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

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: H_L Au

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

阿爾斯特的英雄庫胡林

站在庫利的淺灘上，

ready to face an entire army singlehandedly—

準備好隻身面對整支軍隊——

all for the sake of a single bull.

這全都是為了一隻公牛。

The army in question belonged to Queen Meadhbh of Connaught.

這支軍隊隸屬康諾特省女王梅芙。

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

她很氣她的丈夫擁有 一隻力量驚人的白色公牛，

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

因此出兵要捕捉這隻 傳說中的阿爾斯特褐色公牛，

at any cost.

且不計代價。

Unfortunately, the King of Ulster had chosen this moment

不幸的是，阿爾斯特國王 選擇這個時間點

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

強迫懷孕的馬夏女神 參加雙輪戰車競賽。

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

為了復仇，

她用和分娩相似的劇烈腹痛擊倒

that eerily resembled childbirth— all except Cú Chulainn.

他和他的整支軍隊——

唯一的例外就是庫胡林。

Though he was the best warrior in Ulster,

雖然庫胡林是 阿爾斯特最棒的戰士，

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

他知道他無法立刻對抗 梅芙女王的整支軍隊。

He invoked the sacred rite of single combat

他要求採用單人對戰的神聖儀式，

in order to fight the intruders one by one.

希望能一次對付一個入侵者。

But as Queen Meadhbh’s army approached,

但梅芙女王的軍隊接近時，

one thing worried him more than the grueling ordeal ahead.

有一件事讓他擔心的程度 超越眼前的嚴峻考驗。

Years before, Cú Chulainn had travelled to Scotland

數年前，庫胡林 曾經旅行到蘇格蘭，

to train with the renowned warrior Scáthach.

接受知名的戰士斯卡塔赫的訓練。

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

他在那裡遇見了費迪亞德， 一位來自康諾特的年輕戰士。

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

他們生活、訓練都在一起，

很快就變成了親密的朋友。

When they returned to their respective homes,

當他們各自返家時，

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

庫胡林和費迪亞德發現 他們在戰爭中處於對立方。

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

庫胡林知道費迪亞德 在梅芙的軍隊中，

and that if he succeeded in fending off her troops,

如果他成功抵禦了她的士兵，

they would eventually meet.

他們最終就會碰頭。

Day after day, Cú Chulainn defended Ulster alone.

日復一日，

庫胡林獨自守衛著阿爾斯特。

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

他把一些敵人的首級 送回到梅芙的營地，

while the rushing waters of the ford carried others away.

其他的屍體則被 淺灘的急流給沖走。

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

有時，他會不小心走火入魔，

連續斬殺數百名士兵。

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

每當他看到女王在遠方時， 就會朝她猛力投擲石頭——

never quite hitting her,

從來沒有擊中她，

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

但曾經有一次近到 擊下她肩上的松鼠。

Back at the Connaught camp, Ferdiad was laying low,

在康諾特營地這一頭， 費迪亞德很低調，

doing everything he could to avoid the moment

盡他所能避開必須和最要好的朋友

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

面對面對戰的那一刻。

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

但女王對於取得她想要的 那隻公牛失去了耐心，

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

她知道若要打敗庫胡林， 她手上最好的牌就是費迪亞德。

So she goaded him and questioned his honor

所以她去刺激他，質疑他的榮譽，

until he had no choice but to fight.

直到他別無選擇，只能一戰。

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

兩人在淺灘對決， 不論他們使用什麼武器，

在力量和技巧上都不相上下。

no matter what weapons they used.

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

接著，在他們對決的第三天，

庫胡林疲憊了， 讓費迪亞德開始佔上風。

over the exhausted Cu Chulainn.

But Cú Chulainn had one last trick up his sleeve:

但庫胡林還有一招密技：

their teacher had shared a secret with him alone.

他們的老師曾經單獨 和他分享了一個秘密。

She told him how to summon the Gáe Bulg,

她教他如何召喚蓋伯爾加之矛，

a magical spear fashioned from the bones of sea monsters

那是一支有魔法的長矛， 用海怪的骨頭打造而成，

that lay at the bottom of the ocean.

一直躺在海底。

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

庫胡林呼喚了那支長矛，

將費迪亞德刺死，

接著他也倒下了。

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

梅芙抓到機會， 帶著剩下的軍隊衝進去，

to capture the brown bull.

去抓那隻褐色公牛。

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

終於，阿爾斯特那些被魔法疾病 纏身的人恢復過來了，

and they surged out in pursuit.

他們立刻追出去。

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

但他們慢了一步：

梅芙女王越過了邊界，毫髮無傷，

dragging the brown bull with her.

且拖著褐色公牛一起走。

Once home, Meadhbh demanded another battle,

到家之後，梅芙馬上 要求要再打一戰，

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

這次是讓褐色公牛 對戰她丈夫的白色公牛。

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

兩隻公牛勢均力敵，拉鋸到晚上，

dragging each other all over Ireland.

整個愛爾蘭都成了牠們的戰場。

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

經過很長的時間，終於， 褐色公牛殺死了白色公牛，

and Queen Meadhbh was finally satisfied.

梅芙女王總算滿足了。

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

但褐色公牛的勝利 對牠自己毫無意義。

He was tired, injured, and devastated.

牠累了、受傷了、筋疲力盡了。

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

沒多久，牠就心碎而死，

留下的這片土地

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

在接下來數年間仍然繼續 被梅芙的戰爭所蹂躪。