过着很清苦的生活。
• He had been trained rigorously by the monks. 他接受过修道士的严格训练。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 chapels   

n.小教堂， （医院、监狱等的）附属礼拜堂( chapel的名词复数 )；（在小教堂和附属礼拜堂举行的）礼拜仪式

参考例句：

• Both castles had their own chapels too, which was incredible to see. 两个城堡都有自己的礼拜堂，非常华美。 来自互联网
• It has an ambulatory and seven chapels. 它有一条走廊和七个小教堂。 来自互联网

8 scriptures   

经文，圣典( scripture的名词复数 )； 经典

参考例句：

• Here the apostle Peter affirms his belief that the Scriptures are 'inspired'. 使徒彼得在此表达了他相信《圣经》是通过默感写成的。
• You won't find this moral precept in the scriptures. 你在《圣经》中找不到这种道德规范。

9 dreary   

adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的

参考例句：

• They live such dreary lives.他们的生活如此乏味。
• She was tired of hearing the same dreary tale of drunkenness and violence.她听够了那些关于酗酒和暴力的乏味故事。

10 prerogatives   

n.权利( prerogative的名词复数 )；特权；大主教法庭；总督委任组成的法庭

参考例句：

• The tsar protected his personal prerogatives. 沙皇维护了自己的私人特权。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Congressmen may be reluctant to vote for legislation that infringes the traditional prerogatives of the states. 美国国会议员可能不情愿投票拥护侵犯各州传统特权的立法。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

11 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。