戴着明亮钢盔的头上；从一圈圈闪闪发光的细绳能看出他戴着阿根廷手套a：他没有权杖和指挥棒，但却有一把战斧代替。他调遣士卒准备迎战，这一身戎装，对阵双方皆一览无余，两军所隔也就三支箭的距离，但却阻隔了英格兰的战斗前线，他们稍事休整，重新排列战斗队形，顺带巩固内务，以防当夜冲突，也可等待黎明的曙光。快看那快乐而又可怕的场景，刀斧成林，金光耀眼，又寒光阵阵，燕羽般的旗帜在风中优雅地飘扬，这就是战斗即将开始的地方！英格兰国王与他的部众b骑马而来，他们也看见苏格兰君王骑在马上，他的王国正为他而战，英格兰国王的悲惨结局岂能事先知道！他坐在骑士独有的马鞍上，神情优雅，神气活现的眼光中闪现着金雀花家族c的无上荣耀。他扫视一圈，满眼坚盾长矛。他开口问道：“德阿根廷，你可认识对面执掌帅印的骑士？”“他头盔上的标徽已经显示他的身份，布鲁斯我的君主：我非常了解他。”
a 阿根廷手套：阿根廷曾挑战布鲁斯要求两人单挑决斗，布鲁斯戴上英格兰骑士手套和头盔则表明他已接受这个挑战。
b 英格兰国王与他的部众：指爱德华二世和他的贵族们。
c 金雀花家族：指爱德华二世所属的王朝家族。
“就是这个粗鲁的叛徒挑战飘扬我军旗帜的疆土吗？”阿根廷回答道：“我的君王，正是此人，骑着跟我一样的战马，作为骑士跟他公平决斗，请给我机会让我上前试一下我的长矛吧。”“到了打仗那天”，国王回应道，“输赢规则已经制定好，叛徒小人哪值得我们愤怒？只需要收拾他！把他彻底扫除！”在爱德华的指示下，亨利·德波恩爵士很快就冲入了敌人的队伍。
他身上流淌着来自赫里福德的血，那是著名的骑士精神的故土。他在君王决断之前，便按照骑士之礼采取行动。快马加鞭，他暗地拿起长矛，立即向布鲁斯发起冲刺。布鲁斯亦怒不可遏，一动不动等待着决斗，他毫不退步，心胸起伏，注目的双眼已开始眼花缭乱，没有时间多想，没有时间多看，如电光火石般，皮鞭下的战马已经朝他冲过来！要是那匹柔弱小马能受此冲击，野鸡也就可以冒充老鹰了；就在即将接触之时，布鲁斯回身一闪，避开了长矛。前面这位失望的勇士继续他的战斗历程，但是很快就结束了！君王高高站在马镫上，挥舞着他的战斧。
德波恩从正前方经过，被他击落下马，大局已然注定。强力的打斗开始，头盔不时激烈碰撞，战斧的铜把手，在铁甲手套中渐渐碎裂！数番打斗让战马受惊，最终也倒下死去；在这致命的战场上，德波恩爵士的倒下何其突然！君王满怀同情，向死去的敌人瞥了一眼，然后信步转身而回，悠然走入他的队伍。然后大臣聚拢到君王周围，齐声责备此次冒险，面对如此凶险的长矛，生命何其宝贵。君王与他的破斧子面面相觑，良久默然自语：“我的损失算是我愚蠢的代价，我把钟爱的战斧弄坏了。”
（沃尔特·斯科特a）
a 沃尔特·斯科特（1771～1832）：苏格兰著名诗人与历史小说家，开创了欧洲历史小说之先河。
-译者注
60
EDWARD III.-WINDSOR
爱德华三世--温莎王
1327to 1377A.D.-50years（公元1327~1377年，在位50年）armour，coat of mail.century，hundred years.deluged，flooded.generous，kind-hearted.
plague，sickness.raging，extending.sprang，descended.strife，quarrels.
1.Edward the Third，eldest son of Edward the Second，was only fifteen years of age when he came to the throne，and all the power was in the hands of theaQueen and Mortimer.But when Edward came of age，he caused Mortimerto be seized at Nottingham Castle，in presence of Isabella.He was carriedbto Tyburn，and was hanged
on a gibbet.The guilty Queen was confined to her own house during the rest of her life.
2.Edward next marched to Scotland，to help Edward Baliol to get the throne.He fought thecBattle of Halidon Hill，the Scots were defeated.
in which
3.His greatest desire was to reign over France as well as over England；and as there was at that time a quarrel about the crown of that country，he raised all the money he could and went over to try for it himself.As soon as heKNIGHTING OF THE BLACK PRINCEa Came of age.-Was old enough to rule.
b Tyburn.-In the west of London，at the end of Oxford Road，now Oxford Street-the usual place for the execution of criminals till 1783.
c Halidon Hill.-About 2miles north-west of Berwick；different from Homildon Hill，in Northumberland.
had landed on the French coast，the King knighted his son Edward，Prince of Wales，then a lad of fifteen，and called the Black Prince from the colour of his armour.
4.After fighting several battles，he marched towards Calais，band was metby the French army at Crecy，
where a great victory was gained by the English，chiefly through the bravery of the Black Prince.The King viewed the battle from a windmill；and when he was told that his son was hard pressed，he said，“Let the boy win his spurs；his shall be the glory of the day.”
5.While Edward was carr ying on the war with France，David the Second，King of Scotland，invaded England；but Philippa，Edward‘s wife，bravely put herself at the head of some English troops，defeated the Scottishcarmy at Nevil’s Cross，prisoner.
and took the King
6.Edward，after the Battle of Crecy，laid siege to Calais.This brave little city held out against him nearly a year；but when all the food was gone，the inhabitants were forced to yield.
7.In the year 1349a stop was put to the war by a terrible plague，called the Black Death，which，after raging throughout Europe，visited England，and carried off 50，000people.
8.Ten years after the Battle of Crecy，
the French war was again opened by the Black Prince，and the great Battledof Poictierswas fought，in which a very small English force put to flight theFrench army of seven times the number.The French King and his son were taken prisoners，and were brought over to England.Thus there were two Kings prisoners in England at the same time-David of Scotland and John of France.
9.In the year 1376the brave and generous Prince of Wales died.The King，his father，died in the following year，after a reign of half a century.He was brave，wise，and merciful；an able ruler，and a just and generous man.
a Calais （Kal-av）.-A French seaport on the Strait of Dover；26.5miles south-east of Dover.
b Crecy.-Near the Somme；48miles south of Calais.
c Nevil‘s Cross.-A stone cross is set up to mark the site of the battle，about 1mile west of Durham.
d Poictiers （P’，wa-teers）.-In the west of France；58miles south-west of Tours.
10.It must be remembered that from sons of Edward the Third sprang the Houses of Lancaster and York；-the House of Lancaster from his fourth son，John of Gaunt，Duke of Lancaster；and that of York from his third and fifth sons，Lionel and Edmund.In after years，the strife of these Houses in the War of the Roses deluged England with blood.
11.In this reign the Lords and the Commons began to sit in separate Houses.The title of Duke again came into use，the Black Prince being made Duke of Cornwall-a title since borne by every Prince of Wales.
中文阅读
1.爱德华三世是爱德华二世的长子，即位时年仅15岁，国政大权全部掌握在其母后与莫蒂默两人手里。但是当爱德华成年a之后，他在诺丁汉城堡当着母后伊莎贝拉的面逮捕了莫蒂默，然后将其押往泰伯恩刑场b，实施了绞刑。其罪恶昭彰的母后也在冷宫之中度尽余生。
2.爱德华随后率军进入苏格兰，帮助爱德华·巴里奥尔夺取王位。他通过哈里敦山c大捷，彻底打败了苏格兰人。
3.他的雄心壮志是能像统治英格兰那样统治法国；而当时正好法国的王位继承问题出现争夺局面，于是他倾其所有资源，去了法国为他自己争取机会。他刚一登陆法国海岸，立即将他的儿子，年仅15岁的威尔士王子授予了骑士称号，并因为其盔甲颜色给王子起了个外号，叫“黑王子”。
4.几场战役之后，他挥师加来d，并在克雷西e与法国大军相遇，英格兰在此战中又大获全胜，黑王子居功阙伟。爱德华国王在风车房顶观看战斗，当他得知儿子爱德华目前处于劣势时，说：“让这孩子自己赢得胜利吧，他会为这一天自豪的。”
5.当爱德华还在法国转战南北之时，苏格兰国王大卫二世入侵了英格兰；但是爱德华的妻子菲利帕英勇挂帅，亲率英格兰军队在内维尔十字架f下击败了苏军，并且俘虏了对方国王。