6.不久之后，罗马与英国教众之间发生了激烈冲突，在这次冲突之中，邓斯坦以大主教的身份无形中行使了教皇的权力。两者的争执在于教众是否有权结婚，因a 法兰德斯：当时西欧的一个国家，位于欧洲西北部的北海沿岸，包括现在法国西北部部分地区、比利时的东佛兰德省和西佛兰德省，以及荷兰的西南部部分地区。--译者注b 坎特伯雷大主教：又称为坎特伯雷圣座，为全英国教会的主教长，又是全世界圣公会的主教长。自公元597年奥古斯丁担任第1任以来，如今已传至第105任，由贾斯汀·韦尔比担任。自1867年起，每十年一次的全世界圣公会主教会议主持即使由此教职担任，在全球基督教世界中具有极其重要的地位。--译者注为英国的教职人员历来就可以结婚，而罗马则不是。在这场争论中，邓斯坦完全站在本笃会a教众一边。
7.关于此论点，人们在威尔特郡的白垩岩村镇卡恩b的市政厅集合展开了充分的辩论。我们可以想象一座粗木板搭建的瓦房，地基用石头堆砌起来，这就是当时英格兰的市政厅。接踵摩肩的贵族与教职人员拾阶而上，聚集到一个小小的隔间中，就此议题展开滔滔不绝的辩论。
8.当时，达官显贵云集，都清一色地穿着过膝的羊毛大衣，披着皮毛镶边的长披肩；脚下是一双黑色皮鞋，皮质的吊袜带从脚踝一直绑至膝盖，交叉的皮条下面是鲜亮的红色或蓝色的紧身长筒袜。大家济济一堂，里面不少人剃着光头，披着长长的华丽刺绣礼袍，手握稀有材质制成的精美权杖和十字架，这些人便是代表教会势力的高级教士和修道院院长。
9.在这间低矮狭长的屋子里，几乎聚集了全英国的豪门贵族与饱学之士，这种聚会也便是后人所称的“御前会议”或“集贤会”。一位极具辩才的苏格兰主教正为英国教众的观点大力辩护，在这之后，邓斯坦从会议厅的另一端站起来，开始作答。他的辩论完全是个人情绪的咆哮，言词暴戾，语气嚣张，最后还呼唤上帝对那些不赞同他所鼓吹的教义的僧众加以惩罚。
10.就在此时，一阵巨大的垮塌声传来，等烟尘稍稍消散之后，人们发现房间的一大半地板塌陷了，换句话说，反对邓斯坦的那些人所踩的地板全部坍塌了。在坍塌后的木头废墟中，横七竖八地躺满了流血的尸体；大部分遇难者四肢残缺不全，身上也是到处淤青。而这一切，全都是恶毒的诡计；因为没有人想到，邓斯坦已经事先按顺序切断了地板的托梁。公元988年，这位手握重权的野心家终于寿终正寝了。
a 本笃会：是由圣本笃创立的教派，他于公元529年在西欧创建了此教派的修道院。本笃会后来成为天主教隐修会之一，最早由贵族出身的意大利人本笃手订会规，规定会士不可婚娶，不可有私财，一切服从长上，称此为“发三愿”。本笃会会士每日必须按时进经堂诵经，咏唱“大日课”，余暇时从事各种劳动。会规要求祈祷不忘工作，视游手好闲为罪恶。后来该会规成为天主教修会制度的范本。--译者注b 卡恩：位于威尔特郡，地处迪韦齐斯西北方向6.5公里处。
23
HOW A DANE BECAME KING
丹麦人何以称王英格兰
clamouring，begging noisily.
commission，doing.
intruders，persons who go where they have no right.
pirates，sea-robers.
prepare，make ready.
revenged，paid for；punished.strutting，walking in a conceited way.ventured，dared.
1.King ？thelred the Second was called “The Unready，”because he was one of those silly people who are always doing the wrong thing.If you give them ever so much time to prepare for coming danger，they will be found at last only beginning to look around them when the danger has actually come.
2.During all the days of Dunstan，in fact ever since the death of Alfred，the Danes had been darting upon England，and burning，killing，robbing，without mercy.？thelred gave them money to go away：they went for a short time，but then came back in swarms ten times as great，clamouring for more.And although they got more，they often did not go，but remained living in the houses of the English，eating and drinking of the best，and treating the people who were the real owners like the lowest slaves.
3.These pirates would go strutting about in dresses of scarlet and blue，with shields all gilt，and with much gold ornament on their axes and helmets.If an Englishman met them，they would knock him rudely from their path；or，if he ventured to resist，they would cut him down.
4.At last it became evident even to ？thelred that the payment system would not do any longer；and he then thought of another and a very dreadful plan of getting rid of these cruel intruders.Letters were sent secretly from London to all parts of the kingdom，desiring the English to prepare for a day of blood.Every Dane in the land was to be killed on a certain day；and the words “every Dane”meant not only the fierce men who had lately come over the sea to plunder，but thousands of peaceful and well-conducted Danes，who had longbeen settled in quiet farms and village trades in every part of the country.
5.There was much secret joy at the news，which flew like wild-fire everywhere；and the English took care to sharpen their blades against the coming of St.Brice’s Day，13th November 1002，which was the time chosen for the commission of this crime.
6.The day came，and the work was done.Men killed their sisters‘husbands-their brothers’wives.Little babes，torn from their Danish mothers，were dashed against door-posts.Some Englishwomen who had married Danes were buried alive，or were cut with knives in the most dreadful manner and left to bleed to death.
7.There was one Danish lady，the sister of King Sweyn，who saw her children and her husband killed，and who，as she herself was led out to die，said that her death would be quickly and dreadfully revenged.She was right.Sweyn came across the sea with many ships，and for years the land was filled with the terrors of a most dreadful war.Even Edmund Ironside，the brave son of the Unready King，could not save the throne of the English from being overturned；and a Danish kingdom was set up in its room.
中文阅读
1.国王埃瑟尔里德二世被封为“未准备好的国王”，因为这个糊涂虫老是做一些愚蠢到家的傻事。这类人差不多都有一个共同点，就是即使你事先告诉他们危险将至，让他们有充分时间做准备，他们却总是在最后一刻，在危险已经来临时，才开始张皇失措地环顾四周。
2.在邓斯坦得势期间，也就是阿尔弗雷德逝世之后，丹麦人就攻入了英格兰，到处杀人放火，打家劫舍，几乎无恶不作。埃瑟尔里德驱赶他们的办法居然是给钱，其结果就是他们的确离开了，但是没多久又一窝蜂回来了，人数是前一次的十倍，索要的钱更是狮子大开口，比上一次多得多。更有甚者，拿了钱不走，霸占着当地人的房子，每天在里面堂而皇之地喝酒吃肉，把真正的房屋主人当卑贱奴隶一样呼来唤去。
3.这些海盗出身的土匪，成天趾高气扬地到处游荡。他们穿一身猩红色或青蓝色的衣服，随身背着镀金的盾牌，扛着一把镶金边的斧子，戴着金色花纹的头盔。要是哪个倒霉的英国人被他们碰上，他们就前欺负敲诈，谁要是胆敢抵抗，立刻就会被他们杀掉。
4.最后连埃瑟尔里德也知道拿钱解决不了问题；为了赶走这帮让他忍无可忍的强盗，埃瑟尔里德想出了一个极其冒险的下策；他悄悄地从伦敦给全国各部发出密信，让全英国的人为将到来的血战做准备。他要在某一天把这片土地上每一个丹麦人都杀掉；而“每一个丹麦人”就意味着，不仅包括那些过海而来的丹麦强盗，也包括那些早就在英国乡村定居下来，安守本分生活着，并规规矩矩与当地人做买卖的丹麦人。
5.这一消息极具煽动力，立即不胫而走，传遍了大江南北；所有的英国人都开始在暗地里磨刀霍霍，等待着公元1002年11月13日圣布莱斯节的到来。这一天，就是被选定的屠杀日。
6.屠杀日到来的这一天，一切按计划执行。有的人杀死了他们亲姐妹的丈夫，有的人杀死了他们亲兄弟的妻子；婴儿从妈妈的怀里被夺走，扔向门柱活生生地撞死；一些嫁给丹麦人的英国妇女被活活烧死，或者被用刀以极其残忍的方式刺伤，最终流血而死。
7.其中有一个丹麦女子，她是丹麦国王斯韦恩的姐姐。当她看见她的孩子和丈夫都被杀害，自己也难道厄运时，留下了一句话：她的死很快将带来更可怕的复仇。她说对了。斯韦恩不久就率领舰队跨海而来，从此之后，这片国土便长年处于恐怖的战乱之中，经常尸横遍野，流血漂杵。即使勇敢的埃德蒙·埃恩赛德，也即“未准备好的国王”的儿子，也未能改变英国王权被推翻的命运；于是一个丹麦王国在这片焦土上诞生了。
24
STORIES OF KING CANUTE
卡努特国王轶事
archbishop，chief bishop.
considered，thought.
courtiers，persons who attend the court of a king.
crestfallen，disappointed；cowed.
disgust，offend.
misfortune，evil.
mouldering，decaying.
rebuking，reproving；teaching a lesson to.
relics，remains.
sceptre，a staff borne by kings.
