泰西50軼事(二十八)橋上的賀拉提斯 江銘輝 五夢網
泰西50軼事(Fifty Famous Stories Retold)，是永恆的短篇故事，它收集的故事：包括浩瀚歷史的著名英雄和他們的羅曼史，故事內容有勇氣、毅力和情感。故事人物包括拿破崙、羅賓漢，喬治華盛頓、成吉思汗等人。這些故事都是老少咸宜的故事，我將它逐篇翻譯，並配合圖畫，供大家欣賞。
泰西50軼事(二十八)橋上的賀拉提斯
原文及翻譯如下：
Horatius at the Bridge
橋上的賀拉提斯
ONCE there was a war between the Roman people and the Etruscans who lived in the towns on the other side of the Tiber River. Porsena, the King of the Etruscans, raised a great army, and marched towards Rome. The city had never been in so great danger.
從前，羅馬人和居住在台伯河對岸城市的伊特魯凱人發生了一場戰爭。伊特魯凱的國王帕西那召集起大部隊向羅馬進軍。羅馬城從來沒有發生過這樣的危險。
The Romans did not have very many fighting men at that time, and they knew that they were not strong enough to meet the Etruscans in open battle. So they kept themselves inside of their walls, and set guards to watch the roads.
那時，羅馬並沒有很的戰士，他們知道自己還沒有足夠的力量和伊特魯凱人開戰。因此他們便堅守在城牆內，並派衛士看守要道。
One morning the army of Porsena was seen coming over the hills from the north. There were thousands of horsemen and footmen, and they were marching straight towards the wooden bridge which spanned the river at Rome.
一天早晨，他們看見帕西那的軍隊從北面翻山過來了。他們有數千個騎兵和步兵，徑直朝著橫跨在羅馬（台伯）河上的木橋前進。
“What shall we do?”said the white-haired Fathers who made the laws for the Roman people.“If they once gain the bridge, we cannot hinder them from crossing; and then what hope will there be for the town?”
“我們將怎麼辦呢？”為羅馬人制定法律的白髮元老們說，“如果一但他們奪得了那座橋，便不能阻止他們越過來，那麼這座城市還有什麼希望呢？”
Now, among the guards at the bridge, there was a brave man named Horatius. He was on the farther side of the river, and when he saw that the Etruscans were so near, he called out to the Romans who were behind him.
“Hew down the bridge with all the speed that you can! ”he cried.“I,with the two men who stand by me, will keep the foe at bay.”
那時，守橋的士兵們之中有一個勇敢的人，叫做賀拉提斯(圖1)，他守在河的對岸。當他看見伊特魯凱人已經逼近時，對身後的羅馬人大聲地叫著。盡快的把橋砍倒！”他叫道，“我，還有和我站在一起的兩個人將會把敵人擋住。”
圖1：賀拉提斯
Then, with their shields before them, and their long spears in their hands, the three brave men stood in the road, and kept back the horsemen whom Porsena had sent to take the bridge.
然後，他們把盾牌擋在胸前，手裡拿著長矛。這三個勇敢的人站在路中，阻擋著帕西那派來攻橋的騎兵(圖2)。
圖2：這三個勇敢的人站在路中，阻擋著帕西那派來攻橋的騎兵
On the bridge the Romans hewed away at the beams and posts. Their axes rang, the chips flew fast; and soon it trembled, and was ready to fall.
在橋上，羅馬人正砍著橫樑和橋柱。他們的斧頭揮動著，木片迅速落下；很快，橋就開始搖搖晃晃了，眼看就要倒下去。
“Come back! come back, and save your lives!”they cried to Horatius and the two who were with him.
But just then Porsena’s horsemen dashed towards them again.
“Run for your lives! ”said Horatius to his friends “I will keep the road.”
“回來！回來！拯救你們的性命！”他們向賀拉提斯和那兩個人叫道。
但就在那時，帕西那的騎兵們再度衝過來。
“你們逃命吧！”賀拉提斯對他的朋友們說，“我來擋路。”
They turned, and ran back across the bridge. They had hardly reached the other side when there was a crashing of beams and timbers. The bridge toppled over to one side, and then fell with a great splash into the water.
他們二人轉身向這橋的岸上跑。就在他們到達對岸的那一刹那，橋樑和橋柱“嘩”地一聲倒塌了。橋向一邊倒去，濺起了巨大的水花。
When Horatius heard the sound, he knew that the city was safe.
With his face still towards Porsena’s men, he moved slowly backward till he stood on the river’s bank. A dart thrown by one of Porsena’s soldiers put out his left eye; but he did not falter. He cast his spear at the foremost horseman, and then he turned quickly around. He saw the white porch of his own home among the trees on the other side of the stream:And he spoke to the noble river That rolls by the walls of Rome:
當賀拉提斯聽到這響聲時，知道羅馬城已經安全了。
他仍面朝著帕西那的士兵，慢慢地向後退，直到站在了河的堤岸上。帕西那的一個士兵擲出一隻標槍，正中他的左眼，但他沒有倒下去。他將長矛向最前面的騎兵投去，然後迅速地轉過身子。他望著河流對岸的樹叢裡，自己家裡的白色門廊。
他對著那環繞著羅馬城牆高貴的河流說：
“O Tiber! father Tiber!
To whom the Romans pray,
A Roman’s life, a Roman’s arms,
Take thou in charge today.”
“啊，台伯！台伯之父！
羅馬人向你祈求，
一個羅馬人的命運，
一個羅馬人的武器，
今天全部都交給你吧。”
He leaped into the deep, swift stream. He still had his heavy armour on; and when he sank out of sight, no one thought that he would ever be seen again. But he was a strong man, and the best swimmer in Rome. The next minute he rose. He was halfway across the river, and safe from the spears and darts which Porsena’s soldiers hurled after him.
他跳進了深深急流的河中，身上還穿著那沉重的盔甲。當他消失在人們的視野裡，沒有人認為還能再看到他。但他是一個強壯的人，是羅馬最好的游泳健將。幾分鐘後，他浮起來了。他已游到了河的中央了，安全地躲過了帕西那的士兵們向他投擲的長矛和標槍。
Soon he reached the farther side, where his friends stood ready to help him. Shout after shout greeted him as he climbed upon the bank. Then Porsena’s men shouted also, for they had never seen a man so brave and strong as Horatius.
很快，他就游到了河的對岸，他的朋友們早已站在那兒接應了。
當他爬上岸時，迎接他的是一陣又一陣的歡呼聲。接著，帕西那的士兵們也高呼起來，因為他們從沒見過像賀拉提斯這麼勇敢堅強的人。
He had kept them out of Rome, but he had done a deed which they could not help but praise.
As for the Romans, they were very grateful to Horatius for having saved their city.
They called him Horatius Cocles, which meant the“one-eyed Horatius,”because he had lost an eye in defending the bridge; they caused a fine statue of brass to be made in his honour; and they gave him as much land as he could plow around in a day.
他把他們擋住在羅馬的城外，但他所做的事，讓他們不得不給予讚揚。
至於羅馬人，非常感激賀拉提斯拯救了他們的城市。他們稱他為“賀拉提斯‧科克拉斯”，意思是“獨眼的賀拉提斯”，因為他在保衛那座橋時失去了一隻眼睛。
他們鑄造了一座精美的銅像，以紀念他的光榮事蹟；還送給他要在一整天才能犁完的土地。
And for hundreds of years afterwards —
“With weeping and with laughter,
Still was the story told,
How well Horatius kept the bridge
In the brave days of old.”
在幾百年之後：
“有眼淚也有歡笑，
那個故事依然這樣流傳著，
賀拉提斯是如何好好的保衛那座橋樑，
在往昔英勇的歲月裡。”
賀拉提斯簡介
圖3：薩布利西斯橋(本圖摘自維基百科)
西元前509年克魯薩(Clusium)的軍隊進軍羅馬，攻擊羅馬城。集中他的部隊在台伯河旁邊的伊特魯凱，帕西那人突襲並佔領:賈尼科洛山(Janiculum)，嚇壞了羅馬新兵及所有的商店。伊特魯凱駐軍在那裡。帕西那人進一步攻擊龐斯‧薩布利西斯橋(Pons Sublicius)，卻發現那裡的羅馬沿著台伯河彎曲的佈置一條債戰線。 帕西那人也研擬一條戰線對抗，顯然非常成功，他們靠著人數上的優勢，嚇退了羅馬人。帕西那的國王統帥伊特魯里亞的中軍。賀拉提斯是一個貴族，執政官馬庫斯·賀拉提斯‧布爾維魯斯(Marcus Horatius Pulvillus)的姪兒，並在先前的一次戰鬥中失去了一隻眼睛（因此他的綽號叫“柯克萊斯：Cocles” ）。他也被說是一個和阿爾巴龍格(Curiatii of Alba Longa)的古瑞阿提打戰的霍拉提(Horatii)的後裔。
這兩條線遭到封鎖。在一個“相當長的時間” ，右翼羅馬軍的主將瓦勒留和盧克萊修(Valerius and Lucretius)已經在眾目睽睽之下，受傷被帶離戰場，軍隊感到震驚和恐慌，並跑了橋上。敵人伊特魯凱人首先在橋的入口，展開大屠殺，然後想進一步越過橋與羅馬軍廝殺。
發現危險，三名軍官（高階的）肩並肩的站著，讓自己的部隊通過並阻擋敵人的進入。這三個軍官是羅馬軍右翼的指揮官斯布里魯斯‧拉提魯斯(Spurius Lartius)和提圖斯‧哈密尼斯烏斯(Titus Herminius)，職務相當於上校，或准將，和帕布里烏斯‧賀拉提斯(Publius Horatius)，是等級較低的軍官。
橋上的三名軍官忍受劍和弓彈的攻擊，直至羅馬部隊已全部過橋。
在李維的版本持懷疑態度，因為既沒有戰鬥發生，但自己的人，竟然在恐慌襲擊下，扔掉武器，離開自己的崗位。
顯然，羅馬已經把他們整個軍隊的防禦工作交到懦夫的手中，他們不僅沒有辦法守住一個山頭，而且沒有打戰就自動撤退。柯克萊斯是唯一在全軍有勇氣站起來的人，激勵了兩位高極將領的羞恥感，片刻的協助他。
拉提魯斯和哈密尼斯烏斯( Herminius和Lartius) ，他們呼籲賀拉提斯撤退，賀拉提斯知道很難叫敵人不越過來，於是叫羅馬人摧毀橋樑。他的敵人看到他像瘋子，視死如歸。賀拉提斯這時退到一堆被屠殺的人後面。他回敬敵人的一個短槍。最後各地都是臀部被矛刺到受傷的士兵，他聽到喊聲知道橋的對岸已經撕毀了。
他“跳起來與他的武器進入河流，跨.越到對岸，當他出現在岸邊時，並沒有失去他的任何武器。李維的版本有他說出他跳河時的禱告：“台伯河，聖潔的父親，我求你那慈悲的流水接收這些武器和你這個戰士吧，“
受傷的賀拉提斯，被光榮加冕，並在歌唱的人群擁護下帶進城，而民眾湧入街頭來看他。因為他的英勇行為，他的銅像後來被豎立在他民眾會場;他被給予一隻南牛一天才能耕種完的土地。
羅馬的每一個公民給他一天的口糧，因為賀拉提斯現在是殘疾的人，不能依法繼續留在軍隊或擔任公職。