英國語文第六冊(雙語):直布羅陀包圍戰(zhàn)(3)

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At length, on the morning of the 13th of September, the grand and decisive attack commenced. The ten battering-ships bore down in admirable order to their several stations. The Admiral, in a two-decker, moored about nine hundred yards off the King's Bastion. The other vessels took their places in a masterly manner, the most distant being eleven hundred or twelve hundred yards from the garrison. Under shelter of the walls, furnaces for heating shot had been lighted; and, from the instant the ships dropped into position, a continuous fire of red-hot balls was directed upon them by the garrison.

終于，在9月13日的早晨，關(guān)鍵的大規(guī)模進攻開始了。十艘補給船以令人贊嘆的順序駛往他們的幾個站點。海軍上將乘坐一輛兩層甲板的船，停泊在離國王堡壘大約900碼的地方。其他的船只以一種巧妙的方式各就其位，最遠的距離要塞有一千一百或一千二百碼。在墻的掩蔽下，點燃了用來加熱炮彈的爐子；而且，從船只一就位，守軍就不斷地向他們發(fā)射熾熱的炮彈。

In little more than ten minutes, continues Drinkwater, the enemy were completely moored, and their cannonade then became tremendous. The showers of shot and shell which were directed from their land-batteries and battering-ships, on the one hand, and, on the other, the incessant fire from the various works of the garrison, exhibited a scene of which neither the pen nor the pencil can furnish a competent idea. It is sufficient to say that upwards of four hundred pieces of the heaviest artillery were playing at the same moment—a power of ordnance which up till that time had scarcely been employed in any siege since the invention of those wonderful engines of destruction.

在不到十分鐘的時間里，德林克沃特繼續(xù)，敵人完全被拖住了，接著炮擊變得非常猛烈。一方面，炮彈像陣雨一樣從陸地炮臺和炮艇上傾瀉下來，另一方面，從守軍的各種武器中不斷發(fā)出的炮火，展現(xiàn)了一幅鋼筆和鉛筆都無法提供一個有說服力的觀點的景象。可以這樣說，在同一時刻，有多達四百門最重型的大炮在戰(zhàn)斗，這是一種威力強大的武器，自從發(fā)明了這種神奇的毀滅機器以來，這種武器在任何圍城戰(zhàn)中幾乎都沒有使用過。

After some hours' cannonade, the battering-ships were found to be no less formidable than they had been represented. Our heaviest shells often rebounded from their tops, whilst the thirty-two pound shot seemed incapable of making any visible impression upon their hulls. Frequently we flattered ourselves that they were on fire; but no sooner did any smoke appear, than, with the most persevering intrepidity, men were observed applying water from their engines within, to those places whence the smoke issued.

經(jīng)過幾個小時的炮擊，炮艦的威力并不比它們所代表的小。我們最重的炮彈常常從它們的頂部彈回來，而三十二磅重的炮彈似乎不能在它們的船殼上留下任何明顯的痕跡。我們常常自鳴得意，以為它們著火了；但是，一有煙冒出來，人們就以最頑強的勇氣，把發(fā)動機里的水噴到冒煙的地方。