It was resolved that a sortie, in conjunction with the operations of Boisot, should be made against Lam'men with the earliest dawn. Night descended upon the scene—a pitch-dark night, full of anxiety to the Spaniards, to the Arma'da, to Leyden. Strange sights and sounds occurred at different moments to bewilder the anxious sentinels. A long procession of lights issuing from the fort was seen to flit across the black face of the waters, in the dead of night; and the whole of the city wall between the Cowgate and the town of Burgundy fell with a loud crash. The horror-struck citizens thought that the Spaniards were upon them at last; the Spaniards imagined the noise to indicate a desperate sortie of the citizens. Everything was vague and mysterious.
为了配合鲍伊索特将军的军事行动，莱顿城的居民们决定在黎明前对拉姆曼城堡展开一次突围。夜幕逐渐降临，在这样漆黑一片的夜晚，西班牙人、阿尔玛达号和莱顿城全都焦急地等待着。不时出现令人奇怪的景象和声音，每每这时，焦急的哨兵总会受到迷惑。拉姆曼城堡上射出一束长光在这死寂般的夜晚下掠过黑漆漆的水面，连接考盖特和勃艮第之间的整面墙壁随着一声巨响，轰然倒塌。惊恐万分的莱顿居民以为西班牙人最终向他们逼近，而西班牙人则以为市民要发起最后的誓死突围。一切都变得朦胧而又神秘。
Day dawned at length after the feverish night, and the admiral prepared for the assault. Within the fortress reigned a death-like stillness, which inspired a sickening suspicion. Had the city indeed been carried in the night? had the massacre already commenced? had all this labour and audacity been expended in vain?
在经历了紧张难熬的一夜之后，天终于亮了，此时荷兰舰队已经做好了发动进攻的准备。城堡内依旧是死一般的寂静，而这死一般的寂静让人觉得十分不妙，居民们疑心四起：莱顿城已经在晚上被占领了吗？大屠杀已经开始了吗？所有的努力和拼搏就这样白费了吗？
Suddenly a man was descried wading breast-high through the water from Lammen towards the fleet, while at the same time one solitary boy was seen to wave his cap from the summit of the fort. After a moment of doubt, the happy mystery was solved. The Spaniards had fled panic-struck during the darkness. Their position would still have enabled them, with firmness, to frustrate the enterprise of the patriots; but the hand of God, which had sent the ocean and the tempest to the deliverance of Leyden, had struck her enemies with terror likewise.
突然间，人们看见有一个人正穿过莱顿城下齐胸高的河水向舰队游去。与此同时，人们还看到城堡的堡顶上站着一个孤独的小男孩正挥舞着他的帽子。片刻犹豫后谜底终于揭晓，西班牙人已经在夜晚之时惊慌逃窜了，正是他们固守阵地的决心摧毁了爱国者们的事业，正是曾派来了海洋和暴风雨来拯救莱顿城的上帝之手用恐惧击溃了敌人。
The lights which had been seen moving during the night were the lanterns of the retreating Spaniards; and the boy who was now waving his triumphant signal from the battlements had alone witnessed the spectacle. So confident was he in the conclusion to which it led him, that he had volunteered at daybreak to go thither alone.
人们在晚上看见的移动的灯光正是西班牙人撤退时使用的提灯，而正站在城垛上挥舞着帽子、给大家发出胜利信号的小男孩是唯一一个目击者。他坚定地判断出事情始末，并决定在破晓时分独自到达对岸发出信号。
The magistrates, fearing a trap, hesitated for a moment to believe the truth, which soon, however, became quite evident. Val'dez, flying himself from Ley'derdorp, had ordered Colonel Borgia to retire with all his troops from Lammen.
而莱顿的行政官却担心这是一个陷阱，他们犹豫片刻最终选择相信。而不久后真相彻底浮出水面，因为西班牙从莱德罗普逃走的指挥官瓦尔德兹已经下令让博尔吉亚上校率领所有的军队从拉姆曼撤退。
Thus the Spaniards had retreated at the very moment that an extraordinary accident had laid bare a whole side of the city for their entrance! The noise of the wall as it fell only inspired them with fresh alarm; for they believed that the citizens had sallied forth in the darkness to aid the advancing flood in the work of destruction.
一场突如其来的意外致使莱顿城的某一面变得毫无遮掩、为西班牙人大大敞开，而西班牙人就在这样一个特殊的时刻选择了撤退，墙面倒塌时发出的轰隆声让他们恐慌无比，他们以为莱顿城的居民们要从黑暗里冲杀出来助汹涌的洪水一臂之力。
All obstacles being now removed, the fleet of Boisot swept by Lammen, and entered the city on the morning of the 3rd of October. Leyden was relieved!
此时所有的障碍都被清除了，鲍伊索特将军的舰队开到了莱顿，并于1574年10月3日的清晨进入莱顿城，至此被困的莱顿城终于获得解围！
—J. L. Motley
——J·L·莫特雷
评论
打印
