By Rebecca Morelle, BBC News

媒体英语会带大家一起学习 BBC 撰稿人在报道世界大事时常用到的单词和短语。

Background: 利滋大学的一项研究报道认为中世纪时期的金属盔甲沉重得让士兵难以在沙场上作战，这也可能直接影响到战果。

As weapons became more and more sophisticated in medieval Europe armour also evolved, and by the 15th century soldiers would have been clad top-to-toe in up to 50 kg of bulky steel.

Researchers have always suspected that this would have been tough to move around in. But now with the help of volunteers wearing replica medievalarmour - and a treadmill - they've been able to confirm this.

They found that walking or running in it used up huge amounts of energy, restricted breathing and bore intensepressure on the legs.

The effect was so great the team suspects it could have played a part in France's defeat in the battle of Agincourt.

In this famous conflict of 1415 - despite heavily outnumbering the English - the French were beaten.

The scientists say the fact that the French knights had to trek through a muddy field while wearing their heavy armour - to meet a stationary English line - would have left them so exhausted, it probably led to their downfall.

• armour [´ɑ:mə]   (=armor) n.甲胄，盔甲   (初中英语单词)
• confirm [kən´fə:m]   vt.证实；认可；加强   (初中英语单词)
• running [´rʌniŋ]   a.奔跑的；流动的   (初中英语单词)
• energy [´enədʒi]   n.活力，精力；能力   (初中英语单词)
• pressure [´preʃə]   n.压榨 vt.对...施压力   (初中英语单词)
• conflict [´kɔnflikt, kən´flikt]   n.&vi.战斗；抵触   (初中英语单词)
• despite [di´spait]   prep.尽管   (初中英语单词)
• intense [in´tens]   a.强烈的；紧张的   (高中英语单词)
• medieval [,medi´i:vəl]   a.中古的；中世纪的   (英语四级单词)
• stationary [´steiʃənəri, -neri]   a.固定的；稳定的   (英语四级单词)
• downfall [´daunfɔ:l]   n.落下；垮台   (英语六级单词)