1. Mary may have been under house arrest, but she was allowed to lead the life of the country lady.

参考翻译：玛丽虽然处于软禁中，但她仍被奉为座上之宾。

要点解析1：under arrest的意思是“在监禁中”，在arrest 前面加上house即为：under house arrest。其意思是“在软禁中”。例如：

You are all under arrest and I am required to advise you of your rights. 你们被捕了，我有义务把你们的权利告诉你们。

You are under arrest for the murder of Pierre Fuquet. 你因为涉嫌谋杀皮埃尔·福盖而被捕了！

Some of them were placed under house arrest. 他们有些人遭到了软禁。

President Barack Obama called last week for Megrahi to be put under house arrest. 奥巴马总统上个星期呼吁把迈格拉希软禁在家。

要点解析2：lead a life of something的意思是“过着......的生活”。例如：

I mean from henceforth to lead a life of extreme seclusion.我决定从今天起将过一种完全与世隔绝的生活。

The cancer patient may lead a life of misery for months or years before his suffering is brought to an end by death. 癌患者直到死亡为止，成年累月过着悲惨的生活。

2. Then, in December 1585, Walsingham made a change.

参考翻译：直到1585年12月，沃尔辛海姆做出了改变。

要点解析：make a change的意思是“做些改变或改动”。表示“对......做下改变或改动”，短语的后面用介词in。例如：

Walking and fishing in the country will make a change from sitting the seaside. 与海边闲坐相比，在乡间散步垂钓又是另一番意境。

We must make a material change in our plans. 我们必须对计划作重大修改。

3. Mary and her household were suddenly packed up and sent to close confinement at Chartley Manor, Staffordshire, where she was guarded by the unsmiling puritan, Amyas Paulet.

参考翻译：玛丽和她的家人突然被送到斯塔福德郡的查理庄园，被一个叫阿玛斯·波莱的冷面清教徒严密看管着。

要点解析1：pack up的愿意是“整理并打包起来”，这里比喻“把玛丽女王的家人聚集在一起进行软禁”。

要点解析2：where she was guarded by the unsmiling puritan, Amyas Paulet是非限定性定语从句，修饰表示地点“”先行词“Manor”。

4. As Walsingham had intended, Mary was furious, desperate to find a way out of her prison.

参考翻译：如沃尔辛海姆所料，玛丽非常愤怒便想尽一切办法越狱。

要点解析：find way out of something直接翻译是“找出一条路脱离某事或某处”，意译为：想尽办法摆脱某事，逃离某处。例如：

They try to find a way out of their dilemma. 他们试图摆脱困境。

I tried to get out of the cabin many times, but I couldn't find a way out of it. 我多次尝试潜逃，但都无法找到出路。

4. The letters were secretly put in a watertight packet, slipped in the bunghole of beer casks, delivered to and from Chartley.

参考翻译：那些信件被放进防水囊，偷偷塞进来往于查理庄园的啤酒桶里。

要点解析：to and from的意思是“来来回回，往返”。例如：

Various kinds of vehicles run to and from in the street. 大街上往来的车辆很多。

5. Walsingham had set the whole thing up.

参考翻译：一切都是沃尔辛海姆设计好的。

要点解析：set up在这里的意思是“安排”。例如：

All the arrangements have been set up for the newspapermen to meet the Queen. 新闻记者谒见女王的所有安排已经就绪。
I'll set up an appointment with the marketing people. 我会与行销部的人安排一次会谈。

6. When Mary's latest champion, the rich merchant Anthony Babbington, supplied Mary with details of a plot to murder Elizabeth and put Mary on the English throne, Mary wrote back with encouragement.

参考翻译：当玛丽的新近拥护者，富商安东尼· 巴宾顿，为她奉上刺杀伊丽莎白并将玛丽推上宝座的详尽计划时，玛丽积极地写信回应鼓励他。

要点解析：supply sb with something：供给某人某物

They supply us with latest equipment. 他们向我们提供最新的装备。

Cows supply us with milk. 奶牛给我们提供牛奶。

要点解析2：put sb on the throne的意思是“”让某人执政，让某人登基。