英国语文第六册(双语):直布罗陀包围战(6)
A fresh incident arose to interrupt the succour carried to them, and to redouble the terror and confusion. Captain Curtis, a sailor as daring as he was skilful, suddenly advanced with his gun-boats, which had been constructed to confront those of the Spaniards, and each of which carried in front an eighteen or twenty-four pounder. Their fire at water-level rendered them exceedingly formidable; and they were disposed by Captain Curtis so as to take the line of floating batteries in flank.
又有一件事发生了，打断了他们的救援，使他们更加惊慌失措。柯蒂斯船长是个既勇敢又熟练的水手，他的炮艇是为对付西班牙人而造的，每艘炮艇前面都装着一艘十八磅或二十四磅的大炮。水平面的炮火使他们威力猛增；在柯蒂斯船长的冲击下，营救人员被迫靠向漂浮战列舰的侧边。
From that moment the position of the Spaniards became terribly critical. The boats no longer dared to approach them, but were constrained to abandon those enormous machines, so lately the objects of their admiration, to the flames, and their companions in arms to the mercy of an enraged enemy. Several of them were seen to founder. Others only escaped by forced rowing. A few sought shelter by the land during the night; but, on the appearance of daylight, they were easily captured by the English.
从那一刻起，西班牙人的处境变得极为危急。小船再也不敢靠近他们，只好把那些巨大的机器抛到火堆里去，这些机器是他们最近才敬慕的对象，而他们的同伴们则在武器里，任凭愤怒的敌人摆布。其中有几艘船被打倒了。其他人只能通过强迫划船逃脱。有几个人在夜里躲到陆地上；但是，天一亮，他们就很容易被英国人俘虏了。
Then was witnessed, in all its horrors, a scene, the most harrowing features of which had hitherto remained concealed. In the midst of the flames appeared unhappy wretches, who, with lond shrieks, implored compassion, or precipitated themselves into the waves. Some, on the point of drowning, clung with weakened grasp to the sides of the burning vessels, or floated at hazard on fragments which they chanced to encounter, and, in the agony of desperation, convulsively implored the compassion of their victors.
接着，人们看到了一幅可怕的景象，其中最可怕的部分至今还没有显露出来。火焰中出现了一些不幸的人，他们尖叫着恳求怜悯，或者跳进海里去。有些人在快要淹死的时候，软弱无力地抓住燃烧着的船只边缘，或者在他们偶然碰到的碎片上随意漂浮，在绝望的痛苦中，颤抖着恳求胜利者的同情。
