Long ago, a lord’s demesne was the land he kept for himself — the big house and the fields around it that were his to use, not rented out to farmers.

Long ago很久以前，a lord's demesne was the land he kept for himself一位領主的demesne是他留給自己用的土地，the big house and the fields around it that were his to use那棟大宅和周圍的田地都歸他使用，not rented out to farmers不是租給農民的。

In history books it is a legal and land word from medieval times. You will meet it in old novels and maps of manors, not in the shop.

In history books it is a legal and land word from medieval times在歷史書裡，這是一個來自中世紀、跟法律和土地有關的詞。You will meet it in old novels and maps of manors你會在舊小說和莊園地圖裡遇到它，not in the shop不是在店裡。

It looks as if it should sound like “de-mez-nee,” but the s is quiet: it sounds like domain. That is not an accident.

It looks as if it should sound like "de-mez-nee,"看起來好像該唸成「de-mez-nee」，but the s is quiet但那個s是不發音的，it sounds like domain它聽起來像domain。That is not an accident這不是巧合。

Demesne and domain are two English shapes of the same old word, from Latin for “belonging to a lord.” Writers added the s later. It was never really sounded, and it is not part of the original word. They did it partly because another land word, mesne, was in the air, and partly to mark a long vowel, the way isle and aisle do.

Demesne and domain are two English shapes of the same old worddemesne和domain是同一個古字的兩種英語形狀，from Latin for "belonging to a lord."都來自拉丁文裡「屬於領主」的意思，Writers added the s laters是後來作家加上去的。It was never really sounded它從來沒有真的被唸出來過，and it is not part of the original word也不是原本這個字的一部分。They did it partly because another land word, mesne, was in the air他們這麼做，一部分是因為另一個土地相關的字mesne也在流傳，and partly to mark a long vowel一部分是為了標示長母音，the way isle and aisle do就像isle和aisle那樣。

So the spelling is a little dishonest, and the history books kept it anyway.

So the spelling is a little dishonest所以這個拼法有點不老實，and the history books kept it anyway但歷史書還是照樣沿用了下來。