A day in the life of a Cossack warrior - Alex Gendler

翻译人员: Carol Wang 校对人员: Shanshan (Alice) Lin

Despite a serene sunset on the Dnipro river,

虽然聂伯河上的落日十分宁静，

the mood is tense for the Zaporozhian Cossacks.

扎波罗热哥萨克人依然情绪紧张。

The year is 1676, and the Treaty of Żurawno has officially ended hostilities

时值 1676 年， 茹拉夫诺条约签订

正式终结了波兰立陶宛联邦 和奥斯曼帝国间的敌对关系。

between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Ottoman Empire.

But as Stepan and his men ride towards their stronghold,

但当史戴潘与他的人马 朝他们的据点前进时，

peace is far from their minds.

就没想过“和平”二字。

Having made their home in the Wild Fields north of the Black Sea,

在黑海北方的大草原定居之后，

these cossacks— derived from a Turkic word for "free man"—

这些哥萨克人 —— 来自突厥语"自由人"一词 ——

are renowned as one of Europe’s most formidable military forces.

成为了一支闻名欧洲的 让人畏惧的强劲之旅。

Composed of hunters, fishermen, nomads and outlaws,

这些哥萨克人由猎人、渔民、 游牧民族和亡命徒组成，

the Cossacks found freedom in these fertile unclaimed lands.

在这些无人认领的沃土上， 他们找到了自由。

Yet this freedom has proven increasingly difficult to maintain.

可是，这自由越来越难以维持，

Their decades-long strategy of shifting alliances between Poland and Moscow

在波兰和莫斯科之间 长达数十年变换同盟关系的战略，

has led to the partitioning of their lands.

导致他们的土地被分割。

In a desperate bid to reclaim independence and reunite the fractured Cossack state,

他们不顾一切地想要恢复独立 并使破碎的哥萨克重新统一，

their most recent leader, hetman Petro Doroshenko allied with the Ottoman Empire.

新领导人盖特曼·多罗申科指挥官 和奥斯曼帝国结为同盟。

This alliance successfully freed the Zaporozhian Cossacks

这个联盟成功地解放了 西方被波兰统治的札波罗结哥萨克人，

in the west from Polish dominion, but their victory was a bitter one.

但这场胜利也付出了惨重代价。

Doroshenko’s Ottoman allies ravaged the countryside,

多罗申科的奥斯曼盟友劫掠乡间，

carrying off peasants into slavery.

抓走农夫、迫其为奴。

And outrage at allying with Muslims against fellow Christians

因为多罗申科和穆斯林结盟 来对抗基督教徒引发众怒，

cost him any remaining local support.

致使他失去了原有的当地支持。

Now, with Doroshenko deposed and exiled,

多罗申科被罢免、放逐，

the Cossacks are at odds, disagreeing on what their next move should be.

哥萨克人四分五裂， 对下一步行动难以达成共识。

Until then, Stepan must keep order.

在达成共识之前， 史戴潘必须维持秩序。

With his musket and curved saber, he cuts an imposing figure.

他带着毛瑟枪和弧形军刀， 塑造了使人印象深刻的形象。

He surveys his battalion of 180 men.

他调查了自己的 180 人营队，

Most are Orthodox Christians and speak a Slavic language

大部分是东正教基督徒，

讲斯拉夫语，即现代的乌克兰语。

that will become modern Ukrainian.

But there are also Greeks, Tatars, and even some Mongolian Kalmyks,

但是也有希腊人、鞑靼人， 甚至一些蒙古卡尔梅克人，

many with different opinions on recent events.

很多人对当时的局势 持着不同的意见。

Officially, all of Stepan’s men have sworn to uphold the Cossack code

理论上，所有史戴潘的人 都要宣誓遵守哥萨克法典，

by undergoing seven years of military training and remaining unmarried.

接受七年军事训练，并保持未婚。

In practice, some are part-timers, holding more closely to their own traditions,

但实际上，有些人是兼差的， 更倾向于遵从他们自己的传统，

and maintaining families in nearby villages, outside Cossack lands.

并在哥萨克土地外 附近的村庄里成立家庭。

Thankfully, the tenuous peace is not broken before they reach the Sich—

值得庆幸的是，在到达塞契前， 脆弱的和平并没有被打破——

the center of Cossack military life.

塞契是对哥萨克 军事生活中心的称呼。

Currently located at Chortomlyk,

目前赛契设在乔尔托姆利克，

the Sich’s location shifts with the tide of military action.

但会随着军事行动而迁址。

The settlement is remarkably well- organized, with administrative buildings,

这个定居地的组织良好， 设有行政大楼、

officers’ quarters, and even schools, as Cossacks prize literacy.

军官的总部，甚至学校， 因为哥萨克人很重视识字。

Stepan and his men make their way to the barracks where they live and train

史戴潘和他的人马抵达了 他们居住和训练的兵营，

alongside several other battalions or kurins,

营中还有数支其他军队，

all of which make up a several hundred man regiment.

每支军队都是数百人的军团。

Inside, the men dine on dried fish, sheep’s cheese, and salted pork fat—

在营中，大家吃的是晒干的鱼、 羊乳起司、咸猪肥肉 ——

along with plenty of wine.

还有许多葡萄酒。

Stepan instructs his friend Yuri to lighten the mood with his bandura.

史戴潘指示他的朋友尤里 用班杜拉琴来活跃气氛。

But before long, an argument has broken out.

但不久就起了争执。

One of his men has raised a toast to Doroshenko.

他的手下之一举杯敬多罗申科，

Stepan cuts him off.

史戴潘阻止了他。

The room is silent until he raises his own toast to Ivan Sirko,

房间中一片寂静， 直到他举杯致敬伊万·西尔科，

the new hetman who favors an alliance with Moscow against the Turks.

一名新的指挥官， 倾向与莫斯科结盟对抗突厥人。

Stepan plans to support him, and he expects his men to do the same.

史戴潘打算要支持他， 他也期望自己的手下会跟进。

Suddenly, one of Sirko’s men rushes in,

突然， 西尔科的一名手下冲进来，

calling an emergency Rada, or general council meeting.

传达要召开紧急拉达， 即全体会议。

Stepan and the others make their way towards the church square—

史戴潘和其他人赶到教堂广场——

the center of Sich life.

塞契生活的中心地点。

Ivan Sirko welcomes the confused crowd with exciting news—

伊万西尔科向困惑的人群 宣布了振奋人心的消息——

scouts have located a large Ottoman camp completely vulnerable on one side.

侦察兵发现一大型奥斯曼营地， 且营地一侧的防守特别薄弱。

Sirko vows that tomorrow, they will ride against their common enemy,

西尔科誓言，明天， 他们要出征对抗他们共同的敌人，

defend the Cossacks’ autonomy, and bring unity to the Wild Fields.

保卫哥萨克的自治权， 并一统乌克兰原野。

As the men cheer in unison,

当大家一致欢呼时，

Stepan is relieved at their renewed sense of brotherhood.

这种重新找回的兄弟情感 让史戴潘松了一口气。

Over the next 200 years, these freedom fighters would take on many foes.

在接下来的两百年里， 这些自由斗士会面对许多敌手。

And tragically,

他们曾经对抗过俄国政府，

they would eventually become the oppressive hand of the Russian government

但不幸的是，

他们最后会成为 俄国政府镇压施政的帮手。

they once opposed.

But today, these 17th century Cossacks

但现今，大家记得这些 十七世纪的哥萨克人，

are remembered for their spirit of independence and defiance.

是因为他们的独立与反抗精神。

As the Russian painter Ilya Repin once said:

俄国画家伊利亚·列宾曾说过：

“No people in the world held freedom, equality, and fraternity so deeply.”

“世界上没有其他人对自由、 平等和友爱抱着如此深切的感情。 ”