The myth of Ireland's two greatest warriors - Iseult Gillespie

翻译人员: JIAHUI WANG 校对人员: Yanyan Hong

Cú Chulainn, hero of Ulster, stood at the ford at Cooley,

阿尔斯特（Ulster）的英雄， 库哈拉（Cú Chulainn），

站在库雷（Cooley）的渡口，

ready to face an entire army singlehandedly—

准备单枪匹马面对整支军队——

all for the sake of a single bull.

这一切都是为了一头公牛。

The army in question belonged to Queen Meadhbh of Connaught.

这支军队隶属康诺特（Connaught） 女王米德布（Queen Meadhbh）。

Enraged at her husband’s possession of a white bull of awesome strength,

她因丈夫拥有一头 力大无穷的白牛而愤愤不平，

she had set out to capture the fabled brown bull of Ulster

所以不惜一切代价 也要抓住传说中的

at any cost.

阿尔斯特棕牛。

Unfortunately, the King of Ulster had chosen this moment

可惜阿尔斯特国王选择了这个时刻，

to force the goddess Macha to race her chariot while pregnant.

强迫女神玛卡（Macha）在 怀孕的情况下驾驶战车比赛。

In retaliation, she struck down him and his entire army with stomach cramps

作为报复，她用类似分娩的胃痉挛 将他击倒并让他全军覆没——

that eerily resembled childbirth— all except Cú Chulainn.

除了库哈拉幸免于难。

Though he was the best warrior in Ulster,

虽然他是阿尔斯特最优秀的战士，

Cú Chulainn knew he could not take on Queen Meadhbh’s whole army at once.

但库哈拉知道他不可能一下子 能对付米德布女王的全部军队。

He invoked the sacred rite of single combat

他引用了单兵作战的神圣仪式，

in order to fight the intruders one by one.

以便将入侵者逐个击破。

But as Queen Meadhbh’s army approached,

但随着米德布女王的军队逼近，

one thing worried him more than the grueling ordeal ahead.

有一件事比先前的艰苦考验更让他担心。

Years before, Cú Chulainn had travelled to Scotland

几年前，库哈拉曾前往苏格兰，

to train with the renowned warrior Scáthach.

与著名的战士思格哈一起训练。

There, he met a young warrior from Connaught named Ferdiad.

在那里，他遇到了一位自康诺特 名叫费迪亚德的年轻战士。

They lived and trained side-by-side, and soon became close friends.

他们并肩生活和训练， 很快就成了好朋友。

When they returned to their respective homes,

当他们回到各自的家园时，

Cú Chulainn and Ferdiad found themselves on opposite sides of a war.

库哈拉和费迪亚德发现 彼此在战场上竟成了敌人。

Cú Chulainn knew Ferdiad was marching in Meadhbh’s army,

库哈拉知道费迪亚德 在米德布的军队中行进，

and that if he succeeded in fending off her troops,

如果他成功抵御住她的军队，

they would eventually meet.

他们最终会相遇。

Day after day, Cú Chulainn defended Ulster alone.

日复一日，库哈拉独自捍卫着阿尔斯特。

He sent the heads of some of his adversaries back to Meadhbh’s camp,

他把一些对手的头颅 送回了米德布的营地，

while the rushing waters of the ford carried others away.

而湍急的河水则把其他人带走了。

At times, he slipped into a trance and slayed hundreds of soldiers in a row.

有时，他精神恍惚， 一连杀了数百名士兵。

Whenever he saw the queen in the distance, he hurled stones at her—

每当他看到远处的女王， 他就向她投掷石块——

never quite hitting her,

从来没有完全击中她，

but once coming close enough to knock a squirrel off her shoulder.

但有一次很接近， 把一只松鼠从她的肩膀上打下来。

Back at the Connaught camp, Ferdiad was laying low,

回到康诺特营地，费迪亚德低调行事，

doing everything he could to avoid the moment

竭力避免自己不得不

when he’d have to face his best friend in combat.

面对好友作战的那一刻。

But the Queen was impatient to get her hands on the prize bull,

但女王迫不及待地 想要得到那头战利品公牛，

and she knew Ferdiad was her best chance to defeat Cú Chulainn.

她知道费尔迪亚德是 她击败库哈拉的最好机会。

So she goaded him and questioned his honor

于是，她怂恿他，质疑他的荣誉，

until he had no choice but to fight.

直到他别无选择，只能战斗。

The two faced off at the ford, matching each other exactly in strength and skill

两人在岔路口对峙，无论使用什么武器，

no matter what weapons they used.

在力量和技巧上都旗鼓相当。

Then, on the third day of their fight, Ferdiad began to gain the upper hand

然后，在他们战斗的第三天， 面对精疲力竭的库哈拉，

over the exhausted Cu Chulainn.

费迪亚德开始占据上风。

But Cú Chulainn had one last trick up his sleeve:

但库哈拉还有最后一招：

their teacher had shared a secret with him alone.

他们的老师单独和他分享了一个秘密。

She told him how to summon the Gáe Bulg,

她告诉他如何召唤盖布洛克（Gáe Bulg），

a magical spear fashioned from the bones of sea monsters

一支置身海底用海怪骨头

that lay at the bottom of the ocean.

制成的魔法矛。

Cu Chulainn called the spear, stabbed Ferdiad to death, and collapsed.

库哈拉调用长矛， 刺死了费迪亚德，然后倒下了。

Meadhbh seized her chance and swooped in with the rest of her army

米德布抓住机会，带着剩下的军队

to capture the brown bull.

突击去抓棕牛。

At last, the men of Ulster were recovering from their magical illness,

终于，阿尔斯特的人从魔病中恢复过来，

and they surged out in pursuit.

他们猛然追了出去。

But they were too late: Queen Meadhbh crossed the border unscathed,

但他们太迟了：米德布女王拖着棕牛

dragging the brown bull with her.

安然无恙地越过了边界。

Once home, Meadhbh demanded another battle,

一回到家，米德布要求再战一场，

this time between the brown bull and her husband’s white bull.

这次是棕牛和她丈夫的白牛之间的战斗。

The bulls were well matched, and struggled into the night,

公牛们配合得很好，一直斗争到晚上，

dragging each other all over Ireland.

把对方拖到了爱尔兰各地。

At long last, the brown bull killed the white bull,

最后，棕牛终于杀死了白牛，

and Queen Meadhbh was finally satisfied.

米德布女王终于满意了。

But the brown bull’s victory meant nothing to him.

但胜利对棕牛自己而言毫无意义。

He was tired, injured, and devastated.

他累了，受了伤，也被摧毁了。

Soon after, he died of a broken heart, leaving behind a land

不久，他就因伤心欲绝而死，

留下了一片因米德布多年征战 而满目疮痍的土地。

that would remain ravaged by Meadhbh’s war for years to come.