To understand the way in which lawlessness,violence and chaos did make an impact
要理解无法律约束 暴力和混乱
on the not-so-rosy world of 15th-century England,
对于十五世纪的英格兰所产生的影响
we have something incomparably richer than the list of battlefields and barons,kings and kingmakers.
我们掌握了比战役和贵族 君主以及拥立国王者的名单 更加详实丰富的资料
We have, in the letters of the Paston family of Norfolk,the very first private correspondence in English,
来自于诺福克的帕斯顿家族通信 是最早的英文私人信件
the authentic voice of middling folk farmers, lawyers, would-be gentry, social climbers.
真正反映了中层民众的心声 包括农民 律师 想成为绅士和攀龙附凤的人
Like many an anxious wife and mother,the Wars of the Roses worried Margaret Paston
如同其他焦虑的妻子与母亲 玫瑰战争令玛格丽特·帕斯顿担忧不已
because they were making England a bad place to make and keep a little fortune.
因为战争使得英格兰的人们 无法获取和积攒财富
God, for his mercy, give grace,for I never heard say of so much robbery and manslaughter in this country as is now.
仁慈的上帝 请赐予我们恩典 因为在这个国家 我从未像现在这般 目睹这么猖狂的抢劫与杀戮
And as for gathering of money, I never saw a worse season.
这绝非积累财富的好时节
Seen through Margaret's eyes,The Kingdom for England might be up for grabs,but the real disaster was shopping.
在玛格丽特眼中 英格兰王国到处烧杀掠夺 但真正的灾难在于物资短缺
As for cloth for my gown,I pray you that you will buy for me three yards and a quarter of such as it pleaseth you that I should have.
用作晚礼服的布料 我希望你能够买足3.25码 并且布料任我选
For a good favor I have done all the drapery shop in this town,and here is right feeble choice.
我已寻遍镇上所有布店 无甚收获