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At dawn on February 13th, 1692,Williamite troops from the Argyle Regiment,
1692年2月13日 天剛破曉 威廉王軍隊的阿蓋爾軍團
already quartered in Glencoe,were ordered to carry out a massacre.
已到達格倫科 駐扎于此 他們奉王命 血洗格倫科
They butchered 38 of the clan and the rest of the village old men, women and children,
他們手刃了38名麥克唐納家族的族人 村莊里余下的老弱婦孺也無一幸存
some half-naked,fled into a raging snow storm where many of them died.
一些人逃入狂風暴雪之中 衣不蔽體 很多人被活活凍死
In London and Edinburgh, news of the massacre at Glencoe was greeted with pious professions of shock,
格倫科大屠殺的消息傳到了倫敦和愛丁堡 人們戴著震驚和惋惜的面具面對這個事實
especially, of course, from those who'd had the responsibility of organising it.
尤其是這起悲劇的始作俑者 灑落著鱷魚的眼淚 惺惺作態
An enquiry was held but, needless to say,it was a sham.
調查照例展開 毫無疑問 不過是裝裝樣子罷了
If the intention had been to cow the Jacobites into submission,it had all gone horribly wrong.
若以為這場腥風血雨能讓詹姆斯黨人臣服 那就大錯特錯了
The massacre was a public relations disaster for William's government.
這場屠殺對于威廉三世的內閣而言 是一場公關災難
The Scottish parliament voted it an act of murder.
蘇格蘭議會一致認為這是一場蓄意殺戮
How could victim and perpetrator ever be reconciled now?
干戈如何能化為玉帛
How could Scotland, stricken with poverty,with its national pride deeply wounded,
這樣一個窮困潦倒 民族自豪感受到重創的蘇格蘭
ever come together with its rich and ruthless neighbour?
與它富有而殘忍的鄰國又如何共處呢
But come together they did, and the two countries,
但他們確實做到了 在經歷了幾百年的
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.
最終基于兩國利益的考慮 而聯合起來 共創未來
What began as a hostile merger would end as a full partnership
始于侵略占有 止于攜手共進
in the most powerful going concern in the world Britannia Incorporated.
這就是世界上最強大的聯合 大不列顛的聯合
It was one of the most astonishing transformations in European history and this is how it happened.
這是歐洲歷史中最令人嘆服的轉變之一 其原因值得細細研讀
