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The Awakening of Europe, 03. A Wealth of Herrings

03. A Wealth of Herrings

"Commerce changes the fate and genius of nations." —T. GRAY.

It has been said that the Crusades did more for the Netherlands than perhaps the Netherlands did for the Crusades. Thousands of ignorant, half-civilised Hollanders left their cold wet homes in the north to feast their eyes on the sunny land of Syria.

From their huts and rude lives they came into contact with great cities, such as Constantinople and Alexandria. They saw houses of marble and Greek statues; they met men of learning and scholars of Greece and Rome. For the first time they saw the use of linen sheets, carpets, soap, and spices. All the refinement and luxury of the East, the golden sunshine, the brilliant dresses, came before the Hollanders and dazzled them—after their dull lives and overcast climate.

They returned home full of new wants. They, too, must have linen sheets and pillow-cases; they too, must make their food pleasant with the spices of the East. They must build more ships to send round to Venice; they must trade by the overland route to the Queen of the Adriatic, and establish closer relations with the East.

Changes, too, passed over the landscape of Holland. The idea of the windmill was brought back from the East. To make their rough winds work, as they blew over the flat land, commended itself to the Hollanders, and very soon hundreds of windmills were working all over the country. To-day they stand in thousands, like sentinels keeping guard over the land. Not only do they pump water, but they saw wood, grind grain, help to load and unload the boats and hoist burdens. Just as the lazy rivers were made to work, so the wind has been made to do its share too. And these mills played a very large part in the commerce that at this time arose in the Netherlands.

It was natural that a people living in constant conflict with the sea should seek their livelihood in fishing and spend much of their time on the water. From the earliest times they were a sea-faring people. "Holland is an island," wrote an old historian, "inhabited by a brave and warlike people, who have never been conquered by their neighbours and who prosecute their commerce on every sea." So the Hollanders built their ships, and fished their creeks and inlets, and did a thriving trade in herrings.

Early in the fourteenth century there lived a man called Beukels. He was unknown and poor, but he made a great discovery, which did much to enrich his country. He found out how to keep herrings by curing them, so that they could be packed in barrels and exported. Herrings were a very valuable food in those days, when the Church demanded much fasting for her members. For a long time the Hollanders kept the herring-fishing to themselves. They sailed across to the British coasts opposite and fished in the bays and inlets of Scotland, and they became rich.

"The foundations of Amsterdam are laid on herring-bones," they used to say of one of their most wealthy towns. So herring-fishery helped to lay the foundation of the wealth of the Netherlands.

But there were soon other sources of wealth. Flax was brought back from Egypt and grown in Holland, until Dutch flax became famous all over Europe. Linen-factories sprang up. Tablecloths, shirts, handkerchiefs, were manufactured. For a long time linen sheets, pillow-cases, and shirts were used only by kings and nobles. They were rough and dark-coloured; but the Dutch studied the art of bleaching, till all over Europe the "finest linen, white as snow," was known as holland. The ground around Haarlem was used largely for this process of bleaching or spreading out the sheets of linen in the sun, till the country looked as if a snowstorm had whitened the earth.

The wool trade, carried on chiefly in the south of the Netherlands, was a source of power, and the Flemish weavers were famous throughout Europe. The towns of Ghent and Bruges had long been centres of importance; they were among the richest towns in Europe. From foreign lands came raw material to be made up here. Every year the famous "Northern Squadron" from Venice visited the neighbourhood; it was the great market-place of English wool, and thrived until that day when Vasco da Gama found the route to India by the Cape of Good Hope. Then, with Venice, the famous cities of Ghent and Bruges fell.

"Grass grew in the fair and pleasant streets of Bruges, and seaweed clustered about the marble halls of Venice." The next city to rise to great importance was Antwerp, which soon became the commercial capital not only of the Netherlands, but of the whole world. This was under Charles V., one of the greatest figures in the early part of the sixteenth century, whom it will be interesting now to know.

03. A Wealth of Herrings 一|财富||鲱鱼 |||Изобилие сельди 03\. ثروة من الرنجة 03. Ein Reichtum an Heringen 03. A Wealth of Herrings 03. A Wealth of Herrings 03. La richesse des harengs 03. Una ricchezza di aringhe 03.豊富なヘリング 03. 풍부한 청어 03. Silkės turtai (A Wealth of Herrings) 03. Bogactwo śledzi 03. A Wealth of Herrings 03. Богатство елочек 03. Bir Servet Herrings 03. Багатство оселедців 03.铁的财富 03. 大量的鯡魚

"Commerce changes the fate and genius of nations." 商业|||命运||天才|| "التجارة تغير مصير وعبقرية الأمم". 「商取引は国の運命と天才を変えます。」 „Comerțul schimbă soarta și geniul națiunilor”. «Торговля меняет судьбу и дух наций». —T. GRAY.

It has been said that the Crusades did more for the Netherlands than perhaps the Netherlands did for the Crusades. ||||||Крестовые походы||||||||||||| ||||||十字军东征||||||||||||| لقد قيل أن الحروب الصليبية قدمت لهولندا أكثر مما فعلت هولندا في الحروب الصليبية. 有人说，十字军东征为荷兰所做的事情也许比荷兰为十字军东征所做的还要多。 Thousands of ignorant, half-civilised Hollanders left their cold wet homes in the north to feast their eyes on the sunny land of Syria. ||无知的||文明的|||||||||||盛宴||||||||叙利亚 ||||цивилизованных|голландцы||||||||||наслаждаться видом||||||||Сирия ترك الآلاف من الهولنديين الجهلة ونصف المتحضر منازلهم الباردة الرطبة في الشمال لتغمر أعينهم على أرض سوريا المشمسة. Migliaia di olandesi ignoranti e semi-civili lasciarono le loro fredde e umide case del nord per godersi la terra soleggiata della Siria.

From their huts and rude lives they came into contact with great cities, such as Constantinople and Alexandria. ||小屋||粗糙|||||||||||君士坦丁堡||亚历山大城 لقد اتصلوا من أكواخهم وحياتهم الوقحة بالمدن العظيمة ، مثل القسطنطينية والإسكندرية. They saw houses of marble and Greek statues; they met men of learning and scholars of Greece and Rome. ||||мраморный|||||||||||||| ||||大理石||||他们|||||||||| رأوا بيوتاً من الرخام وتماثيل يونانية. التقوا برجال متعلمين وعلماء من اليونان وروما. For the first time they saw the use of linen sheets, carpets, soap, and spices. |||||||||льняные простыни|простыни из льна|ковры|мыло|| |||||||||亚麻|床单|地毯|||香料 لأول مرة رأوا استخدام ملاءات الكتان والسجاد والصابون والتوابل. Per la prima volta videro l'uso di lenzuola di lino, tappeti, sapone e spezie. All the refinement and luxury of the East, the golden sunshine, the brilliant dresses, came before the Hollanders and dazzled them—after their dull lives and overcast climate. ||精致|||||||||||裙子||||||目眩神迷||||沉闷|||阴沉| 东方的所有优雅和奢华，金色的阳光，华丽的衣裙，出现在荷兰人面前，令他们目眩——在他们平淡的生活和阴暗的气候之后。

They returned home full of new wants. 彼らは新しい欲求に満ちて家に帰った。他们满载而归，充满了新的需求。 They, too, must have linen sheets and pillow-cases; they too, must make their food pleasant with the spices of the East. |||||||枕头套|枕套||||||||||||| Anche loro devono avere lenzuola e federe di lino; anche loro devono rendere piacevole il loro cibo con le spezie dell'Oriente. 彼らもまた、リネンのシーツと枕カバーを持っている必要があります。彼らもまた、東洋のスパイスで料理を心地よくしなければなりません。他们也必须拥有亚麻床单和枕套；他们也必须用东方的香料使食物变得美味。 They must build more ships to send round to Venice; they must trade by the overland route to the Queen of the Adriatic, and establish closer relations with the East. ||||||发送|||||||||陆路|陆路|||女王|||亚得里亚海||||||| 彼らはヴェネツィアに送るためにもっと多くの船を造らなければなりません。彼らはアドリア海の女王への陸路で交易し、東とのより緊密な関係を確立しなければなりません。他们必须建造更多的船只，送往威尼斯；他们必须通过陆路与亚德里亚女王进行贸易，并与东方建立更紧密的关系。

Changes, too, passed over the landscape of Holland. 荷兰的风景也发生了变化。 The idea of the windmill was brought back from the East. ||||风车|||||| ||||ветряная мельница|||||| 风车的想法是从东方带回来的。风车的概念是从东方带回来的。 To make their rough winds work, as they blew over the flat land, commended itself to the Hollanders, and very soon hundreds of windmills were working all over the country. |||||||||||||受到赞赏||||||||||风车|||||| |||||||||||||рекомендовала себя|||||||||||||||| Gli olandesi si sono convinti a far funzionare i loro venti impetuosi, che soffiavano sulla terra piatta, e ben presto centinaia di mulini a vento sono entrati in funzione in tutto il Paese. 为了利用他们猛烈的风，随着风吹过平坦的土地，这个主意受到了荷兰人的赞赏，很快数百座风车就在全国各地运转起来。 To-day they stand in thousands, like sentinels keeping guard over the land. |||||||哨兵||||| 如今它们如同哨兵一样，成千上万地矗立在土地上守护着。 Not only do they pump water, but they saw wood, grind grain, help to load and unload the boats and hoist burdens. ||||||||锯木头||磨碎|谷物|||||卸货||||举起|负担 Non solo pompano l'acqua, ma segano la legna, macinano il grano, aiutano a caricare e scaricare le barche e a sollevare i pesi. 它们不仅能抽水，还能锯木头、磨碎谷物、帮助装卸船只和吊起重物。 Just as the lazy rivers were made to work, so the wind has been made to do its share too. 流れるプールが機能するようになったのと同じように、風もその役割を果たしています。 And these mills played a very large part in the commerce that at this time arose in the Netherlands. ||磨坊|||||||||||||出现||| 这些磨坊在此时出现在荷兰的商业中发挥了很大的作用。

It was natural that a people living in constant conflict with the sea should seek their livelihood in fishing and spend much of their time on the water. ||||||||||||||||生计||||||||||| ||||||||||||||||средства к существ||||||||||| Denizle sürekli çatışma halinde yaşayan bir halkın geçimini balıkçılıkta araması ve zamanının çoğunu suda geçirmesi doğaldı. 生活在与海洋不断冲突中的人们自然会寻找渔业谋生，并花费大量时间在水上。 From the earliest times they were a sea-faring people. ||самых ранних||||||| ||||||||海洋的| Fin dai tempi più remoti erano un popolo di navigatori. 从 earliest times 开始，他们就是一个海上民族。 "Holland is an island," wrote an old historian, "inhabited by a brave and warlike people, who have never been conquered by their neighbours and who prosecute their commerce on every sea." |||||||历史学家|居住的|||||好战的||||||||||||开展||||| 一位古老的历史学家写道：“荷兰是一个岛屿，居住着勇敢而好战的人，他们从未被邻国征服，并且在每一片海洋上进行贸易。” So the Hollanders built their ships, and fished their creeks and inlets, and did a thriving trade in herrings. |||||||||小溪||小海湾||||||| Così gli olandesi costruirono le loro navi, pescarono i loro torrenti e le loro insenature e fecero un fiorente commercio di aringhe. そこで、オランダ人は船を建造し、小川と入り江を釣り、ニシンの取引を盛んにしました。因此，荷兰人建造了他们的船只，在他们的小溪和海湾捕鱼，并进行了繁荣的鲱鱼贸易。于是，荷兰人建造了他们的船只，捕捞他们的溪流和水道，并在鲱鱼的贸易中繁荣发展。

Early in the fourteenth century there lived a man called Beukels. ||||||||||比凯尔斯在十四世纪初，有一个叫比凯尔斯的人生活着。 He was unknown and poor, but he made a great discovery, which did much to enrich his country. 彼は未知で貧しかったが、彼は素晴らしい発見をし、それは彼の国を豊かにするのに大いに役立った。 He found out how to keep herrings by curing them, so that they could be packed in barrels and exported. ||||||||腌制|它们||||||装箱||桶||出口 Scoprì come conservare le aringhe facendole stagionare, in modo che potessero essere confezionate in barili ed esportate. 彼は、ニシンを樽に詰めて輸出できるように、ニシンを硬化させて保管する方法を見つけました。 Descobriu como conservar os arenques, curando-os, para que pudessem ser embalados em barris e exportados. Herrings were a very valuable food in those days, when the Church demanded much fasting for her members. |||||||||||教会|要求||禁食||| 教会が会員に断食を要求した当時、ニシンは非常に貴重な食べ物でした。 O arenque era um alimento muito valioso naqueles tempos, quando a Igreja exigia muito jejum para os seus membros. For a long time the Hollanders kept the herring-fishing to themselves. 長い間、オランダ人はニシン釣りを自分たちで続けていました。 They sailed across to the British coasts opposite and fished in the bays and inlets of Scotland, and they became rich. |||||||对面的||捕鱼|||海湾||||||||

"The foundations of Amsterdam are laid on herring-bones," they used to say of one of their most wealthy towns. |||阿姆斯特丹|||||鱼骨||||||||||| "Le fondamenta di Amsterdam sono state poste su ossa di aringa", dicevano di una delle loro città più ricche. 「アムステルダムの基礎はニシンの骨の上にあります」と彼らはかつて彼らの最も裕福な町の1つについて言いました。 “阿姆斯特丹的根基是建立在人字形的基础上的，”他们常常这样评价他们最富裕的城镇之一。 So herring-fishery helped to lay the foundation of the wealth of the Netherlands. ||渔业||||||||||| 所以鲱鱼捕鱼业帮助奠定了荷兰财富的基础。

But there were soon other sources of wealth. 但很快就有了其他财富来源。 Flax was brought back from Egypt and grown in Holland, until Dutch flax became famous all over Europe. 亚麻||||||||||||||||| ||||||||||||лен||||| Il lino fu portato dall'Egitto e coltivato in Olanda, finché il lino olandese divenne famoso in tutta Europa. Vlas werd teruggebracht uit Egypte en verbouwd in Nederland, totdat Nederlands vlas beroemd werd in heel Europa. 亚麻从埃及引进并在荷兰种植，直到荷兰的亚麻在整个欧洲都声名远扬。 Linen-factories sprang up. Surgiram as fábricas de linho. Tablecloths, shirts, handkerchiefs, were manufactured. 桌布||手帕|| Скатерти|||| Fabricavam-se toalhas de mesa, camisas, lenços de bolso. For a long time linen sheets, pillow-cases, and shirts were used only by kings and nobles. ||||||||||||||||贵族 They were rough and dark-coloured; but the Dutch studied the art of bleaching, till all over Europe the "finest linen, white as snow," was known as holland. ||||深色的|有色的||||||||漂白|||||||||||||| |||||||||изучали|||||||||||||||||| Erano grezzi e di colore scuro; ma gli olandesi studiarono l'arte del candeggio, finché in tutta Europa il "lino più fine, bianco come la neve" fu conosciuto come Olanda. The ground around Haarlem was used largely for this process of bleaching or spreading out the sheets of linen in the sun, till the country looked as if a snowstorm had whitened the earth. 这|||哈勒姆||||||||||||||||||||||||||雪暴|||| Для отбеливания использовалась в основном земля вокруг Харлема, где льняные простыни раскладывались на солнце и выглядели так, как будто землю выбелила снежная буря. 哈勒姆周围的地面主要用于漂白或在阳光下铺开亚麻布的过程，直到这个国家看起来就像一场暴风雪使大地变白了。

The wool trade, carried on chiefly in the south of the Netherlands, was a source of power, and the Flemish weavers were famous throughout Europe. |羊毛||||||||||||||||||弗拉芒|织工|||| ||||||||||||||||||||ткачи|||| O comércio da lã, efectuado principalmente no sul dos Países Baixos, era uma fonte de poder, e os tecelões flamengos eram famosos em toda a Europa. Торговля шерстью, которая велась в основном на юге Нидерландов, была источником могущества, а фламандские ткачи славились на всю Европу. 羊毛贸易主要在荷兰南部进行，这是一个权力的来源，而佛兰德的织工在整个欧洲都很有名。 The towns of Ghent and Bruges had long been centres of importance; they were among the richest towns in Europe. |||根特||布鲁日|||||||||||||| Le città di Gand e Bruges erano da tempo centri di importanza, tra le più ricche d'Europa. 根特和布鲁日的城镇长期以来一直是重要的中心；它们是欧洲最富有的城镇之一。 From foreign lands came raw material to be made up here. Из чужих стран приходило сырье, которое здесь же и производилось. 来自外国的原材料被运到这里加工。 Every year the famous "Northern Squadron" from Venice visited the neighbourhood; it was the great market-place of English wool, and thrived until that day when Vasco da Gama found the route to India by the Cape of Good Hope. |||||中队||||||||||||||||繁荣发展|||||瓦斯科||达伽马|||||||这个|好望角||| |||||||||||||||||||||процветала|||||||||||||||||| 毎年、ヴェネツィアの有名な「北戦隊」が近隣を訪れました。それはイングリッシュウールの素晴らしい市場であり、ヴァスコダガマが喜望峰によってインドへのルートを見つけたその日まで繁栄しました。 Ежегодно сюда прибывала знаменитая "Северная эскадра" из Венеции, здесь находился большой рынок английской шерсти, который процветал до того дня, когда Васко да Гама нашел путь в Индию через мыс Доброй Надежды. 每年著名的“北方舰队”从威尼斯访问这个地方；这是英格兰羊毛的大市场，一直到达伽马找到霍普海角通往印度的路线的那天，它才繁荣。 Then, with Venice, the famous cities of Ghent and Bruges fell. |||||||根特|||陷落その後、ヴェネツィアとともに、ゲントとブルージュの有名な都市が崩壊しました。 Затем вместе с Венецией пали знаменитые города Гент и Брюгге. 然后，随着威尼斯，著名的根特和布鲁日城市也陷落了。然后，随着威尼斯，著名的根特和布鲁日两座城市也沦陷了。

"Grass grew in the fair and pleasant streets of Bruges, and seaweed clustered about the marble halls of Venice." 草||||||愉快的|||||海藻|成群的||||大厅|| |||||||||||водоросли||||||| "L'erba cresceva nelle belle e piacevoli strade di Bruges, e le alghe si raggruppavano intorno alle sale di marmo di Venezia". "На честных и приятных улицах Брюгге росла трава, а в мраморных залах Венеции - водоросли". “草在美丽宜人的布鲁日街道上生长，海藻聚集在威尼斯的大理石大厅周围。” The next city to rise to great importance was Antwerp, which soon became the commercial capital not only of the Netherlands, but of the whole world. |||||||||安特卫普|||||||||||||||| 次に重要性を増した都市はアントワープでした。アントワープはすぐにオランダだけでなく全世界の商業の中心地になりました。 Следующим по значимости городом стал Антверпен, который вскоре превратился в торговую столицу не только Нидерландов, но и всего мира. 下一个崛起为重要城市的是安特卫普，它很快成为了不仅是荷兰而且是整个世界的商业首都。 This was under Charles V., one of the greatest figures in the early part of the sixteenth century, whom it will be interesting now to know. |是||查理|||||||||||||十六世纪||||||||| 这是在查理五世统治下，他是十六世纪初期最伟大的人物之一，现在了解他将会很有趣。