英國(guó)語(yǔ)文第六冊(cè)(雙語(yǔ)):直布羅陀包圍戰(zhàn)(2)

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The siege which followed lasted three years. Every appliance which experience could suggest, or skill could devise, was brought into requisition. Never before had such tremendous armaments, by sea and by land, been brought against any fortress. Yet the garrison held out bravely; and twice their friends outside—once by Admiral Darby, and once by Rodney—succeeded in sending them reinforcements and supplies.

隨后的圍困持續(xù)了三年。凡是考慮到經(jīng)驗(yàn)或技巧的器具，都被征用了。在此之前，從未有如此巨大的陸?？瘴淦鞅挥糜趯?duì)抗任何堡壘。然而，守軍依然勇敢地堅(jiān)守著;有兩次，他們的朋友——一次是達(dá)比海軍上將，一次是羅得海軍上將——成功地給他們送去了增援部隊(duì)和補(bǔ)給。

Early in 1781, there was a terrific bombardment of the place; but so effectual was the shelter afforded by the casemates, or bomb-proof vaults, that the garrison lost only seventy men. In November of the same year, General Elliot, who conducted the defence, headed a midnight sortie, which annihilated the entire line of the enemy's works. Their floating batteries were at the same time destroyed with red-hot balls. That one night cost the Spaniards two millions sterling!

1781年初，這個(gè)地方遭到了可怕的轟炸；但是由于防彈庫(kù)的庇護(hù)作用，守軍只損失了70人。同年11月，負(fù)責(zé)防御的埃利奧特將軍率領(lǐng)了一場(chǎng)午夜突襲，殲滅了敵人的全部工事。他們的海上移動(dòng)炮臺(tái)同時(shí)被熾熱的火球擊毀。那一夜西班牙人損失了兩百萬(wàn)英鎊！

But the final effort was made in 1782, when the Duke de Crillon, flushed with his success in capturing Minorca, took the command of the besiegers. He had under him upwards of 30,000 of the best troops of France and Spain, and his heavy guns amounted to the then unprecedented number of one hundred and seventy. The combined fleets numbered forty-seven sail of the line, with ten great floating batteries—the contrivance of a French engineer, and deemed invincible, —and frigates, gun-boats, mortar-boats and small craft without number. The besieged numbered only 7000 men with eighty guns.

但在1782年還是做了最后的努力，當(dāng)克里倫公爵因成功占領(lǐng)米諾卡島而興奮不已時(shí)，他接管了圍攻者的指揮權(quán)。他手下有三萬(wàn)多名法國(guó)和西班牙的精銳部隊(duì)，他的重炮數(shù)量達(dá)到空前的170門。聯(lián)合艦隊(duì)共有四十七個(gè)帆，十個(gè)巨大的浮動(dòng)炮臺(tái)——這是法國(guó)工程師的發(fā)明，眾人皆稱所向披靡——還有護(hù)衛(wèi)艦、炮艇、炮艇和無(wú)數(shù)的小船。被圍困的7000人只帶著80支槍。

The siege attracted the interest of the whole civilized world. Two French princes joined the besiegers' camp, to witness the fall of the place. "Is it taken?" was the first question asked each morning by the King of Spain. "Not yet; but it will be soon," said his courtiers: and still Elliot's guns thundered defiance from the Rock.

圍城引起了整個(gè)文明世界的興趣。兩個(gè)法國(guó)王子加入了圍攻者的陣營(yíng)，目睹了這個(gè)地方的陷落?！澳孟铝藛?”這是西班牙國(guó)王每天早晨問(wèn)的第一個(gè)問(wèn)題?！皼](méi)有；但很快就會(huì)的，”他的朝臣們說(shuō)，埃利奧特的槍炮仍然從巖石上發(fā)出雷鳴般的反抗。