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companions, friends; followers. stationed, posted.
stratagem, trick; device. defended, guarded.
league, union. supposed, thought.
1. Movements so daring brought William the Conqueror in person to the scene. With the quick eye of a man used to war, the King saw that the only hope of success lay in making a solid road across the swamps and pools which defended the Camp of Ely. It was a very difficult task in itself; and in the face of active foes who burned the works and killed the workmen, it was tenfold more so.
2. In those days, when a man gave proof of having more than common power, he was supposed to have made a league with wicked spirits, who helped him, in the hope of destroying his soul. Hereward was thought to be a wizard; and so a witch on a wooden tower was pushed through the fens, that her spells might defeat or render useless those of the English chief. The reeds were set on fire by the English, and the flames catching the tower, burned the witch an the workmen together.
3. Matters seemed hopeless, when some faithless monks of Ely offered to show a secret path through the fens into the isle, on condition that their convent should be spared. Along this winding way a file of Normans passed,and attacked the camp so fiercely as to slay a thousand of its defenders. When Hereward saw that his wooden walls were pierced and taken, he waded through the bogs with a few chosen companions, until he came to the banks of a Lincolnshire stream, where some Saxon fishermen were sitting in their boats,having just made a successful haul with their nets.
4. Finding that these poor men were going to sell their fish to some Norman knights, stationed not far off, Hereward resolved to try a stratagem. He and his men lay down in the bottom of the boats, and were covered by the fishermen with straw. The latter then rowed on, until they came to the place where the dainty Normans were waiting for the first course of their dinner
5. The fi shermen went up to strike a bargain, and, while the talk was going on, out sprang Hereward and his men with their battle-axes, and set upon the knights, some of whom did not stay to be killed, but fl ed on foot from their sudden foes. The horses of the Normans proved very welcome to the tired hero and his men, who rode of rejoicing in the success of their plot. It is said that Hereward afterwards married a rich English lady, and was taken into friendship by the Conqueror.
中文阅读
1. 赫里沃德胆大包天的事迹让征服者威廉知道了，于是他决定御驾亲征。公元1071年，他率部来到了这片沼泽地，这位久经沙场的老将用眼睛瞄了一下四周，立即得出判断，唯一的希望只有立即修路，才能让大军穿过这些坑坑洼洼的沼泽池塘，到达赫里沃德所在的伊利避难营。不过这可是个极其困难的任务，更何况他们面对的是赫里沃德这样一个劲敌。他们一边修，赫里沃德就一边放火烧，还杀修路工人，这个任务更是难上加难了。
2. 在那时，如果一个人显示出超乎常人的能力，人们便认为他内心深处一定是有邪恶的幽灵在作怪，正是这些东西帮助了他，并且会慢慢毁掉他本身的灵魂。赫里沃德就被诺曼大军认为是一个有法力的男巫，于是他们找来一个巫婆，给她建了一个木台，让她施法消除障碍，好让他们能顺利捉拿这个负隅顽抗的英国首领。但他们的算盘又打错了，赫里沃德很快就放火烧了周围的芦苇，火焰不仅吞噬了巫婆的木台，把巫婆连同修路的工人也一起烧死了。
3. 诺曼大军几乎绝望了，但就在这时，伊利岛上几位不忠的修道士充当了带路党。他们给诺曼大军指引了一条隐秘的小路，可以穿过栅栏直接通向岛上的大本营，他们开出的条件是岛上的修道院里的僧众在大军开进之后能被赦免。沿着这条羊肠小道，一帮诺曼人闯了进去，对岛上的大本营展开了猛烈的攻击，杀了将近一千人。赫里沃德眼见他的防御木墙被攻破，立即带上他事先选好的随从，穿过泥塘逃跑了。他们一直跑到林肯郡的河边，当时河边正有一帮渔人在船上打渔，而且收获颇丰。
4. 经过打探，赫里沃德得知这帮穷人将会把鱼卖给驻扎在不远处的诺曼骑士团，于是眉头一皱，计上心来。他和他的人躺在这些船的底部，让这些渔人在他们身上盖上稻草。然后再划船前行，就这样慢慢到达了诺曼军营，诺曼人正在那里眼巴巴地等待着他们的晚餐。
5. 渔人们于是上前讨价还价，就在他们谈得热火朝天的时候，赫里沃德和他的人一跃而起，抡起战斧，朝着这帮诺曼骑士砍去。被砍死的不少，剩下的自然拔腿就跑。缴获的马匹可让赫里沃德和他的战士们高兴极了，于是他和众人骑上马，怀揣着大功告成的喜悦，绝尘而去。据说后来赫里沃德娶了一位很有钱的英国女人做妻子，还和征服者威廉成了很好的朋友。