世界小史 第189期:騎著馬吃東西

This time it was the Huns. People like these had never been seen before in the West: small, yellow men with narrow, slit eyes and terrifying scars on their faces.

那便是匈奴人。這樣的部落人們在西方還從未見過，矮小、黃皮膚的人，瞇縫眼，臉上有可怕的疤痕。

Half man, half horse they seemed, for they rarely dismounted from their small, fast ponies.

這是馬背上的人，因為他們幾乎從不從他們的矮小、迅捷的馬上下來，

They slept on horseback, held meetings on horseback and ate, on horseback, the raw meat they had first made tender under their saddles.

他們甚至常常騎著馬睡覺，騎著馬開化，騎著馬吃東西并把他們吃的生肉放在馬鞍下騎得又熟又軟。

With fearful howls and a noise like thunder they charged down on their foes, showering them with arrows,

他們發(fā)出可怕的叫聲，騎馬飛奔，發(fā)動攻擊并將密集的雨點般的箭矢射向敵人，

before whirling round and rushing away, as if in headlong retreat.

然后他們向后轉并飛速離去，仿佛他們是在逃跑。

Then, if they were followed, they would twist in their saddles and shoot backwards at their pursuers.

人們追他們，他們便在馬鞍上轉過身去并向后射擊追擊他們的敵人。

They were nimbler, more cunning and more bloodthirsty than any of the other tribes. Even the brave Germans fled before them.

他們比人們見過的所有各部落都更靈巧、更狡猾和更殘忍好殺，他們甚至把勇敢的日耳曼人殺得抱頭鼠竄。

One of these Germanic tribes, the Visigoths, or West Goths, sought refuge in the Roman empire, which agreed to accept them.

這些日耳曼人的一個部落西哥特人，想躲進安全的羅馬帝國境內逃生。人們也在那里接納了他們，

However, it wasn't long before they were at war with their hosts.

但是不久便與這些客人打起來了。