Heavy Metal 重盔甲壓倒騎士
Heavy Metal 重盔甲壓倒騎士
By Rebecca Morelle, BBC News
King Henry V with his troops before the battle of Agincourt in a BBC drama
媒體英語會帶大家一起學習 BBC 撰稿人在報道世界大事時常用到的單詞和短語。
Background: 利滋大學的一項研究報道認為中世紀時期的金屬盔甲沉重得讓士兵難以在沙場上作戰，這也可能直接影響到戰果。
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As weapons became more and more sophisticated in medieval Europe armour also evolved, and by the 15th century soldiers would have been clad top-to-toe in up to 50 kg of bulky steel.
Researchers have always suspected that this would have been tough to move around in. But now with the help of volunteers wearing replica medieval armour - and a treadmill - they've been able to confirm this.
They found that walking or running in it used up huge amounts of energy, restricted breathing and bore intense pressure on the legs.
The effect was so great the team suspects it could have played a part in France's defeat in the battle of Agincourt.
In this famous conflict of 1415 - despite heavily outnumbering the English - the French were beaten.
The scientists say the fact that the French knights had to trek through a muddy field while wearing their heavy armour - to meet a stationary English line - would have left them so exhausted, it probably led to their downfall.
Glossary 詞匯表 (收聽發音, 請單擊英語單詞)
- to be clad top-to-toe in (something)從腳到頭都被（什么東西）包住了
- bulky笨重的
- tough困難的
- a treadmill跑步機
- to restrict限制
- to play a part in (something)在（什么事情）扮演一個角色或起作用
- to outnumber數量上超過
- to trek爬山涉水
- to be exhausted被累壞了
- a downfall毀滅，失敗
