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LESSON 24 The "white ship"
第二十四课 白轮船
AD 1120, King Henry I. went over to Normandy with his son Prince William and a great retinue,
公元1120年，亨利一世带着儿子威廉王子和大批随从前往诺曼底，
to have the prince acknowledged as his successor by the Norman nobles,
去参加由诺曼贵族举行的王子继位仪式，
and to contract the promised marriage between him and the daughter of the Count of Anjou.
并为他和安茹伯爵的女儿订婚。
When both these things had been done with great show and rejoicing, the whole retinue prepared to embark for the voyage home.
两件事都圆满完成后，随从们准备启程回家。
When all was ready, there came to the king, Fitz-Stephen, a sea-captain,
一切都准备妥当后，船长菲茨·斯蒂芬来参见国王，
and said: "My liege, my father served your father all his life, upon the sea.
他说：“陛下，我父亲一生都服侍您的父亲。
He steered the ship with the golden boy upon the prow, in which your father sailed to conquer England.
他在您的父亲出征去征服英国时，带着勇敢的青年操纵着船只。
I beseech you to grant me the same office.
我请求您可以给我同样的机会，
I have a fair vessel in the harbour here, called the White Ship, manned by fifty sailors of renown.
我这里有一艘同样漂亮的船舶在港口，名叫“白轮船”，由50名富有名望的水手驾驶。
I pray you, sire, to let your servant have the honour of steering you in the White Ship to England."
我请求您，陛下，让您的仆人用这艘白轮船载着您的荣誉返回英国吧。”
"I am sorry, friend," replied the king, "that my vessel is already chosen,
“对不起，我的朋友，”国王答道，“我的船早已经选好，
and that I cannot therefore sail with the son of the man who served my father.
而且我此刻也不能与服侍过我父亲之人的儿子一起航行。
But the prince, with all his company,
但是王子殿下有他自己的同行者，
shall go along with you, in the fair White Ship, manned by the fifty sailors of renown."
可以和你一起乘坐这条由50名富有名望的水手驾驶的漂亮的白轮船。”
An hour or two afterward, the king set sail in the vessel he had chosen, accompanied by other vessels,
一两个小时之后，国王乘坐着早已选好的船只起航了，随行的还有其他船只。
and, sailing all night with a fair and gentle wind, arrived upon the coast of England in the morning.
他们借助平稳的风力整夜航行，于次日清晨到达英国沿岸。
While it was yet night, the people in some of the ships heard a faint wild cry come over the sea, and wondered what it was.
到了晚上，船上的人听到些微弱的叫喊声从海上传来，他们想知道到底发生了什么。
