People and biographies

CANUTE (994-1035)

I . Study the following words:

Grim – мрачный, зловещий, жестокий

Eventually – возможно, окончательно

Ruthless – безжалостный

Battle – битва, сражение, бой

Entire – полный, совершенный, целый, сплошной

Sovereign – монарх, соверен, золотая монета 1 фунт стерлингов

Fierce - жестокий, свирепый, лютый, (амер) неприятный

Merciless – безжалостный

Warrior – боец, воин

Civilized – цивилизованный

Abandon – покидать, предаваться чему-то

Conciliatory – примирительный

Vividly – ярко, живо

Courtier – придворный

To flatter – льстить, обольщать надеждой

Recede – отступать, удалиться, отказываться

II. Read and translate the text.

Canute, called The Great by the Scandinavians, was prob­ably the best ruler in Western Europe in the eleventh century. Born to Sweyn Forkbeard, the grim ruler of Denmark, around the year 994, he eventually became King of both Denmark (1016-1035) and Norway (1028-1035), and, in his last years, also claimed overlordship*¹ of Sweden.

But it was his remarkable conduct as monarch of England (1016—1035) that rendered him the fame his name still enjoys today.*² As a young man, he was a copy of his father, both war­like and ruthless, and prepared to go to any lengths to achieve power. When Ethelred the Unready died in 1016, his son, Edmund Ironside, was elected to succeed him, but this turn of events was not at all acceptable to Canute, who had conquered parts of England; he, too, wanted to rule the realm. After bat­tling it out for several months,*³ Edmund and Canute agreed to divide the kingdom between them, and, when Edmund died, Canute became king of the entire land. It was then his great statue as a sovereign was born.

Once a fierce, merciless warrior, he was transformed, with­in a very short time, into a both wise and firm, but, above all, civilized ruler. Abandoning his heathen ways,*⁴ he adopted Christianity and encouraged the Church to build more schools and monasteries. As a conciliatory gesture,*⁵ he also gave up his Danish bodyguards and saw to it*⁶ that the senior posts of government in England were given to Englishmen.

Such behaviour was, of course, not lost on his subjects*⁷; English and Danes regarded him almost as a god. This is illus­trated most vividly by the famous story about him and the waves. When his courtiers flattered him by saying he was so powerful that he could make the very sea recede on the shore, Canute ordered them to place a chair at the water's edge, knowing full well that he would get his feet wet. As he predict­ed, almost immediately, the waves were splashing heavily over his toes, in spite of his commands to the contrary.* When he understood that nothing could be done, he turned to the courtiers and said, "God is the only king whom all things obey. It is him you should honour.

When he died in 1035, only forty years old, his subjects lost a great king,

Notes:

1. claimed overlordship — объявил себя правителем

2. But it was his remarkable conduct as monarch of England (1016—1035) that rendered him the fame his name still enjoys today. — Но именно тот факт, что он был английским монархом (с 1016 по 1035 г.), принес ему славу, благодаря которой его имя известно и по сей день.

3. after battling it out for several months — после сраже­ний, продолжавшихся несколько месяцев

4. abandoning his heathen ways — отказавшись от своей нехристианской религии

5. as a conciliatory gesture — в знак примирения

6. and saw to it — и позаботился, проследил

7. such behaviour was, of course, not lost on his subjects — все эти действия были отмечены его подданными

8. As he predicted, almost immediately, the waves were splash­ing heavily over his toes, in spite of his commands to the con­trary. — Как он и предполагал, волны тотчас же накрыли его ноги, несмотря на его приказания отойти от суши.