作者：亨里埃塔·伊丽莎白·马歇尔
出版社：中航书苑文化传媒（北京）有限公司
格式: AZW3, DOCX, EPUB, MOBI, PDF, TXT
6500词床头灯英语10:不可不知的欧洲历史故事(6500词床头灯英语学习读本)试读：
故事梗概
许多人认为中世纪是欧洲历史上一个“黑暗时代”，是楔入古罗马和文艺复兴之间的一个巨大错误，但不可忽视的事实是，中世纪在欧洲的发展过程中也是一个重要阶段，它是欧洲民族和文化形成的重要时期。本书讲述从5世纪蛮族入侵导致西罗马帝国灭亡一直到15世纪末16世纪初文艺复兴运动和宗教改革期间的欧洲社会封建化历程，它大致可以分为三个历史阶段：
中世纪早期：公元500～1000年
到8世纪中叶，伊斯兰、拜占庭（东罗马帝国）和西方的基督教世界将前罗马帝国的土地一分为三。尽管8世纪时有过不少动乱、战争甚至领土交换，但三足鼎立之势一直保持了几个世纪；
加洛林帝国诞生于一片混乱之中，瓦解后又带来新的风云变幻。但查理曼对于基督教国家——基督教界——的设想激励了后来的统治者们。后世的统治者为了仿效他的统治，将自己的领土命名为“神圣罗马帝国”。加洛林王朝把欧洲作为一个基督教帝国的设想在后来一直主宰着中世纪的政治理论和政治实践；
公元1000年时，穆斯林和维京人或被击败、不再出兵侵袭，或已定居下来、与当地人融为一体。过去千年里不断困扰欧洲的兵荒马乱已不复存在。
中世纪中期：公元1000～1300年
封建采邑制的发展和封建等级制度的确立，暂时稳定了这个时期现存的社会秩序。骑士兵制是随着采邑制的出现，欧洲在封建化的过程中逐步产生、确立起来的封建附庸制度。12、13世纪后，随着贵族和骑士融合，开始形成明确的贵族等级，要成为贵族必须成为骑士，等级性和集团性明显；
十字军远征将贵族骑士强盛的战斗欲转向了穆斯林，它聚合了当时的三大时代热潮：宗教、战争和贪欲。然而从另外一个层面讲，由于十字军战争，欧洲在贸易、文化、学术等方面和伊斯兰文化、拜占庭文化的接触达到了前所未有的密切程度；
神圣罗马帝国和教皇都想手握大权，掌控全境，但是教皇的理想——实现集中化的宗教阶层结构——一直因为一些原因而无法实现，而神圣罗马帝国诸皇帝在实现自己的雄心壮志时也遇到了一些不易解决的权力腐败问题。这场拉锯式斗争的结果是两败俱伤；
法国、德国、英格兰、俄罗斯和北欧各国开始初具雏形。这对于国家概念模糊、仅靠基督教力量维系起来的中世纪欧洲来说无疑意义重大，因为将在此基础上形成的民族国家的出现将会带动欧洲社会的发展与根本转型。
中世纪晚期：公元1300～1500年
教廷分裂，英法百年征战，瘟疫肆虐，哀鸿遍野。中世纪晚期的欧洲大地可以说是阴云笼罩，一片颓败之势。但这并没有阻挡住欧洲生机的重焕：贯穿中世纪历史始终的宗教冲突以及因宗教而引起的种种对抗，引发了在宗教的名义下进行的激烈社会改革——宗教改革，神圣的宗教文化也成为世界文化的精彩一页；地理大发现打破了神学的桎梏，揭开了一个更神奇、更精彩、更广阔的世界；文艺复兴的巨人们更是以满腔的激情讴歌人、赞颂人、宣扬人的至高无上，人的价值终于被发现，这为一场新的革命的到来奠定了基础。从这个意义来讲，中世纪的文化孕育了近代文化，中世纪并非完全的“黑暗”，而是黎明到来前的蕴育和希冀。
THE BARBARIANS INVADE THE ROMAN EMPIRE
IN the first centuries of our era one great power of the world was Rome. All southern Europe bowed beneath the conquering sword of the Romans. Africa and Asia, too, recognized their power. For the Mediterranean, the great trade route of the then known world was theirs, and the countries bordering upon it became mere provinces of Rome. Even the furthest islands felt their might, and sailing beyond the "narrow seas," Caesar set his hand upon the island of Britain. From the Rhine and the Danube in the north, to the desert of Sahara in the south, from the borders of Wales in the west, to the Euphrates and the Tigris in the east, the empire stretched.
Rome was the capital of this wild empire. Secure upon her seven hills she sat, mistress of the world, a city without rival, until in A. D. 330 the Christian emperor Constantine the Great resolved to build a new Rome upon the shores of the Bosphorus. Constantine called his city New Rome. But men did not take readily to the name, and the capital upon the Bosphorus became known as Constantinople, or the city of Constantine. It is difficult today to remember that Constantinople was founded by a Christian, and was at one time a protecting boundary of Christianity against the Turk.
The Romans called themselves lords of the world. And so it seemed they were. All the trade and skill, all the art and learning of the known world, were theirs. Beyond the borders of the Roman Empire the world was given over to wild barbarians, who were skilled neither in the arts of war nor of peace. That the civilization of Rome should go down before their ignorance seemed impossible. Yet the barbarian triumphed, Rome fell, and the great empire fell into dust.
The fall came because there was cruel leadership in Rome, and no state can long be held by cruelty and the power of the sword alone. The high officials and tax collectors cared nothing for the people's good, they cared only for gold. They laid heavy and unjust taxes upon the middle classes. These classes must always be the support of a nation, but in Rome's last days they were so oppressed that they ceased to exist. The support of the nation was gone. So, when wild barbarian armies poured over the borders of the empire, Rome fell.
When the Emperor Theodosius died, about sixty years after the founding of Constantinople, he left two sons, both mere boys. They divided the empire between them, Arcadius, the elder, taking Constantinople for his capital, ruled over the Eastern Empire, and Honorius, a child of eleven, became ruler of the Western Empire, with Rome as his capital. It was upon Rome and the Western Empire that the full force of the barbarian attack fell.
First came the Goths. These were Teutons or Germans, and were divided into two tribes, the Visigoths or west Goths, and the Ostrogoths or east Goths. They were tall and strong, their eyes were blue, their hair long and fair. They were lawless, greedy, and cruel. They came at first fleeing from the Huns, a far more vicious enemy, seeking shelter beneath the still all-powerful staff of Rome. They found the protection they desired, but before long they turned their swords against the men who had provided it.
barbarian [bɑːˈbɛəriən] n. 野蛮人，被其他民族或群体视为拥有原始文化的人，未开化的人
Roman Empire 罗马帝国。其最初是公元前6世纪末拉丁语族罗马人建立的以罗马城（Rome）为中心的奴隶制国家。公元前27年，罗马进入帝国时代。公元1世纪和2世纪，帝国疆域辽阔广大，成为西方历史上第一大帝国。
sword [swɔːd] 剑，此处指武力，这是提喻（Synecdoche）的修辞手法，即不直接说某一事物的名称，而是借事物的本身所呈现的各种对应的现象来表现该事物的一种修辞手段。文中用sword指代“武力”，属于具体代替抽象。
Mediterranean 地中海，介于亚、非、欧三洲之间的广阔水域，这是世界上最大的陆间海，在交通和战略上均占有重要地位。
might [mait] n. 威力，力量
narrow seas 指英吉利海峡和爱尔兰海。
Rhine 莱茵河。西欧的一条河流，它发源于瑞士境内的阿尔卑斯山，流经德国注入北海。干流全长约1,320千米。它是一条主要的商业航运水道，通过运河与其他重要的欧洲河流相连。
Danube 多瑙河。欧洲第二长河（仅次于伏尔加河）。它发源于德国西南部的黑林山的东坡，自西向东流经九个国家注入黑海，全长约2,850千米。它像一条蓝色飘带蜿蜒在欧洲大地上，誉为“蓝色的多瑙河”。
Sahara 撒哈拉沙漠。世界上除南极洲之外最大的荒漠，位于非洲北部。
Wales 威尔士。英国大不列颠岛西部半岛之一地区，东临英格兰，南临布里斯托海峡，北与西滨临爱尔兰海。自联盟令（1536年）后与英格兰合并。
Euphrates 幼发拉底河。流程约为2,735千米，为西亚最长河流。源于土耳其东部的内托罗斯山脉，流经叙利亚，在伊拉克境内与底格里斯河汇合形成了阿拉伯河注入波斯湾。它的流域是古代美索不达米亚文明的重要发祥地。
Tigris 底格里斯河。西亚水量最大的河流。发源于土耳其东部，向东南方向贯穿伊拉克汇入幼发拉底河，流程约1,850千米。底格里斯河流域与幼发拉底河流域统称两河流域，是古代文明发祥地之一。
stretch [stretʃ] vi. 延伸，伸展
her 此处作者把Rome拟人化且女性化，和后文mistress of the world相对应，因为mistress除了有“霸主”的意思以外，还有“女统治者、女主人”的意思。
mistress of the world 世界霸主（罗马帝国的别称）
resolve to do 决心做
take to 对…产生好感
Constantinople 君士坦丁堡，现在伊斯坦布尔的古称。位于巴尔干半岛东端，临博斯普鲁斯海峡，扼黑海门户，当欧、亚交通要冲，战略地位十分重要。
at one time 曾经
Christianity [ˌkristiˈæniti] n. 基督教，建立在耶稣的生活和教诲上的宗教
Turk 突厥人，居住在从巴尔干到西伯利亚东部地区，伊斯兰教征服这些地区的时候，讲突厥语的各部落、部族和民族大多被迫或自愿皈依了伊斯兰教。后来尤指土耳其的穆斯林。
lord [lɔːd] n. 君主，王
be skilled in 擅长，对…有经验
civilization（n. 文明）与ignorance（n. 愚昧）这对反义词放在同一个句子中，突出显示出罗马人与蛮族人进步程度的强烈反差。
go down 倒下，垮台
triumph [ˈtraiəmf] v. 获胜
fall into dust 灰飞烟灭，土崩瓦解
care nothing for 对…不在乎，不关心
good [ɡud] n. 福利，利益。如the common good 共同的利益
lay heavy taxes upon 对…课以重税
unjust [ˌʌnˈdʒʌst] adj. 不公平的
cease to do 停止做
staff [stɑːf] n. 权杖，持有的象征权力的手杖或节杖
蛮族入侵罗马帝国
在我们这个纪元的最初几个世纪，世界上的一大强国就是罗马。整个南部欧洲都臣服在罗马人的征服之剑下。非洲和亚洲也对他们的权势表示认可。因为当时那个已知世界上的重要的贸易路线——地中海是属于罗马人的，而且这条路沿线的国家也只不过是罗马的行省。甚至连最远处的岛屿都感觉得到他们的势力。凯撒越过英吉利海峡和爱尔兰海，把触角延伸到不列颠岛。整个帝国的版图向北延展到莱茵河和多瑙河，向南到撒哈拉沙漠，西至威尔士的边界，东至幼发拉底河和底格里斯河。
罗马就是这个狂放的帝国之都。她安座于七座丘陵之上，为世界之霸，所向无敌，直到公元330年，基督徒皇帝大康斯坦丁（康斯坦丁一世）决心在博斯普鲁斯海峡的海岸上建造一个和以前不一样的罗马。康斯坦丁为他的这座城市定名为新罗马。可是人们却没有欣然接受这个名字，博斯普鲁斯海岸上的这个都城被大家称为君士坦丁堡，或康斯坦丁城。今天，人们已很难记起君士坦丁堡是由一个基督徒建立起来的，并且还曾经是基督教对抗突厥人的一个保护性边界。
罗马人自诩为世界霸主，他们看上去也的确如此。当时世界上所有的贸易和技艺、所有的艺术和知识都是属于他们的。罗马帝国疆域以外的世界落入了原始的蛮族人之手，他们既不精于战术，也不善于维持和平。看上去罗马的文明要在他们蛮族人的愚昧面前沉沦下去是毫无可能的，可是，蛮族人胜利了，罗马沦陷，大帝国土崩瓦解。
罗马的沦陷是由于罗马的残酷统治造成的。没有哪个国家能够单凭暴行和刀剑的武力统治而长治久安下去。高官和征税人对人民的利益不以为意，他们只在乎金钱利益。他们把沉重不公的赋税施加在中产阶级身上。这些阶层应当一直是一个国家的中坚力量，可在罗马帝国最后的日子里，它们却因遭受了太多的压迫而不复存在了。这个民族的支撑力量消失了。于是，当蛮族军队朝着罗马帝国边界疯狂倾泻而来时，罗马陷落了。
君士坦丁堡建立约六十年后，西奥多斯大帝去世，他留下了两个儿子，那时这两人都还只是孩子。他们把帝国一分为二，大儿子阿卡狄奥斯定都君士坦丁堡，统治着东罗马帝国；和诺里——一个十一岁的孩子，成了西罗马帝国的统治者，都城在罗马。蛮族进攻的全部军力就集中在罗马城和西罗马帝国。
首先是哥特人。这些人是日耳曼人或德国人，他们分为两个部落，即维斯哥特（或西哥特），和奥托哥特（或东哥特）。他们身高体壮，眼睛碧蓝，长发金黄，无法无天，贪婪冷酷。他们先是从一个比他们自己凶恶得多的敌人——匈奴人那儿逃来，向当时仍是万能权杖的罗马寻求庇护。他们得到了他们想要的保护，可是不久就把剑头转向了给予他们保护的人。
THE MARCH OF ALARIC
UNDER their young king Alaric, the Visigoths attacked the empire again and again. Twice Alaric laid siege to Rome. Twice he spared the imperial city. Still a third time he came, and this time he sacked and robbed it without mercy. Then, loaded down with rich treasure and driving a long train of captives before him, he turned south. The proudest city in the world lay at his feet, and flushed with victory, he marched to invade Africa.
But an even greater captain than the conqueror of Rome met him on the way. Death laid his hand upon the victorious Goth, and all his triumphs were erased. The new king of the Goths, Ataulphus, son of the Wolf, did not follow up Alaric's triumphs. He turned aside from Africa, left the wasted plains of Italy, and marching his war-worn men into southern Gaul and northern Spain, settled there.
Meanwhile, other barbarian hosts attacked the outer regions of the empire. For in a vain endeavour to guard Italy and Rome itself the last armies had been called back even from Britain, and the northern boundaries of the empire were left a prey to the barbarians.
Over the wall, which stretched from Forth to Clyde, stormed the Picts and Scots, across the Rhine and the Danube poured wild armies of Franks, Burgundians, Lombards, Allemanni, and Vandals. The Franks settled in Gaul, and made it Frankland. The Burgundians, too, settled in Gaul, and today the fair province of France lying between the Loire and the Saone still keeps their name. The Vandals settled in Spain, of which a province is still named Andalusia (Vandalusia). The Lombards, or Longbeards, took northern Italy, and today the central province of northern Italy is still named Lombardy. Angles and Saxons left their homes on the Weser and the Elbe, sailed across the sea, and taking possession of southern Britain, changed its name to England.
Every one of those barbarian tribes which thus picked the Roman Empire to pieces was of German or Teutonic origin. And from the ashes of fallen Rome a new Teutonic empire was to arise. But, meanwhile, an enemy far more fierce and terrible than any German tribe was sweeping onward ready to grind to dust the already falling empire. This enemy was the Hun.
Alaric 阿拉里克（公元395～410在位），维斯哥特人首领，贵族出身。曾在罗马帝国军队中服役。一般认为，他是维斯哥特王国的缔造者。
lay siege to 包围，围攻
spare [spɛə] vt. 宽恕，不伤害
sack [sæk] vt. 洗劫
without mercy 残忍地，残酷地，毫不留情地
a train of 一列，一串
lay at one's feet 躺在某人脚下，此处比喻被某人征服。
flush with victory 因胜利而兴奋，尤其指因成功而得意忘形
erase [iˈreiz] v. 抹去，擦掉
Ataulphus 阿陶尔夫，阿拉里克的姻兄。其名为Gothic Ataulf，拉丁语为Ataulphus。Ataulf中的前半部分是拉丁词根-atta，意为father；后半部分是拉丁词根-vulfs，意为wolf，合起来就是Father-Wolf，即文中“son of the Wolf”的意思，所以Ataulphus在拉丁语中意为“狼之子”。
host [həust] n. 军队
in an endeavor to do 努力，尽力
prey [prei] n. 猎物，牺牲品
“Over the wall,... stormed the Picts and Scots.”以及“across the Rhine and the Danube poured wild armies... Vandals.”是两个全部倒装句（Full Inversion）。当地点状语置于句首，谓语表示运动的动词时可以用全部倒装来强调倒装的地点状语部分。正常语序应为The Picts and Scots stormed over the wall, which stretched from Forth to Clyde.和wild armies... poured across the Rhine and the Danube.
storm [stɔːm] v. 猛攻，狠击
Loire 卢瓦尔河，法国最长的河流，源出临地中海岸的塞文山脉，全长约1020千米，西北流至奥尔良，后折向西流注入大西洋的比斯开湾。两岸风光秀丽，多葡萄园。历史上经济十分繁荣，水运发达。
Saone 索恩河，法国东部河流。发源于东北部的孚日山西部，向南流，在里昂市南部汇入罗讷河。全长480千米。
pick... to pieces 撕成碎片
grind [ɡraind] v. 磨碎，碾碎
阿拉里克之征
维斯哥特人在其年轻的国王阿拉里克的率领下，一次又一次向罗马帝国发起攻击。阿拉里克两次包围了罗马，又两次放过了这座皇城。第三次他又来了，这次他毫不留情地洗劫抢掠了它，然后，载着沉沉的珍宝，驱赶着一长列俘虏，他挥师南下。这座世上最尊贵的城市拜伏在了他的脚下，他被胜利冲昏了头脑，开始向非洲入侵。
然而，他在途中遇到了一个比罗马的征服者更为伟大的统帅。获胜的哥特人遭遇了灭顶之灾，他的所有胜利成果被一扫而光。哥特人的新国王“狼之子”阿陶尔夫，没有把阿拉里克的胜利进行到底。他不再前往非洲，而是离开了意大利荒芜的平原，把他那些疲于征战的士兵转移到高卢南部和西班牙北部，在那里定居下来。
与此同时，其他的蛮族军队攻击了帝国的外围区域。因为徒劳地想竭力保卫意大利和罗马城本身，帝国甚至从不列颠调回了最后几支军队，而帝国的北部边境则成了蛮族的囊中之物。
越过从福斯延伸到克莱德的城墙，皮克特人和苏格兰人也向罗马发起了猛烈袭击，法兰克人、勃艮第人、伦巴第人、阿勒曼尼人和汪达尔人的军队也从莱茵河和多瑙河疯狂袭来。法兰克人驻扎在高卢，那儿便称为法兰克兰得。勃艮第人也安扎在高卢，直到今天，卢瓦尔河和索恩河之间的那个美丽的法国省份还保留着勃艮第人命名的名字。汪达尔人定居在西班牙，西班牙的一个省至今仍然叫安大路西亚（汪达卢西亚）。伦巴第人（或称长胡子人）占领了意大利北部，现在北部意大利的中心省份仍然叫伦巴第。盎格鲁和萨克森人离开了他们在威悉河和易北河的家园，横渡大海，占领了不列颠南部，将该地改名为英格兰。
这些把罗马帝国分割得支离破碎的蛮族部落都是德国或日耳曼血统。罗马崩塌的尘土中将崛起一个新的日耳曼帝国。可与此同时，一个比任何德意志部落都凶猛可怕得多的敌人正一路横扫过来，准备把正在瓦解的帝国碾成灰烬。这个敌人就是匈奴人。
ATTILA AND THE HUNS
THE Huns were a race of fighters coming from out the wastes of Asia. They were small and dark-skinned, their eyes were dark and piercing, their noses low, and their hairless, hideous faces were covered with frightening cuts and scars which made them more hideous still. They spent their lives on horseback, and rode so well that they almost seemed part of their sturdy little horses. With much riding, indeed, their legs were so bowed that they could scarcely walk. They had no houses, and few possessions. They neither ploughed nor reaped, but lived on raw flesh and clothed themselves in skins. They were fierce and bloodthirsty, and all men fled before them with a sickening dread.
These were the people who, now led on by their great king, Attila, made Europe tremble. Of all the Huns Attila was the most terrible. Though small of stature, his shoulders were of great breadth, and there was something of kingly authority in his piercing, evil eye and disgusting, angry face. Where he passed he left desolation behind him, and gloried in it."I am the curse of God," he boasted proudly, "the hammer of the world. Where my horse's feet have fallen the grass will grow no more."
Like a terrible flood the Huns swept over Gaul, leaving behind them a tracK of blood and ashes. Town after town was given to the flames, and the fair fields were laid waste. Then, at length, forgetting their old quarrels, Roman and Goth joined to crush the common enemy. The Goths, under King Theodoric, and the Romans under Aetius, "the last of the Romans," marched north. Franks and Burgundians, too, joined the army, and upon a plain near Chalons a great battle was fought between the allies and the Huns.
The struggle was long and fierce. Theodoric, king of the Visigoths, was killed, but in the end the Huns were defeated.
This fight has been called the battle of the Nations. And there it was made plain that Europe was to be the heritage of the Christian Teutons and Romans, and not of the pagan Mongols.
Attila was too crippled to renew the fight, and angrily he recrossed the Rhine. But the following year, having gathered another army, he marched through Italy, leaving a trail of ruined cities and destroyed plains in his wake. Rome was his goal, but before he reached it his course was once more stayed. For, accompanied by certain nobles, the pope, Leo I, came out, unarmed, to meet the great conqueror.
And Leo I conquered. His solemn words of pleading and warning pierced the heart of the fierce barbarian. Perhaps, too, the gold which he brought in his hand as a bribe from the feeble emperor aided not a little the eloquence of his words. However that may be, Attila yielded "Hastily," we are told, "he put off his usual fury, turned back on the way he had come, and departed with the promise of peace."
"I can conquer men," he said, "but the Lion (Leo) knows how to conquer me."
In this appeal made by Leo the Great to a barbarian enemy we see the first beginnings of the enormous power in worldly matters which the popes of a future day were to possess. But other arguments besides those of the bishop of Rome hurried Attila's going. For "the Huns were suffering from the blows of heaven;" famine and disease thinned their ranks. So, taking the gold which was offered to him, their leader returned, perhaps not unwillingly, to his own borders. He hoped doubtless to come again at another time to force his will upon Rome. But the following year he died. His empire fell to pieces, and the Hun vanished from Europe.
waste [weist] n. （常用pl.）荒地，沙漠
piercing [ˈpiəsiŋ] adj. 敏锐的，有穿透力的
sturdy [ˈstəːdi] adj. 强健的，结实的
bloodthirsty [ˈblʌdθʒːsti] adj. 嗜杀的，残忍的
lead on 率领
stature [ˈstætʃə] n. 身高，身材
breadth [bredθ] n. 宽度
kingly [ˈkiŋli] adj. 国王的，高贵的。后缀-ly在表示人身份的名词后构成形容词，意为“…似的，与…有关的”， 如priestly 僧侣的；friendly 朋友的，友好的；motherly 母亲般的，慈爱的，princely 王侯般的，高贵的等。
desolation [ˌdesəˈleiʃən] n. 荒芜，荒凉
glory [ˈɡlɔːri] vi. (n) （为…而）得意，（为…而）自豪
boast [bəust] v. 自夸
sweep over 强力扫掠过
track [træk] n. 由通过的某物体留下的一个或一串连续的记号
crush [krʌʃ] v. 粉碎，镇压
heritage [ˈheritidʒ] n. 遗产，遗留物
pagan [ˌpeiɡən] adj. 不是基督教、伊斯兰教或犹太教教徒的，异教的
Mongol [ˈmɔŋɡɔl] n. 蒙古族人。有历史学家认为，匈奴和蒙古是一个族源的民族，匈奴人就是原始蒙古人。
crippled adj. 失去战斗力的，被削弱的
trail [treil] n. 一连串。和上文的track意同。
in one's wake/in the wake of 跟随在…之后，随着…而来。如The war left destruction and famine in its wake. 战争留下的毁灭和饥荒的后果。
wake [weik] n. 某物经过后遗留下的痕迹、踪迹或状态
stay [stei] vt. 止住，抑制
accompany [əˈkʌmpəni] vt. 陪伴，陪同
pope [pəup] n. 罗马主教及世界上所有罗马天主教教堂的领导者
solemn [ˈsɔləm] adj. 神圣的，召唤宗教力量的
bribe [braib] n. 贿赂品，用来影响或说服（他人）的东西
not a little 许多，不少
eloquence [ˈeləkwəns] n. 雄辩，口才
yield [jiːld] vi. 屈服，屈从
put off 扔掉，脱掉
fury [ˈfjuəri] n. 狂暴，狂怒
appeal [əˈpiːl] n. 请求，呼吁
worldly [ˈwəːldli] adj. 尘世的，世俗的
bishop [ˈbiʃəp] n. 主教
blow of heaven 上天的灾祸，指自然灾害。
famine [ˈfæmin] n. 饥荒
thin [θin] vt. 使稀薄
ranks n. 军队，武装部队
force... upon/on... 将…强行施加给…
阿提拉与匈奴人
匈奴人是来自亚洲荒蛮之地的一支好战种族。他们个小肤黑，眼睛乌黑敏锐，鼻梁平塌，丑陋无毛的脸上布满了可怕的伤口和疤痕，使他们显得愈加狰狞。他们在马背上生活，骑术极佳，几乎和那些健壮的小马融为了一体。由于骑马过多，他们的腿实际上都弯曲成了弓形，几乎不能行走了。他们没有住所，也没有什么财产。他们既不犁耕也不收割，而是以生肉为食，以兽皮为衣。他们凶猛嗜杀，任何人见到他们都因感到令人作呕的恐惧落荒而逃。
这些正由他们伟大的国王阿提拉率领着的人使欧洲战栗。在所有的匈奴人当中，阿提拉是最可怕的一个。尽管他身材矮小，可他肩膀宽阔，锐利邪恶的眼中和丑恶暴怒的脸上都透着几分王者之尊。他所到之处，身后都留下一片废墟，而他对此引以为豪。“我是上帝降下的诅咒，”他得意地自夸道，“我是敲打世界的铁锤。我的战马曾经踩踏过的草地将不再生长。”
匈奴人像一阵可怕的洪水席卷了高卢，留下了一路的血迹和灰烬。一座又一座城镇被付诸一炬，美丽的田地变得一片荒芜。后来，罗马人和哥特人最终不计前嫌，联合起来压制他们共同的敌人。国王西奥多里克率领的哥特人和“最后的罗马人”埃裘斯率领的罗马人向北进发。法兰克人和勃艮第人也加入了这支军队，在查隆附近的一个平原上，这支盟军与匈奴人进行了一场伟大的战役。
这场战争长久激烈，维斯哥特国王西奥多里克在战斗中阵亡，但最后匈奴人还是被打败了。
这场战争被称为“民族之战”。这使一点变得很清楚：欧洲将成为基督徒日耳曼人和罗马人的遗产，而不属于异教徒蒙古族人。
阿提拉的军队被严重削弱，无法恢复战斗，一气之下他再度越过了莱茵河。可是次年，他再度召集了一支军队，从意大利穿越而过，所到之处留下一路的废城荒原。罗马是他的目的地，可在他到达罗马之前，他的进程再次被中止了。因为，罗马教皇利奥一世在一些贵族的陪伴下，毫无武器装备地出发前来迎接这位伟大的征服者。
利奥一世胜利了。他恳求和警示的神圣话语深深触动了这个凶恶的蛮族人的心。也许，他手里拿着的那软弱的皇帝贿赂给他的黄金也使他的话语增添了不少说服力。不管怎样，阿提拉屈服了，“慌忙地，”人们这么说，“他一改他惯常的狂怒，许下修好的承诺，转身踏上他来时的路离开了。”“我可以征服人，”他说，“可利奥知道如何征服我。”
从利奥一世这次对一支蛮族敌军发出的呼吁我们就可以看到日后的罗马教皇将在世俗事务中所拥有的巨大权力的最初开端。但除罗马主教的原因外，还有其他的理由加速了阿提拉的离去。因为“匈奴人正遭受自然灾害”，饥荒和疾病削弱了他们的军队。于是，他们的领袖拿着给他的那些黄金回到他自己的国度去了，这也许并不是不情愿的。无疑他希望他能再一次卷土重来对罗马施加他的意志。可第二年他就死去了。他的帝国瓦解了，匈奴人从此从欧洲消失了。
THE RISE OF THE FRANKS
IN the beginning of the fifth century, the Franks were among the many tribes of Teutonic origin who helped to take apart the Roman Empire. They took possession of part of Gaul, which, in time, became known as Frankland, and which formed the nucleus of the state which we know today as France. When the Franks invaded the Empire they did so in a manner different from that of the other Teutons. They did not cut themselves off from Germany. They did not wander far into the Empire, making conquests now here, now there. They simply crossed the border, and taking possession of a small portion, settled there.
Nor were they, like the Goths and Vandals, a single people who marched to war in a body. They were made up of various tribes who moved about independently of each other and who settled in various places. Their great strength lay in the fact that they kept their line of communication open. While robbing the Empire they still kept in touch with the great unused forces of the barbarian world behind them.
The chief of these Frankish tribes were the Salians and the Riparians, who settled in what is now Belgium. And it was the Salian Franks which, at length, became the dominant tribe. Their first king of any account was Clovis. He traced his descent from a mythical sea king called Merovee, and from that the dynasty to which he belonged is called the Merovingian dynasty.
Clovis came to the throne at the age of sixteen. He soon set out upon a career of conquest, and in no long time doubled and tripled his kingdom.
At the time of their invasion of the Empire, nearly all the Teutonic tribes were Christian. But they were Arian Christians—that is, they were followers of Arius, whose doctrine, to put it simply, was a sort of early Unitarianism, in which God was seen in a single figure. It was easier for the uneducated Teutons to understand this doctrine than the more complicated one of the Trinity, and therefore they adopted it.
in time 最后，终于
nucleus [ˈnjuːkliəs] n. 核心，中心
conquest [ˈkɔŋkwest] n. 征服地，战利品
chief [tʃiːf] n. 主要部分
Riparian 利普利安法兰克人。riparian是“河岸拥有者”的意思，利普利安法兰克人因为占据了莱茵河的两岸而得此名。
Salian Frank 撒利法兰克人。公元4世纪时居住在莱茵河尼德兰地区的法兰克人的一支。
dominant [ˈdɔminənt] adj. 占优势的，支配的
account [əˈkaunt] n. 价值，地位，重要性
trace [treis] vt. 追溯，回溯
descent [diˈsent] n. 出身，血统，祖籍
mythical [ˈmiθikəl] adj. 神话的，虚构的
come to the throne 登基
career [kəˈriə] n. 道路，轨道
triple [ˈtripəl] vt. 使增至三倍。tri-这个前缀表示“三”，如triangle 三角形，tricycle 三轮车。triple和前面的double都是虚指，暗示国土面积大幅扩展。
Arius 阿里乌斯，亚历山大神学家。
Unitarianism [ˌjuːniˈteəriənizəm] n. 上帝一位论，它否认基督神性和三位一体教义，强调上帝位格单一。uni-这个前缀表“单”、“一”，如unicycle 单轮脚踏车，unicell 单细胞
complicated [ˈkɔmplikeitid] adj. 复杂的，难懂的
Trinity [ˈtriniti] n. 三位一体，圣父、圣子、圣神合成一神，也就是三个位格、一个本体。三位一体是基督教信仰的基础。相信与否定三位一体，是正统与非正统信仰的分水岭。
adopt [əˈdɔpt] vt. 采纳，选定
法兰克人的崛起
5世纪初，法兰克人是促使罗马帝国瓦解的诸多日耳曼血统的部落中的一个。他们占领了高卢的一部分，这个地方最后被称为法兰克兰得，构成了今天我们所知的法国这个国家的核心。法兰克人入侵罗马帝国时，他们所用的方式和其他日耳曼人的方式不同。他们没有把自己同德意志分割开来。他们没有深入到帝国的内部四处不停地占据土地，只是越过国界，占领了一小块地盘，在那里驻扎下来。
他们也不像哥特人和汪达尔人那样，整个民族作为一个团体去作战。他们由许多部落组成，这些部落行动都彼此独立，并定居在不同的地方。他们的强大实力就在于保持他们的通讯线路开放。在帝国抢夺时，他们仍然和他们后方蛮族王国里那些未参战的大军保持着联络。
法兰克诸部落中以撒利法兰克人和利普利安法兰克人两支为主，他们居住在现在的比利时。最终是撒利法兰克部落占据了支配地位。法兰克人第一位有影响力的国王是科洛维斯。他将他的血统追溯到神
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