Why the people of the tenth century prayed the lord to protect them from the fury of the Norsemen 为什么10世纪的人们会祈祷上帝保护他们免遭北欧人怒火的侵害

In the third and fourth centuries, the Germanic tribes of central Europe had broken through the defences of the Empire that they might plunder Rome and live on the fat of the land. 在公元3世纪和4世纪，中欧的日尔曼部落常常突破罗马帝国的边疆防御，长驱直入去劫掠罗马，靠抢夺当地的民脂民膏为生。

In the eighth century it became the turn of the Germans to be the "plundered-ones." 到公元8世纪，报应终于到来，轮到日尔曼人自己成为“被劫掠”的对象了。

They did not like this at all, even if their enemies were their first cousins, the Norsemen, who lived in Denmark and Sweden and Norway. 他们对这种情形深恶痛绝，可强盗正是他们近亲表兄，即那些居住在丹麦、挪威和瑞典的斯堪的纳维亚人。

What forced these hardy sailors to turn pirate we do not know, 至于是什么原因驱使这些勤苦耐劳的水手去从事海盗生涯的，我们目前还搞不清楚。

but once they had discovered the advantages and pleasures of a buccaneering career there was no one who could stop them. 不过当这些北欧人尝到了抢劫的甜头和海盗生活自由 自在的乐趣，就再没人能阻止他们。

They would suddenly descend upon a peaceful Frankish or Frisian village, situated on the mouth of a river. 他们常常突然登陆某个坐落在河口附近的法兰克人或弗里西亚人的小村庄，像从天而降的瘟疫，打破小村子的和平安宁。

They would kill all the men and steal all the women. 他们杀光所有男人，掠走全部妇女，

Then they would sail away in their fast-sailing ships and when the soldiers of the king or emperor arrived upon the scene, 然后驾着他们的快船风驰而去。当国工或皇帝陛下的大队人马赶到现场时，

the robbers were gone and nothing remained but a few smouldering ruins. 强盗们早已远走高飞，只剩下了一堆冒着烟的废墟。

During the days of disorder which followed the death of Charlemagne, the Northmen developed great activity. 在查理曼大帝去世后的混乱岁月里，北欧海盗活动频繁，其行径更加大胆猖撅。

Their fleets made raids upon every country and their sailors established small independent kingdoms along the coast of Hollandand France and England and Germany, 他们的海盗船队光顾了欧洲所有的滨海国家，他们的水手沿荷兰、法兰西、英格兰及德国的海岸，建立起一系列独立小国。

and they even found their way into Italy. 他们甚至远航到意大利碰运气。