ENGLAND UNDER HENRY THE FOURTH, CALLED BOLINGBROKE

DURING the last reign¹, the preaching of Wickliffe against the pride and cunning of the Pope and all his men, had made a great noise in England. Whether the new King wished to be in favour with the priests, or whether he hoped, by pretending to be very religious, to cheat Heaven itself into the belief that he was not a usurper², I don't know. Both suppositions are likely enough. It is certain that he began his reign by making a strong show against the followers³ of Wickliffe, who were called Lollards, or heretics - although his father, John of Gaunt, had been of that way of thinking, as he himself had been more than suspected of being. It is no less certain that he first established in England the detestable and atrocious custom, brought from abroad, of burning those people as a punishment for their opinions. It was the importation into England of one of the practices of what was called the Holy Inquisition: which was the most UNholy and the most infamous⁴ tribunal that ever disgraced mankind, and made men more like demons⁵ than followers of Our Saviour⁶.

No real right to the crown, as you know, was in this King. Edward Mortimer, the young Earl of March - who was only eight or nine years old, and who was descended⁷ from the Duke of Clarence, the elder brother of Henry's father - was, by succession, the real heir to the throne. However, the King got his son declared Prince of Wales; and, obtaining possession of the young Earl of March and his little brother, kept them in confinement⁸ (but not severely⁹) in Windsor Castle. He then required the Parliament to decide what was to be done with the

点击收听单词发音  

1 reign
n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势
参考例句：
The reign of Queen Elizabeth lapped over into the seventeenth century.伊丽莎白王朝延至17世纪。 The reign of Zhu Yuanzhang lasted about 31 years.朱元璋统治了大约三十一年。

2 usurper
n. 篡夺者, 僭取者
参考例句：
The usurper wrested the power from the king. 篡位者从国王手里夺取了权力。 The usurper took power by force. 篡夺者武装夺取了权力。

3 followers
追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件
参考例句：
the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者 The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

4 infamous
adj.声名狼藉的，臭名昭著的，邪恶的
参考例句：
He was infamous for his anti-feminist attitudes.他因反对女性主义而声名狼藉。 I was shocked by her infamous behaviour.她的无耻行径令我震惊。

5 demons
n.恶人( demon的名词复数 )；恶魔；精力过人的人；邪念
参考例句：
demons torturing the sinners in Hell 地狱里折磨罪人的魔鬼 He is plagued by demons which go back to his traumatic childhood. 他为心魔所困扰，那可追溯至他饱受创伤的童年。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 saviour
n.拯救者，救星
参考例句：
I saw myself as the saviour of my country.我幻想自己为国家的救星。 The people clearly saw her as their saviour.人们显然把她看成了救星。

7 descended
a.为...后裔的，出身于...的
参考例句：
A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。 The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。

8 confinement
n.幽禁，拘留，监禁；分娩；限制，局限
参考例句：
He spent eleven years in solitary confinement.他度过了11年的单独监禁。 The date for my wife's confinement was approaching closer and closer.妻子分娩的日子越来越近了。

9 severely
adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地
参考例句：
He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。 He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

10 deposed
v.罢免( depose的过去式和过去分词 )；（在法庭上）宣誓作证
参考例句：
The president was deposed in a military coup. 总统在军事政变中被废黜。 The head of state was deposed by the army. 国家元首被军队罢免了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 conspiracy
n.阴谋，密谋，共谋
参考例句：
The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。 He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

12 Oxford
n.牛津（英国城市）
参考例句：
At present he has become a Professor of Chemistry at Oxford.他现在已是牛津大学的化学教授了。 This is where the road to Oxford joins the road to London.这是去牛津的路与去伦敦的路的汇合处。

13 conspirators
n.共谋者，阴谋家( conspirator的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The conspirators took no part in the fighting which ensued. 密谋者没有参加随后发生的战斗。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The French conspirators were forced to escape very hurriedly. 法国同谋者被迫匆促逃亡。 来自辞典例句

14 retired
adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的
参考例句：
The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。 Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

15 traitors
卖国贼( traitor的名词复数 )； 叛徒； 背叛者； 背信弃义的人
参考例句：
Traitors are held in infamy. 叛徒为人所不齿。 Traitors have always been treated with contempt. 叛徒永被人们唾弃。

16 slain
杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词)
参考例句：
The soldiers slain in the battle were burried that night. 在那天夜晚埋葬了在战斗中牺牲了的战士。 His boy was dead, slain by the hand of the false Amulius. 他的儿子被奸诈的阿缪利乌斯杀死了。

17 monarch
n.帝王，君主，最高统治者
参考例句：
The monarch's role is purely ceremonial.君主纯粹是个礼仪职位。 I think myself happier now than the greatest monarch upon earth.我觉得这个时候比世界上什么帝王都快乐。

18 miserable
adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的
参考例句：
It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。 Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。

19 superstitious
adj.迷信的
参考例句：
They aim to deliver the people who are in bondage to superstitious belief.他们的目的在于解脱那些受迷信束缚的人。 These superstitious practices should be abolished as soon as possible.这些迷信做法应尽早取消。

20 attachment
n.附属物，附件；依恋；依附
参考例句：
She has a great attachment to her sister.她十分依恋她的姐姐。 She's on attachment to the Ministry of Defense.她现在隶属于国防部。

21 negotiations
协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过
参考例句：
negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判 Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

22 homage
n.尊敬，敬意，崇敬
参考例句：
We pay homage to the genius of Shakespeare.我们对莎士比亚的天才表示敬仰。 The soldiers swore to pay their homage to the Queen.士兵们宣誓效忠于女王陛下。

23 scotch
n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的
参考例句：
Facts will eventually scotch these rumours.这种谣言在事实面前将不攻自破。 Italy was full of fine views and virtually empty of Scotch whiskey.意大利多的是美景，真正缺的是苏格兰威士忌。

24 immortal
adj.不朽的；永生的，不死的；神的
参考例句：
The wild cocoa tree is effectively immortal.野生可可树实际上是不会死的。 The heroes of the people are immortal!人民英雄永垂不朽！

25 slaughtered
v.屠杀，杀戮，屠宰( slaughter的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
The invading army slaughtered a lot of people. 侵略军杀了许多人。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Hundreds of innocent civilians were cruelly slaughtered. 数百名无辜平民遭残杀。 来自《简明英汉词典》

26 extravagant
adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的
参考例句：
They tried to please him with fulsome compliments and extravagant gifts.他们想用溢美之词和奢华的礼品来取悦他。 He is extravagant in behaviour.他行为放肆。

27 redress
n.赔偿，救济，矫正；v.纠正，匡正，革除
参考例句：
He did all that he possibly could to redress the wrongs.他尽了一切努力革除弊端。 Any man deserves redress if he has been injured unfairly.任何人若蒙受不公平的损害都应获得赔偿。

28 outlaw
n.歹徒，亡命之徒；vt.宣布…为不合法
参考例句：
The outlaw hid out in the hills for several months.逃犯在山里隐藏了几个月。 The outlaw has been caught.歹徒已被抓住了。

29 ransom
n.赎金，赎身；v.赎回，解救
参考例句：
We'd better arrange the ransom right away.我们最好马上把索取赎金的事安排好。 The kidnappers exacted a ransom of 10000 from the family.绑架者向这家人家勒索10000英镑的赎金。

30 pretext
n.借口，托词
参考例句：
He used his headache as a pretext for not going to school.他借口头疼而不去上学。 He didn't attend that meeting under the pretext of sickness.他以生病为借口，没参加那个会议。

31 armour
（=armor）n.盔甲；装甲部队
参考例句：
His body was encased in shining armour.他全身披着明晃晃的甲胄。 Bulletproof cars sheathed in armour.防弹车护有装甲。

32 rout
n.溃退，溃败；v.击溃，打垮
参考例句：
The enemy was put to rout all along the line.敌人已全线崩溃。 The people's army put all to rout wherever they went.人民军队所向披靡。

33 preposterous
adj.荒谬的，可笑的
参考例句：
The whole idea was preposterous.整个想法都荒唐透顶。 It would be preposterous to shovel coal with a teaspoon.用茶匙铲煤是荒谬的。

34 vigilant
adj.警觉的，警戒的，警惕的
参考例句：
He has to learn how to remain vigilant through these long nights.他得学会如何在这漫长的黑夜里保持警觉。 The dog kept a vigilant guard over the house.这只狗警醒地守护着这所房屋。

35 remarkable
adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的
参考例句：
She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。 These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

36 seizure
n.没收；占有；抵押
参考例句：
The seizure of contraband is made by customs.那些走私品是被海关没收的。 The courts ordered the seizure of all her property.法院下令查封她所有的财产。

37 usurped
篡夺，霸占( usurp的过去式和过去分词 )； 盗用； 篡夺，篡权
参考例句：
That magazine usurped copyrighted material. 那杂志盗用了版权为他人所有的素材。 The expression'social engineering'has been usurped by the Utopianist without a shadow of light. “社会工程”这个词已被乌托邦主义者毫无理由地盗用了。

38 drawn
v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的
参考例句：
All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。 Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

39 dealing
n.经商方法，待人态度
参考例句：
This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。 His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

40 impartially
adv.公平地，无私地
参考例句：
Employers must consider all candidates impartially and without bias. 雇主必须公平而毫无成见地考虑所有求职者。 We hope that they're going to administer justice impartially. 我们希望他们能主持正义，不偏不倚。

41 chamber
n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所
参考例句：
For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。 The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

42 eruptions
n.喷发，爆发( eruption的名词复数 )
参考例句：
There have been several volcanic eruptions this year. 今年火山爆发了好几次。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Over 200 people have been killed by volcanic eruptions. 火山喷发已导致200多人丧生。 来自辞典例句

43 shrine
n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣
参考例句：
The shrine was an object of pilgrimage.这处圣地是人们朝圣的目的地。 They bowed down before the shrine.他们在神龛前鞠躬示敬。

44 foretold
v.预言，预示( foretell的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
She foretold that the man would die soon. 她预言那人快要死了。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Must lose one joy, by his life's star foretold. 这样注定：他，为了信守一个盟誓／就非得拿牺牲一个喜悦作代价。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学

45 monstrous
adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的
参考例句：
The smoke began to whirl and grew into a monstrous column.浓烟开始盘旋上升，形成了一个巨大的烟柱。 Your behaviour in class is monstrous!你在课堂上的行为真是丢人！