01 大约一千五百年前，发生了一桩来自特殊家庭的命案： 北魏（南北朝时期）的兰陵长公主，因不满驸马刘辉在外偷情，与之发生争执。刘辉一怒之下，将怀有身孕的长公主推下床，一顿拳打脚踢，导致长公主流产，其后不治身亡。驸马刘辉自知犯事，一逃了之。 ...

Magna Charter 大宪章 THERE also happened in this reign the memorable Charta, known as Magna Charter on account of the Latin Magna (great) and Charter (a Charter); this was the first of the famous Chartas and Gartas of the Realm and was invented by the Barons on a desert island in the Thames called Ganymede. By congregating there, armed to the teeth, the Barons compelled John to sign the Magna Charter, which said: ...

John: An Awful King 约翰：一名糟糕的国王 WHEN John came to the throne he lost his temper and flung himself on the floor, foaming at the mouth and biting the rushes. He was thus a Bad King. Indeed, he had begun badly as a Bad Prince, having attempted to answer the Irish Question by pulling the beards of the aged Irish chiefs, which was a Bad Thing and the wrong answer. 当约翰登基的时候，他无法控制自己的情绪，并摔在了地上，口吐白沫，吃了一嘴的灰。所以，他是一名糟糕的国王。实际上，当他还在当王子的时候，就表现德不好了。他曾经用扯一位年长的爱尔兰显贵的方式，来回答爱尔兰问题1，这当然是一件坏事，也是一个差劲的答案。 ...

Richard I: A Wild King 理查一世：一名疯狂的国王 RICHARD I was a hairy King with a Lion’s Heart; he went roaring about the Desert making ferocious attacks on the Saladins and the Paladins, and was thus a very romantic King. Whenever he returned to England he always set out again immediately for the Mediterranean and was therefore known as Richard Gare de Lyon. He had a sword of enormous dimensions with which he used to practise cutting iron bars and anvils in half, whereas the Saladins had very sharp swords which were only useful for cutting cushions in half. In spite of which the Crusaders under Richard never got Jerusalem back; this was undoubtedly due to the treacherous behaviour of the Saladins, who used to fire on the Red Cross which the Crusaders wore on their chests in battle. ...

The Age of Piety 信仰时代 THE Chapters between William I (1066) and the Tudors (Henry VIII, etc.) are always called the Middle Ages, on account of their coming at the beginning; this was also The Age of Piety, since Religious fervour was then at its height, people being (1) burnt alive with faggots (The Steak), (2) bricked up in the walls of Convents (Religious Foundations), and (3) tortured in dungeons (The Confessional). ...