13. King Arthur and His Knights 13. König Artus und seine Ritter 13. El rey Arturo y sus caballeros 13. Le roi Arthur et ses chevaliers 13. Re Artù e i suoi cavalieri 13.アーサー王と騎士たち 13. O rei Artur e os seus cavaleiros 13. Король Артур и его рыцари 13. Kral Arthur ve Şövalyeleri 13. Король Артур та його лицарі 13. 亚瑟王和他的骑士 13. 亞瑟王和他的騎士

"A glorious company, the flower of men To serve as model for the mighty world. "Una compagnia gloriosa, il fiore degli uomini Per servire da modello per il mondo potente. “一家光荣的公司，人间之花，为强大的世界树立榜样。 " —TENNYSON. “——丁尼生。 The story of King Arthur belongs to this period, when the barbarians were swarming over the Western world. La storia di Re Artù appartiene a questo periodo, quando i barbari pullulavano nel mondo occidentale. 亚瑟王的故事属于这个时期，当时野蛮人正席卷西方世界。

When the Romans left Britain to return to their falling capital, the heathen hosts poured over the seas and swept all before them in that fair island with its open tracts of country, its winding rivers, and its sheltering coast, till the inhabitants had to take refuge in the western part known as Wales. Quando i Romani lasciarono la Britannia per tornare alla loro capitale caduta, le schiere pagane si riversarono sui mari e travolsero tutti in quella bella isola con le sue campagne aperte, i suoi fiumi tortuosi e le sue coste riparate, finché gli abitanti dovettero rifugiarsi nella parte occidentale conosciuta come Galles. 当罗马人离开不列颠返回他们沦陷的首都时，异教徒的军队涌入大海，席卷了这个美丽的岛屿，拥有开阔的土地、蜿蜒的河流和庇护的海岸，直到居民不得不占领在被称为威尔士的西部避难。

And the Britons groaned for the Roman legions there again and Cæsar's eagle, till Arthur came. 不列颠人再次为那里的罗马军团和凯撒的鹰而呻吟，直到亚瑟来了。 Now so much story and fable hang round this mysterious King Arthur that it is hard to know what is history and what is romance. 现在围绕着这位神秘的亚瑟王的故事和寓言太多了，以至于很难知道什么是历史，什么是浪漫。 Perhaps it does not much matter in this case, for we can accept him as the poets have sung of him—as one of the noblest, purest, grandest of men, who will ever serve as a "model for the mighty world. " Forse non ha molta importanza in questo caso, perché possiamo accettarlo come lo hanno cantato i poeti: come uno degli uomini più nobili, puri e grandiosi, che servirà sempre come "modello per il mondo potente". " 在这种情况下，也许这并不重要，因为我们可以接受他，正如诗人所歌颂的那样——作为最高贵、最纯洁、最伟大的人之一，他将永远成为“强大世界的榜样”。 Let us hear the story as the poet Tennyson tells it, in all its beauty and in all its strength. 让我们听听诗人丁尼生讲述的这个故事，它的美丽和力量。

One night, as the old Welsh magician Merlin stood on the sea-shore, a wave washed to his feet an infant, who was none other than the future King Arthur. 一天晚上，老威尔士魔术师梅林站在海边，海浪冲到他脚下的是一个婴儿，这正是未来的亚瑟王。

"From the great deep to the great deep he goes. " “他从深渊走向深渊。” Merlin took the babe, who grew to manhood in solitude, until the time came when he should be discovered and crowned King of Britain. 梅林带着这个在孤独中长大成人的婴儿，直到他被发现并加冕为不列颠国王的时刻到来。 But he had to conquer the barbarians, known as Saxons, many times before his people would believe in him. 但在他的人民相信他之前，他不得不多次征服被称为撒克逊人的野蛮人。

Then he formed a brave band of knights to help him in his work, to break the heathen and uphold the Christ, to ride abroad redressing human wrongs, to fulfill the boundless purpose of their King. 然后他组建了一支勇敢的骑士队伍来帮助他完成他的工作，打破异教徒并维护基督，骑马出征纠正人类的错误，实现他们国王的无限目标。 They were known as the Knights of the Round Table, because Arthur, not wishing to honour one above another, had a round table made at which all sat at meals. Erano conosciuti come i Cavalieri della Tavola Rotonda, perché Artù, non volendo onorare uno sopra l'altro, fece costruire una tavola rotonda alla quale tutti si sedettero durante i pasti. 他们被称为“圆桌骑士”，因为亚瑟不想尊崇一个人高于另一个人，他制作了一张圆桌，所有人都坐在上面用餐。

It would take too long to tell of all the famous deeds wrought by the king and his knights: how Arthur was ever fighting, his armour shining with gold and jewels, his helmet glistening with a golden dragon at the top, his precious sword Excalibur ever in his right hand. 要讲述国王和他的骑士们所做的所有著名事迹需要很长的时间：亚瑟是如何战斗的，他的盔甲闪耀着黄金和珠宝，他的头盔顶部闪闪发光的金龙，他的宝剑 Excalibur 永远在他的右手。

Again and again he waged war against the heathen tribes as well as against the evils of the times. 他一次又一次地与异教部落和时代的罪恶开战。 The story of the Quest for the Holy Grail—a cup supposed to have been used by Christ—is one of the most beautiful in connection with King Arthur. 寻找圣杯的故事——一个应该被基督使用过的杯子——是与亚瑟王有关的最美丽的故事之一。

"Lords and fair knights," said the king one day when sitting at the Round Table, "as ye well know, there is a cup which hath ever been held the holiest treasure of the world. “诸位大人，骑士们，”有一天，国王坐在圆桌旁说道，“你们都知道，有一个杯子曾经是世界上最神圣的宝藏。 Heaven hath hidden it, none knows where. 天藏之，无人不知。 Yet somewhere in the world it still may be. 然而在世界的某个地方它仍然可能存在。 And may be it is left to this noble order of the Table Round to find and bring it home. 可能是圆桌会议的这个崇高秩序找到并把它带回家了。 Many great quests and perilous adventures have ye all taken, but this high quest he only shall attain who hath clean hands and a pure heart, and valour and hardihood beyond all other men. " 你们都进行过许多伟大的探索和危险的冒险，但只有手洁心清、勇敢和坚韧的人才能实现这一崇高的追求。 “ The knights set off on the quest for the Holy Grail, but only Sir Galahad—the bright boy-knight—Sir Percival, and one other among the many knights, were good enough and brave enough to see the vision. 骑士们出发去寻找圣杯，但只有加拉哈德爵士——聪明的男孩骑士——珀西瓦尔爵士，以及众多骑士中的另一位，足够勇敢，足够勇敢地看到了幻象。

This time-worn story has taken such hold upon the minds of men, that to this very day, in the little town of Bayreuth in the heart of Bavaria, the Quest for the Holy Grail is still acted, music and words being composed by Wagner, one of the world's great musicians. 这个陈旧的故事在人们的脑海中留下了深刻的印象，以至于直到今天，在巴伐利亚中心的拜罗伊特小镇，寻找圣杯的故事仍在上演，音乐和歌词都是由瓦格纳创作的，世界上最伟大的音乐家之一。 But the day came when Arthur was wounded in that last dim, weird battle of the West, with a death-white mist sleeping over sand and sea—wounded unto death. 但有一天，亚瑟在西部最后一场昏暗、怪异的战斗中负伤，沙子和大海上空笼罩着一片死亡般的白色雾气——负伤致死。

"So all day long the noise of battle rolled Among the mountains by the winter sea Until King Arthur's Table, man by man, Had fallen. " “所以一整天，战斗的喧嚣在冬季海边的群山间翻滚，直到亚瑟王的餐桌，一个接一个地倒下。” One faithful knight, Sir Bedevere, was left; and finding his king was deeply wounded, he carried him to a little chapel near the battlefield. 留下了一位忠实的骑士贝德维尔爵士。发现他的国王受了重伤，他把他抬到战场附近的一个小教堂。

It was evening, and the moon was full. 已是傍晚，月圆。 Arthur felt he was dying. 亚瑟觉得自己快死了。 The men he had loved were sleeping their last sleep on the battlefield; never more should they all delight their souls with talk of knightly deeds. Gli uomini che aveva amato dormivano il loro ultimo sonno sul campo di battaglia; mai più avrebbero dovuto deliziare le loro anime con discorsi di gesta cavalleresche. 他所爱的人在战场上睡了最后一觉；他们再也不能用谈论骑士事迹来取悦自己的灵魂了。 The time had come to part with the jewelled sword Excalibur. 是时候与宝剑 Excalibur 告别了。 The story runs that this sword was the gift of a mysterious Lady of the Lake; that in the old days, one summer noon, an arm rose from out a lake holding the sword, which Arthur rowed across the water and took. 传说这把剑是一位神秘的湖中女士的礼物；在过去，一个夏天的中午，一只手臂从湖中升起，手握宝剑，亚瑟划过水面接过宝剑。 Now Excalibur must be thrown back into the lake, and Sir Bedevere must do the deed. 现在必须将 Excalibur 扔回湖中，而贝德维尔爵士必须这样做。

Obedient to the king's commands the knight took the sword, and climbing by zigzag paths came on the lake. 骑士听从国王的命令，拿起剑，沿着曲折的小路爬上了湖面。 The beautiful jewels sparkled in the moonlight, and Bedevere could not make up his mind to throw it away, so he hid it among the reeds and returned to the king. 美丽的珠宝在月光下闪闪发光，贝德维尔下不了扔掉它的决心，于是他把它藏在芦苇丛中，然后还给了国王。 But Arthur soon discovered his deceit and sent him again to do his bidding. 但亚瑟很快就发现了他的诡计，并再次派他去执行他的命令。 Again Sir Bedevere went; again his courage failed; again he returned to the dying king. 贝德维尔爵士又去了。他又一次失去了勇气；他再次回到垂死的国王身边。

"Ah, miserable and unkind, untrue, unknightly, traitor-hearted," cried Arthur; "authority forgets a dying king. “啊，可怜又不友善，不诚实，不守规矩，叛徒心肠，”亚瑟喊道。 “权威忘记了垂死的国王。 Get thee hence, and if thou spare to fling Excalibur I will arise and slay thee with my hands. " 滚开，如果你愿意扔出 Excalibur，我就会起来亲手杀了你。 “ Then the knight rose quickly, hastened to the lake, and shutting his eyes flung the good sword into the water. 然后骑士迅速站起身来，快步走到湖边，闭上眼睛，把那把好剑扔进了水里。 The arm rose up, grasped it firmly, brandished it three times, and drew it down into the water. 手臂扬起，牢牢抓住，挥舞三下，将其拉入水中。 Then Arthur was content. 然后亚瑟很满足。 With the help of Sir Bedevere he managed to get to the lake himself. 在贝德维尔爵士的帮助下，他设法自己到达了湖边。 There a barge was waiting for him. 那里有一艘驳船在等他。

"I am going a long way," said the dying king to his weeping knight, "to the island valley of Avilion, where falls not hail, or rain, or any snow, nor ever wind blows loudly, but it lies deep-meadowed, happy, fair with orchard lawns, where I will heal me of my grievous wound. " "Vado lontano", disse il re morente al suo cavaliere piangente, "verso la valle dell'isola di Avilion, dove non cade la grandine, né la pioggia, né la neve, né il vento soffia forte, ma si trova in un prato profondo, felice, con prati di frutteti, dove guarirò dalla mia grave ferita". " “我要走很远的路，”垂死的国王对他哭泣的骑士说，“去阿维利翁岛的山谷，那里不下冰雹，不下雨，也不下任何雪，也从不刮大风，但它位于深深的草地上，快乐，美丽的果园草坪，在那里我将治愈我的严重伤口。” Then the barge, with oar and sail, moved slowly away over the cold moonlit lake, and Sir Bedevere watched it till it was out of sight. 然后，划着桨和帆的驳船在月光下冰冷的湖面上缓缓驶离，贝德维尔爵士注视着它，直到它消失在视线之外。

"The king is gone," he moaned at last. “国王走了，”他终于呻吟道。 "From the great deep to the great deep he goes. " “他从深渊走向深渊。” Such is the story the poet tells. It may not be true, but the fact remains that there once lived a king of early Britain who fought against the barbarians known as Saxons, and that though they finally conquered and gave their name to the new country, King Arthur did not live and fight in vain. 这可能不是真的，但事实仍然是，曾经有一位早期不列颠国王与被称为撒克逊人的野蛮人作战，尽管他们最终征服了这个新国家并以他们的名字命名，但亚瑟王并没有活着和战斗徒然。