Robert showed perpetual zeal in his studies and loyalty to his alliances. He never evaded responsibility, was never late, was quick and skillful in the use of weapons including sword. dagger and spear, etc. He also showed keenness in his shrewdness, was brave in battle, and famous for his honesty. A favorite among leaders and peers, he rose through the ranks to become the apprentice of the most famous and successful knight in the northern provinces.
罗伯特在学习上表现出永恒的热情和对盟友的忠诚。他从不逃避责任，从不迟到，动作敏捷，善于使用武器，包括剑。匕首和长矛等。他也表现出敏锐的精明，在战斗中勇敢，以诚实著称。他深受领导人和贵族的喜爱，在北方各省最著名和最成功的骑士手下成为学徒。
Janine’s father was a shrewd man. He recognized and comprehended that Robert would be a fine mate for his daughter, but the lack of good ancestry didn’t warrant the alliance between them. Lord Stafford was not vacant of feelings for the lad, and showed this when he entitled Robert to enter into the realm of knights. Lacking noble blood anchored his chances of becoming a knight, but if he verified the potential Lord Stafford recognized in him, he would discharge himself well, and possibly rise above his station.
珍妮的父亲是个精明的人。他意识到并理解罗伯特会是他女儿的一个很好的伴侣，但是由于缺乏良好的血统，他们之间的联姻并不是理所当然的。斯塔福德勋爵对这个小伙子的感情并不是空洞的，他在授权罗伯特进入骑士世界时就表现出了这一点。由于缺乏贵族血统，他成为骑士的机会不大，但如果他证实了斯塔福德勋爵对他的认可，他会很好地卸下自己的责任，并可能超越自己的地位。
It was clear from the beginning that they could have no future together. They were from two different worlds. Although Robert had grown into a strong, intelligent and handsome young man, his blood was not that of the royalty. This meant he could not woo Janine openly.
从一开始就很清楚，他们在一起没有未来。他们来自两个不同的世界。尽管罗伯特已经长成了一个强壮、聪明、英俊的年轻人，但他的血液却不是皇室的。这意味着他不能公开地追求珍妮。
Now he was deeply sorry. Janine had been kidnapped from her father’s estate by the Earl of Morley and was being held as a hostage for ransom in one of his many jails. Lord Stafford had called upon Robert to come to his aid and to bring with him as many knights as possible to fulfill Janine’s release. Robert’s main objective was to rescue Janine and reclaiming her honor. He prayed he could do this before the conspiring kidnapper further hurt her.
现在他深感遗憾。珍妮是被莫利伯爵从她父亲的庄园里绑架出来的，她被关在莫利伯爵的一个监狱里，作为人质要求赎金。斯塔福德勋爵呼吁罗伯特前来帮助他，并带来尽可能多的骑士来完成释放珍妮的任务。罗伯特的主要目的是拯救珍妮并重新获得她的荣誉。他祈祷自己能在绑架者进一步伤害她之前做到这一点。
Janine’s courage had thus far kept her from being bedded by the Earl of Morley; she reproached each time he approached. Herr raging temper and threats to hideously wrench and tramp him should he attempt to touch her were met with pretentious laughter. Besides, the Earl was involved in an enfeoffment confrontation of his own family. He didn’t have time to try to win her over by being scheming.
到目前为止，吉妮的勇气使她没有和莫利伯爵上床；每次他走近她，她都责备他。她暴躁的脾气和威胁如果他试图碰她就狠狠地揍他，这些都遭到了狂妄的嘲笑。此外，伯爵还卷入了自己家族的分封冲突中。他没有时间用诡计把她争取过来。
Unable, still, to wed Janine, he entreated her to run away with him. Janine admitted that she wished to be with him, but the violation to the taboo of a secret marriage would bring disgrace upon her father and contaminate their good name. Robert was desolate and returned to his detachment, hoping she would change her mind and not abandon him.
他仍然无法与吉宁结婚，于是恳求她和他私奔。珍妮承认她希望和他在一起，但是违反秘密婚姻的禁忌会给她的父亲带来耻辱，玷污他们的名声。罗伯特是孤独的，回到他的超然，希望她会改变她的想法，而不是抛弃他。
During the night she sensed a change. She thought she had become accustomed to her misfortune, accepting that her liberty would not be achieved before the Earl forced her to submit to him. Suddenly alert, she approached the window of her bed chamber. Through the window, in the distance she could see an orange glow reflected from the clouds and the odor of smoke drifted in the chill night air. “The village is on fire! Why would the Earl want to harm the peasants? He must be crazy! I have to get out of here before he returns!”
夜里，她感觉到了一种变化。她认为她已经习惯了自己的不幸，承认在伯爵强迫她屈服于他之前，她的自由是无法实现的。她突然警觉起来，走近卧室的窗户。透过窗户，远远地她可以看到一道橙色的光芒从云层中反射出来，还有烟雾的气味飘荡在寒冷的夜空中。“村子着火了！伯爵为什么要伤害农民？他一定是疯了！我必须在他回来之前离开这里！”
It was Janine’s plan to maintain a climate of vicious contempt in her refusal of the Earl. Every time she thought of Robert, she became increasingly silent. “Why did I have to be such an idiot?”she asked herself.”If I had run off with him, none of this would have happened. My father’s estates would not have been butchered. I would not be in peril. And if Robert finds me, I will have endangered his life by exposing him to this devil.”
珍妮打算维持一种恶毒蔑视的气氛，拒绝伯爵。每次想起罗伯特，她就变得越来越沉默。“我为什么要这么白痴呢？”她问自己。“如果我跟他私奔，这一切都不会发生。我父亲的财产就不会被屠杀，我也不会有危险。如果罗伯特找到我，我就会把他暴露在魔鬼面前，危及他的生命。”
Inner annoyance troubled her every waking moment, even when she was sleeping it was restless. She began to lose hope. If someone didn’t come soon, she would have to become the wife of the notorious nobleman. There was no point in asking him to release her. She knew inwardly that he would refuse her request.
她醒着的每一刻，内心的烦恼都困扰着她，即使是在睡觉的时候，它也是不安分的。她开始失去希望。如果有人不快点来，她将不得不成为臭名昭著的贵族的妻子。要求他释放她是毫无意义的。她心里知道他会拒绝她的要求。
Janine hoisted her club, improvised from a piece of firewood, striking him so hard that he fell unconsciously on the floor.
珍妮举起棍棒，用一块木柴临时拼凑起来，狠狠地打了他一下，他不知不觉地倒在了地板上。
At that moment she started to prompt her own escape. She began to groan, softly at first, then mounting in frequency and volume. She quivered on the bed, alternately clutching her stomach and wringing her hands in a simulation of extreme discomfort. Her guard, thinking his charge was in distress, entered the room hastily; neglectful of the danger he was now in. As soon as he was close enough,
就在那一刻，她开始促使自己逃跑。她开始呻吟起来，起初很柔和，后来变得越来越频繁，越来越大声。她在床上颤抖，时而捂着肚子，时而拧着双手，仿佛极度不舒服。她的卫兵以为他的军队正处于危难之中，便匆匆走进房间，对他现在所处的危险漠不关心。只要他离得够近
Bounced from his illusions by a sudden grumble from the colonel, Robert returned to the reality of their dilemma.
罗伯特从幻想中被上校突然发出的牢骚所驱散，回到了他们进退两难的现实中。
Treading cautiously, she made her way down the staircase and out of the Earl’s domain, surprised to find that she saw no one as she left.
她小心翼翼地走下楼梯，走出伯爵的领地，惊奇地发现她离开时没有看到任何人。
He heaved himself up from the floor of the cave and patted the colonel into full wakefulness. “I think we must take stock of the wreckage your stupidity has caused to us.”he shouted at him crankily. “If we follow the creek, and enter the village deviously, it is possible that we might be able to take some of it back through the element of surprise.”
他从洞里爬起来，拍了拍上校，让他彻底清醒过来。“我认为我们必须评估一下你的愚蠢给我们造成的损失。”他冲着他大喊大叫。“如果我们沿着小溪，悄悄地进入村庄，我们也许能够通过出其不意的方式把一部分带回去。”
“If you do as I say, I will not ridicule you in public and you may, just possibly, be able to rejoice victory and flee from reproach!”Robert told him forcefully.
“如果你照我说的做，我就不会当众嘲笑你，你也许，只是有可能，能够庆祝胜利，逃避责备！”罗伯特强有力地告诉他。
It took the colonel a moment to decide to abide by Robert’s conditions. “Tell me what you want me to do,”he said in agitation. He wasn’t intelligent, but he was shrewd enough to know his career as a knight would end if he disputes. He would willingly become Robert’s collaborator because he could not afford to be found reproachable for yesterday’s disaster, leading his soldiers into the Earl’s surprise attack.
上校过了一会儿才决定遵守罗伯特的条件。“告诉我你要我做什么，”他激动地说。他并不聪明，但他足够精明，知道如果他提出异议，他作为骑士的职业生涯就会结束。他愿意成为罗伯特的合作者，因为他不能承担昨天的灾难的责备，带领他的士兵进入伯爵的突然袭击。
The colonel, reproached by his underling, refused at the idea of taking orders from Robert.
上校被他的下属责备，拒绝接受罗伯特的命令。
“We must discover Janine’s exact whereabouts and extricate her without creating further trouble. Put on your helmet, pick up your canteen, and we’ll be on our way. I warn you, though, abstain from meddling in my plan. You are to follow my orders without questions. You needn’t be elaborately worried that I will rumor you, if you obey me,”Robert told him.
“我们必须找到珍妮的确切下落，把她救出来，不能再制造麻烦。戴上你的头盔，拿上你的水壶，然后我们就可以出发了，不过我要警告你，不要干涉我的计划。你必须毫无疑问地服从我的命令。如果你听我的话，你不必特别担心我会传言你，”罗伯特告诉他。
And so they set out on their quest to rescue Janine and suppress the fires of war.
因此，他们开始了他们的探索，以营救珍妮和抑制火灾的战争。
The edge of the creek water was coated with newly formed ice, glossy and golden in the early morning sun. As beautiful as it was, it was risky when it slit beneath their feet, making so much noise to alert the enemy of their approach. They left the concealment of the overgrown bank of the stream as they drew nearer to the village. Going into the open was filled with danger as well, but with any luck, they would be able to see it before they were seen.
在清晨的阳光下，河水的边缘覆盖着新形成的光滑的金黄色的冰。尽管它很漂亮，但是当它在他们脚下撕开的时候是很危险的，它会发出很大的噪音来警告敌人它们的接近。当他们越来越靠近村庄时，他们离开了河岸上杂草丛生的隐蔽处。进入开阔地带也充满了危险，但是如果幸运的话，他们可以在被发现之前看到危险。
It was manifest that the village had suffered significantly from the Earl’ 8 strike. Robert was stabbed with anger when he saw the acute damage to the small farms on the frontiers. “I swear I will impair that beast on my sword should I be fortunate enough to ferret him out of his lair! It is my conjecture that he will pay gravely for this!”
显然，这个村庄在伯爵八世的罢工中遭受了严重的损失。当罗伯特看到边境上的小农场遭到严重破坏时，他怒不可遏。“我发誓，如果我有足够的运气把那个畜生从他的巢穴里抓出来，我会用我的剑削弱他！我猜想他会为此付出沉重的代价！”
The perishable roofs of the small stone cottages had been easily caught fire and smoke fumes filled the air. Here and there, tiny wavering of flames was still licking the walls burnt by the earlier fire. Wooden doors hung crippled from their heat-warped hinges. Windows were black with grease and smoke.
那些石头小屋易腐烂的屋顶很容易着火，空气中弥漫着烟雾。到处都是微弱摇曳的火苗，仍在舔舐着先前被火烧焦的墙壁。木门因受热变形的铰链而损坏。窗户被油脂和烟熏黑了。
They needed no precaution as they entered the town. It had been deserted. “I see no signs of butchery. Our men must have made it to safety with the wounded. I pray the villagers also found safe refuge.”Robert was thinking aloud.
他们进城时不需要任何预防措施。那里空无一人。“我没有看到屠杀的迹象。我们的人一定带着伤员逃到了安全地带。我祈祷村民们也能找到安全的避难所。”罗伯特在自言自语。
“Are you all right, dear?”
“你没事吧，亲爱的？”
Robert wheeled at the sound of his love’s voice. “Janine, how did you get here? How did you get that contemptible man to release you? Did he harm you?”
听到爱的声音，罗伯特转过身来。“珍妮，你怎么到这儿来的？你是怎么让那个可鄙的人放了你的？他伤害你了吗？”
“We have not seen him either, but you can rest assured he will be punished when the king learns what he had done. Come! I’ll take you to your father. Colonel, see if you can find where the villagers are hiding. and send them to Lord Stafford.
“我们也没有看到他，但你可以放心，他会受到惩罚的…当国王知道了他的所作所为。过来！我带你去见你父亲。上校看看能不能找到村民们的藏身之处。送给斯塔福德勋爵。
He threw his arms around her, drawing her to him and embracing her. She melted into the safety of his presence, rejoicing in the knowledge that she would never leave his side again. “I’m fine, Robert. I am in confusion, though. Where is that greedy man? I thought he would be near the village. but I saw no sign of him as I came here.”
他伸出双臂搂住她，把她吸引过来，拥抱她。她融入了他的安全存在，欣喜的知道，她永远不会离开他的身边了。“我很好，罗伯特。不过，我现在很困惑。那是什么贪婪的人？我以为他会在村子附近。但我来的时候没有看到他的影子。”
I am sure he will be more than generous in rewarding them for their attempted resistance.”
我相信他会非常慷慨地奖励他们的努力抵抗。”
Lord Stafford was overjoyed to see his daughter and Robert approaching the mansion. He greeted them triumphantly. “I have news for you. When Morley discovered you were gone, he feared for his life, vacated his position and attempted to cross the border to save himself. The King was in the radius and had heard of his conspiracy and betrayal. He had his men positioned, rather accidentally, at the exact site Morley had chosen for his escape, and intercepted him. You acquitted yourself well, Robert. The King has heard of your exploits. He will tell you himself how you are to be rewarded. It is no secret, though; you will be granted Morley’s lands and holdings, as well as his title. Under his sponsorship, and with my blessings, you two will be free to wed.”
斯塔福德勋爵看到他的女儿和罗伯特走近大厦，欣喜若狂。他得意洋洋地迎接他们。“我有个消息要告诉你。当莫利发现你不见了，他担心自己的生命安全，离开了自己的位置，试图穿过边境去救自己。国王就在半径范围内，听说了他的阴谋和背叛。他很偶然地让他的人在莫利为他选择的逃跑地点就位，并拦截了他。你表现得很好，罗伯特。国王听说了你的功绩。他会亲自告诉你如何得到奖赏。不过，这并不是什么秘密，你将会得到莫利的土地和财产，以及他的头衔。在他的支持下，在我的祝福下，你们两个将自由结婚。”
And so it came to be, that Robert and Janine paid respects to the King, had a lavish wedding, and settled into a life of calm wedded happiness, surrounded by Lord Stafford’s grandchildren.
于是，罗伯特和珍妮向国王表示了敬意，举行了一场奢华的婚礼，在斯塔福德勋爵的孙子们的簇拥下，过上了平静幸福的生活。
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