The Awakening of Europe, 17. The Great Armada

17. The Great Armada

"When that great fleet Invincible against her bore in vain The richest spoils of Mexico, the stoutest hearts of Spain." —MACAULAY.

The romantic daring of Drake's voyage and the vastness of his spoil roused great enthusiasm in England. But the honours heaped upon him by Elizabeth were looked on by Philip of Spain with fierce anger. She had accepted his stolen treasure, and plans with regard to the conquest of England now began to take shape. The dockyards of Spain became busy centres, and the first ships of that great Armada, or armed force, destined for war with England, began to collect in the Tagus. If England were conquered, the empire of Spain would be safe, so thought Philip, whose possessions even now rivaled the Roman empire of old.

That a great fleet was building in Spain soon became known in England, and Drake hurried off to the scene of action. He sailed to Cadiz, entered the harbour, sank the guardship, sent flying a fleet of ships intended for the invasion of England, set fire to others, and sailed out again, having lost neither man nor boat.

"I have singed the King of Spain's beard this time," said Drake, while all Europe was wondering at his last adventure. Then, not content with having delayed the Armada, he seized the largest Spanish merchant ship afloat, laden with spoil from India, which he towed triumphantly into Dartmouth harbour. Not only was it the richest cargo that had ever entered an English port, but on board were found papers telling of the richness and mysteries of the East Indian trade, hitherto known only to Spain and Portugal.

By the end of April 1588 the Spanish Armada was ready.

July found the fleet—named by the Spaniards the Invincible Armada—at the mouth of the English Channel with a fair wind. It was formidable enough as it sailed on in the form of a crescent extending for seven miles. There were 130 ships, standing high out of the water. On board were guns, many soldiers and sailors, priests, surgeons, and food for six months. The whole was under the command of the Duke of Medina Sidonia, from whose flagship waved the Imperial banner, bearing on one side the crucified Christ and on the other His mother Mary; for this was not only an attack on England, it was an attack on England's Protestantism too. It was the 19th of July when the Spanish fleet, so long expected, was seen by the English off the coast of Cornwall. At once fires of alarm were lit along the coast.

"Far on the deep the Spaniards saw, along each southern shire, Cape beyond cape, in endless range, those twinkling points of fire." When the news arrived at Plymouth, the English commander, Lord Howard of Effingham, was playing bowls with his captains. None knew better than Drake what the news meant. There was not a moment to lose, for the English ships were all huddled in ports along the coast at the mercy of the Spanish. On the other hand, a panic would spoil all. He refused to stop playing bowls.

Nevertheless, as Drake said, the fleet seemed still "wonderful great and strong." The "work of destruction was reserved for a mightier foe than Drake." Suddenly the wind rose into a storm, which drove pursuers and pursued across to the Netherlands. Narrowly escaping shipwreck on the flat coast of Holland, the shattered Armada was driven pitilessly northwards, hurrying before the wind.

"There was never anything pleased me better," said Drake as he followed after, "than seeing the enemy flying with a southerly wind to the northwards." Supplies fell short and forced the English ships to give up the chase. The Spaniards sailed on to the Orkney Islands at the north of Scotland, where the storms of the northern seas broke on them furiously. Round the coast they staggered, scattering the shores with their wrecks. Eight thousand Spaniards perished near the Giant's Causeway; 1100 bodies were washed up on to the coast of Ireland. Out of the magnificent fleet that had sailed from Spain only fifty ships returned, bearing a few thousand sick and maimed Spaniards.

"I sent you to fight against men and not with the winds," said Philip to his unfortunate commander, who slunk away to his home to be tormented ever after by boys crying under his window, "Drake is coming! Drake is coming!" It was indeed Drake's name with which Europe rang as the news of the victory spread, though Elizabeth acknowledged the power of the storm when she struck a medal with this motto, "God blew with His wind and they were scattered."

To hear audio for this text, and to learn the vocabulary sign up for a free LingQ account.

Откройте этот урок на LingQ

17. The Great Armada 17. Die Große Armada 17. La Gran Armada 17. La Grande Armada 17. La Grande Armata 17.大艦隊 17. 위대한 함대 17. Wielka Armada 17. A Grande Armada 17. Великая Армада 17. Den stora armadan 17. Büyük Armada 17. Велика Армада 17. 伟大的无敌舰队 17.伟大的舰队

"When that great fleet Invincible against her bore in vain The richest spoils of Mexico, the stoutest hearts of Spain." |||||对抗|她|承载|||||战利品||||||| ||||||||||||botín||||||| "Quando quella grande flotta invincibile contro di lei portò invano il più ricco bottino del Messico, i cuori più forti della Spagna". "Когда этот великий флот Непобедимый против нее Напрасно нес богатейшие трофеи Мексики, Самые крепкие сердца Испании". "Ona karşı yenilmez olan o büyük filo, Meksika'nın en zengin ganimetlerini, İspanya'nın en cesur yüreklerini boşuna taşıdığında." "当那支强大的舰队徒劳无功地向她进攻，带来了墨西哥的最富饶的战利品和西班牙最勇敢的心脏。" —MACAULAY. -МАКАУЛИ. —麦考利。

The romantic daring of Drake's voyage and the vastness of his spoil roused great enthusiasm in England. ||大胆||||||浩瀚的财富|||战利品|激发|||| L'audacia romantica del viaggio di Drake e la vastità del suo bottino suscitarono grande entusiasmo in Inghilterra. 德雷克航行的浪漫冒险和他所获得的巨大战利品在英格兰引起了极大的热情。 But the honours heaped upon him by Elizabeth were looked on by Philip of Spain with fierce anger. ||荣誉|||||||||||||||愤怒 Ma gli onori tributatigli da Elisabetta furono guardati con feroce rabbia da Filippo di Spagna. 但伊丽莎白所给予他的荣誉却引起了西班牙的菲利普的愤怒。 She had accepted his stolen treasure, and plans with regard to the conquest of England now began to take shape. ||||||||||||||||||开始形成|形成她接受了他窃取的宝藏，关于征服英格兰的计划开始逐渐成形。 The dockyards of Spain became busy centres, and the first ships of that great Armada, or armed force, destined for war with England, began to collect in the Tagus. ||||||||||||||||武装的|武装力量||||||||收集|||塔古斯河西班牙的造船厂变成了忙碌的中心，第一批为与英格兰作战而准备的伟大无敌舰队的船只，开始在塔霍河集结。 If England were conquered, the empire of Spain would be safe, so thought Philip, whose possessions even now rivaled the Roman empire of old. |||||||||||所以||||财产|||与之抗衡||||| Se l'Inghilterra fosse stata conquistata, l'impero di Spagna sarebbe stato al sicuro, così pensava Filippo, i cui possedimenti rivaleggiavano ormai con l'antico impero romano. 如果英格兰被征服，西班牙的帝国就会安全，菲利普是如此认为，他的领土甚至现在都与古罗马帝国相媲美。

That a great fleet was building in Spain soon became known in England, and Drake hurried off to the scene of action. |||||||||||||||||||场景||行动场所在西班牙正在建造一支大舰队的消息很快传到了英格兰，德雷克迅速赶往战斗现场。 He sailed to Cadiz, entered the harbour, sank the guardship, sent flying a fleet of ships intended for the invasion of England, set fire to others, and sailed out again, having lost neither man nor boat. |||卡迪斯||||沉没||||飞走|||||||||||||||||||||||| Navegó a Cádiz, entró en el puerto, hundió el barco de guardia, hizo volar una flota de barcos destinados a la invasión de Inglaterra, prendió fuego a otros y volvió a navegar sin perder ni un hombre ni un barco. Он приплыл в Кадис, вошел в гавань, потопил сторожевой корабль, отправил в полет флот кораблей, предназначенных для вторжения в Англию, поджег другие корабли и снова отплыл, не потеряв ни человека, ни судна. 他航行到加的斯，进入港口，击沉了守卫舰，驱散了一支准备入侵英格兰的舰队，放火烧毁其他船只，然后再次扬帆离去，既没有损失任何人也没有损失任何船。

"I have singed the King of Spain's beard this time," said Drake, while all Europe was wondering at his last adventure. |||||||胡子|||||||||感到惊讶|||| "Questa volta ho tagliato la barba al re di Spagna", disse Drake, mentre tutta l'Europa si meravigliava della sua ultima avventura. "这次我烧了西班牙国王的胡子，"德雷克说，整个欧洲都在惊叹于他的最新冒险。 Then, not content with having delayed the Armada, he seized the largest Spanish merchant ship afloat, laden with spoil from India, which he towed triumphantly into Dartmouth harbour. |不|满意|||延迟的||||||||||||||||||拖走|得意洋洋地||达特茅斯| Poi, non contento di aver ritardato l'Armada, si impadronì della più grande nave mercantile spagnola in navigazione, carica di bottino proveniente dall'India, che rimorchiò trionfalmente nel porto di Dartmouth. Então, não contente por ter atrasado a Armada, ele apreendeu o maior navio mercante espanhol à tona, carregado de destroços da Índia, que ele rebocou triunfalmente no porto de Dartmouth. Затем, не довольствуясь тем, что задержал Армаду, он захватил самый большой испанский торговый корабль на плаву, груженный трофеями из Индии, который он с триумфом отбуксировал в гавань Дартмута. 然后，他不仅仅满足于延迟无敌舰队，他还抓住了一艘最大的西班牙商船，里面装满了来自印度的战利品，他骄傲地将其拖入达特茅斯港。 Not only was it the richest cargo that had ever entered an English port, but on board were found papers telling of the richness and mysteries of the East Indian trade, hitherto known only to Spain and Portugal. |||||||||||||||||||||||||神秘||||||||仅|到||| Non solo si trattava del carico più ricco mai entrato in un porto inglese, ma a bordo furono trovati documenti che raccontavano la ricchezza e i misteri del commercio delle Indie Orientali, fino ad allora noti solo a Spagna e Portogallo. 这不仅是进入英国港口的最富有的货物，而且船上还发现了关于东方印度贸易的财富和神秘的文件，这些知识之前仅为西班牙和葡萄牙所知。

By the end of April 1588 the Spanish Armada was ready.

July found the fleet—named by the Spaniards the Invincible Armada—at the mouth of the English Channel with a fair wind. ||||||||||||||||||||顺风| 七月，西班牙人称之为无敌舰队的舰队在英吉利海峡口遇到了顺风。 It was formidable enough as it sailed on in the form of a crescent extending for seven miles. ||可怕的|||||||||||新月|延伸的||| 它的威势足够可怕，航行时呈新月形，延伸了七英里。 There were 130 ships, standing high out of the water. 有130艘船，高高地矗立在水面上。 On board were guns, many soldiers and sailors, priests, surgeons, and food for six months. |||||||||外科医生||||| 船上有枪支、许多士兵和水手、牧师、外科医生，以及六个月的食物。 The whole was under the command of the Duke of Medina Sidonia, from whose flagship waved the Imperial banner, bearing on one side the crucified Christ and on the other His mother Mary; for this was not only an attack on England, it was an attack on England's Protestantism too. ||||||||||梅迪纳||||||||旗帜||||||被钉十字架||||||||||||||||||||||||| Все они находились под командованием герцога Медины Сидонии, с флагманского корабля которого развевалось императорское знамя с изображением на одной стороне распятого Христа, а на другой - его матери Марии; ведь это было не только нападение на Англию, но и на ее протестантизм. 整个舰队在梅迪纳·西多尼亚公爵的指挥下，他的旗舰上飘扬着帝国的旗帜，旗帜一面是被钉在十字架上的基督，另一面是他的母亲玛丽；因为这不仅是对英国的攻击，也是对英国新教的攻击。 It was the 19th of July when the Spanish fleet, so long expected, was seen by the English off the coast of Cornwall. ||||||||||||||||||离开||||康沃尔西班牙舰队在长期的期待中，终于在七月十九日被英国人在康沃尔海岸发现。 At once fires of alarm were lit along the coast. 沿海岸线上立刻点燃了警报火。

"Far on the deep the Spaniards saw, along each southern shire, Cape beyond cape, in endless range, those twinkling points of fire." ||||||||||县||超越|||||||火光点|| "Lontano sulle profondità gli spagnoli videro, lungo ogni costa meridionale, capo dopo capo, in un raggio infinito, quei punti scintillanti di fuoco". “在深海中，西班牙人看到，在每一个南方的郡县，海岬接着海岬，无尽的行列中，那些闪烁的火光。” When the news arrived at Plymouth, the English commander, Lord Howard of Effingham, was playing bowls with his captains. ||||||||||霍华德|||||保龄球|||船长 Quando la notizia arrivò a Plymouth, il comandante inglese, Lord Howard di Effingham, stava giocando a bocce con i suoi capitani. Когда эта новость пришла в Плимут, английский командующий, лорд Говард Эффингемский, играл в кегли со своими капитанами. 当消息到达普利茅斯时，英军指挥官霍华德勋爵正在与他的舰长们玩保龄球。 None knew better than Drake what the news meant. 没有人比德雷克更清楚这个消息的含义。 There was not a moment to lose, for the English ships were all huddled in ports along the coast at the mercy of the Spanish. 那里|||||去||||||||挤在一起||||||在||任凭西班牙摆布||| Нельзя было терять ни минуты, так как все английские корабли стояли в портах вдоль побережья на милость испанцев. 没有时间可浪费，因为英国舰船都聚集在沿海的港口，任凭西班牙人摆布。 On the other hand, a panic would spoil all. |||||||破坏一切| 另一方面，恐慌会毁掉一切。 He refused to stop playing bowls.

"There is time to play the game and beat the Spaniards," he said quietly. But there was no sleep for England that night. While in port and harbour the ships were manned and sailed, bells of alarm rang out all night, horsemen gathered together, cannon's roar and notes of the bugle broke the silence of the night. |||||||||||||||||||||炮的|||音符|||号角|打破||||| 当船只在港口和海港时，船只被编组并启航，警报铃声整夜响起，骑士们聚集在一起，炮声和号角声打破了夜晚的寂静。 "Night sank upon the dusky beach and on the purple sea, Such night in England ne'er had been, nor e'er again shall be." |降临|||昏暗的||||||海|||||从未||||曾经||| 夜幕降临在昏暗的海滩和紫色的海面上，这种夜晚在英格兰从未出现过，也不会再出现。 There was but one hope for the English in this desperate struggle. |||||||||||斗争在这场绝望的斗争中，英格兰人只有一个希望。 Her ships, though fewer, were lighter and faster-sailing than those of the enemy, therefore a close encounter would be fatal. |||更少|||||||||||||||||致命的她的船虽然数量较少，但比敌人的船更轻、更快，因此近距离接触将是致命的。 Worrying and harrying the Spanish fleet, the English ships pursued them up the English Channel till Calais was reached. 烦扰||骚扰|||||||||||||||到达| Беспокоясь и изводя испанский флот, английские корабли преследовали его вверх по Ла-Маншу, пока не достигли Кале. 担忧并骚扰西班牙舰队，英舰沿英吉利海峡追逐他们，直到到达加莱。 For nearly a week this running fight had lasted. 这种追逐战持续了近一个星期。 By July 29 the Spaniards had lost 4000 men: three great ships had sunk; their masts were shot away, the men had lost heart. |||||||||||沉没||||打断|||||| 到7月29日，西班牙人已经失去了4000名士兵：三艘大型舰船沉没；他们的桅杆被击断，士兵们也失去了斗志。 The Spanish commander decided to retreat to Spain by way of Scotland. 西班牙指挥官决定通过苏格兰撤退回西班牙。

Nevertheless, as Drake said, the fleet seemed still "wonderful great and strong." ||||||||非常|非常伟大|| 尽管如此，正如德雷克所说，舰队似乎仍然 "非常强大和庞大。" The "work of destruction was reserved for a mightier foe than Drake." |||||保留给|||更强大的||| Работа разрушения была припасена для более могущественного врага, чем Дрейк". 这场 "毁灭的工作是留给比德雷克更强大的敌人。" Suddenly the wind rose into a storm, which drove pursuers and pursued across to the Netherlands. |||||||||追赶者|||||| 突然间，风暴骤起，将追赶者和被追者驱赶到了荷兰。 Narrowly escaping shipwreck on the flat coast of Holland, the shattered Armada was driven pitilessly northwards, hurrying before the wind. |逃脱|||||||||||||||匆匆前|在风前|| Scampata per un soffio al naufragio sulle coste piatte dell'Olanda, l'Armada in frantumi fu sospinta senza pietà verso nord, sfrecciando davanti al vento. Едва избежав кораблекрушения на плоском побережье Голландии, разбитая Армада была безжалостно погнана на север, спеша навстречу ветру. 在荷兰的平坦海岸险些遭遇海难，破碎的无敌舰队被无情地驱赶向北，急速迎风而行。

"There was never anything pleased me better," said Drake as he followed after, "than seeing the enemy flying with a southerly wind to the northwards." ||||||||||||||||||||南风|||| "没有什么比看到敌人在南风的驱动下向北逃窜更让我高兴的了，"德雷克在后面说道。 Supplies fell short and forced the English ships to give up the chase. 补给|||||||||||| I rifornimenti scarseggiarono e costrinsero le navi inglesi a rinunciare all'inseguimento. Припасов не хватало, и английские корабли были вынуждены отказаться от погони. 物资不足，迫使英舰放弃追击。 The Spaniards sailed on to the Orkney Islands at the north of Scotland, where the storms of the northern seas broke on them furiously. ||||||奥克尼||||||||||||||||| 西班牙人继续航行，前往苏格兰北部的奥克尼群岛，那里北海的暴风雨猛烈袭来。 Round the coast they staggered, scattering the shores with their wrecks. 环绕||||蹒跚而|散落||||| Intorno alla costa barcollarono, disseminando le rive dei loro relitti. 他们在海岸边摇摇欲坠，船只的残骸散落在海岸上。 Eight thousand Spaniards perished near the Giant's Causeway; 1100 bodies were washed up on to the coast of Ireland. |||||||巨人之路|||||||||| 八千名西班牙人在巨人之路附近遇难；1100具尸体被冲上爱尔兰海岸。 Out of the magnificent fleet that had sailed from Spain only fifty ships returned, bearing a few thousand sick and maimed Spaniards. 出||||||||从|||||||从|||生病的||残疾的| 从西班牙出发的壮观舰队中，只有五十艘船返回，带回了几千名生病和受伤的西班牙人。

"I sent you to fight against men and not with the winds," said Philip to his unfortunate commander, who slunk away to his home to be tormented ever after by boys crying under his window, "Drake is coming! ||||||||||||||||||||||||||折磨||||||||||| "我派你去与人作战，而不是与风作斗，"菲利普对他不幸的指挥官说道，这位指挥官悻悻然回家，永远受到孩子们在他窗下叫喊"德雷克来了！"的折磨。 Drake is coming!" It was indeed Drake's name with which Europe rang as the news of the victory spread, though Elizabeth acknowledged the power of the storm when she struck a medal with this motto, "God blew with His wind and they were scattered." ||||||||||||||||||||||||||铸造||奖章||||||||||||分散 Fu proprio il nome di Drake a risuonare in Europa quando si diffuse la notizia della vittoria, anche se Elisabetta riconobbe la potenza della tempesta quando coniò una medaglia con questo motto: "Dio soffiò con il suo vento ed essi furono dispersi". Действительно, именно имя Дрейка прозвучало в Европе, когда разнеслась весть о победе, хотя Елизавета признала силу шторма, когда выбила медаль с таким девизом: "Бог дунул своим ветром, и они были рассеяны". 确实是德雷克的名字在欧洲传扬，当胜利的消息传播开来，虽然伊丽莎白承认暴风的威力，当她铸造一枚带有这句名言的奖牌时，"上帝用他的风吹散了他们。"