中文导读
《英吉利教会史》完成于 731 年，是比德最重要的著作，也是中世纪早期最杰出的历史写作之一。全书五卷，从恺撒入侵不列颠写到 731 年，以罗马教会的视角叙述英格兰各王国的皈依、修道院的建立和政治事件。
比德的叙事围绕几个关键转折点：597 年奥古斯丁抵达肯特、627 年爱德温受洗、664 年惠特比会议、以及最著名的卡德蒙故事（IV.24）——一个不识字的牧牛人在梦中获得作诗天赋，其《赞美诗》是现存最早的古英语诗歌。
以下收录 A.M. Sellar 1907 年公版英译的关键段落，选自 Project Gutenberg #38326。
Preface — To King Ceolwulf
比德在序言中阐述了他的史学方法——列出史料来源、区分传闻与文献：
I formerly, at your request, most readily sent to you the Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation, which I had lately published, for you to read and judge; and I now send it again to be transcribed, and more fully studied at your leisure.
For if history relates good things of good men, the attentive hearer is excited to imitate that which is good; or if it recounts evil things of wicked persons, none the less the conscientious and devout hearer or reader, shunning that which is hurtful and wrong, is the more earnestly fired to perform those things which he knows to be good, and worthy of the service of God.
My principal authority and aid in this work was the most learned and reverend Abbot Albinus; who, educated in the Church of Canterbury by those venerable and learned men, Archbishop Theodore of blessed memory, and the Abbot Hadrian, transmitted to me by Nothelm, the pious priest of the Church of London, either in writing, or by word of mouth of the same Nothelm, all that he thought worthy of memory that had been done in the province of Kent.
And I humbly entreat the reader, that if he shall find in these our writings anything not delivered according to the truth, he will not lay the blame of it on me, for, as the true rule of history requires, withholding nothing, I have laboured to commit to writing such things as I could gather from common report, for the instruction of posterity.
Book I, Chapter 1 — Of the Situation of Britain
全书开篇——不列颠岛的地理：
Britain, an island in the Atlantic, formerly called Albion, lies to the north-west, facing, though at a considerable distance, the coasts of Germany, France, and Spain, which form the greatest part of Europe. It extends 800 miles in length towards the north, and is 200 miles in breadth, except where several promontories extend further in breadth, by which its compass is made to be 4,875 miles.
The island is rich in grain and trees, and is well adapted for feeding cattle and beasts of burden. It also produces vines in several places, and has plenty of both land and water fowl of various sorts. It is remarkable for springs and rivers abounding in fish, particularly salmon and eels. [...] It has the greatest plenty of salmon and eels; seals are also frequently taken, and dolphins, as also whales; besides many sorts of shell-fish, such as cockles, of which the scarlet dye is made, a most beautiful colour, which never fades with the heat of the sun or the washing of the rain; but the older it is, the more beautiful it becomes.
Book IV, Chapter 24 — Cædmon the Poet
卡德蒙的故事——英格兰文学史上关于诗之起源的最著名的叙述：
There was in the monastery of this abbess a certain brother, marked in a special manner by the grace of God, for he was wont to make songs of piety and religion, so that whatever was expounded to him out of Scripture, he turned ere long into verse expressive of much sweetness and penitence, in English, which was his native language. By his songs the minds of many were often fired with contempt of the world, and desire of the heavenly life. Others of the English nation after him attempted to compose religious poems, but none could equal him, for he did not learn the art of poetry from men, neither was he taught by man, but by God's grace he received the free gift of song.
卡德蒙在牛棚中梦见天使：
Once having done so and gone out of the house where the banquet was, to the stable, where he had to take care of the cattle that night, he there composed himself to rest at the proper time. Thereupon one stood by him in his sleep, and saluting him, and calling him by his name, said, "Cædmon, sing me something." But he answered, "I cannot sing, and for this cause I left the banquet and retired hither, because I could not sing." Then he who talked to him replied, "Nevertheless thou must needs sing to me." "What must I sing?" he asked. "Sing the beginning of creation," said the other.
卡德蒙即席创作的赞美诗——现存最早的古英语诗歌：
Having received this answer he straightway began to sing verses to the praise of God the Creator, which he had never heard, the purport whereof was after this manner: "Now must we praise the Maker of the heavenly kingdom, the power of the Creator and His counsel, the deeds of the Father of glory. How He, being the eternal God, became the Author of all wondrous works, Who being the Almighty Guardian of the human race, first created heaven for the sons of men to be the covering of their dwelling place, and next the earth."
比德对翻译的注解——诗不可直译：
This is the sense but not the order of the words as he sang them in his sleep; for verses, though never so well composed, cannot be literally translated out of one language into another without loss of their beauty and loftiness.
Book V, Chapter 24 — Bede's Autobiographical Sketch
全书的结尾——比德的自述：
Thus much of the Ecclesiastical History of Britain, and more especially of the English nation, as far as I could learn either from the documents of our ancestors, or from the tradition of our elders, or from my own knowledge, I, Bede, the servant of Christ, and priest of the monastery of the blessed apostles Peter and Paul, which is at Wearmouth and Jarrow, have set forth. Having been born in the territory of that monastery, I was given at the age of seven to be educated by the most reverend Abbot Benedict, and afterwards by Ceolfrid, and spending all the remaining time of my life in that monastery, I wholly applied myself to the study of Scripture, and amidst the observance of regular discipline, and the daily care of singing in the church, I always took delight in learning, or teaching, or writing.
I have also made a book of Hymns in several metres and rhythms, [...] and also a book of Epigrams in heroic and elegiac verse. [...] I have written a book on the nature of things, and one on the chronology of the ages, [...] I have also written a history of the lives and passions of the saints.