A Child's History of England.108

Joan and her two squires rode on and on, until they came to Chinon, where she was, after some doubt, admitted into the Dauphin's presence. Picking him out immediately from all his court, she told him that she came commanded by Heaven to subdue his enemies and conduct him to his coronation at Rheims. She also told him (or he pretended so afterwards, to make the greater impression upon his soldiers) a number of his secrets known only to himself, and, furthermore, she said there was an old, old sword in the cathedral of Saint Catherine at Fierbois, marked with five old crosses on the blade, which Saint Catherine had ordered her to wear.

Now, nobody knew anything about this old, old sword, but when the cathedral came to be examined - which was immediately done - there, sure enough, the sword was found! The Dauphin then required a number of grave [一本正经的] priests and bishops to give him their opinion whether the girl derived her power from good spirits or from evil spirits, which they held prodigiously [greatly] long debates about, in the course of which several learned men fell fast asleep [沉睡] and snored loudly. At last, when one gruff [粗暴的] old gentleman had said to Joan, 'What language do your Voices speak?' and when Joan had replied to the gruff old gentleman, 'A pleasanter language than yours,' they agreed that it was all correct, and that Joan of Arc was inspired from Heaven. This wonderful circumstance put new heart into the Dauphin's soldiers when they heard of it, and dispirited the English army, who took Joan for a witch.

take for: believe, usually wrongly

So Joan mounted horse again, and again rode on and on, until she came to Orleans. But she rode now, as never peasant girl had ridden yet. She rode upon a white war-horse, in a suit of glittering armour; with the old, old sword from the cathedral, newly burnished [抛光], in her belt; with a white flag carried before her, upon which were a picture of God, and the words Jesus Maria. In this splendid state, at the head of a great body of troops escorting provisions of all kinds for the starving inhabitants of Orleans, she appeared before that beleaguered [围攻] city.

Jesus Maria: Jesus and Maria, Jesus Christ and his mother Mary)

When the people on the walls beheld [看见] her, they cried out 'The Maid is come! The Maid of the Prophecy is come to deliver [拯救] us!' And this, and the sight of the Maid fighting at the head of their men [身先士卒], made the French so bold, and made the English so fearful, that the English line of forts was soon broken, the troops and provisions were got into the town, and Orleans was saved.

Aforesaid: a council was then held in Paris, in which it was decided to lay siege to the town of Orleans.
百度百科: 1437年，法军光复首都巴黎。1441年，收复香槟地区。1450年，法军解放诺曼底。

六级/考研单词: conduct, sword, cathedral, saint, grave, priest, bishop, derive, wicked, loud, arc, inspire, witch, mount, peasant, glitter, armour, christ, splendid, escort, starve, inhabit, maid, bold, siege