In the summer of 1348,
1348年夏
the English could be forgiven for thinking themselves unconquerable.
英格兰人自诩天下无敌的狂言 或许也情有可原
They had vanquished the old enemies,the Scots and the French.
因为他们已经击败了宿敌 苏格兰人和法国人
Their king, Edward III,seemed the most powerful ruler in Europe.
他们的国王 爱德华三世 一跃而成欧洲最强悍君主
But they would be conquered,
然而他们终将一尝败绩
and by a king against whom neither longbows nor warships offered any defence.
在这个进攻者面前 长弓战舰毫无招架之力
King Death.His weapon was plague,
那就是死神 他的武器就是瘟疫
and by the end of his terrible campaign,
在他那毛骨悚然的战役结束时
almost half the people of Britain would be dead.
几乎一半的英国人死于非命
The country would survive the trauma,
这个国家终将走出伤痛
but first it had to undergo a purgatory of unimaginable misery,
但首先 它必须忍受 难以想象的悲惨炼狱
because hard on the heels of pestilence would come rebellion and civil war.
因为瘟疫来袭后不多久 叛乱和内战接踵而来
The century of plague was a pilgrimage through pain,
整个世纪的瘟疫 是充满痛苦的朝圣之旅
and this is the story of that journey.
而本集所诉说的 就是这段故事