The Knight騎士

In the Middle Ages in Europe， knight or warrior was the Cavalry (騎兵) who got formal military training， later turned into a title of honor used to indicate a social class. In the chaotic (混亂的) situation， kings and dukes needed armies to defend their lands. It was the lord’s job to serve his duty by being a knight—a professional soldier who fought on horseback.

騎士或稱武士，是歐洲中世紀時，受過正規(guī)軍事訓練的騎兵，后來演變?yōu)橐环N榮譽稱號，用于表示一種社會階層。在紛亂局勢中，國王或公爵貴族們需要軍隊、士兵來保護他們的領(lǐng)土。領(lǐng)主通過成為一個騎士——一個真正的士兵，來履行他的職責。

A knight had to have his own armour and a horse. Plate armour (盔甲) was the knight’s best defence against weapons. Some knights even had five horses: for war， hunting， jousting(騎馬比武)， travelling， and carrying baggage.

一個騎士必須有的裝備就是屬于他個人的盔甲及戰(zhàn)馬。盔甲是騎士的最好的防御武器。有些騎士甚至有5匹馬：有的是打戰(zhàn)騎的，有的是用來狩獵的，有的是比武的時候騎乘的，有的是旅行騎乘的，有的是馱運行李的。

In the ancient times， women could not be soldiers or knights. While only men could be knights， ladies were expected to defend their husbands’ castles. However， there were some special case. Some women became knights. Some even went to wars including nuns!For example， in 1429， Joan of Arc (圣女貞德)tried to save the French king by leading an army into battle.

在古代，女性是不能參軍或者成為騎士的。當男性可以成為騎士的時候，女性需留在家保衛(wèi)自己丈夫的城堡。然而，還是有一些特例的。有些女性成為了騎士。有些甚至參加了戰(zhàn)爭——包括修女！例如，在1429年，圣女貞德就試圖率領(lǐng)軍隊投入戰(zhàn)斗拯救法國國王。

Knights had their lands. However， not all knights had their own lands. Some lived in another lord’s castle as part of his garrison (守備部隊). The lord paid for their costly armour.

騎士擁有他們自己的土地。但是，并不是所有的騎士都有自己的領(lǐng)土。有些騎士作為另一個領(lǐng)主的駐軍生活在他的城堡里。領(lǐng)主供給他們裝備。

In Japan， Japanese warriors were not knights， they were Samurais (武士). They lived by their own rules called bushido—the way of the warrior. Samurai were famous for their archery skills with bows which were 2m (6 ft) long. Samurai were the ruling class of Japan until the 19th century.

在日本，戰(zhàn)士不被稱為騎士，他們是武士。他們有自己的規(guī)章制度，那就是武士道——勇者之路。武士因他們的靈活運用2米（6英尺）長弓射箭技能而出名。日本武士作為統(tǒng)治階級直到十九世紀才結(jié)束。

A knight employed staff who followed him into battle. They helped him mount and dismount his horse， and looked after the horses and weapons.

一個騎士雇傭自己的士兵，與他一起并肩戰(zhàn)斗。這些士兵幫助騎士安裝和卸載馬匹，并且照顧馬匹和武器。

There are eight virtues of knights， which are humility， honor， sacrifice， valor， compassion， spirituality， honesty and justice.

騎士的八種美德，分別是謙卑、榮譽、犧牲、英勇、憐憫、靈性、誠實和公正。

There is no doubt that a coward (膽小的) person can’t be a knight. A man without courage never pass the test for knight. As a knight， one of the requirements is valor (勇猛). What’s more， a knight must have an inclusive (包容性強的) heart. The knight is loyal to (忠于) the lord or the crown， but justice should be their standard of behavior. As a knight， honesty is also a necessary quality. Because the knight in the noble (貴族的) class is the lowest level in Europe. A good reputation will help them have good interpersonal relationship. As a knight， he should have a heart which is strong enough to carry on all the difficulties he will face.

毫無疑問，一個膽小的人是不能成為騎士的。一個沒有勇氣的人不能通過騎士測試。騎士必備的品德之一就是勇敢。除此之外，騎士必須有一顆博大包容的心。騎士雖然效忠于領(lǐng)主或王室，但正義才應該是他們行為的準則。作為一個騎士，誠實也是必須的品質(zhì)。因為在歐洲，騎士其實是貴族階層里面最下層的階級。良好的聲譽將幫助他們建立良好的人際關(guān)系。此外，作為騎士，他還需要有一顆強大到足以面對所有困難的心。

When they become knights， they have their declarations:

I will be brave against the strong. 我將勇敢地面對強敵。

I will fight all who do wrong. 我將毫無保留地對抗罪人。

I will fight for those who cannot fight. 我將為不能戰(zhàn)斗者而戰(zhàn)。

I will help those who call me for help. 我將幫助那些需要我?guī)椭娜恕?/p>

I will harm no woman. 我將不傷害婦孺。

I will help my brother knight. 我將幫助我的騎士兄弟。

I will be true to my friends. 我將忠實地對待朋友。

I will be faithful in love. 我將真誠地對待愛情。