A villein was a kind of farm worker in Europe in the Middle Ages, roughly from a thousand years ago to about five hundred years ago. A rich lord owned a large piece of land. He let a villein use a small part of it — a field to grow food on, a small house — and in return the villein had to work the lord's own land for a set number of days, hand over part of the harvest, and pay fees at certain times.

A villein was villein是 a kind of farm worker中世紀歐洲的一種農民 in Europe in the Middle Ages大約 roughly from a thousand years ago to about five hundred years ago從一千年前到五百年前左右 A rich lord owned a large piece of land一個富有的領主擁有一大片土地 He let a villein use a small part of it他讓一個villein使用其中一小部分 a field to grow food on一塊種糧食的田 a small house一間小房子 and in return而作為交換 the villein had to work the lord's own land for a set number of days這個villein得為領主自己的地工作固定的天數 hand over part of the harvest交出一部分收成 and pay fees at certain times並在特定時候繳費

Here is the part students find hardest to believe: the villein was not a slave, but he was not free either. He could own things, he could go to court, he could not be bought and sold on his own like an object. But he could not leave. He could not move to another village, marry, or send his son away to learn a trade without the lord's permission. And if the lord sold the land, the villein went with it — he belonged to the land, not to a person. So he sat in the middle, between a slave and a free farmer, and most of the people in medieval England lived exactly there.

Here is the part students find hardest to believe這是學生最難相信的一部分 the villein was not a slavevillein不是奴隸 but he was not free either但他也不是自由人 He could own things他可以擁有財產 he could go to court他可以上法庭 he could not be bought and sold on his own like an object他不能像個物品一樣被單獨買賣 But he could not leave但他不能離開 He could not move to another village他不能搬去別的村子 marry結婚 or send his son away to learn a trade或送兒子出去學一門手藝 without the lord's permission而事先沒有領主的允許 And if the lord sold the land而如果領主把地賣了 the villein went with it這個villein就跟著地一起過去 he belonged to the land他是屬於這塊地的 not to a person而不是屬於某個人 So he sat in the middle所以他處在中間 between a slave and a free farmer介於奴隸和自由農民之間 and most of the people in medieval England lived exactly there而中世紀英格蘭大部分的人正是活在這個位置上

This is a history word. You will meet it in history books and museums, not in conversation, and it is rare enough that many native speakers do not know it.

This is a history word這是個歷史用語 You will meet it你會在 in history books and museums歷史書和博物館裡遇到它 not in conversation而不是在對話裡 and it is rare enough that many native speakers do not know it而且罕見到很多母語者都不知道這個字

It sounds exactly like villain, which is not an accident — they are the same word, split in two. English spelled it both ways for centuries and then, quite late, gave the -ein spelling to the farm worker and the -ain spelling to the evil person in the story.

It sounds exactly like villain它聽起來跟villain一模一樣 which is not an accident這不是巧合 they are the same word它們本來是同一個字 split in two後來分成了兩個 English spelled it both ways for centuries英文有好幾百年都兩種拼法混著用 and then, quite late然後很晚才 gave the -ein spelling to the farm worker把-ein這個拼法給了那個農民 and the -ain spelling to the evil person in the story而把-ain這個拼法給了故事裡那個壞人