occupied their share of the territory which once had been part of the great Roman Empire 他们心安理得地占据着自己那份原属罗马帝国的土地，

and among the ruins of past glory, they built a world of their own which pleased them mightily and which they considered quite perfect. 在帝国昔日辉煌的废墟中建立起自己的新世界。这个世界看起来是如此完美，已经完全使他们心满意足了。

They managed the affairs of their castle and the surrounding country to the best of their ability. 他们尽最大的努力来处理好自己的城堡和四野乡村的事务，兢兢业业地工作。

They were as faithful to the commandments of the Church as any weak mortal could hope to be. 他们像任何软弱的"凡人"一样，期望着来世的天堂，对教会的纪律毕恭毕敬。

They were sufficiently loyal to their king or emperor to keep on good terms with those distant but always dangerous potentates. 他们对自己的国王或皇帝表现出十足的忠诚，以便和这些距离遥远但向来危险的君主们保持良好的关系。

In short, they tried to do right and to be fair to their neighbours without being exactly unfair to their own interests. 一句话，他们总是尽力把事情做正确、做漂亮，对邻居们公正而又不真正损害自己的利益。

It was not an ideal world in which they found themselves. 当然，他们有时也感觉到，自己身处的并非一个理想的世界。

The greater part of the people were serfs or "villains," farm-hands who were as much a part of the soil upon which they lived as the cows and sheep whose stables they shared. 在这里，大部分人沦为农奴或"长期雇工"。这些人和牛羊同住于牛栏羊圈，自身也和牛羊一样，变成了依附土地的一部分。

Their fate was not particularly happy nor was it particularly unhappy. But what was one to do? 他们的命运谈不上特别幸福，也算不得异常悲惨。除此之外，还能期望他们怎样呢？

The good Lord who ruled the world of the Middle Ages had undoubtedly ordered everything for the best. 主宰着中世纪生活的伟大上帝，他当然毫无疑问是按着尽善尽美的方式来安排世界的。

If He, in his wisdom, had decided that there must be both knights and serfs,  如果凭其不可揣测的智慧，决定这个世界该同时存在骑士和农奴，

it was not the duty of these faithful sons of the church to question the arrangement. 那么作为教会虔诚的儿女，他们是不应该质疑这种安排的。

The serfs therefore did not complain but when they were too hard driven, they would die off like cattle which are not fed and stabled in the right way, 因此，身为农奴的人们也没什么好抱怨。如果被驱使得太厉害，他们会像饲养不当的牲畜一样默默死去。

and then something would be hastily done to better their condition. 之后，主人们不过是手忙脚乱地做点事情，稍微改善一下他们的生活状况。还能怎样呢？