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What's truly amazing and very touching about the spring and summer of 1642
1642年春夏 真正令人震惊和触动的是
is the abundance of evidence we have about the agonies of allegiance:
大量史料证明当时很多人 处在忠义难两全的窘境之中
The real soul searching that people went through when they were pondering the most painful and weightiest decision of their lives
人们向灵魂深处探寻 试图做出他们一生中 最痛苦最重大的抉择
which side to join themselves to,and how earnestly and how honestly they tried to justify that decision to their families,
他们该加入哪个阵营 他们急切而坦诚地试图向 亲朋好友证明决定的正确性
their friends and not least, to themselves.
更重要的是要向他们自己证明
Cruellest of all, it tore fathers away from sons.
最残酷的是这场战争竟导致父子反目
The sad history of one Buckinghamshire family says it all.
白金汉郡一家人家的遭遇是这场悲剧的缩影
The Verneys had been the very model of a loving, companionable gentry family,
瓦内一家本来是 和睦的模范家庭
but they were torn apart in this crisis.
但在这次危机中却四分五裂
Ralph had sat next to his father during the great parliaments of 1640,
在1640年那次伟大的议会上 拉尔夫就坐在他父亲身边
but now he not only expressed support for the parliamentary cause
当下他不仅表明要支持议会
but actually swore the oath required of all members after the militia ordinance.
而且依照民兵条例 对议会宣誓效忠
Now, oaths were very serious things in the 17th century,
在十七世纪宣誓是很严肃的事情
and taking this one split Ralph not only from his father,
为了履行誓言拉尔夫不得不离开父亲
but from his hothead younger Royalist brother Edmund,
离开他忠诚于保皇党的弟弟埃德蒙
who absolutely failed to see why Ralph should not be honouring not only his father but the king.
弟弟显然不能理解 拉尔夫此刻选择 违抗父命违抗王命的原因
And yet, and yet, the Verneys did remain a family.
尽管如此瓦内们仍然是一家人
Ralph had made his vow to parliament,
拉尔夫宣誓效忠议会
but his father felt under no less obligation to Charles.
他父亲则觉得应该追随查理
It was a bond of personal loyalty which held,despite Edmund having little enthusiasm for what the king had done.
尽忠只是为了履行义务 事实上埃德蒙 对国王的所作所为毫无好感
