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That year, Venezuela had declared independence from Spain, kickstarting the South American Wars of Independence. So MacGregor had decided to get involved.
那一年委内瑞拉宣布从西班牙独立，发动了南美独立战争，而麦格雷格尔决定要参与进来。
No sooner had he landed than then-Republican leader, Francisco de Miranda, had appointed him a cavalry officer.
他刚上岸之时当时的共和党领袖弗朗西斯科·德·米兰达就任命他为骑兵军官。
But it'd be an even bigger name in Caracas society that MacGregor would soon get involved with, thanks to his 1812 marriage to Josefa Antonia Andrea Aristiguieta y Llovera.
而由于1812年他与约瑟夫法·安东尼亚·安德烈亚·阿里斯蒂圭塔·伊·洛维拉的婚姻，他很快就在加拉加斯结识了一个更大的人物。
Josefa, you see, was cousin to none other than Simon Bolivar.
你看，约瑟法不是别人，正是西蒙·玻利瓦尔的表亲。
Not that his newfound connection would immediately work out well for MacGregor.
他新建立的这一层关系并不是说能够立刻给麦格雷格尔带来好处。
Just months after his marriage, MacGregor was in flight, running for safety as the First Venezuelan Republic fell to Spanish forces.
就在他结婚几个月后，委内瑞拉第一共和国落入了西班牙军队之手，麦格雷格尔为了保命而逃亡了。
Francisco de Miranda was captured, while both MacGregor and Bolivar only escaped - heading in opposite directions - by the skin of their teeth.
弗朗西斯科·德·米兰达被抓了起来，而麦格雷格尔和玻利瓦尔只是从相反的方向侥幸逃脱。
And so began the period of Gregor MacGregor's life where he kept crossing paths with the greatest figure in Latin American history, only for it all to keep going horribly pear-shaped.
就这样，格雷戈·麦格雷格尔的人生开始了。他不断与拉丁美洲历史上最伟大的人物相遇，结果一切都变得一团糟。
In 1813, for example, MacGregor volunteered in the New Granada army, only to be assigned to a remote border town and miss Bolivar's Admirable Campaign and founding of the Second Venezuelan Republic.
例如，1813年，麦格雷格尔志愿加入新格拉纳达军队，结果却被分配到一个偏远的边境城镇参加玻利瓦尔的“可敬运动”，并建立了委内瑞拉第二共和国。
In 1814, the two both wound up in Cartagena after the Second Republic fell, but Bolivar was forced into exile while MacGregor got trapped in the siege of the city.
1814年，在第二共和国垮台后，两人都在卡塔赫纳定居，不过玻利瓦尔被迫流亡，而麦格雷格尔则被围困在城市的包围之中。
Finally, MacGregor reconnected with Bolivar in Haiti in early 1816 and joined his latest campaign.
最终，麦格雷格尔在1816年初与玻利瓦尔在海地重新建立了联系，并加入了玻利瓦尔的最新运动。
It was a campaign that would nearly cost MacGregor his life. By now, most of Venezuela was back under Royalist control.
这场战役几乎使麦格雷格尔付出了生命的代价。到目前为止，委内瑞拉的大部分地区又回到了保皇党的控制之下。
Bolivar's plan was to land men at strategic points along the coast, then coordinate a mass uprising.
玻利瓦尔的计划是在沿海战略要地部署人员，然后协调一场大规模起义。
Put in charge of 600 troops, MacGregor was quietly dropped at Ocumare.
麦格雷格尔被任命为600名士兵的指挥官，他被悄悄送到奥库马雷。
Unfortunately, the plan instantly fell apart, Bolivar was forced into retreat, and MacGregor and his men were left standing on the shore, their mouths dangling open as their ride disappeared.
不幸的是，这个计划很快就失败了，波利瓦尔被迫撤退，麦格雷格尔和他的手下只能站在岸上，当他们的船消失时他们的嘴张得很大。
They were trapped in Royalist territory, over 300km from the nearest Republican stronghold.
他们被困在保皇党的地盘上，距离最近的共和党据点有300多公里。
They had no boats, limited ammunition, even-more limited provisions, and were surrounded by swampland.
他们没有船，弹药有限，给养甚至更有限，而且被沼泽地包围。
At that moment, it must've seemed to the 600 men like death was a certainty. They hadn't counted on MacGregor's talent for self-preservation.
在那一刻，那600人肯定觉得必死无疑了，他们没有指望麦格雷格尔会有什么自卫才能。
In a remarkable feat of leadership, MacGregor led his men on a march right through Royalist territory, executing innumerable brilliant maneuvers to keep the enemy at bay.
然而麦格雷格尔有着非凡的领导能力，他带领自己的军队直接穿过了保皇党的领土，执行了无数绝妙的战术来牵制敌人。
He tricked the Spanish troops into walking into swamps. He had his men charge blockades on foot and punch right through.
他诱骗西班牙军队走进沼泽，让他的手下徒步冲过路障，直接进行突破。
It was like watching LeBron James lead Elmer Fudd around a basketball court, with the dimwitted Royalists fumbling every play while MacGregor ran circles around them, laughing.
这一场面就像是看着勒布朗·詹姆斯带领埃尔默·福特在篮球场上打转，傻头傻脑的保皇党每场比赛都笨手笨脚，而麦格雷格尔在他们周围跑着，笑着。
And yes, as far as we know, we are the only YouTube channel delivering history via Space Jam 2 analogies. You're welcome.
是的，据我们所知，我们是YouTube上唯一一个通过《大灌篮2》来讲述历史的频道。不客气！
After weeks of running battles, MacGregor finally led his men into the safety of a Republican town.
经过几周的连续战斗，麦格雷格尔终于带领他的士兵们进入了一个共和党人居住的安全城镇。
When news leaked of his 300km trek, the Republican camps exploded. MacGregor became a hero overnight, his name celebrated across the continent.
当他300公里跋涉的消息传开后，共和党阵营爆开了花儿。麦格雷格尔一夜之间成了英雄，他的名字传遍了整个非洲大陆。
Suddenly, everyone wanted to serve under him, the guy who'd married into Bolivar's family, and then out-Bolivared Bolivar.
突然之间所有人都想为他效力，因为他娶了玻利瓦尔家的人，然后又打败了玻利瓦尔。
But, sadly, this isn't a video about Gregor MacGregor, revolutionary general. It's a video about Gregor MacGregor, conman extraordinaire.
不过遗憾的是，这一视频讲述的并不是“革命将军”格雷戈·麦格雷格尔，它讲述的是“牛逼的骗子”格雷戈·麦格雷格尔。
Those soldiers all clamouring to serve under him didn't know it yet, but MacGregor would soon lead countless of their number into early graves.
那些叫嚷着要在他手下服役的士兵们还不知道，但麦格雷格尔很快就会将他们无数人带进坟墓。
In the wake of MacGregor's daring escape from Ocumare, Bolivar personally awarded him the Order of Libertadores - hopefully while shuffling awkwardly and mumbling "sorry I abandoned you back there, bro.
在麦格雷格尔勇敢地逃离奥库马雷之后，玻利瓦尔亲自授予了他解放者勋章——希望他一边笨拙地拖着脚，一边咕哝着“对不起，我刚才把你丢在那里了，兄弟。”
But MacGregor was disappointed. He hadn't gone through hell just to get a shiny new medal.
但是麦格雷格尔很失望。他经历了这么多磨难，可不仅仅是为了获得一枚闪闪发光的新奖章。
No, he wanted a promotion. A raise. Something to show the world he was a hero.
不，他想要升职，加薪，想要一个能向世界展示他是英雄的东西。
If Ocumare wasn't enough for his cousin-in-law, MacGregor would just have to go one bigger.
如果奥库马雷对他的堂兄来说还不够，麦格雷格尔还得再来一个。
That fall, mercenaries up in Pittsburgh began to whisper about a Scottish man doing the rounds, hiring people for a private invasion of Spanish Florida.
那年秋天，匹兹堡的雇佣兵们开始窃窃私语，说有个苏格兰人四处巡逻，雇人私下入侵西班牙的佛罗里达。
The Scot was a Portuguese knight, a Venezuelan hero. More to the point, he was very generous.
这个苏格兰人就是葡萄牙骑士，委内瑞拉的英雄。更重要的是，他非常慷慨。
Anyone who joined him was being given titles to huge estates in Florida.
任何加入他麾下的人都将获得佛罗里达大片地产的所有权。
For the rough and tumble men of Pittsburgh's dive bars, it seemed like a no-brainer.
对于匹兹堡潜水酒吧里那些粗暴的人来说，加入再好不过了。
Which is how in June, 1817, MacGregor was able to sail for Amelia Island, Florida at the head of 200 mercenaries.
1817年6月，麦格雷格尔率领200名雇佣兵前往佛罗里达州的阿米莉亚岛。
There was just one minor catch. MacGregor didn't actually own the land he'd been dishing out to his private army.
只有一个小问题，那就是麦格雷格尔对那些他分发给自己私人军队的土地其实没有拥有权。
But, hey, while spoil a good invasion, right?
但是，嘿，只要能策划一场棒棒的入侵那又能怎样呢，对吧？
Not when everything was going so well.
一切都进展得再顺利不过了。
