An old word for a whole class of people in Britain: the farmers who owned the land they worked. That last part is the point of the word.

in Britain在英國 An old word一個古老的詞 for a whole class of people指的是一整個階級的人: the farmers那些農民 who owned擁有 the land they worked他們耕種的土地. That last part這最後一部分 is就是 the point of the word這個詞的重點.

Below them were people who farmed someone else's land and paid rent; above them were the gentry and the nobles, who owned land but did not push a plough themselves. The yeomanry sat in the middle — small, independent, not rich but not poor, and famous in English writing for being solid, plain-speaking and stubbornly free.

Below them在他們之下 were people是那些人 who farmed someone else's land耕種別人的土地 and paid rent並繳租; above them在他們之上 were the gentry and the nobles則是仕紳和貴族 who owned land他們擁有土地 but did not push a plough themselves但自己不下田耕作. The yeomanry自耕農階層 sat in the middle位居中間——small, independent規模小、獨立自主, not rich but not poor不富也不貧, and famous in English writing且在英國文學裡出了名 for being solid, plain-speaking and stubbornly free以樸實、直言不諱和頑強愛自由著稱.

The word is a collective one: it names the group, not one man. One of them is a yeoman; all of them together are the yeomanry. It takes 'the' almost always — 'the yeomanry of England'.

The word這個詞 is a collective one是一個集合名詞: it names the group它指的是整個群體, not one man不是某一個人. One of them他們當中的一個 is a yeoman是一個yeoman(自耕農); all of them together全部合起來 are the yeomanry就是yeomanry. almost always幾乎總是 It takes 'the'它會加上'the' — 'the yeomanry of England''the yeomanry of England'(英格蘭的自耕農階層).

You meet it in history books, in Shakespeare's time and after, and in speeches praising ordinary English people; you do not meet it in ordinary conversation today, and using it about modern farmers would sound like a joke or like a costume drama.

You meet it你會遇到它 in history books在歷史書裡, in Shakespeare's time and after在莎士比亞時代及之後, and in speeches praising ordinary English people以及讚美英國平民的演講裡; you do not meet it你不會遇到它 in ordinary conversation today在今天的日常對話裡, and using it about modern farmers而如果拿它來說現代農民 would sound like a joke or like a costume drama聽起來會像開玩笑或像古裝劇.

There is a second use worth knowing, because it is why the word still exists on British army badges: in the 1790s and after, volunteer cavalry units were raised from men who could bring their own horses — mostly this same landowning farming class — and these were called the yeomanry. Some British Army reserve regiments still carry 'Yeomanry' in their names today, long after the horses went.

There is a second use worth knowing有一個值得知道的第二種用法, because it is why因為這正是原因 the word still exists on British army badges這個詞至今仍出現在英國陸軍徽章上: in the 1790s and after在1790年代及之後, volunteer cavalry units志願騎兵部隊 were raised是招募而成的 from men who could bring their own horses從那些能自備馬匹的人 — mostly this same landowning farming class大多正是這同一群擁有土地的農民階級 — and these were called the yeomanry這些人就被稱為yeomanry. Some British Army reserve regiments有些英國陸軍後備團 still carry 'Yeomanry' in their names today今天名字裡仍帶著'Yeomanry', long after the horses went儘管馬早就沒了.