As long ago as the fourteenth century, an Englishman, Sir John Hawkwood, made the remarkable discovery that people would rather pay large sums of money than have their life work destroyed by gangsters. 600 years ago, Sir John Hawkwood arrived in Italy with a band of soldiers and settled near Florence. He soon made a name for himself and came to be known to the Italians as Giovanni Acuto.

　　4. As long ago as the fourteenth century, an Englishman, Sir John Hawkwood, made the remarkable discovery that people would rather pay large sums of money than have their life work destroyed by gangsters.

　　早在14世纪,英国人约翰.霍克伍德就有过非凡的发现:"人们情愿拿出大笔的钱,也不愿毕生的心血毁于歹徒之手。

　　语言点1:句子结构分析:as long ago as the forteenth century作时间状语，强调是发生在很久以前的事情。Sir John Hawkwood是an Englishman的同位语，起解释说明的作用。That引导同位语从句，解释说明discovery的具体作用。

　　语言点2:as long ago as的意思是“追溯到”，相当于date from,date back to,trace back to。

　　5. 600 years ago, Sir John Hawkwood arrived in Italy with a band of soldiers and settled near Florence.

　　600年前,约翰.霍克伍德爵士带着一队士兵来到意大利,在佛罗伦萨附近驻扎下来。

　　语言点:句子结构分析:six hundred years ago为时间状语。With a band of soldiers作伴随状语，交代“带着什么到达意大利”。

　　6. He soon made a name for himself and came to be known to the Italians as Giovanni Acuto.

　　很快就出了名。意大利人叫他乔凡尼.阿库托。

　　语言点:句子结构分析:and连接两个简单句，让句子变得更加紧凑，容易理解。