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To the medieval mind,there was nothing more serious than an oath,
在中世纪人看来 宣誓是最为庄重严肃的事
and the tapestry maker makes it clear that this was a religious act
而挂毯的制作者 让一位目击者手指"圣礼"字样
by having a witness point to the word "Sacramentum".
说明此行为的宗教性质
Harold's oath was indeed a kind of sacrament since it went right to the heart of the matter.
哈罗德的宣誓的确神圣 因为它直接关系到一个核心问题
What would happen to England after Edward died?
爱德华死后 英格兰将何去何从
Now the English said that Harold agreed to be William's man only in Normandy
现在英格兰人说 哈罗德只宣誓在诺曼底臣服于威廉
and that it had no bearing on the English succession.
此举与英格兰王位争夺毫不相关
The Norman chroniclers, though,said Harold had sworn to help William take the throne of England.
诺曼编年史上写的却是 哈罗德誓助威廉 拿下英格兰这片江山
The oath became even more binding when in a cheap theatrical trick
一个廉价而夸张的把戏 让这誓言看上去更具约束力
the cloth was whipped from the table over which Harold had sworn.
哈罗德宣誓用的桌子上的布落下
Underneath was revealed a reliquary containing the bones of a saint.
下面竟是一个圣骨箱 里面放着圣人的骨骸
Well, how much trouble was he in now?
他究竟惹上了多大的麻烦呢
Had Harold promised something he couldn't deliver,
哈罗德是许下了无法履行的诺言
or had he made no promises at all about the English crown?
亦或是只字未提英格兰王位的事呢
Norman chroniclers like to imagine the returning Harold
诺曼编年史认为归来的哈罗德
haunted by guilt, saying one thing but doing another.
为自己说一套做一套的行为万分愧疚
But in England anyway, there was no sign of a queasy conscience at all.
在英格兰 却毫无道德谴责一说
In fact, to get his hands on the crown,Harold now did something inconceivable for a Godwine,
事实上 为了得到王位 作为戈德温家人 哈罗德接下来的举动更令人咋舌
something which one day would have disastrous consequences.
并将在日后引发灾难性后果
He sold his own brother, Tostig, down the river.
他将亲弟弟托斯提戈扔进了河里
