L12

fair play, play that follows the rules, fairness, treatment that is fair and just
Archbishop, chief bishop 大主教
hard-headed, realistic
clap-trap, pretentious or empty speech
incompatible, not in harmony or agreement
Text
2 The King's aim has been perfectly consistent. During the reign of the late Queen Matilda and the irruption of the unhappy usurper Stephen, the kingdom was very much divided. Our King saw that the one thing needful was to restore order: to curb the excessive powers of local government, which were usually exercised for selfish and often for seditious ends, and to systematise the judiciary. There was utter chaos: there were three kinds of justice and three kinds of court: that of the King, that of the Bishops, and that of the baronage. I must repeat one point that the last speaker has made. While the late Archbishop was Chancellor, he whole-heartedly supported the King's designs: this is an important point, which, if necessary, I can substantiate. Now the King intended that Becket, who had heretofore himself an extremely able administrator -- no one denies that -- should unite the offices of Chancellor and Archbishop. No one would have grudged him that ; no one than he was better qualified to fill at once these two most important posts. Had Becket concurred with the King's wishes, we should have had an almost ideal State: a union of spiritual and temporal administration, under the central government. I knew Becket well, in various official relations; and I may say that I have never known a man so well qualified for the highest rank of the Civil Service. And what happened? The moment that Becket, at the King's instance, had been made Archbishop, he resigned the office of Chancellor, he became more priestly than the priests, he ostentatiously and offensively adopted an ascetic manner of life, he openly abandoned every policy that he had heretofore supported; he affirmed immediately that there was a higher order than that which our King, and he as the King's servant, had for so many years striven to establish; and that -- God knows why -- the two orders were incompatible.
Skills:
When you speak or write, always try to flatter and disarm the audience or reader. These two skills are useless in argument, but they are very powerful in motivation and persuasion.
grudge, to be reluctant to give ቤተ መጻሕፍቲ ባይዱr admit
concur, have the same idea
temporal, secular, worldly
ostentatiously, pretentious or excessive
ascetic, play restrict self-denial, esp. in religion
Analysis
Because the kingdom was in a divided state of chaos, the king was to restore order — to curb the excessive power of local government, to systematise judiciary, and to have a union of spiritual and temporal administration under the central government. Because Becket had whole-heartedly supported the King's designs, and in various official relations showed that he was very well qualified to fill the posts of Chancellor and Archbishop. However, when the King appointed him Archbishop, he resigned the office of Chancellor, and affirmed immediately that there was a higher order than that of the King's. The logic seems perfectly right. But we don't know why Becket did this. Was he at his free will or was he reluctant to do, for example was ordered to do?
seditious, causing to rebel
systemise, formulate to system
judiciary, of the administration or justice
baronage, 男爵辈;男爵勋位
substantiate, support with proof or evidence
译文
1 首先，我想再讲一下我们的领导，吴哲讲的，你们是英国人，所以你们总是同情失败者。这就是英国人公平竞争的精神。我非常敬佩我们可敬的大主教。人家一直把他当成彻底的失败者。但这是真的吗？我不打算煽动你们，只和你们讲讲道理。我知道，你们都是务实而精明的人。不会掉进感情的圈子。所以我请你们冷静地考虑一下，主教的目的是什么，亨利国王的目的又是什么。全部事件的关键，就在对这两个问题的回答之中。
curb, check, restrain
Stephen, Matilda's cousin Stephen who seized the throne in 1135 on the death of Henry I. In 1139, Matilda, aided by her half brother Robert, captured Stephen and recovered the throne.
Analysis of the text
1 I should like first to recur to a point that was very well put by our leader, Reginald [`redVidnEld] Fitz Urse [E:z]: that you are Englishmen and therefore your sympathies are always with the under dog. It is the English spirit of fair play. [He flatters] Now the worthy Archbishop, whose good qualities I very much admired, [disarms the reader, and sets the tone of his argument] has throughout been presented as the under dog. But is this really the case? I am going to appeal not to your emotions but to your reason. You are hard-headed sensible people [flatters] , as I can see, and not to be taken in by emotional clap-trap. I therefore ask you to consider soberly: what were the Archbishop's aims?" and what are King Henry's aims? In the answer to these questions lies the key to the problem. [establishes the lines along which he will proceed]