4.与封建制度紧密交织在一起的便是骑士制度，或者说骑士精神。作为一名骑士，上至国王，下至贫穷的绅士没有地位的差别，都必须通过同样的训练--首先当一名侍者服务于他人，然后再努力成为一名绅士，通过考核以后，才能获得象征骑士身份的金马刺，并起誓成为骑士。授勋仪式的前一天晚上，候选者将通宵守a 博斯沃思战场：著名的玫瑰战争就发生于此，此战是兰开斯特王朝（House of Lancaster）和约克王朝（House of York）的支持者之间为了争夺英格兰王位的战争。两个家族都属于英国金雀花王室（Plantagenet）国王爱德华三世的后裔。玫瑰战争不是当时所用的名字，它来源于两个皇族所选的家徽，即兰开斯特的红玫瑰和约克的白玫瑰。具体内容见后文相应章节。--译者注b 封地：原词Feud或Feod，而“封建”一词为Feudal，可见其渊源。--译者注c 地主：世袭土地资产保有者，即自己有土地，并且可以一代一代传给继承人的人。
d 佃农：这些人能否拥有土地全靠他们主人的意愿。原词（Villein）很可能表示乡村（Village）里面的村民，这些人最早都居住在大地主的城堡附近。
夜，站在阵亡勇士的墓碑中间，在黑暗中保持孤独与沉默，并在此过程中沉思他即将承担的责任与义务。
5.当骑士全副武装时，从头到脚都会戴上盔甲，这些盔甲全是将钢片用铆钉牢牢固定在一起，极为坚固。他们头盔上有个顶饰，三尖盾牌上也有个标志图案，这些就是我们盾徽a的起源。他们的主要武器是一根长矛，此外还持有双剑，以及一把名为“仁慈匕首”的小短刀，主要用来手刃落马的敌人；但他们也经常携带战斧或者狼牙棒。
6.骑士们的主要活动是马上比武，也叫决斗，其场地被限定在一个封闭区域内，叫做“竞技场”。女士和贵族们围坐在高高的环形看台上，而身份较低的人就只有挤在栅栏外面，伸长脖子看比赛了。在喇叭的喧闹声中，两位决斗勇士从角斗场两边飞驰而入，在场地中心相遇后便展开激烈的搏斗。如果决斗的两个人旗鼓相当，各自的长矛最终可能被击成碎片，然后两个人又骑马而返；不过要是碰上明显更强壮稳健的对手，则不管戴没戴头盔，有没有盾牌，这位倒霉的骑士部会被对方击落在地，昏迷不醒，血流不止，那一身厚重的铠甲会把他擦碰得鼻青脸肿。
7.刺激的决斗结束以后，观众席上的底层民众还会继续举行一些体育活动，当时最受欢迎的项目是箭术、狗牛大战、耍权杖；所谓权杖是一根长约六英尺的棍棒，骑士们一般握住中间部分，击、拦、戳，并两端转换，玩起来虎虎生风。与马上比武相类似的活动还有格斗考核，这对英国人而言有时真是痛苦的折磨，但却是诺曼人让上天裁决正义的一种方式。
8.当时的公共事务都由君主法庭处理，自从诺曼征服之后，御前会议被这个新的治理机制取代了。
a 盾徽：即盾形徽章，从骑士时代产生后，流行于整个欧洲，并沿用至今，常用来作为某个家族或者组织的标志性徽章，后来有的成为国徽和皇家徽章。--译者注43NORMAN LIFE AND CUSTOMS诺曼时代的生活与风俗
costume，dress.
defended，guarded；protected.
delicate，refined.denoting，meaning.derived，drawn.doublet，waistcoat.encircled，surrounded.
foreign，from abroad.gallant，gay man；fop.introduced，brought in.novelties，new fashions.
reaction，an opposite tendency or current.
splendour，fineness.
1.The castles of the Normans were built not for home-comfort，but for safety.The feature by which they are known is the rounded arch，as opposed to the pointed arch and lancet-shaped window of the later Gothic style.Encircled by the parapet and turrets of a wall about twelve feet high，stood the keep.This was a square tower of five stories，with walls ten feet thick.Round the whole castle ran a moat，or deep ditch，over which was thrown a drawbridge，defended at its outer end by a tower，called the Barbican.
2.In their manner of life the Normans were more temperate and delicate than the Saxons.They had only two regular meals：dinner，taken by the higher classes at nine in the morning；and supper at four or five in the afternoon.The Normans introduced the general use of the chief flesh meats found on our tables；-a change which is curiously seen in our language，where we find thewords denoting the living animal-ox，sheep，calf，pig-to be English；whilethe words applied to the flesh used as food-beef，mutton，veal，pork-are Norman or French in their origin.
3.The higher classes of Normans drank foreign wines，and closed their revelry with a draught called the grace-cup.The lower classes cheered their hearts with home-brewed ale.The sleeping rooms of the great contained rude wooden bedsteads with coarse coverlets；but the mass of the people were obliged to content themselves with straw and sheepskins.
4.In dress，as in food，the Normans introduced many novelties.The gallant of this time，closely shaven，with long hair covering the shoulders，wore a loosedoublet reaching half way down the leg，and girt with a fine belt.Over this was a short cloak，richly furred and laced with gold.The shoes were the strangest article of dress.They had very long toes，pointed and twisted like the horns of a ram；and the fashion grew so absurdly，that the toes were fastened with chains of gold or silver to the knees.A bonnet of velvet，and long hose fastened to the doublet by very many strings，called points，completed the costume.
5.The Norman ladies wore a kirtle or under-gown of silk，over which hung a loose wide-sleeved robe reaching the ground.The clergy，who were known by wearing heavy gold signet-rings，often vied with the gallants of the day in the splendour and fashion of their dress.
6.Ever since the Conquest，a struggle for the upper hand had been going on between the Saxon and Norman languages.About the time of Magna Carta a reaction began，which ended in the triumph of the former tongue.Three-fifths of our Modern English may be traced to Old English.
7.Surnames were brought into general use by the Normans.They were derived from various sources，of which the most fruitful were personal qualities，as Armstrong，Whitehead，Swift；and occupations or trades，as Smith，Falconer，Taylor，Miller.Many were formed from Christian names by adding the Danish son，as Wilson；the Saxon ing，as Clavering；the Celtic Mac or O，as Macdonald，O’Connell；or the Norman Fitz，as Fitzgerald.
中文阅读
1.诺曼人修城堡为的不是温馨安逸，而是牢固安全。因此他们的城堡特征鲜明，最突出的便是圆形拱门，与后来尖门尖窗的哥特式建筑风格迥异。城堡被高约12英尺的矮墙包围环绕，墙上还有塔楼作为堡垒要塞。塔楼一般呈方形，有五层，墙壁约10英尺厚。沿着城堡外围还有一条护城河或者很深的壕沟，上面悬着一座吊桥，桥的外端立有一个桥头堡，叫做碉楼。
2.相比于撒克逊人，诺曼人在日常生活中显得更加温文尔雅，清心寡欲。他们一天只吃两餐，正餐一般在早上九点，上层人士尤其如此，晚餐则在下午四五点钟。在饮食习惯方面，诺曼人把他们主要的肉食都带进了英格兰，这可以从我们的语言中明显地看出来，比如我们说一些活的动物时，用的词是牛（Ox）、羊（Sheep）、牛犊（Calf）、猪（Pig），这些都是英语单词；而当我们说它们的肉时，用的词却是牛肉（Beef）、羊肉（Mutton）、小牛肉（Veal）、猪肉（Pork），这些都是诺曼语或法语的原始叫法。
3.上层的诺曼人都喜欢喝外国酒，每次欢宴将尽时，他们都会喝干一杯所谓的“颂恩酒”。下层人平日举杯畅饮的则是家酿的麦芽酒，一样香甜醉人。他们卧室里的床比较简陋，无非一个粗木架，再搭上一些粗糙的布料；身上盖的也就是稻草和羊皮，仅此而已。
4.与饮食方面一样，诺曼人在服饰上也为不列颠引入了不少新的风格样式。那时的时髦男子都把胡子刮得干干净净，但留着一头披肩长发，穿一件宽松背心，下摆较长能遮住半条腿，腰用一条精美的腰带束起来。背心外面是一件短外衣，上面细密地缝织着金线。鞋差不多算是最为花哨的，鞋尖很长，又尖又弯就像羊角一样；这种样式居然很快广为流行，还用金链或银链固定住鞋尖，一直绕到膝盖上。头戴天鹅绒的软帽，腿上的长筒袜用很多细绳固定在背心上，叫做“尖头系带”，它们扣上之后，这一身的打扮就完成了。
5.诺曼女士则喜欢穿一件长袍或者丝绸衬袍，外面再套一件宽袖礼服，一直垂到地面。而那些牧师们，众所周知，都戴着硕大的图章戒指，他们着装的时髦程度与当时的时髦青年几乎不分上下，共同推动着潮流。
6.从诺曼征服开始，关于英语和诺曼语谁才是主导语言的争斗就已经开始了。到了大宪章时代，一股反潮流又冒了出来，并最终以英语的获胜而告终。现在英语60%的词汇语法都可以追溯到这一时期的中古英语。