名人軼事

『名人軼事【43】竹手杖里的蠶卵』
43．Silkworm Eggs in Bamboo Canes
Emperor Justinian  bribed  two Persian monks  who hadlived in China to return there and bring back silkworm eggs bysecreting  them in hollow  bamboo canes．Thus，Constantinople was able to begin silk production，about 550 A．D． From thoseworms were descended  all the silk－producing caterpillars  inEurope down to modern times．
43．竹手杖里的蠶卵
查士丁尼皇帝賄賂了兩個曾在中國居住的波斯僧侶，讓他們返回中國，然後偷偷地在空心的竹手杖裡帶一些蠶卵回來。這樣君士坦丁堡便開始了絲綢生產。那是在大約公元550年。直到當代，歐洲所有生產蠶絲的蠶都是那些蠶繁殖的後代。

『名人軼事【44】極受歡迎的亨利八世』
44．Henry Ⅷ Was Extremely Popular
When the eighteen－year－old Henry Ⅷ（1491－1547） becameKing of England he was extremely popular，for he had all thequalities that his people admired．Foreigners reported that he wasthe best－dressed king in Europe  and that his chief interest was「girls and hunting」，but this was only half the truth．He distrustedforeigners，as most Englishmen did at that time；but he spokethree foreign languages．He was a first－class  horseman and mu－sician．He could discuss religion  and ship－building with equalskill．He was a clever politician who trusted parliament  and madefull use of it．Most important of all，he thoroughly understood thehearts and minds of his people．He ruled through the House ofCommons ，without an army，and his people remained loyal tohim through all the diffcult years of the Reformation．
44．極受歡迎的亨利八世
當歲的亨利八世（1491－1547）成為英格蘭國王的時候，他非常受歡迎，因為他具有他的臣民們讚美的一切品質。外國人報告說他是歐洲穿著最好的國王，而他的主要興趣是「姑娘和打獵」，但這些只對了一半。就象他那個時代大多數英國人一樣，他不信任外國人；但他能說三種外語。他是一流的騎手和音樂家。他能夠同樣熟練地討論宗教和造船。他是一位聰明的政治家，他信任議會並且充分利用它。最重要的是，他完全理解他的民眾的心和他們的思想。他通過下議院統治，沒有軍隊，而他的臣民們在宗教改革運動的困難歲月里一直忠誠於他。

『名人軼事【45】亨利八世的婚姻』
45．Marriage of Henry Ⅷ
When Henry became King of England he married Catherine，the daughter of the King of Spain and widow  of his elder brother．The Pope  had given special permission for him to marry his brother's widow，as this was against the laws of the church．She gave Henry a daughter，Mary，but all her sons died at birth，and Henry badly  needed a son to follow  him．He began to feel that  God had not approved of his marriage and Pope had been wrong to allow it．
There was one possible remedy ．The Pope must declare that  the marriage had been allowed by mistake and was unlawful； Henry would then be free to marry again．The Pope could easily have agreed，as he had done for two recent Kings of France in similar cases．But emperor Charles V was Catherine's nephew ， and his army had seized  Rome．The Pope was in his power  and did not dare to annoy him by helping Henry．
Henry's trouble over his marriage made him realize something that most English people had known for years：that foreign interference  in English affairs  had gone on too long and must be stopped for ever．The parliament of 1529 felt this most strongly．In seven years it destroyed the feudal  power of the church completely．The Church Council accepted Henry as its head．Archbishop  Cranmer declared that his marriage to Catherine was unlawful and accepted his new wife，Ann Boleyn，as Queen．
Henry's family trouble did not end with his marriage to Ann Boleyn．She bore him a daughter，Elizabeth，but was unfaithful to her husband．After three years Henry cut off her head．His next wife，Jane Seymour，died In giving birth to his son Edward. His secretary Cromwell then brought him a foreign wife，Anne of Cleves，to please his German friends．Unfortunately she was neither well-educated nor beautiful．He sent her home，cut out Cromwell's head，and married a beautiful girl called Catherine Howard． But she too was unfaithful，so her head followed Cromwell』s． His sixth and last wife，Catherine Pars，was a wise and gentle girl but she had no children．
45．亨利八世的婚姻
當亨利當上英格蘭國王時，他娶了西班牙國王的女兒，他哥哥的寡婦凱瑟琳。羅馬教皇對他娶他哥哥的寡婦為妻給予特別的允許，因為這與教會法是相違背的。她給亨利生了一個女兒，瑪麗，但所有的兒子都在出生時死了，而亨利極需一個兒子來做他的繼承人。他開始感覺到上帝不贊成他的婚姻，而且教皇允許這一婚姻是錯誤的。
只有一個可能的補救方法。羅馬教皇必須聲明這一婚姻是錯誤地得到認可，是不合法的；然後亨利就可以自由地再次結婚了。羅馬教皇本來可以輕易答應的，因為他也為兩個有類似情況的法國國王這樣做過。但是羅馬皇帝查理五世是凱瑟琳的侄子，他的軍隊已經控制了羅馬。羅馬教皇在他的控制之下，不敢因幫助亨利而激怒他。
亨利在婚姻上的麻煩使他意識到大多數英國人早已意識到的東西：即外國對英國事務的干涉已經走得太遠了，應該永遠停止了。1529年的議會最強烈地感受到這一點，在七年之內，它完全摧毀了教會的封建勢力。基督教協進會接受亨利作為它的首領。大主教克萊莫宣布他與凱瑟琳的婚姻是不合法的，並接受他的新妻子安妮

『名人軼事【46】國王阿爾弗雷德和蛋糕』
46．King Alfred and the Cakes
Many years ago there lived in England a wise and good kingwhose name was Alfred．No other man ever did so much for hiscountry as he；and people now，all over the world，speak of himas Alfred the Great．
A fierce ，rude people，called the Danes ，had come fromover the sea，and were fighting the English．There were so manyof them，and they were so bold  and strong，that for a long timethey gained every battle．If they kept on，they would soon be themasters  of the whole country．
At last，after a great battle the Englisn army was broken upand scattered ．Every man had to save himself in the best way hecould．King Alfred fled alone，in great haste ，through the woodsand swamps ．
Late in the day the king came to the hut of a woodcutter ．Hewas very tired and hungry，and he begged the woodcutter's wife togive him something to eat and a place to sleep in her hut．
The woman was baking some cakes upon the hearth ，andshe looked with pity upon the poor，ragged  fellow who seemedso hungry．She had no thought  he was the king．
「Yes，」she said，「I will give you some supper if you willwatch these cakes．I want to go out and milk the cow ；and youmust see that they do not burn while I am gone．」
King Alfred was very willing  to watch the cakes，but hehad far greater things to think about．How was he going to drivethe fierce Danes out of the land？He forgot his hunger；he forgotthe cakes；he forgot he was in the woodcutter's hut．His mind was busy making plans for tomorrow．
In a little while the woman came back．The cakes weresmoking on the hearth．They were burned to a crisp ．Ah，howangry she was！
「You lazy fellow！」she cried．「See what you have done！You want something to eat，but you do not want to work！」
She even struck the king with a stick；but I can hardly believethat she was so ill－natured ．
The king must have laughed to himself at the thought of beingscolded in this way；and he was so hungry that he did not mind thewoman's angry words half so much as the loss of the caks．
We do not know whether he had anything to eat that night，orwhether he had to go to bed without his supper．But it was notmany days until he had gathered his men together again，and hadbeaten the Danes in a great battle．
46．國王阿爾弗雷德和蛋糕
很多年前，英格蘭有一個聰明、善良的國王，他的名字叫阿爾弗雷德。從來沒有一個人像他那樣，為自己的國家做過那麼多的貢獻。現在世人一談起他，就把他稱為阿爾弗雷德大帝。
兇惡、粗魯的丹麥人遠渡重洋到英國作戰。他們人數眾多而且勇敢強壯，很長一段時間他們都是戰無不勝。如果照此繼續下去，他們很快將成為這個國家的主人。
終於，在一場惡仗之後，英國軍隊被擊敗而四處潰散。人們必須儘可能地自保性命。阿爾弗雷德國王獨自奔逃，急匆匆地穿過樹林和沼澤地帶。
天色已晚，國王來到一個樵夫的小屋。他又累又餓，乞求樵夫的妻子給他點兒吃的東西，並留他在小屋裡過夜。
那個女人正在爐子上烤蛋糕。她用憐憫的目光審視著這個可憐的衣衫襤褸的傢伙。他好象已經餓得飢腸轆轆了，她萬萬沒有想到他就是國王。
「好吧，」她答應道，「如果你照看這些蛋糕，我就給你吃頓晚飯。我要出去擠牛奶，我不在的時候，你一定要留神，別把這些蛋糕烤糊了。」
阿爾弗雷德國王非常願意照看這些蛋糕。他有更重要的事情要考慮。怎樣把他的軍隊再集合起來？如何把兇惡的丹麥人趕出這塊國土？他忘記了飢餓，忘記了蛋糕，忘記了他正置身於樵夫的小屋裡。他心裡正忙於為明天做計劃。
過了一會兒，女主人回來了。蛋糕正在爐子上冒煙。它們已經烤成了脆餅。唉，她是多麼生氣呀！
「你這個懶鬼！」她大聲喊道。「看看你乾的好事！你想吃點兒東西，但卻不想幹活！」
沒想到她的脾氣是如此暴躁，她甚至用棍子打了國王。
國王一想到她用這種方法訓斥自己，一定會暗自發笑。他太餓了，他對女主人的氣話遠沒有對損失蛋糕那麼在意。
我們不知道國王那天晚上是否吃東西了，也不知道他是否沒吃晚飯就只好睡了。然而沒過幾天，他再次把部下召集在一起，在一次大戰中打敗了丹麥人。

『名人軼事【47】克努特國王在海濱』
47．King Canute on the Seashore
A hundred years or more after the time of Alfred the Great（king of England，849―899），there was a king of Englandnamed Canute．The great men and officers who were around KingCanute were always praising him．
「You are the greatest man that ever lived．」one would say．
And another would say，「O king！There can never be anotherman so mighty  as you．」
Then another would say，「Great Canute，there is nothing inthe world that dares to disobey you．」
The king was a man of sense ，and he grew very tired ofhearing such foolish speeches．
One day he was by the seashore，and his officers were withhim．They were praising him，as they were in the habit of doing．He thought that now he would teach them a lesson ，and so he bade them set his chair on the beach close by the edge of the water．
「Am I the greatest man in the world？」he asked．
「O king！」they cried，「there is no one so mighty as you．」
「Do all the things obey  me？」he asked．
「There is nothing that dares to disobey you，O king！」theysaid．「The world bows before you，and gives you honour．」
「Will the sea obey me？」he asked；and he looked down atthe little waves which were lapping the sand at his feet．
The foolish officers were puzzled，but they did not dare tosay 「No」．
「Command it，O king！And it will obey，」said one．
「Sea，」cried Canute，「I command you to come no farther！Waves，stop your rolling，and do not dare to touch my feet！」
But the tide  came in，just as it always did．The water rosehigher and higher．It came up around the king's chair，and wettednot only his feet，but also his robe ．His officers stood abouthim，alarmed ，wondering whether he was not mad．
Then Canute took off his crown，and threw it down upon thesand．
「I shall never wear it again，」he said．「And do you，mymen，learn a lesson  from what you have seen？There is only oneking who is all powerful；and it is he who rules the sea，holds theocean in the hollow  of his hand．It is he whom you ought topraise and serve above all others．」
47．克努特國王在海濱
阿爾弗雷德大帝（849－899，英格蘭國王）之後100多年左右，有一個英格蘭國王名叫克努特。克努特國王周圍的高官顯貴總是在不停地頌揚他。
「您是古往今來最偉大的人，」一個人這麼說。
還有一個說：「噢，國王，再不會有別人象您這麼有權威了。」
接著另一個則說：「偉大的克努特，世界上沒有任何事物敢違抗您。」
國王是個明白人，他聽了這些蠢話，非常厭惡。
有一天，他來到海濱，官員們陪著他。像他們慣常所做的那樣，對他進行頌揚。他想，現在該教訓他們一下了。於是，他叫他們把椅子放在海灘上，緊靠水邊。
「我是世界上最偉大的人嗎？」他問。
「噢，國王！」他們大聲說道，「再沒有一個人像您這樣有威力了。」
「萬物都服從我嗎？」他問道。
「噢，國王！任何事物都不敢違抗您。」他們說，「世界都要向您鞠躬，向您致敬。」
「大海聽我的嗎？」他問，他俯視著拍打他腳下沙子的小浪花。
愚蠢的官員們被難住了，但是他們不敢說「不」字。
「噢，國王，命令它！它就會服從您，」一個人說。
「大海，」克努特大喊道，「我命令你，不要再向前來了！波浪，不許翻滾了，不許碰著我的腳！」
但是，潮水依然像往常那樣上漲。海水越長越高。水漲到了國王的椅子周圍，不僅打濕了國王的腳，而且連他的長袍也弄濕了。他的官員們站在四周嚇傻了，他們都擔心國王是不是要發瘋。
這時克努特摘下他的王冠，扔在沙灘上。
「我再也不戴它了，」他說，「諸位，你們從看到的一切中吸取教訓了嗎？只有一個國王是萬能的，那就是主宰大海，把海洋握在他手心的那個。你們應當頌揚和服務的首先是他而不是別人。」