0 PROLOGUE Robin Hood Becomes an Outlaw

PRLOGUE Robin Hood Becomes an Outlaw Many years ago in England, when good King Henry II sat on the throne, a famous outlaw lived in Sherwood Forest near the town of Nottingham. His name was Robin Hood. No man ever lived who could shoot an arrow like the strong young six-footer with the blazing blue eyes. No friends ever lived like the merry fellows who roamed the forest

许多年前，在英格兰，当善良的国王亨利二世在位时，一个著名的歹徒住在诺丁汉镇附近的舍伍德森林里。 他的名字叫罗宾汉。世上没有人能像这位身高六英尺、有着一双炯炯有神的蓝眼睛的强壮年轻人那样射箭。 没有哪位朋友的生活能像那些在森林里漫游的快乐伙伴那样

with Robin, playing games of archery and hunting deer. The country people loved to tell the story of how Robin became an outlaw. It happened like this. When Robin was just eighteen, the Sheriff of Nottingham offered a prize for the best archer in the land. Robin felt sure he could win, so he picked up his best bow and his best arrows and set off through Sherwood Forest. It was springtime, and the flowers bloomed. The birds sang in the trees, which gladdened Robin's heart. He whistled and hummed as he hurried through the woods. Presently, Robin came upon a group of men beneath an old oak tree. A big man wearing an eye patch hailed him. "Hello, little lad! Where are you going with your toy bow and baby arrows?" That made Robin angry. "My bow and

和罗宾一起玩射箭和打鹿。 乡下人喜欢讲罗宾如何成为亡命之徒的故事。 事情是这样发生的。罗宾18岁时，诺丁汉郡长悬赏全国最好的弓箭手。 罗宾觉得他肯定能赢，所以他拿起他最好的弓和箭，穿过舍伍德森林出发了。 那是春天，花儿开了。 鸟儿在树上唱歌，这使罗宾的心很高兴。 他一边吹着口哨，一边哼着歌匆匆穿过树林。 不久，罗宾在一棵老橡树下遇到了一群人。 一个戴着眼罩的大个子向他打招呼。 “你好，小家伙！”你拿着你的玩具弓和小箭去哪儿？”这让罗宾很生气。 “我的弓和

arrows are as good as yours," he said. "I am going to Nottingham town, where I will compete with other good men for a fine prize." Another man said, "Oh! Listen to the lad! Boy, you're too young to grow a beard, but you brag about competing with good stout men! You're too weak to pull a bowstring!" Robin grew very angry. "Look yonder at that herd of deer. I'll bet you three hundred pounds that I can shoot the strongest buck dead." The man with the eye patch chuckled. "I'll bet you three hundred pounds that you don't hit anything." Robin strung his bow and placed the notch of an arrow over the string. Drawing the feather end back to his ear, he aimed and shot. The arrow flew through the air toward the strongest deer in the herd. It leapt but

箭和你的箭一样好。”他说。 “我要去诺丁汉镇，在那里我要和其他好人竞争一笔好奖金。” 另一个人说：“哦！听这小伙子说的！天哪，你还太小，连胡子都长不起来，可你却吹嘘自己要和健壮的好男人竞争！你太虚弱了，拉不动弓弦！”罗宾非常生气。 “看那边那群鹿。 我跟你赌三百英镑，我能把最强壮的雄鹿射死。” 那个带眼罩的男人咯咯地笑了。 “我跟你赌三百英镑，你什么也打不到。” 罗宾汉把弓系好，在弦上搭了一个箭头的缺口。 他把羽毛末端拉回耳朵，瞄准射击。 箭从空中射向鹿群中最强壮的那只鹿。 它跳了起来，但是

could not dodge the arrow. The deer fell dead to the ground. "Ha!" Robin cried. "How do you like that shot, good fellow? I know what my bet was, and I want my three hundred pounds." Furious, the eye-patch man roared, "I'll pay you nothing. Get out of here before I beat you until you can't walk!"

躲过不了那支箭。 鹿倒在地上死了。 “哈!”罗宾喊道。“老兄，你觉得这一枪怎么样？” 我知道我的赌注是什么，我要回我的三百英镑。” 戴眼罩的人大怒，吼道：“我什么也不给你。 在我把你打得连路都走不动之前，滚出去！”