世界小史 第120期:戈爾迪烏姆城

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 It went like this.

故事是這樣的。

In the city of Gordium there was a temple, and in it an old chariot whose shaft1 was held fast by a strap2 that was tightly and intricately knotted.

在戈爾迪烏姆城的一座神廟里有一輛舊馬車，轅桿用一條皮帶縛緊并緊緊地打了一個復(fù)雜的結(jié)。

Now it had been foretold3 that he who could untie4 the enchanted5 knot would become master of the world.

曾有人預(yù)言說誰能解開這個死結(jié)誰就能統(tǒng)治世界。

Alexander wasted little time fiddling6 with a knot that was clearly far worse than the sort you get in your shoelace when you are in a hurry.

亞歷山大沒多費時間去解這個結(jié)，看樣子它比你鞋帶上的一個死結(jié)還難解開，如果你正好很急的話。

He did something my mother never let me do: he took his sword and simply chopped it through.

他做了我的母親從來也不曾允許我做的事：他拿著他的劍，簡簡單單地砍斷了這個結(jié)。

The story's meaning is twofold: Alexander would conquer the world in fulfilment of the ancient prophecy, and he would do it with the sword.

這個故事有雙層意義：亞歷山大將征服世界以此來應(yīng)驗這個古老的預(yù)言，他將用劍來完成它。

As indeed he did.

他確實也這樣做了。

You might find it easier to follow the rest of this story of conquest if you take a look at a map of the Middle East.

如果你看一看中東地圖這征服的剩下的故事你很容易理解。

Alexander could have gone on to attack Persia directly,

亞歷山大本可以向波斯直接進軍，

but rather than risk an attack from the rear by the Persian provinces of Phoenicia and Egypt, he chose to subdue7 them first.

但他卻冒險進攻波斯帝國的省份腓尼基和埃及的后方，他選擇先征服它們。