Genghis Khan 成吉思汗 - 2

My father had been poisoned by a rival tribe. My mother told me my father's enemies were forever the enemies of my own heart. From that day, I would never be a child again.

As the eldest¹ son, Temujin(铁木真) grew up to lead what was little more than an extended family. And on the steppes, a small tribe was weak and vulnerable. To survive, Temujin knew he must forge links with other tribes and there was only one way he could do that.

Her name was Borte(孛儿帖). There were only two things to know about the marriage. She was a woman of beauty, and the sable² fur (黑貂裘) they gave us was worth a thousand of the swiftest horses.

The great tribes of Mongolia were locked in a spiral of murderous vendettas³. There was only one law on the steppes. If a man wanted something, he took it. Now Temujin had something another man wanted. The Merkit(蔑儿乞惕) tribe had feuded⁴ with Temujin's father. Now Temujin himself was in danger. And especially vulnerable was his new wife. The Secret History (蒙古秘史) recalls what Temujin, the man who would one day be Genghis Khan, did next.

They're taking my wife. I knew what I had to do.

What Temujin had to do was to escape.

Only a fool fights a battle he knows he cannot win.

Wife stealing was common on the steppes. Borte knew she had no choice but to submit.

I had just one friend that I could trust, Jamuqa(扎木合). As children, we have sworn a vow⁵ of anda(安答,意为义兄弟). It was the most sacred vow of all. We were blood brothers, a bond that joined our lives as one. With my sworn brother, Jamuqa, my power had been increased by Heaven and Earth.

extended family: social unit consisting of parents and their children along with other relatives

sable: small carnivorous mammal native to northern Europe and Asia (hunted for its dark brown valuable soft fur)

vendetta: an often prolonged series of retaliatory, vengeful, or hostile acts or exchange of such acts

1 eldest   

adj.最年长的，最年老的

参考例句：

• The King's eldest son is the heir to the throne.国王的长子是王位的继承人。
• The castle and the land are entailed on the eldest son.城堡和土地限定由长子继承。

2 sable   

n.黑貂；adj.黑色的

参考例句：

• Artists' brushes are sometimes made of sable.画家的画笔有的是用貂毛制的。
• Down the sable flood they glided.他们在黑黝黝的洪水中随波逐流。

3 vendettas   

n.家族世仇( vendetta的名词复数 )；族间仇杀；长期争斗；积怨

参考例句：

• I'm not getting involved in your personal vendettas. 我没有牵扯到你们的私人恩怨里。 来自互联网

4 feuded   

vi.长期不和（feud的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He feuded with his ex-wife. 他和前妻积怨已久。 来自辞典例句
• The two tribes feuded with each other for generations. 这两个部族世代为敌。 来自辞典例句

5 vow   

n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓

参考例句：

• My parents are under a vow to go to church every Sunday.我父母许愿，每星期日都去做礼拜。
• I am under a vow to drink no wine.我已立誓戒酒。