LESSON 12 Nelson and Hardy
第十二課 納爾遜和哈代
The life of Nelson abounds with illustrations of naval daring, but most of these are well known. One, however, narrated by Colonel Drinkwater Bethune, the historian of "The Siege of Gibraltar," and an eye-witness of what follows, is as well Worthy of general fame as some of Nelson's more splendid achievements. It is the more interesting as, on this occasion, that personal affection for his more immediate followers, which in every case secured their devoted attachment to himself, was the cause of a display of unwonted gallantry.
納爾遜的生活中充滿著在軍艦上勇敢大膽的事跡，但是其中大多數都是很出名的。然而，有一件，由白求恩上校敘述，所謂歷史學家口中的“直布羅陀的圍攻”，見證過的目擊證人認為，那是可以和納爾遜取得的另一些更輝煌的成就相媲美的。更有趣的是，這一次，他個人對他那些最親近的追隨者的影響，是在任何的情況下都能保證他們是能為自己而獻身的，是顯現出這種不尋常的勇氣的原因。
Commodore Nelson, whose broad pendant at that time was hoisted in the Minerve, Captain Cockburn, got under weigh from Gibraltar on the 11th of February 1797, in order to join Sir John Jervis's fleet. The frigate had scarcely cast round from her anchorage, when two of the three Spanish line-of-battle ships in the upper part of Gibraltar Bay were observed also to be in motion. The headmost of the Spanish ships gaining on the frigate, the latter prepared for action, and the Minerve's situation every instant becoming more hazardous, Colonel Drinkwater asked Nelson his opinion as to the probability of an engagement. The hero said he thought it was very possible, as the headmost ship appeared to be a good sailer; "but," continued he, looking up at the broad pendant, "before the Dons get hold of that bit of bunting I will have a struggle with them; and sooner than give up the frigate, I will run her ashore."
司令官納爾遜，在米內爾夫時升起寬大的船帆，上校Cockburn，1797年2月17日從直布羅陀起錨，以加入爵士約翰杰維斯的艦隊。護衛艦從來沒有因為停錨而停下過。當觀察到兩三只西班牙的戰列船也在直布羅陀的上部灣運轉時，領頭的西班牙船吸引了護衛艦的注意，而后者準備開始行動，米內而夫的每個瞬間情況越來越危險，上校問納爾遜他的意見，關于雙方正式交戰的幾率。這個英雄說他認為這非常有可能，領頭的船看起來是艘不錯的帆船；“但是，”他繼續說，看到那寬闊的垂帆，“在大將掌控住他那一點點的旗幟之前，我將會與他們有一場斗爭；并且不久就會放棄護衛艦，我將會駛她上岸。
Captain Cockburn, who had been taking a view of the chasing enemy, now joined the commodore, and observed that there was no doubt of the headmost ship gaining on the frigate. At this moment dinner was announced; but before Nelson and his guests left the deck, orders were given to set the studding-sails. Seated at dinner, Colonel Drinkwater was congratulating Lieutenant Hardy, who had lately been exchanged, on his being no longer a prisoner of war, when the sudden cry of "a man overboard" threw the dinner-party into disorder.
上校Cockburn，觀望著追逐著的敵人，現在加入了海軍準將，觀察到，毫無疑問的領頭的船艦吸引著護衛艦，在這時，晚餐宣布開始了，但是在納爾遜和他的客人離開甲板之前，命令升起翼帆，在晚餐中就座，上校祝賀著 Lieutenant Hardy，這個不久前被用來交換的人，祝賀他不再是一個戰爭中的囚犯，突然的哭喊聲傳來，”有人落水了“將晚宴陷入了一片混亂。
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