And I think, as he allowed that parting shot, so full of pained sincerity and wiseguy irony, Becket must have made the sign of the cross. Thomas Becket's ship came into the harbour at Sandwich, probably on the morning of December 1st, 1170, and was greeted not only by a throng of poor people but by three royal officials armed to the teeth. As the stones of Canterbury came into sight, he got off his horse, took off his boots and walked barefoot the rest of the way through anthem-singing crowds of devotees. And when he arrived home, Thomas Becket did what he said he would do to all those who had opposed him during his six years of exile. Shouting the dreaded curse, "May they be damned by Jesus Christ," he excommunicated them.


在我看来，既然他的临别之言，如此痛彻心扉和充满讽刺。贝克特肯定已划过十字，打定了主意。大约在1170年12月1日早上，迎接他的不只有一大群穷人，还有三个全副武装的王家官员。当坎特伯雷大教堂进入视线，他下了马，脱掉靴子，光脚穿过唱着圣歌的狂热信徒。他一到家，贝克特就立刻言出必行，对那些在他六年流亡期间的反对者们。他高声恶咒他们 "愿他们遭到主的唾弃"，他把他们逐出了教会。