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The dramatic loss of Normandy would dominate John's politics.
诺曼底的失守将主导约翰国王的政治生涯。
For the remainder of his reign, the king desperately wanted to regain the lost territory, not only because he considered it his birthright, but also because the inability to hold it was a personal humiliation for him and the country he led.
在他统治的剩余时间里，国王拼命地想要夺回失去的领土，不仅因为他认为这是他与生俱来的权利，而且因为无法保住这一领土对他本人和他领导的国家来说都是一种耻辱。
The problem was war in the middle ages was expensive, perhaps even more so in relative terms than it is today.
问题是，中世纪的战争代价高昂，相对而言，或许比今天的代价更高。
Since standing armies didn't exist at the time, any proposed French invasion would involve raising and equipping a large body of troops as well as securing naval vessels to transport them across the English channel.
由于当时还没有常备军，任何入侵法国的计划都将涉及筹集和装备大量军队，以及确保海军舰艇将他们运送过英吉利海峡。
Further complicating matters was that in this era, it was a lot easier to defend territory than it was to capture it.
更复杂的是，在这个时代，保卫领土比占领领土容易得多。
The landscape was dotted with castles that dominated the surrounding area ,which could be garrisoned and provisioned to withstand months of siege.
这片土地上点缀着统治周围地区的城堡，这些城堡可以驻扎并配备物资，以抵御数月的围困。
An attacking force would steadily be whittled down by the elements by disease , by battle wounds and that was even before dealing with the possibility of a relief army that could march out to meet them in a pitched battle.
一支进攻部队会因为自然因素，疾病，战伤而逐渐削弱，这还没有考虑到救援部队可能会在一场激战中出征。
All of this meant that once Normandy had fallen to king Philip, it was going to be very very difficult to get it back.
所有这一切意味着，一旦诺曼底落入菲利普国王手中, 要把它夺回来将是非常非常困难的。
All of this might have been overcome had England been led by a charismatic leader or at least a brilliant military commander.
如果英格兰由一位有魅力的领导人或至少是一位才华横溢的军事指挥官领导，所有这些都可能被克服。
Henry II might have been able to do it or Richard I, but John wasn't his father or his brother.
亨利二世或许能够做到这一点，或许理查德一世也可以做到，但约翰王既不是他的父亲，也不是他的兄弟。
He was only a marginal soldier at best competent but not brilliant in the field.
在战场上，他充其量只是个微不足道的士兵，并不出色。
As for charisma he seemed to possess the exact opposite of that people were repelled by him, especially the nobles.
至于魅力，他似乎拥有的恰恰相反，人们被他拒之门外，特别是贵族。
Few of England's barons didn't gain anything by a campaign in Normandy hardly any of them owned land in France.
在诺曼底的一场战役中，英格兰的贵族们几乎没有什么收获，他们中几乎没有一个人在法国拥有土地。
In fact, they were increasingly jealous of the expatriate French nobles who'd been displaced by the war and had assumed positions of power in John's court.
事实上，他们越来越嫉妒移居海外的法国贵族，他们因战争而流离失所，却在约翰的宫廷中占据了权力地位。
They felt that since Normandy had never been part of England in the first place merely ruled jointly by the same monarch.
他们觉得，因为诺曼底从一开始就不是英格兰的一部分，只是由同一个君主共同统治。
That they shouldn't have to spend their treasure or their blood, trying to get it back, especially not on behalf of a king they were growing to despise.
他们不应该花费他们的财富或流淌他们的鲜血，试图夺回这块土地，尤其是不应该代表一个他们越来越鄙视的国王去夺回。
John for his part, despised the noble's right back.
约翰也鄙视贵族。
He was exceptionally paranoid that any of them might grow powerful enough to challenge him.
他特别偏执地认为，他们中的任何一个人都可能变得足够强大，足以挑战他。
He attempted to squeeze them for the money he needed to conduct campaigns in Normandy through any means he could come up with.
他试图通过他能想到的任何方法，从他们那里榨取他在诺曼底开展战役所需的资金。
Taxes levied on noblemen by john included Scutage, a cash payment made to avoid mandatory military service,
约翰向贵族征收的税包括:为避免服兵役而支付的现金、
inheritance taxes on lands, castles and noble titles, import and export levies on goods shipped through English ports, even forcing widowed women to pay a tax to the crown to avoid being forcibly remarried.
对土地、城堡和贵族头衔的遗产税、对通过英国港口运输的货物征收的进出口税，甚至强迫寡妇向王室缴纳税款，以避免被强制再婚。
These levies combined to put much of the English nobility deeply in debt to the crown which John then used to control them.
这些税加在一起，让英国贵族深深欠下了约翰用来控制他们的王权的债。
His favorites could have their debts forgiven while those who displeased him could be deprived of their lands and their titles.
他最喜欢的人的债务可以被免除，而那些不喜欢他的人会被剥夺土地和头衔。
John's eye for money didn't just fall on the nobles either.
约翰不仅仅收取贵族的金钱。
He also sold royal officers including sheriffs to the highest bidder.
他还把包括郡长在内的皇家军官卖给了出价最高的人。
He established import and export fees on goods shipped through English ports.
他规定了通过英国港口运输的货物的进出口费用。
England's population of Jews, which were permitted to live and do business in the country only at the pleasure of the king, were heavily taxed a common practice when monarchs found themselves short of cash.
英格兰的犹太人只有在国王乐意的情况下才被允许在该国生活和经商，他们被征收重税，这是君主发现自己缺钱时的常见做法。
You'd think that with all of this money flowing in king john would be able to seize back his lost territory in spite of the reluctance of his nobles to follow him into war.
你可能会认为，尽管贵族们不愿跟随他参加战争，但有了这些流入的资金，约翰国王就能夺回他失去的领土。
Ah, if only it was that easy.
啊，要是有那么简单就好了。
