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The Discovery of New Worlds, 12. The Dark Ages

12. The Dark Ages

"The old order changeth, yielding place to new. " —TENNYSON. The next few hundred years are known to history as the Dark Ages. It seemed as if the world were falling into chaos. The Western Empire had fallen, the Eastern stood on no too sure foundation. Europe had lost her guide and her rudder: the central power was gone.

No firm decrees now went forth from the Roman emperor, for Roman emperor there was none. No legions bearing the Roman Eagle guarded the boundaries of the Rhine and the Danube, for boundary there was none. The last Roman(, standing at the stern of his departing vessel,) had waved his sad "Farewell, Britain," on his recall to protect the capital against the Goths. The strong arms of Rome were powerless.

And over all her lost country surged the savage hordes of barbarians, fighting their way ever westwards and southwards, settling here, invading there, now driving a weaker tribe before them as the Huns had driven the Goths, now even sailing across the sea to attack some new territory on the outskirts of the empire.

"The barbarians chase us into the sea," groaned the Britons helplessly; "the sea throws us back upon the barbarians, and we have only the hard choice left us of perishing by the sword or the waves. " This was but the expression of many whom the fall of Rome had exposed to the attack of these wild marauders.

These barbarians appeared under various names. There was a powerful tribe, under the name of Vandals, who had already overrun Gaul and crossed the Pyrenees into Spain. From thence they crossed the Mediterranean into Africa. They ravaged the fair coast washed by that great blue inland sea, devastated town after town, and finally took possession of Carthage—the Carthage of Cyprian—which ranked as the Rome of the African world. It was now conquered by the Vandals, and with it the conquest of North Africa was complete.

"Whither shall we sail now?" asked the pilot on board the Vandal ship that was bearing the chief away from Carthage.

"Sail against those with whom God is angry," was the fierce answer. From time to time during these dark rude ages a savage figure stands out stronger than his fellows to do and dare, a man with more ambition or more determination to conquer and kill.

"For what fortress, what city, can hope to exist if it is our pleasure that it should be erased from the earth?" cried one such man, Attila, in whom the wild Huns had found an able king.

For a time he swept all before him. Passing through Germany to Gaul, he would fain have burst through the barrier of the river Loire, but Theodoric King of the Goths arose and showed himself the equal of Attila the Hun—the Scourge of God, as he was called.

So these wandering nations moved about in search of a home, a fatherland, a city, and a state. All the while they were learning the great lessons that Rome had taught: they were coming into contact with civilised people, and they were becoming civilised themselves. And not only this, but Christian teaching, spreading rapidly now from Constantinople, was playing its part too in the progress of the world's history. For the moment it seemed as if everything was at a standstill. There were no new schools, the children were untaught. No new highways were forthcoming on land or sea. Everything was dead, lifeless, dreary. "It was as if a torrent of mud had spread over the smiling fields, burying beneath it the fair flowers and rich crops of learning and art so diligently sown by the Greeks. " But a far grander life than Rome could ever have made possible was to spread over the whole of Europe, westward and ever westward, till at length it should reach the yet unknown land beyond the Atlantic. It was with the story of nations as the poet Tennyson tells us it is with the story of man—

"For all we thought and loved and did And hoped and suffered, is but seed Of what in them is flower and fruit. "


12. The Dark Ages 12. La Edad Media 12. L'âge des ténèbres 12. I secoli bui 12.暗黒の時代 12. A Idade Média 12. Темные века 12. Karanlık Çağlar 12. 黑暗时代 12. 黑暗時代

"The old order changeth, yielding place to new. «Старый порядок меняется, уступая место новому. " —TENNYSON. The next few hundred years are known to history as the Dark Ages. It seemed as if the world were falling into chaos. Казалось, что мир погружается в хаос. The Western Empire had fallen, the Eastern stood on no too sure foundation. Западная империя пала, Восточная стояла не слишком уверенно. Europe had lost her guide and her rudder: the central power was gone. L'Europa aveva perso la sua guida e il suo timone: il potere centrale era scomparso. Европа потеряла своего проводника и руль: центральная власть исчезла.

No firm decrees now went forth from the Roman emperor, for Roman emperor there was none. L'imperatore romano non emetteva più alcun decreto definitivo, perché di imperatori romani non ce n'erano. Никаких твердых указов от римского императора не вышло, для римского императора их не было. No legions bearing the Roman Eagle guarded the boundaries of the Rhine and the Danube, for boundary there was none. Ни один легион с римским орлом не охранял границы Рейна и Дуная, потому что границы не было. The last Roman(, standing at the stern of his departing vessel,) had waved his sad "Farewell, Britain," on his recall to protect the capital against the Goths. Последний римлянин (стоящий на корме своего уходящего судна) помахал своей грустной «Прощай, Британия», когда вспоминал, чтобы защитить столицу от готов. The strong arms of Rome were powerless. Сильные руки Рима были бессильны.

And over all her lost country surged the savage hordes of barbarians, fighting their way ever westwards and southwards, settling here, invading there, now driving a weaker tribe before them as the Huns had driven the Goths, now even sailing across the sea to attack some new territory on the outskirts of the empire. И над всей ее потерянной страной захлестнули дикие полчища варваров, которые пробивались на запад и юг, оседая здесь, вторгаясь туда, теперь гоня перед ними более слабое племя, поскольку гунны прогнали готов, теперь даже плывущих через море, чтобы атаковать какая-то новая территория на окраине империи.

"The barbarians chase us into the sea," groaned the Britons helplessly; "the sea throws us back upon the barbarians, and we have only the hard choice left us of perishing by the sword or the waves. " «Варвары преследуют нас в море», - беспомощно простонали британцы; «море отбрасывает нас назад на варваров, и у нас остается только трудный выбор - погибнуть от меча или волн». This was but the expression of many whom the fall of Rome had exposed to the attack of these wild marauders. Это было всего лишь выражение многих, кого падение Рима подвергло нападению этих диких мародеров.

These barbarians appeared under various names. There was a powerful tribe, under the name of Vandals, who had already overrun Gaul and crossed the Pyrenees into Spain. Существовало могущественное племя под именем вандалов, которое уже захватило Галлию и пересекло Пиренеи в Испанию. From thence they crossed the Mediterranean into Africa. Оттуда они пересекли Средиземное море в Африку. They ravaged the fair coast washed by that great blue inland sea, devastated town after town, and finally took possession of Carthage—the Carthage of Cyprian—which ranked as the Rome of the African world. Они разорили справедливое побережье, омываемое этим огромным синим внутренним морем, опустошали город за городом и, наконец, овладели Карфагеном - Карфагеном Киприана - который считался Римом африканского мира. It was now conquered by the Vandals, and with it the conquest of North Africa was complete.

"Whither shall we sail now?" asked the pilot on board the Vandal ship that was bearing the chief away from Carthage. と、カルタゴから長官を運ぶヴァンダル船のパイロットに尋ねた。 - спросил пилот на борту корабля-вандала, несшего вождя из Карфагена.

"Sail against those with whom God is angry," was the fierce answer. 「神がお怒りになっている人たちに対して出航してください」と激しい答えが返ってきた。 «Парус против тех, на кого злится Бог», - был яростный ответ. From time to time during these dark rude ages a savage figure stands out stronger than his fellows to do and dare, a man with more ambition or more determination to conquer and kill. このような暗黒の無骨な時代には、時折、野蛮な人物が仲間よりも強く立ちはだかり、征服と殺戮に野心と決意を燃やす。 Время от времени в эти темные грубые времена дикая фигура выделяется сильнее, чем его товарищи, чтобы сделать и осмелиться, человек с большим стремлением или большей решимостью победить и убить.

"For what fortress, what city, can hope to exist if it is our pleasure that it should be erased from the earth?" "地上から消し去ることがわれわれの喜びであるならば、どんな要塞が、どんな都市が、存続を望むことができようか？" «На какую крепость, какой город можно надеяться существовать, если нам приятно, что она стерта с лица земли?» cried one such man, Attila, in whom the wild Huns had found an able king.

For a time he swept all before him. Какое-то время он охватил все перед собой. Passing through Germany to Gaul, he would fain have burst through the barrier of the river Loire, but Theodoric King of the Goths arose and showed himself the equal of Attila the Hun—the Scourge of God, as he was called. Проезжая через Германию в Галлию, он бы с радостью прорвался через барьер реки Луары, но Теодорих, Король готов, поднялся и показал себя равным Аттиле Гунну - Плети Бога, как его называли.

So these wandering nations moved about in search of a home, a fatherland, a city, and a state. Таким образом, эти странствующие народы перемещались в поисках дома, отечества, города и государства. All the while they were learning the great lessons that Rome had taught: they were coming into contact with civilised people, and they were becoming civilised themselves. Все это время они изучали великие уроки, которые преподал Рим: они вступали в контакт с цивилизованными людьми и сами становились цивилизованными. And not only this, but Christian teaching, spreading rapidly now from Constantinople, was playing its part too in the progress of the world's history. For the moment it seemed as if everything was at a standstill. На данный момент казалось, что все было в тупике. There were no new schools, the children were untaught. Новых школ не было, дети не были обучены. No new highways were forthcoming on land or sea. На суше или на море не было никаких новых магистралей. Everything was dead, lifeless, dreary. Все было мертвым, безжизненным, тоскливым. "It was as if a torrent of mud had spread over the smiling fields, burying beneath it the fair flowers and rich crops of learning and art so diligently sown by the Greeks. " «Как будто поток грязи распространился по улыбающимся полям, похоронив под ним прекрасные цветы и богатый урожай знаний и искусства, так усердно посеянных греками». But a far grander life than Rome could ever have made possible was to spread over the whole of Europe, westward and ever westward, till at length it should reach the yet unknown land beyond the Atlantic. しかし、ローマが可能にしたものよりもはるかに壮大な生活が、西へ西へとヨーロッパ全土に広がり、ついには大西洋の向こうのまだ見ぬ土地に到達することになった。 Но гораздо более грандиозная жизнь, чем когда-либо мог сделать Рим, заключалась в том, чтобы распространиться на всю Европу, на запад и на запад, пока, наконец, она не достигнет еще неизвестной земли за Атлантикой. It was with the story of nations as the poet Tennyson tells us it is with the story of man— È stato con la storia delle nazioni, come il poeta Tennyson ci dice che è con la storia dell'uomo. 詩人テニスンが語るように、それは国家の物語であり、人間の物語である。

"For all we thought and loved and did And hoped and suffered, is but seed Of what in them is flower and fruit. " "Perché tutto ciò che abbiamo pensato e amato e fatto e sperato e sofferto, non è che seme di ciò che in loro è fiore e frutto". " "私たちが考え、愛し、行い、望み、苦しんだことはすべて、その中にある花や実の種にすぎない。" «Ибо все, что мы думали, любили, делали, надеялись и терпели, - это всего лишь семя, в котором есть цветы и фрукты».