美国学生人类历史 第165期:中世纪的城市(9)

 That was dangerous business for the borrower. 这对借钱的人来说是一笔很危险的交易。

In the end, the Lombards invariably owned the estates and the Knight¹ became a bankrupt, 最终，总是伦巴德人占有了庄园，而骑士却破产了，

who hired himself out as a fighting man to a more powerful and more careful neighbour. 只好受雇于某个更细心、更有权势的邻居，为他作战。

His Grace could also go to that part of the town where the Jews were forced to live. 当然，公爵大人还可以去城镇的犹太人居住区。

There he could borrow money at a rate of fifty or sixty percent interest. 在那里，他能够以50％一60％的利息借到这笔要命的旅费。

That, too, was bad business. But was there a way out? 可它同样是笔很不划算的生意。难道就没有其他的出路了吗？

Some of the people of the little city which surrounded the castle were said to have money. 公爵寻思过去，寻思过来。对了，听说城堡附近小镇里的一些居民挺有钱的。

They had known the young lord all his life. 他们打小就认识年轻的公爵大人，

His father and their fathers had been good friends. 他们的父辈和老公爵也一直是很好的朋友。

They would not be unreasonable² in their demands. 这些人是不会提出不合理要求的。

Very well. His Lordship's clerk, a monk³ who could write and keep accounts, sent a note to the best known merchants and asked for a small loan. 于是，大人的文书，一位知书识字、常年为公爵记账的教士，给当地最有名的商人写了一张条子，要求一笔小小的贷款。

The townspeople met in the work-room of the jeweller who made chalices⁴ for the nearby churches and discussed this demand. 这可是一件轰动的事情。城镇里有头有面的居民聚集到为附近教堂制作圣餐杯的珠宝商家里讨论这件事。

They could not well refuse. It would serve no purpose to ask for "interest." 他们当然不好拒绝公爵大人的要求。可收取"利息"也没什么用处。

In the first place, it was against the religious principles of most people to take interest and in the second place, 首先，收利息是违背大多数人的宗教原则的；

it would never be paid except in agricultural products and of these the people had enough and to spare. 其次，利息也只能以农产品来支付，这些东西大家都绰绰有余，拿来有什么用处呢？

"But," suggested the tailor who spent his days quietly sitting upon his table and who was somewhat of a philosopher, "不过……"，一直专注聆听的裁缝突然开口了。此人成天都静坐在自己的裁缝桌前，看起来挺像个哲学家的。

"suppose that we ask some favour in return for our money. We are all fond of fishing. But his Lordship won't let us fish in his brook⁵. "设想一下，我们何不请公爵大人恩允一件事情，作为我们借给他钱的交换。我们大家不是都喜欢钓鱼吗？可大人偏偏禁止我们在他的小河里钓鱼。

1 knight   

n.骑士，武士；爵士

参考例句：

• He was made an honourary knight.他被授予荣誉爵士称号。
• A knight rode on his richly caparisoned steed.一个骑士骑在装饰华丽的马上。

2 unreasonable   

adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的

参考例句：

• I know that they made the most unreasonable demands on you.我知道他们对你提出了最不合理的要求。
• They spend an unreasonable amount of money on clothes.他们花在衣服上的钱太多了。

3 monk   

n.和尚，僧侣，修道士

参考例句：

• The man was a monk from Emei Mountain.那人是峨眉山下来的和尚。
• Buddhist monk sat with folded palms.和尚合掌打坐。

4 chalices   

n.高脚酒杯( chalice的名词复数 )；圣餐杯；金杯毒酒；看似诱人实则令人讨厌的事物

参考例句：

5 brook   

n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让

参考例句：

• In our room we could hear the murmur of a distant brook.在我们房间能听到远处小溪汩汩的流水声。
• The brook trickled through the valley.小溪涓涓流过峡谷。