BBC英国史

Henry II, his wife Eleanor and their children Richard and John were the most astonishing of all the family firms to have run the enterprise of Britain.

亨利二世与妻子埃莉诺 儿子理查和约翰 在所有统治英国的王族中 若论惊世骇俗 无出其右

They did so with a furious energy that either entranced or appalled their subjects.

臣民对他们那种疯狂的劲头 态度截然相反 崇敬有之 畏惧亦有之

Like many family firms,they had a capacity for both creation and self-destruction.

与很多王族相同的是 他们既能建功立业 也能自我毁灭

What their intelligence built, their passions destroyed.

卓绝的成就 终究毁于狂热的激情

They were called the Angevins,name after the french-speaking province of Anjou.

人们称其为安茹王朝 此名取自法语区的安茹

At the height of their power,they were masters of all that counted in christendom.

在其权力巅峰时期 他们统治了所有基督教国家

Their England was the linchpin of an empire that stretched from the Scottish borders to the Pyrenees.

庞大的帝国以英格兰为根基 从苏格兰边境延伸到庇里牛斯山

Much bigger than France itself.

比法国本土面积大很多

Not since the Romans, and never again,has England been quite so European.

自罗马时代后 英格兰再也没有 与欧洲大陆有过如此亲密接触

The dynasty had its roots in the civil war that was being fought between two cousins, Stephen and Matilda,

安茹王朝在内战中站稳了脚跟 战斗双方的斯蒂芬和玛蒂尔达是表亲

the grandchildren of William the Conqueror.

同为征服者威廉的孙辈

Stephen seized the crown, but that wasn't the end of it,for if Matilda couldn't beat him with an army,

斯蒂芬夺取了王位 但这不是最终结果 尽管玛蒂尔达无法用武力击败他

she could beat him with a wedding,a wedding that would found a dynasty and reduce Stephen's ambitions to dust.

但她可以用一场婚礼战而胜之 这场婚礼建立了一个王朝 令斯蒂芬的野心灰飞烟灭

词汇解析

1、subject

主题;题目;话题;题材;问题

It was I who first raised the subject of plastic surgery.

是我第一个提到整形手术这个话题的。

the president's own views on the subject.

总统在此问题上的个人观点

(批评、学习、调查的)对象

Over the past few years, some of the positions Mr. Meredith has adopted have made him the subject of criticism.

在过去的几年里，梅雷迪思先生所采取的某些立场使他成为了批评的对象。

He's now the subject of an official inquiry.

他现在是官方调查的对象。

(知识、研究)领域;(尤指)学科，科目，课程

Surprisingly, mathematics was voted their favourite subject.

令人惊讶的是，数学课被选为他们最喜欢的科目。

a tutor in maths and science subjects.

辅导数学和理科课程的家教

2、ambition

梦想；理想

His ambition is to sail round the world.

他的梦想是环球航行。

He harboured ambitions of becoming a Tory MP.

他梦想成为托利党下院议员。

雄心；抱负；野心

Even when I was young I never had any ambition.

即使是年轻时，我也从没有什么雄心壮志。

a mixture of ambition and ruthlessness.

既野心勃勃又冷酷无情