BBC英国史

The lyrics for this chest-thumping song were written by two Scots

这首震撼热心的歌词由两位苏格兰人写的

for a play about King Alfred the Great,

最初谱词是用于一部戏剧

and they were sung lastly by merchants and businessmen who saw Britain's future lay with the blue water empire of trade.

《阿尔弗雷德大帝》 最终却为商人和企业家所传颂 他们预见到了英国将称霸蓝海的未来

But someone was in the way of this prosperous future

然而通往繁荣的康庄大道上 却盘踞着一头拦路虎

and that someone was Robert Walpole.

这只拦路虎就是罗伯特·沃波尔

Merchants felt Walpole was concerned and his cronies cared too much about land and not enough about business.

商人们认为沃波尔及其党羽 太过关注领地 而忽视了商业

So they were not amused when Walpole raised the taxes on the kind of things that made money for them,beer and coal

商界一片哗然 不满于 沃波尔提高他们赚钱生意的税率 比如提高啤酒 煤矿税

while making damn sure to keep the land tax low.

而同时降低土地税

Now, what would be the only thing that could raise those land taxes?Well, war, of course.

究竟怎样才能够 让土地税增加呢 当然就是战争

So no wonder Walpole, unforgivably,pussyfooted around the Spanish

所以当沃波尔竟然 在西班牙人试图干涉我们商船舰队时

when they presumed to interfere with our ships.

不可原谅地采取了观望态度

When he signed a treaty with Spain that was seen as an unpatriotic sell-out,

当他与西班牙签订了 被视为卖国之举的协议后

the merchants were even more incensed.

商人们更加勃然大怒

Walpole's effigy was burned in the streets by crowds roaring for his political head.

沃波尔的塑像在大街上被人群付之一炬 人们对他的政治头脑破口大骂

Walpole's allies and time-servers in parliament were suddenly nowhere to be seen.

沃波尔的盟友和趋炎附势的议会党羽 瞬间不见踪影

His political enemies closed in gleefully for the kill.

他的政敌步步紧逼 欲置他于死地

词汇解析

1、concern

忧虑;担心

The group has expressed concern about reports of political violence in Africa.

该团体对有关非洲政治暴力的报道表示关切。

The move follows growing public concern over the spread of the disease.

针对公众对该疾病的不断蔓延日益担忧，从而出台了这一举措。

关心;关怀;关爱

Without her care and concern, he had no chance at all.

若非她的关心和照顾，他根本没有机会。

He had only gone along out of concern for his two grandsons.

他完全是出于对两个孙子的关心才继续这样做。

关于;涉及

The bulk of the book concerns Sandy's two middle-aged children.

书中主要描写桑迪的两个已到中年的孩子。

Chapter 2 concerns itself with the methodological difficulties.

第二章讲的是研究方法上的难点。

2、presume

（不肯定地）认为，相信，推测

I presume you're here on business.

我想你是来这里出差的。

Dido's told you the whole sad story, I presume?

我想狄多已经把这件伤心事全部告诉你了吧？

冒昧；擅自主张；妄行

They're resentful that outsiders presume to meddle in their affairs.

他们对外人擅自干预他们的事务非常愤慨。

I wouldn't presume to question your judgment.

我不会冒昧地质疑你的判断。