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At dawn on February 13th, 1692,Williamite troops from the Argyle Regiment,
1692年2月13日 天刚破晓 威廉王军队的阿盖尔军团
already quartered in Glencoe,were ordered to carry out a massacre.
已到达格伦科 驻扎于此 他们奉王命 血洗格伦科
They butchered 38 of the clan and the rest of the village old men, women and children,
他们手刃了38名麦克唐纳家族的族人 村庄里余下的老弱妇孺也无一幸存
some half-naked,fled into a raging snow storm where many of them died.
一些人逃入狂风暴雪之中 衣不蔽体 很多人被活活冻死
In London and Edinburgh, news of the massacre at Glencoe was greeted with pious professions of shock,
格伦科大屠杀的消息传到了伦敦和爱丁堡 人们戴着震惊和惋惜的面具面对这个事实
especially, of course, from those who'd had the responsibility of organising it.
尤其是这起悲剧的始作俑者 洒落着鳄鱼的眼泪 惺惺作态
An enquiry was held but, needless to say,it was a sham.
调查照例展开 毫无疑问 不过是装装样子罢了
If the intention had been to cow the Jacobites into submission,it had all gone horribly wrong.
若以为这场腥风血雨能让詹姆斯党人臣服 那就大错特错了
The massacre was a public relations disaster for William's government.
这场屠杀对于威廉三世的内阁而言 是一场公关灾难
The Scottish parliament voted it an act of murder.
苏格兰议会一致认为这是一场蓄意杀戮
How could victim and perpetrator ever be reconciled now?
干戈如何能化为玉帛
How could Scotland, stricken with poverty,with its national pride deeply wounded,
这样一个穷困潦倒 民族自豪感受到重创的苏格兰
ever come together with its rich and ruthless neighbour?
与它富有而残忍的邻国又如何共处呢
But come together they did, and the two countries,
但他们确实做到了 在经历了几百年的
for centuries divided by politics and religion,
因政治和宗教信仰不同的分裂之后
would make a future together based on profit and interest.
最终基于两国利益的考虑 而联合起来 共创未来
What began as a hostile merger would end as a full partnership
始于侵略占有 止于携手共进
in the most powerful going concern in the world Britannia Incorporated.
这就是世界上最强大的联合 大不列颠的联合
It was one of the most astonishing transformations in European history and this is how it happened.
这是欧洲历史中最令人叹服的转变之一 其原因值得细细研读
