侠盗罗宾汉 Robin Hood
作者：约翰·埃斯科特 (John Escott) [英国]
国王理查率领英国军队参加十字军东征，罗宾汉也随军前行。可是当战争结束，罗宾汉从战场返回家乡的时候，发现自己的庄园和财产已经被诺丁汉郡治安官以莫须有的罪名没收。此时，英国正在被借着狮心王东征而趁机弄权的约翰王子所统治，他的横征暴敛让人民苦不堪言。为此，罗宾汉聚集了一帮绿林好汉，凭借着自己的机智和勇敢，带领大家劫富济贫，对抗昏君的暴政。
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Very many years ago England was ruled over by a king, who was called Richard. More than a hundred years before this king began to rule England, a French duke named William came to England, defeated the English in a great battle, and declared himself king of all that southern part of Britain called England.
很多很多年以前，英格兰被一位名叫理查的国王统治。在被这位国王统治之前100多年，当时法国一位名叫威廉的公爵来到英格兰，在一场大战中打败了英格兰人，然后宣布自己为不列颠南部的整个区域（称为英格兰）的国王。
He brought with him a great many Frenchmen, or Normans. These Normans were all poor though they were very proud. They came with Duke William to help him fight because he promised to give them money and lands as a reward. Now Duke William had not much money nor many lands of his own. So when he had beaten the English, he stole lands and houses, money and cattle from the English nobles and gave them to the Normans. The English nobles themselves had very often become the servants of these proud Normans. That is why two races lived in England, each speaking their own language, and each hating the other.
他带来许多法国人，或者称为诺曼人。这些诺曼人非常高傲，但却都很贫穷。他们跟随威廉公爵来帮他打仗，是因为威廉公爵对他们许诺奖赏他们钱财和土地。这时的威廉公爵没有多少钱，也没有多少土地。于是当他打败英格兰人之后，就窃取了英格兰贵族的土地、房屋、钱和牲畜，并送给这些诺曼人。这些英格兰贵族沦为高傲的诺曼人作为奴仆。这就是为什么英格兰居住着两个民族，而每个民族说自己的语言，并憎恨另一个民族。
This state of things lasted for a very long time. Even when Richard became king, more than a hundred years after the coming of Duke William, there was still a great deal of hatred between the two races.
这种状况持续了好长时间。即使在威廉公爵到来100多年以后，当理查成为了国王，两个民族之间的仇恨仍然非常严重。
Richard was a brave and noble man. He loved danger; he loved brave men and noble deeds. He hated all bad and cruel acts, and the cowards who did them. He was ever ready to help the weak against the strong, and had he stayed in England after he became king he might have done much good. He might have taught the proud Norman nobles that true nobility lies in being kind and gentle to those less strong and less fortunate than ourselves, and not in being fierce or cruel.
理查是一位勇敢的贵族。他喜欢冒险，喜欢勇士和高贵的行为。他憎恶一切恶劣残忍的行为，也憎恶这样做的懦夫。他甚至乐意帮助弱者对抗强者。他成为国王后，如果继续呆在英格兰的话，他会做出许多善举的。也许他会教导高傲的诺曼贵族，让他们知道真正的高贵在于对不如自己强大、幸运的人善良而温和，而不是凶猛、残忍。
Yet Richard himself was not gentle. He was indeed very fierce and terrible in battle. He loved to fight with people who were stronger or better armed than himself. He would have been ashamed to hurt the weak.
然而，理查本人并不温和。在战场上，他确实凶狠、可怕。他喜欢同比自己强大或者装备更好的人搏斗，而如果伤害了弱者，他便会觉得羞耻。
But Richard did not stay in England. Far, far over the seas there is a country called Palestine. There our Lord Jesus was born, lived, and died. But at this time it had fallen into the hands of people who were not Christians. It seemed to Christian people in those days that it would be terrible to allow those people to live in the Holy Land. So they gathered together great armies of brave men from every country in the world and sent them to try to win it back. Many terrible battles were fought, but still those people stayed.
但理查没有待在英格兰。在大海外面非常遥远的地方，有一个国家名叫巴勒斯坦。那是我们的主耶稣诞生、生活、去世的地方，可当时这个国家落入了不是基督徒的人手中。在那些日子里，基督徒觉得允许那些人在这块圣地生活是非常可怕的事情，于是，他们一起从世界上各个国家集结了勇敢的大部队，并派他们尝试夺回这块圣地。他们发起多次残酷的战斗，但是那些人仍占据在那里。
Then brave King Richard of England said he too would fight for the city of our Lord. So he gathered together as much money as he could find, and as many brave men as would follow him, and set out for the Holy Land. Before he went away he called two bishops who he thought were good and wise men, and said to them: "Take care of England while I am gone. Rule my people wisely and well, and I will reward you when I return." The bishops promised to do as he asked. Then he said good-bye and sailed away.
于是，勇敢的英格兰理查国王说，他也要为这个国家的主人而战。于是，他尽其所能募集了大量的钱财，召集了大批愿意跟随他的人，然后动身前往圣地。临走之前，他叫来两个自己觉得善良而有智慧的主教，对他们说：“我不在的时候，你们掌管英格兰。用智慧管理好我的民众，等我回来的时候，我会奖赏你们的。”两个主教答应按照他的吩咐做，于是他跟他们道别，然后起航了。
Now King Richard had a brother who was called Prince John. Prince John was quite different from King Richard in every way. He was not at all a nice man. He was jealous of Richard because he was king, and angry because he himself had not been chosen to rule while Richard was in Palestine. As soon as his brother had gone, John went to the bishops and said, "You must let me rule the country while the king is away." And the bishops allowed him to do so. Deep down in his heart John meant to make himself king altogether, and never let Richard come back any more.
理查国王有一个弟弟，名叫约翰亲王。约翰亲王在各个方面都不同于理查国王。他根本就不是一个好人。他因为理查当上了国王而妒忌他，理查去巴勒斯坦的时候没有选中他来统治，这让他非常恼火。他的哥哥一走，他就跟两个教主说：“国王不在的时候，你们必须让我来统治国家。”于是教主就同意了。而在内心深处，约翰想让自己做真正的国王，再也不让理查回来了。
A sad time now began for the English people. John tried to please the proud Normans because they were great and powerful, and he hoped they would help to make him king. He thought the best way to please them was to give them land and money. So as he had none of his own, he took it from the English and gave it to the Normans. Thus many of the English people once more became homeless beggars, and lived a wild life in the forests, which covered a great part of England at this time.
英格兰人悲哀的时期开始了。约翰极力想讨好傲慢的诺曼人，因为他们实力强大，他希望他们会帮助他夺取王位。他觉得讨好他们最好的办法是给他们土地和金钱。但因为他自己没有这些，便从英格兰人那里掠夺来给诺曼人。就这样，许多英格兰人又一次变成无家可归的乞丐，在森林里过起了野外生活。当时英格兰大部分地区都被森林覆盖着。
Now among the few English nobles who still remained, and who had not been robbed of their lands and money, there was one called Robert, Earl of Huntingdon. He had one son also named Robert, but people called him Robin. He was a favourite with everyone. He was tall, strong, handsome, and full of fun, and he kept his father's house bright with songs and laughter. He was brave and fearless too, and there was no better archer in all the countryside. And although he shot the best in the country, he was gentle and tender, never hurting the weak nor looking down upon the poor.
在仅存的，没有被夺去土地和金钱的英格兰贵族中，有一位名叫罗伯特的亨廷登伯爵。他有一个儿子，也叫罗伯特，但是人们都称他为罗宾。他受到每个人的喜爱。他身高体壮，英俊而风趣，用歌声和笑声让父亲的家充满阳光。他还英勇无畏，整片乡村没有一个比他更好的弓箭手。尽管他在这个国家箭法最好，但他却非常温顺，从来不伤害弱者或者瞧不起穷人。
But Robert of Huntingdon had a bitter enemy. One day this enemy came with many soldiers behind him. They were determined to kill the earl and take all his goods and lands. There was a fierce and terrible fight, but in the end Robert and all his men were killed. His house was burned to the ground and all his money stolen. Only Robin was saved, because he was such a fine archer that no soldier would go near him. They could neither kill him nor take him prisoner. He fought bravely till the last, but when he saw that his father was dead and his home in flames, he had no heart to fight any longer. So taking his bow and arrows, he fled to the great forest of Sherwood.
但是亨廷登的罗伯特有一个死敌。一天，这个敌人带着许多士兵跟随在他的身后。他们决心杀死罗伯特，抢夺他所有的财产和土地。于是发生了一场恶战，但最终罗伯特和他的手下人被杀害，他的房子被烧成灰烬，全部金钱被盗走，只有罗宾得救了，因为他的箭术非常高超，没有士兵能够靠近他。他们既没法杀害他，有无法俘虏他。他英勇作战，直到最后，他看到父亲被打死，家里起了火，自己已无心再战了。因此，他拿起弓箭，逃到了舍伍德大森林里。
He had to run very fast, for Prince John's men were close behind him. Soon he reached the edge of the forest, but he did not stop there. On and on he went, going deeper and deeper under the shadow of the trees. At last he threw himself down under a great oak tree, burying his face in the cool, green grass.
他必须飞快地跑，因为约翰亲王的士兵就在他的身后。不久，他来到了森林的边缘，但是他并没有在那里停下来。他不停地往前跑，在树荫下往林中跑得越来越深。最后，他一下子坐在一棵大橡树下，把脸埋在凉爽的绿草里。
His heart felt hot and bitter. He was full of anger and fierce thoughts of revenge. Cruel men in one day had robbed him of everything. His father, his home, servants, cattle, land, money, and even his name, were all gone. He was hurt, hungry, and tired out. Yet as he lay with his face against the cool, green grass, it was not sorrow or pain he felt, but only a bitter wish for revenge.
他的心感觉又热又痛苦，心中充满了怒火和强烈的复仇念头。凶残的人们在一天之内就夺走了他的一切。他的父亲、他的家、仆人、牲口、土地、金钱，甚至他的名号都失去了。他又伤心，又饥饿，已经精疲力竭，然而，他躺在那里，脸贴着凉爽的绿草时，感觉到的不是悲伤或者痛苦，只是强烈的复仇愿望。
The great trees waved gently overhead in the summer wind, the setting sun sent golden light into the cool, blue shadows, birds sang their evening songs, deer walked softly through the under wood, and bright-eyed squirrels leaped quietly from branch to branch. Everywhere there was calm and peace except in poor Robin's angry heart.
头顶上，大树在夏日的风中轻轻地摇摆，落日把金色的光投进清凉的蓝色阴影中，鸟儿唱着晚歌，鹿在矮树丛中轻轻漫步，眼睛明亮的松鼠悄悄地从一个树枝跳到另一树枝上。除了可怜的罗宾愤怒的内心以外，到处都是一片宁静平和的气氛。
Robin loved the forest. He loved the sights and smells, and the sounds and deep silences of it. He felt as if it were a kind mother who opened her wide arms to him. Soon it comforted him, and at last the tears came hot and fast. The bitterness and anger had all melted out of his heart; only sorrow was left.
罗宾爱这个森林，他爱森林的这种景象和气味，爱它的声音和宁静。他感觉似乎有一位慈祥的母亲张开双臂在欢迎他。不久，这儿安慰了他，最后，热泪簌簌地流出来。他心中的痛苦和愤怒全都消融了，只剩下悲伤。
In the weak evening light Robin took off his hat and knelt on the green grass to say his prayers. Then, he stood up and swore an oath. This was the oath:
在微弱的暮光中，罗宾摘下帽子，跪在绿地上祈祷。然后他站起来，发了誓。誓言如下：
"I swear to honour God and the King,
“我发誓顶礼上帝和国王，
To help the weak and fight the strong,
帮助弱者，抗击强者，
To take from the rich and give to the poor,
劫富济贫，
So God will help me with His power."
所以上帝会以其大能帮助我。”
Then he lay down on the grass under the trees with his long bow beside him, and fell fast asleep.
然后，他躺在树下的草地上，把长长的弓放在身边，呼呼地睡着了。
And this is how Robin Hood first came to live in the Green Wood and have all his wonderful adventures.
就这样，罗宾汉第一次来到绿林，进行他的所有冒险行动。
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