世界小史 第189期:骑着马吃东西

 　　This time it was the Huns. People like these had never been seen before in the West: small, yellow men with narrow, slit¹ eyes and terrifying scars on their faces.

　　那便是匈奴人。这样的部落人们在西方还从未见过，矮小、黄皮肤的人，眯缝眼，脸上有可怕的疤痕。

　　Half man, half horse they seemed, for they rarely dismounted from their small, fast ponies².

　　这是马背上的人，因为他们几乎从不从他们的矮小、迅捷的马上下来，

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

　　他们甚至常常骑着马睡觉，骑着马开化，骑着马吃东西并把他们吃的生肉放在马鞍下骑得又熟又软。

　　With fearful howls and a noise like thunder they charged down on their foes³, showering them with arrows,

　　他们发出可怕的叫声，骑马飞奔，发动攻击并将密集的雨点般的箭矢射向敌人，

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

　　然后他们向后转并飞速离去，仿佛他们是在逃跑。

　　Then, if they were followed, they would twist in their saddles and shoot backwards⁴ at their pursuers.

　　人们追他们，他们便在马鞍上转过身去并向后射击追击他们的敌人。

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

　　他们比人们见过的所有各部落都更灵巧、更狡猾和更残忍好杀，他们甚至把勇敢的日耳曼人杀得抱头鼠窜。

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

　　这些日耳曼人的一个部落西哥特人，想躲进安全的罗马帝国境内逃生。人们也在那里接纳了他们，

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

　　但是不久便与这些客人打起来了。

1 slit   

n.狭长的切口；裂缝；vt.切开，撕裂

参考例句：

• The coat has been slit in two places.这件外衣有两处裂开了。
• He began to slit open each envelope.他开始裁开每个信封。

2 ponies   

矮种马，小型马( pony的名词复数 )； ￡25 25 英镑

参考例句：

• They drove the ponies into a corral. 他们把矮种马赶进了畜栏。
• She has a mania for ponies. 她特别喜欢小马。

3 foes   

敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They steadily pushed their foes before them. 他们不停地追击敌人。
• She had fought many battles, vanquished many foes. 她身经百战，挫败过很多对手。

4 backwards   

adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地

参考例句：

• He turned on the light and began to pace backwards and forwards.他打开电灯并开始走来走去。
• All the girls fell over backwards to get the party ready.姑娘们迫不及待地为聚会做准备。