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Book review: The Normans
書評：諾曼人
They stooped to conquer
他們俯身去征服
Empires of the Normans. By Levi Roach.
《諾曼人的帝國》列維·羅奇著
For many years, a Viking host led by a charismatic brigand, Rollo, had been pillaging up and down the Seine.
多年來，富有魅力的海盜羅洛率領的一群維京人在塞納河上到處搶劫。
But when he overextended himself with an attack on the cathedral city of Chartres in 911, Rollo’s forces were given a bloody nose by the Frankish magnate Robert of Neustria.
但是，當羅洛在911年對教堂城市沙特爾發動進攻時，羅洛的軍隊被紐斯特利亞的法蘭克大亨羅伯特打得鼻青臉腫。
Robert knew this was only a temporary reprieve and advised the king, Charles the Simple, to cut a deal with Rollo while the going was good.
羅伯特知道這只是暫時的喘息之機，于是建議國王查理三世在進展順利的時候與羅洛達成協議。
They offered land between the Epte and the sea and marriage to Charles’s daughter, Gisla.
他們提供了艾普特和大海之間的土地，并讓其與查理三世的女兒吉斯拉結婚。
In exchange Rollo would make a pledge of service to the king (including protection from other Vikings) and convert to Christianity.
作為交換，羅洛將宣誓效忠國王(包括保護國王免受其他維京人的傷害)，并皈依基督教。
He had no hesitation in accepting the terms while demanding (and getting) yet more territory.
他毫不猶豫地接受了這些條款，同時要求(并獲得)更多的領土。
But when it came to displaying gratitude by kissing Charles’s feet, as custom required, he got one of his men to do it.
但是，在按照慣例需要親吻查理三世的腳以示感激時，他讓他的一個手下做了這件事。
Also refusing to kneel, Rollo’s henchman simply grabbed the king’s ankle, pulled the royal foot to his lips and sent the monarch sprawling.
羅洛的追隨者也拒絕下跪，只是抓住國王的腳踝，將王室的腳拉到嘴唇上，讓君主摔倒在地。
The symbolism could not have been clearer.
其象征意義再清楚不過了。
Over the next three centuries, Rollo’s Norman successors—his great-great grandson was William the Conqueror—turned Normandy into the most politically and militarily cohesive territory in what would become France.
在接下來的三個世紀里，羅洛的諾曼繼任者--他的曾孫是征服者威廉--將諾曼底變成了后來的法國最具政治和軍事凝聚力的領土。
From there they set forth to dominate much of western and southern Europe, carving out kingdoms in England, the south of Italy, Sicily and the Holy Land.
他們從那里開始統治西歐和南歐的大部分地區，在英格蘭、意大利南部、西西里島和圣地開辟了王國。
Exactly 301 years after Rollo’s refusal to bend the knee, the 17-year-old Frederick II was being crowned in Mainz as king of the Germans and Holy Roman Emperor in waiting.
在羅洛拒絕屈膝的整整301年后，17歲的腓特烈二世在美因茨被加冕為德國國王和神圣羅馬帝國的待任皇帝。
Young Frederick was a Norman from Apulia.
年輕的腓特烈二世是來自阿普利亞的諾曼人。
譯文由可可原創，僅供學習交流使用，未經許可請勿轉載。
