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Although the keep had pride of place as a castle's main fortified tower, smaller towers were attached to the fortress walls and also rose above them.
雖然主堡作為堡壘的主要防御塔占據了顯要位置，但較小的塔樓附著在堡壘的城墻上，并且也高聳于城墻之上。
Square, circular, or pentagonal in shape, the smaller towers protected the base of the walls and acted as buttresses, strengthening the fortification.
這些較小的塔樓形狀各異，有方形、圓形或五邊形，它們保護著城墻的底部，并作為拱壁，增強了堡壘的防御。
Any opening in the castle wall was a weak point, so any arrow slits or windows that did exist were kept small and high up.
堡壘墻上的任何開口都是一個弱點，因此任何存在的箭孔或窗戶都被設計得又小又高。
The main entrance to a castle complex had to be large enough to allow access to the enclosure, but since any opening created a vulnerable spot, both builders and garrisons took special care to reinforce the defenses of a castle's entryway.
堡壘的主要入口必須足夠大，以便進入圍墻，但由于任何開口都會造成脆弱點，因此建筑師和駐軍都特別注意加強堡壘入口通道的防御。
Castle gates would be made of heavy wood, often reinforced with metal plates and fastened with strong bolts.
堡壘的大門會由厚重的木材制成，通常用金屬板加固，并用結實的螺栓緊固。
Backup came in the form of a portcullis, a heavy metal or wooden grille that could be lowered to block the entrance.
備用防御措施是吊閘，一種可以放下來阻擋入口的重金屬或木制格柵。
In addition, the gateways usually had a small gatehouse, the better to see, trap, and counterattack any invading forces.
此外，入口處通常有一個小門樓，以便更好地觀察、設陷阱并反擊任何入侵的敵軍。
Some castles had an enclosed space called a barbican in front of the gate.
有些堡壘在大門前有一個叫做外堡的封閉空間。
Would-be attackers wanting to reach the entrance had to risk entering this space, where they might be ambushed.
想要到達入口的潛在入侵者，必須冒著進入這個空間的風險，在那里他們可能會遭到伏擊。
The same purpose was served by bent entrances, where the passageway through the gate included at least one 90-degree turn.
彎曲的入口也達到了同樣的目的，通過大門的通道至少有一個90度的轉彎。
Strong stone walls and cleverly laid traps were not enough to keep a castle wholly safe from attack.
堅固的石墻和巧妙設置的陷阱不足以使堡壘完全免受攻擊。
Through smart design, the building itself had to become a complex war machine.
通過巧妙的設計，建筑本身必須成為一個復雜的戰爭機器。
Instruments of defense were concentrated in the chemin de ronde, a protected, elevated walkway high up behind the battlements.
防御工具集中在chemin de ronde里，這是城垛后面一條受保護的高架走道。
This walkway connected all parts of the castle, was sometimes covered, and was protected by a parapet, a low wall above the main wall, with openings through which one could see -- and shoot arrows or other weapons.
這條走道連接著堡壘的各個部分，有時被覆蓋，并由矮護墻保護，矮護墻是主墻上方的一堵矮墻，有開口，可以讓人看到并射出箭或其他武器。
From this shielded vantage point, defenders could send down a lethal rain of projectiles on their attackers.
從這個有利位置，防御方可以向進攻方發射致命的炮彈雨。
They would hurl rocks, boiling water or wine, and hot sand, which penetrated cracks in the assailants' armor.
他們會投擲石塊、沸水或沸酒，以及熱沙，這些都能穿透入侵者盔甲的裂縫。
The battlements, arrow slits, and loopholes provided protected openings from which to shoot arrows.
城垛、箭孔和射擊孔提供了保護性的開口，以便發射箭矢。
As artillery developed in the 14th and 15th centuries, cannons were fired from here too.
隨著火炮在14和15世紀的發展，大炮也從這里發射。
Murder holes above doors and cut into the ceilings of gatehouses allowed the defenders to drop projectiles or burning liquid down onto any attacker who managed to get that close.
門上的殺人洞和門樓的天花板上的孔洞，使防御方向任何設法靠近的攻擊者投擲彈藥或燃燒的液體。
By exploiting the castle's potential as a killing machine, a small number of defenders were able to keep large contingents of enemies at bay.
通過利用堡壘作為殺戮機器的潛力，少數守軍就能夠讓大批敵人陷入困境。
As a result, full-force assaults were infrequent, although they could occur when the attackers had sufficient resources, men, and siege engines.
因此，即使當攻擊方有足夠的資源、人員和攻城設備時，全面進攻可能會發生，但并不常見。
One such assault took place in 1147, when an expeditionary force of European Crusaders on their way to the Second Crusade arrived at the gates of Lisbon, a city then in Muslim hands.
1147年，發生了這樣的一次全面進攻，當時一支歐洲十字軍遠征軍在第二次十字軍東征的途中，抵達了當時處于穆斯林控制之下的里斯本城門。
There, the Crusaders deployed battering rams, mangonels (a siege weapon for catapulting projectiles), and mobile siege towers to launch an attack.
在那里，十字軍部署了攻城錘、投石機（一種用于投擲彈射物的攻城武器）和移動攻城塔來發動攻擊。
They also used a technique called undermining, or digging tunnels under the walls then setting fires in them to cause the walls, which had timber frames, to collapse.
他們還使用了一種叫做挖坑道的技術，就是指在城墻下挖隧道并在其中放火，導致木制結構的城墻倒塌。
Within four months, the Crusaders had forced the surrender of the city.
不到四個月，十字軍就迫使該城投降。
Given the cost and scarcity of manpower and resources, however, raiding parties were often unsuccessful.
然而，考慮到成本和人力資源的缺乏，突襲部隊往往難以取得成功。
It was more common for medieval armies to blockade or encircle a castle with the aim of exhausting the defenders into submission via siege.
中世紀軍隊更常見的做法是封鎖或包圍一座堡壘，目的是通過圍攻使守軍精疲力竭。
This type of operation could be dragged out for many months, as happened in the siege of Algeciras in southern Spain.
這種類型的行動可能會持續數月，就像西班牙南部阿爾赫西拉斯圍城戰那樣。
The military operation began in 1342 and lasted 21 months, as Christian forces under Alfonso XI besieged the Muslim-held city.
這場軍事行動始于1342年，持續了21個月，由阿方索十一世領導的基督教軍隊圍攻了這座由穆斯林占領的城市。
It was a complex operation involving numerous forces and innovative war machinery on both sides.
這是一場復雜的行動，雙方都動用了大量兵力和創新的戰爭機械。
The Muslim defenders were armed with rudimentary cannons the Spanish called truenos (Spanish for "thunder") because they made a terrifying noise.
穆斯林防御方裝備了西班牙人稱之為“雷諾斯”（西班牙語中意為“雷聲”）的原始大炮，因為它們會發出可怕的聲響。
To strengthen his attack, Alfonso called for the delivery of engen?os, a kind of catapult, to breach the walls of the city.
而為了加強攻擊，阿方索要求運送一種名為“恩赫尼奧斯”的投石機，以突破城市的城墻。
Every night, those inside the city tried to patch up the damage wrought during the day.
每天晚上，城里的人都試圖修補白天造成的破壞。
