英國語文第六冊(雙語):解放萊頓(3)

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It was resolved that a sortie, in conjunction with the operations of Boisot, should be made against Lam'men with the earliest dawn. Night descended upon the scene—a pitch-dark night, full of anxiety to the Spaniards, to the Arma'da, to Leyden. Strange sights and sounds occurred at different moments to bewilder the anxious sentinels. A long procession of lights issuing from the fort was seen to flit across the black face of the waters, in the dead of night; and the whole of the city wall between the Cowgate and the town of Burgundy fell with a loud crash. The horror-struck citizens thought that the Spaniards were upon them at last; the Spaniards imagined the noise to indicate a desperate sortie of the citizens. Everything was vague and mysterious.

為了配合鮑伊索特將軍的軍事行動，萊頓城的居民們決定在黎明前對拉姆曼城堡展開一次突圍。夜幕逐漸降臨，在這樣漆黑一片的夜晚，西班牙人、阿爾瑪達(dá)號和萊頓城全都焦急地等待著。不時出現(xiàn)令人奇怪的景象和聲音，每每這時，焦急的哨兵總會受到迷惑。拉姆曼城堡上射出一束長光在這死寂般的夜晚下掠過黑漆漆的水面，連接考蓋特和勃艮第之間的整面墻壁隨著一聲巨響，轟然倒塌。驚恐萬分的萊頓居民以為西班牙人最終向他們逼近，而西班牙人則以為市民要發(fā)起最后的誓死突圍。一切都變得朦朧而又神秘。

Day dawned at length after the feverish night, and the admiral prepared for the assault. Within the fortress reigned a death-like stillness, which inspired a sickening suspicion. Had the city indeed been carried in the night? had the massacre already commenced? had all this labour and audacity been expended in vain?

在經(jīng)歷了緊張難熬的一夜之后，天終于亮了，此時荷蘭艦隊(duì)已經(jīng)做好了發(fā)動進(jìn)攻的準(zhǔn)備。城堡內(nèi)依舊是死一般的寂靜，而這死一般的寂靜讓人覺得十分不妙，居民們疑心四起：萊頓城已經(jīng)在晚上被占領(lǐng)了嗎？大屠殺已經(jīng)開始了嗎？所有的努力和拼搏就這樣白費(fèi)了嗎？

Suddenly a man was descried wading breast-high through the water from Lammen towards the fleet, while at the same time one solitary boy was seen to wave his cap from the summit of the fort. After a moment of doubt, the happy mystery was solved. The Spaniards had fled panic-struck during the darkness. Their position would still have enabled them, with firmness, to frustrate the enterprise of the patriots; but the hand of God, which had sent the ocean and the tempest to the deliverance of Leyden, had struck her enemies with terror likewise.

突然間，人們看見有一個人正穿過萊頓城下齊胸高的河水向艦隊(duì)游去。與此同時，人們還看到城堡的堡頂上站著一個孤獨(dú)的小男孩正揮舞著他的帽子。片刻猶豫后謎底終于揭曉，西班牙人已經(jīng)在夜晚之時驚慌逃竄了，正是他們固守陣地的決心摧毀了愛國者們的事業(yè)，正是曾派來了海洋和暴風(fēng)雨來拯救萊頓城的上帝之手用恐懼擊潰了敵人。

The lights which had been seen moving during the night were the lanterns of the retreating Spaniards; and the boy who was now waving his triumphant signal from the battlements had alone witnessed the spectacle. So confident was he in the conclusion to which it led him, that he had volunteered at daybreak to go thither alone.

人們在晚上看見的移動的燈光正是西班牙人撤退時使用的提燈，而正站在城垛上揮舞著帽子、給大家發(fā)出勝利信號的小男孩是唯一一個目擊者。他堅(jiān)定地判斷出事情始末，并決定在破曉時分獨(dú)自到達(dá)對岸發(fā)出信號。

The magistrates, fearing a trap, hesitated for a moment to believe the truth, which soon, however, became quite evident. Val'dez, flying himself from Ley'derdorp, had ordered Colonel Borgia to retire with all his troops from Lammen.

而萊頓的行政官卻擔(dān)心這是一個陷阱，他們猶豫片刻最終選擇相信。而不久后真相徹底浮出水面，因?yàn)槲靼嘌缽娜R德羅普逃走的指揮官瓦爾德茲已經(jīng)下令讓博爾吉亞上校率領(lǐng)所有的軍隊(duì)從拉姆曼撤退。

Thus the Spaniards had retreated at the very moment that an extraordinary accident had laid bare a whole side of the city for their entrance! The noise of the wall as it fell only inspired them with fresh alarm; for they believed that the citizens had sallied forth in the darkness to aid the advancing flood in the work of destruction.

一場突如其來的意外致使萊頓城的某一面變得毫無遮掩、為西班牙人大大敞開，而西班牙人就在這樣一個特殊的時刻選擇了撤退，墻面倒塌時發(fā)出的轟隆聲讓他們恐慌無比，他們以為萊頓城的居民們要從黑暗里沖殺出來助洶涌的洪水一臂之力。

All obstacles being now removed, the fleet of Boisot swept by Lammen, and entered the city on the morning of the 3rd of October. Leyden was relieved!

此時所有的障礙都被清除了，鮑伊索特將軍的艦隊(duì)開到了萊頓，并于1574年10月3日的清晨進(jìn)入萊頓城，至此被困的萊頓城終于獲得解圍！

—J. L. Motley

——J·L·莫特雷