东方武士vs西方武士白刃格斗交手记录(一)
黑溪伯劳
2018年09月23日 18:37
收录于文集
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读前必看:

这些资料多数来自于历史学者,冷兵器及兵击研究者D. A. Kinsley的著作,他从各种近代文献搜集了数千条英国剑士(顺带一点其他欧洲国家)在欧亚非各地的近身战斗记录。大光头Matt Easton高度认可他的著作,并为其作序,认为这些历史资料可以让我们更深入地理解兵击武术。

注意,时代不同,一个国家的武术氛围兴衰,士兵或者武者的战斗经验可能截然不同,不同的团体和个人也是一样。这些记录的来源也出自五花八门的文献资料,其参考性自行斟酌。

由于D. A. Kinsley搜集的记录多达数千条,所以我每次只能选小部分翻译,作为一个长期系列来做。这些记录收录在他的著作《大英帝国的剑士Swordsmen of the British Empire》《不列颠尼亚剑客Sword Fighter of Britinnia》中,至今他仍然在持续不断地搜集新的记录。

我会在有些条目下发表一些,这些感想建立在假设这些叙述属实的情况下。

英国水手/海盗 vs 日本水手/海盗

Here Michelborne’s inexperience told for the first time. He was unaware that the Japanese had the reputation in The Indies for being a ‘people so desperate and daring that they are feared in all places’ and was ignorant of the fact that all eastern ports demanded that any Japanese sailor coming ashore must first be disarmed. Davis, too, was beguiled by their humble semblance’. Not only was he of the opinion that disarming them was unnecessary, he offered them the run of the ship and let them freely fraternize with the crew. As more and more Japanese clambered aboard, beakers were raised and the two crews joked and chatted among themselves. In a flash everything changed: unbeknown to the English, the Japanese had, in the words of Michelborne, ‘resolved with themselves either to gaine my shippe or to lose their lives’. The smiles vanished, the laughter died and the Japanese suddenly transformed themselves into brutal ‘rogues’ who stabbed and slashed at their English adversaries. The crew of the "Tiger&#​34; had never faced such hostility and scarcely had a chance to resist before the deck was swarming with Japanese wielding long swords and hacking men to pieces. Soon they reached the gun room where they found Davis desperately loading muskets. ‘They pulled [him] into the cabin and giving him sixe or seven mortall wounds, they thrust him out of the cabin.’ He stumbled on the deck but the sword wounds had severed one of his arteries and he bled to death. Others, too, were in their final death throes and it seemed inevitable that the Tiger would shortly be lost.

It was Michelborne who saved the day. Thrusting pikes into the hands of his best fighters he launched a last-ditch Attack on the Japanese soldiers ‘and killed three or four of their leaders’. This disheartened the Japanese who slowly found themselves at a disadvantage. Armed with knives and Swords, they were unable to compete with Michelbornes’s Pikemen and found themselves driven down the deck until They stood en masse by the entrance to the cabin. Sensing their predicament, they let out a terrific scream and dashed Headlong into the heart of the ship.

The English were at a loss as to know how to evict Them. Not one man volunteered to follow them into the Cabin for to do so would be to court certain death. It was Equally hopeless to send a large group down. The Passageway was low and narrow and the men would end up wounding themselves rather then the Japanese. Eventually, a bright spark on board had a simple but Devastation solution. Two thiry-two-pound demi-culerins Were loaded with ‘crosse-barres, bullets, and case-shot’ and Fired at point-blank range into the most exposed side of the Cabin . there was a deafening crash as the shrapnel tore Through the woodwork and ‘violently marred there with Boords and splinters’. A terrible shriek followed, a cry of Agony, and then there was silence. When the smoke cleared And the dust settled, the cabin was entered and it was found That only one of the twenty-two Japanese had survived.‘Their legs, armes and bodies were so torne, as it was strange to see how the shot had massacred them. It was now time for Michelborne to have his revenge. Training every last cannon on the Japanese junk, he fired Shot after shot into her sides until the men on board Begged for mercy. When this was refused they vowed to go Down fighting and the battle raged until all the resistance was Quelled and the junk fell silent. Only one Japanese Attempted to surrender. Diving into the water he swam Across to the "Tiger&#​34; and was hauled aboard. When quizzed By Sir Edward as to the motive for the attack he ‘told us That they meant to take our shippe and to cut all our Throates’. Having said this, and terrified by the crowd Of hostile onlookers, he told Michelborne that his one desire Was ‘that hee ight be cut in pieces’. Michelborne Preferred a less bloody method of execution and ordered The man to be strung up at the yardarm. This sentence was Duly carried out but the rope snapped and the man Dropped into the sea. No one could be bothered to haul Him in and as the coast was not far away it was presumed That he escaped with his life. The English crew were by now weary of their piratical Adventure and elected to return home. Eventually sailing back into Portsmouth in the summer of 1606.(Nathaniel’s Nutmeg: Giles Milton (2000), referencing an English encounter with Japanese wako in the early 17th century)

这里米切伯恩的缺乏经验第一次展现出来。他不知道日本人在东印度群岛的名声“人皆决绝而大胆,在各个地方受到畏惧。”而且他无知地忽视了一个事实,即所有东方港口要求日本水手靠岸时必须首先解除武装。戴维斯也被他们谦逊的外表迷惑了,不但认为没有必要解除他们的武装,还让他们上船自由行走并和水手们联谊,随着越来越多的日本人登上甲板,两船人举杯共饮,嬉闹洽谈。但一瞬之间一切都变了:英国人还不知道,这些日本人,用米切伯恩的话说‘决心要么夺下我们的船只,要么丧生于此。’笑容隐去,欢声骤止,日本人突然变成了野蛮的恶棍,开始劈砍刺捅他们的英国敌人。老虎号的船员从未面对过如此的恶意,几乎没有机会反抗这些蜂拥至甲板上,拿着长刀剑把人大卸八块的日本人。他们冲进炮室,发现戴维斯正在绝望地装填火枪,‘他们把他拖进船舱,给了他六七处致命伤,并把他刺出了船舱’,他在甲板上蹒跚着,剑伤切断了他的一处动脉导致他流血至死。其他人也在濒死的剧痛中挣扎,看起来老虎号必然就要陷落了。

是米切伯恩拯救了那一天。长矛拿到了他最好的战士手中,朝着日本士兵发起背水一战,‘并杀死了三四个他们的首领’,这打击了日本人的士气,他们发现自己正渐渐处于不利的局面中。他们装备着长刀和短刀Knives and swords,无法对抗米切伯恩的长矛手,被赶下甲板,直到聚集至船舱的入口,感觉到自己的窘境,他们发出恐怖的尖啸并一头冲进船只的内部。

英国人不知该如何驱逐他们,没人自愿跟着他们进入船舱,因为这样必死无疑。派一大群人下去也没有希望,因为通道又矮又窄,人们只会伤到自己,而不是日本人。最终,有人开了脑洞,想了个简单但毁灭性的解决办法。两门三十二磅半长管炮被搬了过来,里面填装了‘横木,弹丸和霰弹’并对着船舱的暴露侧来了个近距离平射。弹片撕裂木制品时发出震耳欲聋的响声,‘暴烈地毁至一片狼藉’,紧随而来的是可怕的尖叫,痛苦的惨嚎,接着,一片宁静。当烟雾和尘埃消失,人们进入船舱,发现22名日本人只有1人还活着。'他们的手臂,腿,和身体碎了一地&#​39;看见射击造成的残杀效果令人惊异。现在轮到米切伯恩复仇了,他让所有大炮瞄准日本人的戎克船,一遍又一遍地射击直到他们求饶。当求饶被拒绝后,这些船员下舱决死反抗,激烈的战斗之后,抵抗被压制了,戎克船一片沉寂。只有一个日本人企图投降,跳入水中并游到老虎号旁边被拉上甲板。当爱德华爵士询问他们进攻的动机时,他说‘要夺下我们的船并割了我们所有人的喉咙’,说完之后,他被四周不怀好意的眼神吓到了,向米切伯恩求一个全尸。米切伯恩也不想来血腥的处决了,他吩咐船员把他吊到桁端上,判决被执行了,但绳子松了,这个人掉进了水里。大家懒得把他拉上来,因为海岸并不远,大家推测他肯定逃生了。

英国船员们厌倦了他们的海盗冒险,并决定投票回家,最终在1606年的夏天返回朴茨茅斯。(Nathaniel’s Nutmeg: Giles Milton (2000), referencing an English encounter with Japanese wako in the early 17th century)

(Up感想:在毫无防备,被伪装突袭的情况下,能成功执行反击并扭转局面,不仅思路清晰,船员们的素质也想当高啊。)

英国海军/水手 vs 马来海盗

Charles Rathbone Low served for a decade (1853-63) in the IndianNavy, fighting pirates and slavers; and one of his encounters with piratesoccurred in the Strait of Malacca, when he (as a midshipman) accompanied a 2nd lieutenant and a detachment of sailors from a corvettein protecting a barque that was bound for Singapore. The attack occurredat night, “when a distant and indistinct noise was heard. The noise wasthat of ‘sweeps’ dipping in the water and rattling against wooden pins or‘tholes’. In an instant, the order was quietly passed for the men to go totheir quarters with arms and ammunition; so in a few minutes all of us,thirty-seven in number, were armed and at our posts, ready for anything.We had brought two twelve-pounders, which were now loaded with grapeshot. By the time all hands were on deck with their boarding pikes andcutlasses, and with muskets ready to fire, the sound of oars could beclearly heard; and the black forms of the advancing proas [Malayanoutrigger canoes] were distinguishable, looming through the darkness. “The lieutenant addressed a few words of encouragement to the men.The proas, four in number, were now within 100 yards of us; but wereserved our fire, by the lieutenant’s orders, till the powder would scorchthe faces of our assailants. The captains of the twelve-pounders singledout and kept the muzzles of their guns pointing on the two foremost boats.On they came, and when within pistol shot, divided—two boats pulling forthe stern and two for the bows. At the word ‘Fire’ from the commandingofficer, the two guns blazed into the densely packed proas. There seemedto be, for a second, a period of quiet; but it was succeeded by the horridclamour of mingled shouts from our men and shrieks from the woundedand dying pirates. Those unhurt quickly recovered from the surprise whichparalyzed their movements for the moment; and as the proas struck theship and were laid alongside, they commenced swarming up the sides,swinging themselves up by the ‘forechains’ or ‘guys’. One boat was sunkalongside, and the water was alive with the drowning wretches; a greatmany had no doubt been killed outright, for grape shot does fearfulexecution at such short range; but still there could not have been less than100 pirates striving to gain a footing on the decks of the barque. “The gun crews now left their quarters, as the cannon could be of nofurther use in a hand-to-hand encounter, and joined in the mêlée with theirmuskets and fixed bayonets. The former were discharged into theseething mob, and then the contending parties closed in a dreadfulstruggle. The pirates were armed with swords and ‘creeses’—crookedlong knives, which inflict the most terrible wounds, and which they use torip up their enemies. Their tactics now were to seize the weapons of ourmen with one hand while they thrust or lunged at them with this dagger inthe other. The sailors were chiefly armed with the boarding pike—a longweapon somewhat resembling a hog spear, and which is admirablyadapted for repelling boarders—and each man had also a cutlass girtround his waist. “For a long time we resisted the horde of pirates with success, and theirefforts to secure a footing on the decks of the barque were futile; but at337length some managed unseen to swim round to the starboard side; andwe were only made aware of their presence when, with a whoop oftriumph, they attacked us in the rear. About a dozen of them thussucceeded in surprising us; but they paid for their temerity and werespeedily dispersed, most of them being either killed on the spot or drivenpell-mell overboard. This had answered its purpose, however, in creatinga diversion; and while many of our men rushed to meet this new danger,supposing it an attack in force, a large number of the ferocious searobbers, profiting by the ruse, now poured on board; and the struggleassumed an aspect the reverse of favourable to us. Nothing daunted, ourbrave fellows rallied to face the enemy, even when outnumbered by fearfulodds. ‘No surrender’ was the flag under which we fought, and no quarterwas expected or would be given by either side. The pirates fought, to dothem justice, with a courage and determination for which we had not giventhem credit, and again closed with us in the desperate conflict. Both sideswere mingled together as each European singled out a Malay; and thus,fighting with cutlass opposed to ‘tulwar’ or ‘creese’, or grappling in a mortalstruggle and locked in one another’s grip, the combatants rolled on thedecks, seeking to deal each other the death blow, and in some instancesactually tumbled overboard, still clutching and desperately fighting till bothfound a watery grave. “The burly form and gigantic proportions of the captain of the foretop [orsenior petty officer] had been conspicuous all through the fray. There hewas in the front rank, dealing death and destruction around him as hiscutlass, whistling in the air over his head, was brought down many a timeon the sconce of some unlucky pirate. Once, when the point of his cutlasswas broken off, he replaced the weapon by a new one snatched from thedying grasp of a wounded shipmate, and fought his way back to theforefront of the battle. The Malays avoided him; and he was more thanonce completely isolated, but not for any length of time; for with a ‘Hooroo,boys, for Limerick!’, he was in the thick of the fight again, like a wildIrishman at Donnybrook. O’Brien appeared to treat the matter as amonstrous good joke; and not even the sight of blood flowing so freely,and the critical position in which we were placed, had the slightest effectupon him; on the contrary, it only inspired the man with fresh humour andraised his naturally high spirits to a pitch of frenzied hilarity. He laid abouthim with the greatest gusto and with telling effect, but yet, wonderful torelate, escaped all through scatheless. For this he had to thank his owngood swordsmanship, and also the attention he had always paid to thecutlass drill. On board the corvette there was no man, with the exceptionof the first lieutenant, who could touch him with the singlestick or foils; forhe was not only powerful but active to a degree seldom seen in men of hissize. 338“Foot by foot, we drove the pirates back. They had never experiencedsuch a hot reception; and their leader—a short, broad-chestedChinaman—strove, both by gesture and voice, to rally his men; but all wasin vain. At length, he threw down his arms, and with a run and spring,cleared the bulwarks and jumped into the sea. When this was observedby his men, most of them followed his example and sprang after him. Ourmuskets were quickly loaded and discharged at the fugitives in the water;and those remaining on board were either captured and secured or, if theystill resisted, shot down. We were masters of the situation, but at howdreadful a cost! One could hardly pick one’s way along the decks, sothickly lay the bodies of the dead and dying. Four of our party were killedand ten wounded, while there were upwards of seventy dead and dyingpirates lying about the decks. Great numbers also had been drowned orhad fallen overboard, and their bodies were washed against the ship’sbows and the chain cable. Every place was slippery with gore, and allthings were smeared with red stains; the atmosphere itself wasimpregnated with the horrid taint.” However, the survivors safely reachedSingapore. (Ms. copy, priv. coll.; Lt. R. C. Low, Tales of Naval Adventure,1872.)

查尔斯·雷斯波恩·洛曾在印度海军服务(1853-63),对战海盗和奴隶贩子。一次他在马六甲海峡遇见了一群海盗。当时他作为一名海军少尉见习军官跟着一名少尉和一队水手在一艘护卫舰上为前往新加坡的三桅商船护航。袭击在夜里发生,“当时传来遥远而模糊的噪声,是船桨划水和咔哒咔哒的敲打木质(up:什么船的桨钉之类的声音)”很快,命令安静地传达给了人们,大家各自装备武器,填充弹药。几分钟之后,我们全部37个人都武装完毕,驻守在岗位上,做好一切准备。我们带来两门装填好葡萄弹的十二磅炮。所有人都在甲板上并带着船矛Boarding Pike和水手刀Cutlass,火枪随时可以开火。划桨声越来越清晰,前进中的普罗阿{马来小桨船}的黑色轮廓几可辨认,隐约地穿过黑暗。

少尉说了几句话鼓励大家,四艘普罗阿船进入我们100码内,但我们没有开火,根据少尉的命令,一直要等到火药能够烧到攻击者的脸再行动。两门12磅炮的炮长将炮管瞄准了打头的两艘,他们过来了,在进入手枪射程时分开了阵列,两艘拉住船艉、两艘拉住船艏。随着‘开火’的命令,两门炮射向密集的敌船。似乎,在那一秒,出现了短暂的安静,但紧接着就是我们船员的吼声和海盗受伤垂死的尖叫。没有受伤的海盗们很快从惊乱中恢复过来,重新开始行动,当这些普罗阿船撞上我们的船并停在一旁,他们聚集起来,在一侧靠着forchain或者guys荡了上来,其中一艘船被击沉在一旁,水面因为这些落水的可怜虫们躁动起来,许多人无疑直接被打死了,因为葡萄弹在这么短的距离有屠杀般的效果,但是还是有不到100个海盗奋力登上我们船的甲板。

炮手离开了他们的岗位,因为在近战距离下炮已经没啥用了,他们把火枪装上刺刀,加入肉搏之中中。他们首先向这群混乱的暴徒放枪,然后加入了这场可怕的斗争。海盗们装备了刀剑swords和马来短剑creeses——一种曲折的比较长的小刀,能够造成极可怕的伤口,把他们的敌人开膛破肚。他们的战术是一手抓住我们的武器,一手拿着短刃向我们猛刺。我方水手大部分装备船矛——一种像野猪矛的长兵器,这种武器很适合驱逐登船的敌人——每个人的腰间还有把水手刀。

“很长时间内,我们都成功地抵挡了这群海盗的进攻,他们试图在甲板上夺取立足点的努力失败了,但最后一些人偷偷游到右舷,当这些人发出胜利的号叫时我们才意识到他们的存在,他们从后方发起进攻。这一打敌人成功地突袭了我们,但是他们很快为自己的蛮勇付出了代价,我们打散了这些人,其中大部分被我们就地杀死,或者被胡乱地赶下船。但是这还是达到了一定的目的,无论如何,分散了我们的注意力,许多人被这个险情吸引过来,以为这是一次大力进攻,结果却被另一边的大群凶恶海盗趁机占了便宜,他们涌上了甲板。战斗的形势开始对我方不利了,但并没有引起动摇,勇敢的船员们集结在一起直面敌手,即使在这种人数相差悬殊的情况下。我们打起绝不投降的旗号,也不抱被俘幸存的希望,对方同样如此。这些海盗战斗得英勇而果决,执行着他们自己的准则,虽然我们不会为此赞颂。双方进入惨烈的近战中,欧洲人和马来人混杂在一起,欧洲的水手刀对抗着亚洲的图瓦刀tulwar和马来短剑,或者被奋力抓住,握柄锁在一起,交战者们在甲板上翻滚着,都试图给敌人致命一击,有时候甚至一起滚落甲板,一起落水后仍然决绝地战斗至双方都葬身鱼腹。

“前桅长(二级下士)的魁梧体型在混乱中显得很突出,他就在前排,在四周制造着死亡和毁灭,水手刀在他头顶的空气中呼啸,一次次落到某个倒霉海盗的头上。当他的刀尖断掉时,他从一个垂死船员的手中抓来一把新的,又重回了战斗的第一线。马来人都躲避着他,一刹那他的身边完全空了,但他很快又进入了人群,高喊着“嚯啰,小子们,为了利默里克!”杀入最拥挤的地方。奥布莱恩像一个打群架的爱尔兰汉子一般,将这些事情当成是一种荒谬过分的玩笑,就算是四处流淌的鲜血以及我们危险的处境也不能影响他分毫。相反地,这激发了他的幽默感并将他天性中的热情提升至狂欢的地步。他将自己代入这种狂野的嗜好之中并制造着杀戮,值得一提的是,他居然毫发无伤,这应该归功于他高明的剑术,以及持续专注的水手刀训练。护卫舰上除了上尉,没有其他人能够用单棍(singlestick,带护手的安全练习剑)或者金属击剑条foil击中他,因为他不但强有力,而且有着他这个体型的人罕见的灵活性。

“一寸又一寸地,我们将海盗们推了回去,他们从没有经历过如此激烈的对抗,他们的首领是一个矮个子宽大胸膛的中国人,不断通过手势和高喊重整手下,但徒劳无功。最后他扔掉武器,奔到舷墙旁跳进了海里。他的手下看到后,大多数都效仿一起跳走了。我们的火枪很快装填好并朝着水中的逃亡者们放了一轮,而那些留在甲板上的敌人不是被抓住俘虏,就是因为反抗被当即射杀。我们掌握了局势,但付出了惨重的代价!人们几乎在甲板上无路可走,因为到处都挤满了死者和伤员的身体,我们一方4人阵亡,10人受伤,同时甲板上留下超过70个死亡或濒死的海盗,还有大量被淹死或者落船了,他们的尸体被海水冲刷到船艏和锚链上。每一处地方都因血污而变得黏滑,一切都染上了一层红色的污秽,就连空气都浸染着恶心的血臭。”不管怎么样,活下来的人员安全抵达了新加坡。 (Ms. copy, priv. coll.; Lt. R. C. Low, Tales of Naval Adventure, 1872.)

(Up感想:Matt Easton在序中提到,19世纪的水手中有大量能干的剑士,因为他们可能是当时欧洲最常进行剑术训练的人,他们使用单棍和金属击剑条等进行安全对抗,运动,常常举行各种竞赛,以及斩铅等试斩活动,大量的报纸媒体充斥着水手们练习水手刀,或者用单棍对练的插画和描述。

一个很有趣的描述是,高手常会在自己的四周形成真空地带,因为敌人会因为惧怕而躲避他,这种描述在其他记录中也出现过,但情况又有所不同。)

creese 马来短剑

英国人 vs 印度锡克人

“At the battle of Chillianwallah, they tell of a Sikh horseman challenging the English to single combat and unhorsing three dragoons (the first, a lancer, had the lance pole severed and his forefinger taken off at one blow) before he was SHOT down!” (Cavalry, 1853.)

在奇力安瓦拉之战中,他们说一个锡克骑兵单挑英国人,在他被射杀之前,他已经把三个龙骑兵打下马! (Cavalry, 1853.)

Capt. L. E. Nolan, 15th Hussars: “At Ramnugger, a huge dragoon [of the 14th Dragoons] was found quite dead; his head had dropped forward from a cut on the back of the neck, which had severed the spine; and at this very action, it is said that whilst our poor fellows laboured in vain to draw blood, a touch from the Sikh’s sword across the arm or leg left the bold Englishmen at their mercy; and they soon hacked them to pieces. One officer, who was in the campaign, said he saw an English dragoon putting his hands to the reins to try and turn his horse, when a native horseman, dropping his sword across them, took off both hands above the wrist

第15骠骑兵团,诺兰上尉:在Ramugger,他们发现了一名体型庞大的死去的龙骑兵,他的头被来自后颈上的一刀砍断掉在前面,脊椎分离。在这次行动中,据说当我们可怜的士兵们 laboured in vain to draw blood,锡克人会用刀剑一击切断他们的手或者脚以让他们任凭摆布,接着很快把他们大卸八块。一名参与这场战役的军官,说他看见一名英国龙骑兵用手拉住缰绳,试图把马调转方向,当时一名当地骑士挥剑斩过他,把他的双手从手腕上切了下来。(Cavalry, 1853.)

 Incidentally, at Aliwal, the 16th Lancers lost 2 officers, 56 men, and 77 horses killed; 6 officers, 77 men (of whom 30 eventually died), and 35 horses wounded; and 1 man and 73 horses missing. “Many of the killed were found surrounded by dead Sikhs. Lance Corporal Mowbray was discovered with his lance splintered and his sword broken in a circle of seven dead Sikhs, the ground round him being actually ankle deep in blood. He was the best lancer and swordsman in the regiment.” (Col. Henry Graham, History of the Sixteenth, the Queen’s, Light Dragoons (Lancers), 1912.)

顺便说一句,在阿利瓦尔,第16枪骑兵团损失了2名军官,56人,77匹马;

6名军官,77人(其中30人最终死亡),35匹马受伤;1名男子和73匹马失踪。

许多被杀害的人被发现环绕在死去的锡克人身边。当莫布雷下士被发现的时候,他的长枪裂成碎片,他的剑折断在周围一圈七名死去的锡克人旁边,他身旁的地面蔓延着深及脚踝的鲜血。他是团里最好的枪兵和剑士(Col. Henry Graham, History of the Sixteenth, the Queen’s, Light Dragoons (Lancers), 1912.)

(Up感想:英国人对锡克骑兵永远不乏的溢美之词,赞叹他们高超的技艺。)

Tulwar 图瓦刀

英国水手 vs 中国海盗

“The last that was seen of Pidcock alive was on his knees, struggling with his sword through a Chinaman’s body, and being borne down by half a dozen spears. Two had fallen by his hand before he dropped.” Regarding Seaman Ward: “He did recover, after many months of suffering.” “Pidcock’s fatal wound must have been given from behind—a tremendous cut being on the back of his head, alone sufficient to cause death. He was a powerful young man, and a good swordsman.” (Vice-Adml. John William Dorville [former commander of the Rattler], Cruising in Many Waters, 1883.)

“最后一次看见活生生的彼得寇克,他正跪在地上,剑刃穿过了一名中国人的身体,接着被半打短枪击倒,在他倒下之前,有两个人先倒在了他的手下。”海员病房的消息:“他康复了,在忍受了几个月的煎熬之后”“彼得寇克的致命伤一定来自他身后的一击,他的后脑吃了一记可怕的劈砍,单单这一下就足以致死。他是个强壮的年轻人,也是个优秀的剑士。”(Vice-Adml. John William Dorville [former commander of the Rattler], Cruising in Many Waters, 1883.)

(Up感想:关于中国的记录相对印度等等少很多。同一个事件有更详细的描述,后面再翻译了。)

法国人 vs 苏格兰高地人

 

 

“Infuriated at seeing their beloved General [Wolfe] fall, the Fraser Highlanders raised a tremendous yell. ‘Claymore! Claymore! Dirk and claymore!’ was the cry. Flinging down their muskets in the old Highland fashion, on rushed the Frasers with their shields and their long baskethilted swords and daggers, making a dreadful slaughter among the French. A letter of an officer, in the Edinburgh Chronicle, says: ‘When these Highlanders took to their broadswords, my God! what havoc they made! They drove everything before them, and stone walls alone could resist their fury!’” (John Mackay, “Deeds That Won The Empire,” The Celtic Monthly, Nov. 1898.)

 

眼见他们的将军倒下,弗雷泽高地团陷入狂怒,发出惊人的怒吼。“claymore!claymore!短剑和claymore!”他们嘶吼道。以高地传统风格丢下火枪,装备盾牌,笼手剑和匕首冲锋,在法国人中制造了一场恐怖的屠杀。

在爱丁堡编年史中记录了一名官员的信件,写道“当这些高地人拔出他们的阔剑,上帝啊!他们制造了一场浩劫!驱赶着他们面前的一切,只有石墙才能抵挡他们的怒火。”

 

 “The Highlanders, discharging their pieces, fell in sword in hand, and made a havoc not to be described. The bullet and bayonet are decent deaths, compared with the execution of their swords.” (Genuine Letters From A Volunteer, 1760.)

 

高地人用手中的剑把他们大卸八块,制造了一场耸人听闻的浩劫,子弹和刺刀算是体面的死法,而高地人的剑刃简直就是处刑。

 

The Highlanders had a worldwide reputation for ferocity, which is why they were called such names as “petticoated devils” and “red devils in petticoats” and “sons of Satan”, who “fought like fiends”; and although they wreaked havoc on the enemy, they often paid dearly for their recklessness. At Quebec, for instance, they lost 18 killed and 148 wounded out of about 500—more casualties than any other British unit

 

高地人的凶猛残暴闻名世界,这就是为什么他们被称为“穿裙子的魔鬼”“围裙红魔”“撒旦之子”这些人“像恶魔一样战斗”。尽管他们给敌人带来了灾难,但也经常为自己的鲁莽付出代价。有一个例子,在魁北克,他们500人之中死了18个,148个受伤——伤亡率高于其他英国单位。

(Up感想:Claymore在近代实际上多是指苏格兰笼手剑。)

Claymore 苏格兰笼手剑