The myth of Ireland's most infamous love triangle - Iseult Gillespie

翻译人员: Jing Quan 校对人员: Yanyan Hong

After witnessing a bird carrying a single golden hair,

目睹一只鸟叼着一缕金发后，

King Mark of Cornwall declared his future bride must have equally radiant locks.

康沃尔国王马克宣布他未来的新娘 必须拥有同样光彩夺目的秀发。

Unfortunately, the only royal matching this description

不幸的是，唯一与 这种描述相符的皇室成员

was Princess Isolde of Ireland—

是爱尔兰的伊索尔德公主——

Cornwall’s sworn enemy.

康沃尔的死敌。

But the king had a plan to replace this old grudge with new love.

但是国王计划用新的爱情 取代这种旧的怨恨。

He’d heard rumors of a dragon terrorizing Ireland.

他听说有恶龙在恐吓爱尔兰。

So he sent Tristan— his bravest knight, loving nephew, and loyal heir—

因此，他派出特里斯坦——他最勇敢的骑士、 亲爱的侄子和忠实的继承人——

to slay the beast and extend an olive branch to Ireland's royal family.

来杀死这只野兽， 向爱尔兰王室伸出橄榄枝。

As soon as Tristan landed, the dragon attacked.

特里斯坦一着陆， 巨龙就发动了进攻。

Dodging poisonous venom and blasts of fire,

骑士躲避了毒液和火焰爆炸，

the knight eventually struck a fatal blow, slicing off the beast’s tongue

最终使出了致命一击， 割掉了野兽的舌头，

as proof of his victory.

以此作为胜利的证据。

But when he grasped his trophy, the poison seeped into his skin.

但是当他抓住自己的奖杯时， 毒药渗入了他的皮肤。

Writhing in agony, Tristan feared for his life.

特里斯坦痛苦地挣扎求生。

Yet a savior was soon upon him— Princess Isolde herself.

然而，救世主很快现身—— 伊索尔德公主本人。

A talented healer versed in every herb and antidote,

她是一位精通各种草药 和解毒剂的才华横溢的治疗师，

she carried him to the palace and nursed the knight back to health.

她把他带到了宫殿并精心照料， 令他死里逃生。

Upon waking, Tristan was captivated by his caretaker.

醒来后，特里斯坦被她迷住了。

But he pushed these feelings aside and stuck to the plan.

但是他把这些感觉放在一边， 按计划行事。

The king and queen were heartened by the prospect of peace,

国王和王后对和平前景感到鼓舞，

and Isolde was impressed by the knight’s bravery both in court and combat.

骑士在法庭和战斗中的英勇 给伊索尔德留下了深刻的印象。

Intrigued, she agreed to accompany Tristan home and marry his king.

她好奇地同意陪特里斯坦回家， 嫁给他的国王。

At the start of their journey,

在旅程开始时，

the knight and the princess kept a respectful distance.

骑士和公主保持着分寸感。

But when Isolde went to retrieve water from their supplies,

但是当伊索尔德 从他们的补给中取水时，

she mistakenly grabbed a chalice prepared by her mother.

错误地拿了母亲准备的圣杯。

It contained a love potion, intended for her wedding night.

里面装了一种爱情药水， 是为她新婚之夜准备的。

And after Tristan and Isolde drained the bottle,

在特里斯坦和伊索尔德把水喝完后，

neither could continue hiding their true feelings.

他们都无法继续掩饰 自己的真实感受。

By the time they reached Cornwall, the potion’s effect had worn off,

当他们到达康沃尔时， 药水的效果已经消失，

but the lovers knew there was no turning back.

但是这对恋人知道 没有回头路可走。

Desperate to maintain their loyalty to the king,

他们绝望地保持对国王的忠诚，

the pair decided to honor their duties... in public.

决定履行他们的职责， 只在公开场合。

For a time, King Mark’s love for his bride and his nephew

有一段时间，马克国王 对新娘和侄子的爱

made him deny the court’s rumors.

让他否认了法庭传闻。

But when fresh blood appeared in Isolde’s room

但是，当特里斯坦在狩猎时受伤，

just hours after Tristan was wounded hunting,

仅几小时后， 伊索尔德的房间就出现鲜血，

the king confronted them.

国王与他们对峙。

With a heavy heart, he banished Tristan,

他怀着沉重的心情驱逐了特里斯坦，

leaving Isolde only enough time to slip the knight her ring as a parting gift.

只给伊索尔德一点时间 把戒指当作离别礼物送给骑士。

As Isolde languished in Cornwall, Tristan wandered the islands.

当伊索尔德在康沃尔郡苦苦挣扎时， 特里斯坦在岛上徘徊。

He took to brawling other travelers and singing of doomed love.

他开始与其他旅者争吵， 歌颂着注定要失败的爱。

To most, the songs were tragedies.

对大多数人来说，这些歌曲是悲剧。

But in Brittany, another Isolde, Princess of the White Hands,

但是在布列塔尼， 另一位伊索尔德，白手岛的公主，

heard them as a ballad intended for her.

把它们当作一首写给她的民谣。

And when this princess confronted her would-be suitor,

当这位公主见到她潜在的求婚者时，

Tristan was so lonely and startled by her name that he proposed.

倍感孤独的特里斯坦 被她的名字吓了一跳，并求婚了。

At first, Isolde of the White Hands was entranced by her mysterious husband.

起初，白手岛的伊索德 被她神秘的丈夫迷住了。

But as years passed, she despaired at the distance between them.

但是随着岁月的流逝， 她对他们之间的距离感到绝望。

Tristan spent weeks sulking in the woods, sinking deeper into despair.

特里斯坦在树林里生闷气了好几个星期， 陷入了更深的绝望之中。

The disgraced knight engaged in more fighting,

这位丢脸的骑士进行了更多的战斗，

eventually sustaining a mortal wound from a poisoned lance.

最终因淬毒长枪而受了致命的伤害。

Knowing only one person with the skill to heal him,

特里斯坦知道只有一个人能救他，

Tristan ordered his men to retrieve Isolde of Cornwall,

于是命令他的手下 找回康沃尔郡的伊索德，

using her ring as proof of who called on her.

用她的戒指作为召唤她的信物。

But Tristan also feared his love had forgotten him.

但是特里斯坦也担心 他的爱人忘记了他。

Refusing to be kept in suspense even a moment longer than necessary,

他拒绝多等哪怕一刻，

he told his men to raise the white sails if Isolde accepted the call,

他告诉手下， 如果伊索尔德接受，就要扬起白帆，

or black sails if she refused.

如果她拒绝，则开黑帆。

Desperate to live for the first time in years,

多年来， 特里斯坦第一次渴望活下去

Tristan waited by his window.

他在窗户旁等着。

His wife, however, was more bewildered than ever.

但是，他的妻子 比以往任何时候都更疑惑。

She begged Tristan’s men for the truth— and cursed them when they gave it to her.

她向特里斯坦的手下求得真相—— 当他们告知真相时她咒骂了他们。

Crushed by the realization that her husband had never loved her,

当意识到自己的丈夫从未爱过她， 她心烦意乱，

she told Tristan she would keep watch.

她告诉特里斯坦，她会坚持守候。

And when her fog of betrayal and despair was pierced by white sails on the horizon,

当她背叛和绝望的迷雾 被地平线升起的光亮冲破时，

she murmured that she only saw black.

她低语道，我只窥见黑暗。

Hearing this news, Tristan died instantly.

听到这个消息， 特里斯坦当场去世。

And when his true love saw the corpse of the man she’d never stopped loving,

当他的真爱见到至死深爱着的 男人的尸体时，

she chose to die by his side.

她选择了死在他身边。

The bodies were shipped back to Cornwall,

尸体被运回康沃尔郡，

where a grieving King Mark placed their graves side by side.

悲伤的国王马克 在那里并排安置了他们的坟墓。

Together at last, briars grew atop their tombs,

最后，荆棘生长在彼此的墓顶上，

finally reuniting the star-crossed lovers.

终于让这对坎坷的恋人团聚了。