4.这是一首传奇之诗，半含希望，半含哀伤，这是堂堂英格兰的传奇篇章，我们时常因其欢欣感动，这都得益于被俘君王的有力手掌。这位俘虏的雄心已经醒来！这位俘虏的耳朵已经听见声响！琴弦上的绝望已然消退，因为记忆的枷锁开始释放。荒芜的岩石开裂了，那是橄榄枝的神奇力量，还有那来自天堂的甘泉，已经迸发出万丈光芒！
（托马斯·坎贝尔a）
a 托马斯·坎贝尔（1777~1844）：苏格兰诗人，以伤感诗闻名于世，是伦敦大学的奠基人之一。--译者注50JOHN-LACKLAND约翰--无地王
1199to 1216A.D.-17years（公元1199~1216年，在位17年）deed，charter.document，paper.en raged，angered.
foreign，brought from abroad.
favourites，friends.heir，successor.oppress，treat harshly.preserved，kept.
1.John was the youngest son of Henry the Second，and brother of Richard，the late King.He was not the rightful heir，as Geoffrey，his elder brother，had left a son named Arthur，who was then twelve years old.John‘s first care，therefore，was to get rid of Arthur；and having shut him up in a French castle，he there murdered him，it is said，with his own hand.By this act he so enraged the King of France and other princes，that they took away from him all his French provinces.
2.Soon after this，John quarrelled with the Pope about the choice of an Archbishop of Canterbury.John refused to listen to the Pope，or to do what he wanted.The Pope，in return，caused all the churches in England to be shut for six years，and forbade any service to be read at burials.He then told the King of France to invade England，and seize the throne.This so alarmed the cowardly John，that he yielded to the Pope，called him his over-lord，and even agreed to receive his crownfrom the hands of the Pope’s legate.
JOHN SIGNS MAGNA CARTA.
3.John，being now free from danger，began to use his subjects very cruelly.He made the rich pay him large sums of money，and he gave the highest officesof State to his foreign favourites.By these acts he so roused the spirit of the barons，that they drew up a paper in which they made the King promise never more to oppress the people，nor to take away their rights，but to govern according to the laws of the land.
4.That document was called Magna Carta，or the Great Charter.In order to force John to sign it，they gathered a large force and seized London.John at lastconsented；and at Runnymede，near Windsor，that Great Charter of libertywas signed.It is still carefully preserved in the British Museum.
5.When John had signed the deed，and the barons were gone away，he raved like a madman.As soon as possible he raised an army of worthless，s men，and began to lay waste the country with fire and sword.The barons，in their fear，sent to Louis，the son of the King of France，and asked him to come and take the crown.They were led to think of him because he had married John‘s niece.
6.Louis was not slow to accept the offer.He landed with an army in Kent.
b
John marched to meet him；but as he was crossing the Wash，the tide rose sofast that he and his army had scarcely time to escape from the waves；and，in their rush for life，the King’s crown，jewels，and money were lost.This had such an effect on the King that it threw him into a fever.He was carried to Newark Castle，and there he died.He was weak，deceitful，and cruel，and was despised and hated by every one.
中文阅读
1.约翰是亨利二世国王排行最小的儿子，即理查德的弟弟。按理说他本不是合法的继承人，因为他兄长杰弗里已经有一个12岁的儿子，名叫亚瑟。因此约翰一上台，首先关心的就是如何把亚瑟除掉；他后来将亚瑟囚禁在一座法国城堡里，据说a Runnymede.-A meadow on the right bank of the Thames，1mile west of Staines，and 4east of Windsor.
b The Wash.-A gulf between Norfolk and Lincoln，into which the Great Ouse，the Nen，and the Welland flow.
c Newark.-On the Trent in Nottinghamshire；17miles north-east of Nottingham.
还在那里亲手杀了他。这一行为让法国国王和其他王族成员极为愤怒，于是他们联合起来占据了约翰在法国的所有行省。
2.此后不久，约翰又因为坎特伯雷大主教的人选问题与罗马教皇产生纷争。他拒绝听从罗马教皇的命令，甚至公开抗命。教皇自然也不甘示弱，直接让英格兰教会关门长达六年，并且禁止在英格兰的葬礼上作任何超度法事。之后还怂恿法国国王入侵英格兰，让他直接夺取约翰的王位。生性怯懦的约翰害怕了，立即向教皇服软，称其为霸主，甚至同意教皇的仆从来给他重新加冕。
3.摆脱危机后，约翰便对国民展开了残暴统治。他强迫富人上交高额的税金，还把国家的最高官职交给他外国的亲信。如此种种，让英格兰的贵族忍无可忍，于是他们起草了一份文书，要求国王承诺不再欺压民众，也不能剥夺他们的应有权利，必须依照法律治理国家。
4.这份文件就是著名的《大宪章》a。为了强迫约翰签署此文件，贵族们集合强大的兵力控制了伦敦。约翰最后无可奈何，只得投降，在靠近温莎的兰尼米德b签署了《大宪章》。这份旷世文件至今完好无损地保存在大英博物馆c中。
5.约翰签完字后，贵族们便离开了。约翰马上像个疯子一样暴跳如雷，恶毒咒骂这帮人。很快他便召集了他的杂牌军，让这个国家又重新燃起了战火。贵族们也开始担惊受怕，于是都逃往了法国王子路易斯那里，建议路易斯起兵夺取英格兰王位。他们之所以想到他，是因为他娶了约翰的一位侄女，因此也有了英格兰王族身份。
6.路易斯很快就接受了这个任务，率领一支军队在肯特郡登陆了。约翰也前往迎战，途经沃什湾d时正好遭遇大海潮，惊涛骇浪让他和他的军队完全避让不及；慌忙逃生之中，约翰的王冠、珠宝及钱财全部丢失。这一结局让国王约翰精神崩溃，彻底陷入疯狂。他被押往位于纽瓦克e的一座城堡，并最终逝世于此。观其一生，约翰性格软弱，并且虚伪而残忍，古今之人无不对他蔑视与憎恨。
a《大宪章》：是世界政治文明史和宪政史上里程碑式的重要文件。虽在当时并未起重大作用，不久教皇应约翰请求宣告作废，于是内战又起。但因为它限制王权的作用，后来封建贵族在和国王的斗争中曾一再强迫国王重新颁布《大宪章》，并最终成为英国宪法的基石乃至世界宪政制度的发源文本。直到今天它仍是英国宪法的重要组成部分。美国的联邦宪法和各州宪法也都包含《大宪章》的思想。--译者注b 兰尼米德：位于泰晤士河右侧的草原上，地处斯坦斯以西1英里，温莎以东4英里。
c 大英博物馆：位于英国伦敦新牛津大街北面的大罗素广场，成立于1753年，1759年1月15日起正式对公众开放，是世界上历史最悠久、规模最宏伟的综合性博物馆，也是世界上规模最大、最著名的博物馆之一。博物馆收藏了世界各地的许多文物和珍品，藏品之丰富、种类之繁多，为全世界博物馆所罕见。--译者注d 沃什湾：位于诺福克与林肯郡之间的一个海湾，乌斯河、嫩河、韦兰德河在此汇流。
e 纽瓦克：位于诺丁汉郡境内的特伦特河畔，地处诺丁汉市东北17英里。
51
MAGNA CARTA
大宪章
chargers，war-horses.cloisters，monastery.consult，consider together.deprived，robbed.dispersed，separated.enraged，very angry.
extorting，drawing；screwing.
gracious，kindly.prepared，ready.refused，denied.terrible，fearful.territory，lands.
uttered，spoke；gave forth.
wrenched，pulled violently.
1.Perhaps John was the meanest man that ever sat upon the English throne.
His quarrel with the Pope afforded a specimen of his cowardly nature.It wasaabout the appointment of an Archbishop of Canterbury.
John wanted one
man，the Pope wanted another；and neither would give in.When the favourite of the Pope had settled in Canterbury，John sent soldiers to drive the whole company from the cloisters，threatening at the same time to put out the eyes and cut off the noses of any Roman priests whom he might seize in England.
b