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And so, in 1306, Bruce,the most politically intelligent and militarily successful figure,
因此 在1306年 布魯斯 這位在蘇格蘭中世紀史上最具政治才干
in medieval Scottish history, did just that.
偉大的軍事奇才 首先解決了內部問題
He met with John Comyn, his main rival,and ended up stabbing him before the altar of Greyfriars Church in Dumfries.
他與他的主要對手約翰·科明進行了一次會面 在格雷弗利爾斯教堂的圣壇前 一刀結束了他的生命
The murder is neither explained nor justified by it being the case of a patriot knocking off a quisling
這一謀殺行為沒有掀起任何政治波瀾 被簡單定性為一次愛國者鏟除賣國賊的行動
for Comyn had been a lot more consistent in his opposition to the English than Bruce,
雖然科明的反英情緒 甚至要比布魯斯更勝一籌
he remained loyal to king Balliol, who still lived,and so had to be removed.
但他一直對尚在人世的蘇格蘭王貝列爾忠心耿耿 因此成了布魯斯的眼中釘
Barely six weeks after he had murdered Comyn,Bruce had himself inaugurated king at Scone.
科明死后僅僅六周 布魯斯在司康加冕為王
Instead of unifying the Scots behind a single leader,
布魯斯的行為沒有使自己成為統領群雄的君王
Bruce's actions only intensified what was already a Scottish civil war,one that he initially lost.
反而激化了蘇格蘭的內部混戰局勢 他一開始就偏離了正確的道路
He fled Scotland and so created a vacuum of knowledge,
他不得不逃離蘇格蘭 造成史料空白
filled by heroic mythology the fable of the cave and the spider,
只留下一段英雄佳話 那便是洞穴蜘蛛的傳說
whose patience gave Robert the resolution to persevere.
蜘蛛的堅持不懈給了羅伯特堅持到底的決心
There was no cave, no spider,but there was something more extraordinary
沒有什么洞穴 也沒有什么蜘蛛 但有件事卻意義非凡
the polished noble turning himself into a guerrilla captain.
這位優雅的貴族脫下長袍成了游擊隊長
It was Robert the Bruce, not William Wallace,who wrote the book on partisan warfare.
是羅伯特·布魯斯 而非威廉·華萊士 向我們演繹了游擊戰的精髓
