A Child's History of England.138

He was a gay [欢快的] man, who could dance and jest [开玩笑], and sing and drink; and those were the roads to so much, or rather so little, of a heart as King Henry had. He was wonderfully fond of pomp [盛况] and glitter, and so was the King. He knew a good deal of the Church learning of that time; much of which consisted in finding artful excuses and pretences for almost any wrong thing, and in arguing that black was white, or any other colour. This kind of learning pleased the King too. For many such reasons, the Cardinal was high in estimation with the King; and, being a man of far greater ability, knew as well how to manage him, as a clever keeper may know how to manage a wolf or a tiger, or any other cruel and uncertain beast, that may turn upon him and tear him any day. Never had there been seen in England such state as my Lord Cardinal kept. His wealth was enormous; equal, it was reckoned [认为;算出], to the riches of the Crown. His palaces were as splendid as the King's, and his retinue [随员] was eight hundred strong [having the number mentioned]. He held his Court, dressed out from top to toe in flaming scarlet; and his very shoes were golden, set with precious stones. His followers rode on blood horses; while he, with a wonderful affectation of humility [谦逊] in the midst of his great splendour, ambled [徐徐行之] on a mule with a red velvet saddle and bridle and golden stirrups.

blood horse: purebred horse, 纯种马，不是汗血宝马。

Through the influence of this stately [庄严的] priest, a grand meeting was arranged to take place between the French and English Kings in France; but on ground belonging to England. A prodigious [巨大的] show of friendship and rejoicing was to be made on the occasion; and heralds were sent to proclaim with brazen [黄铜的;响亮的] trumpets through all the principal cities of Europe, that, on a certain day, the Kings of France and England, as companions and brothers in arms, each attended by eighteen followers, would hold a tournament against all knights who might choose to come.

Charles, the new Emperor of Germany (the old one being dead), wanted to prevent too cordial [有好的] an alliance between these sovereigns, and came over to England before the King could repair to the place of meeting; and, besides making an agreeable impression upon him, secured Wolsey's interest by promising that his influence should make him Pope when the next vacancy occurred. On the day when the Emperor left England, the King and all the Court went over to Calais, and thence [from there] to the place of meeting, between Ardres and Guisnes, commonly called the Field of the Cloth of Gold. Here, all manner of expense and prodigality was lavished [大量地给] on the decorations of the show; many of the knights and gentlemen being so superbly dressed that it was said they carried their whole estates upon their shoulders.

There were sham [假] castles, temporary chapels, fountains running wine, great cellars full of wine free as water to all comers, silk tents, gold lace and foil, gilt [镀金的] lions, and such things without end; and, in the midst of all, the rich Cardinal out-shone and out-glittered all the noblemen and gentlemen assembled. After a treaty made between the two Kings with as much solemnity as if they had intended to keep it, the lists [竞技场地] - nine hundred feet long, and three hundred and twenty broad - were opened for the tournament; the Queens of France and England looking on with great array of lords and ladies. Then, for ten days, the two sovereigns fought five combats every day, and always beat their polite adversaries; though they do write that the King of England, being thrown in a wrestle one day by the King of France, lost his kingly temper with his brother-in-arms, and wanted to make a quarrel of it. Then, there is a great story belonging to this Field of the Cloth of Gold, showing how the English were distrustful of the French, and the French of the English, until Francis rode alone one morning to Henry's tent; and, going in before he was out of bed, told him in joke that he was his prisoner; and how Henry jumped out of bed and embraced Francis; and how Francis helped Henry to dress, and warmed his linen [内衣] for him; and how Henry gave Francis a splendid jewelled collar, and how Francis gave Henry, in return, a costly bracelet. All this and a great deal more was so written about, and sung about, and talked about at that time (and, indeed, since that time too), that the world has had good cause to be sick of it, for ever.

六级/考研单词: gay, fond, glitter, cardinal, wolf, uncertain, beast, immense, reckon, splendid, flame, precious, midst, magnificent, mule, velvet, saddle, priest, rejoice, herald, proclaim, trumpet, headmaster, companion, tournament, knight, emperor, cordial, sovereign, besides, vacancy, expense, superb, chapel, fountain, cellar, silk, tent, lace, foil, noble, assemble, treaty, solemn, array, combat, adverse, wrestle, temper, quarrel, embrace, linen, collar, bracelet

bracelet... 想起Joey和Chandler.

都铎duó王朝是一部美剧。可以看个热闹，老外也是瞎拍。剧中国王比真人帅多了；Anne Boleyn是权游里百花骑士的姐姐。另一部美剧里Anne Boleyn是个黑人演的。