BBC英国史

The Puritans looked around them,but all they could see from this king was a betrayal of the godly Reformation.

清教徒们上下打量他们 而他们从查理身上看见的 只有对宗教改革的背叛

Peace with Catholic Spain abroad,and at home, even worse,

在外与天主教的西班牙握手言和 而在国内 情况则更糟

a church ruled by bishops who were little better than Papists

大主教统治下的宗教与教皇统治半斤八两

bishops who berated the puritans for having taken the Reformation too far.

他们呵斥清教徒们 对于宗教改革过于狂热

In the face of this cosmic battle,to stay still, to keep silent, was a sin and a crime.

在这场浩大的战争中 坐以待毙 就是不可饶恕的罪恶

For the Puritans,Charles I ought to have been a custom-built king,austere, decorous and chaste.

对于清教徒们来说 查理一世本该是一个国王的典范 严谨 儒雅而高尚的

The fact was, his religion still seemed to need Protestant mumbo-jumbo,all those signs and mysteries.

但事实上 他的宗教信仰 似乎需要新教的种种神力 所有的符号和神话

Even this would have been palatable had he not wanted to foist it on everyone else,to force everyone to kneel at its shrine.

就算这些也能令人满意 如果他不欺骗他人 强迫人们跪在他的圣坛前

The Puritans declared war against any creeping signs of Romanism in the Church

清教徒们发起了战争 反对教堂中任何耸人的天主教教义的标志

paintings and statues, crucifixes and altar rails.

画作 雕像 十字架和圣坛的扶手

And it escaped nobody's notice that Charles was married to a Catholic.

而且众所周知 查尔斯娶了一个天主教的妻子

These men were very much in a minority.

这些人诚然是少数派

But of course, being the elect,they expected to be in a minority,the party of redemption.

但是 作为被选中之人 他们希望他们是少数派的 救赎党

In fact, they glorified in the slightness of their numbers,the self-purifying troop of Gideon's Army.

实际上 他们对于人数的稀少感到很自豪 他们是自净的军队 基甸的勇士

词汇解析

1、palatable

美味的；可口的

flavourings and preservatives, designed to make the food look more palatable.

用于使食物看起来更加可口的调味料和防腐剂

（想法、方法等）合意的，可接受的

a palatable way of sacking staff.

可以接受的裁员方式

That option is not very palatable.

那个选择不太可以接受。

2、expect

预期;预料;期待

a council workman who expects to lose his job in the next few weeks.

预计自己在接下来的几周里会丢掉工作的市政工人

They no longer expect corporate profits to improve.

他们不再期待公司利润会增长。

要求；认为应当得到;指望

He wasn't expecting our hospitality.

他没有指望我们会盛情款待。

I do expect to have some time to myself in the evenings.

我确实希望晚上能有些属于自己的时间。

指望;期望

Don't expect an instant cure.

别指望立即治愈。

You cannot expect to like all the people you will work with.

不要指望你会喜欢所有和你共事的人。