TheStoryofEnglish.doc

The Story of English: Norman Influence
1066年诺曼底公爵威廉率军数千人，穿过英吉利海峡，征服了英国。威廉的胜利，不仅影响了以后的整个英国历史，而且对英语的发展也产生了重大的影响……
The Norman invasion（入侵）of England in AD 1066 had great influences on the English language. The invasion was led by William the Conqueror. With his victory, William brought in great numbers of French. These French occupied the country after driving out their English owners. The English were reduced to workers, servants, and even slaves. England became a three-language country, with the upper classes speaking French, church officials speaking Latin, and the lower classes speaking English.
For the next several generations（代）very little English was written. French and Latin were the languages of religion（宗教）, law, science, literature, and fashion. Still, there were far more English speakers than Normans. Why didn’t French disappear? Because for many years the Normans in England kept close ties with their country folk in France. Some nobles owned land in both countries, and the kings of England also ruled a large part of France. These contacts kept French alive and active in England.
Then why didn’t the opposite happen — why didn’t English gradually disappear? The first reason is intermarriage （通婚）. Almost from the beginning Norman soldiers and even wealthy people found English wives. Within a few generations the two peoples mixed and became one people. The second reason is that King John managed to lose his French lands in about AD 1200, thus breaking the tie between England and France.
Thus, the English language held its own and began to rise. By AD 1300, English was again what people spoke on a daily basis, with a small minority who spoke only French. But it was a far different English from what was spoken when the Normans first arrived.