The definitive English version of the stories of King Arthur, Le Morte Darthur was completed in 1469-70 by Sir Thomas Malory, `knight-prisoner'. In a resonant prose style, Malory charts the tragic disintegration of the fellowship of the Round Table, destroyed from within by warring factions. Recounting the life of King Arthur, the knightly exploits of Sir Lancelot du Lake, Sir Tristram, Sir Gawain, and the quest for the Holy Grail, Le Morte Darthur depicts the contradictions that underscore the Fellowship's chivalric ideals. A pervading tension cumulates in the revelation of Lancelot and Guenivere's illicit passion, and in Arthur's powerlessness to prevent a related outbreak of violence and revenge. This generously annotated edition is based on the authoritative Winchester manuscript and represents what Malory wrote more closely than the first version printed by William Caxton. Intelligently abridged from the original to make a single substantial volume, the translation is supplemented by a fine Introduction, a Glossary, and extensive Notes

托马斯•马洛礼

（1416？—1471）

中世纪骑士

出生于优渥的英格兰士绅家庭

25岁受封骑士，29岁当选沃里克郡国会议员

之后几度陷入金雀花王朝的政治博弈以及玫瑰战争

经历多次牢狱颠沛后，专心撰写《亚瑟王之死》

1470年3月，在伦敦监狱完成 手稿，隔年3月身故

.........................

陈才宇

浙江磐安人，译者、古英语及中古英语教授

译著有《贝奥武甫》《金色笔记》《失乐园》等