有關歷史戰爭和軍隊的10點誤解(下)
Defenders Of The Alamo May Have Actually Surrendered
5.阿拉莫之戰的抵禦者最終其實投降了
In the early days of the United States, the government tried to take as much territory from Mexico as possible, and Mexico fought back very forcefully against them. The most famous battle of this conflict occurred at the Alamo, a fort held by Davy Crockett and several others who fought bravely against an overwhelming force led by General Santa Anna.
美國早期，政府想盡辦法從墨西哥開拓疆土，但面臨着墨西哥人民的誓死抵抗。這場衝突中最著名的戰役發生在阿拉莫，該堡壘由一支以大衛·克洛斯特爲首的幾人部隊防守，勇敢抵抗桑塔·安納帶領下的勢不可擋的部隊。Santa Anna was determined to take back the land that rightfully belonged to Mexico. The stories say that the defenders of the Alamo refused to surrender and fought to the very last man. Then their show of bravery became a rallying cry in the region for Americans assisting in the invasion of the Mexican territories.
桑塔·安納決心一定要收回原本屬於墨西哥的領土。據說，阿拉莫抵禦部隊死都不願投降，一直堅持到了最後一刻。他們表現出來的英勇精神爲其他同盟美軍提供了集結口號。
However, while it upsets many Davy Crockett fans, there is a lot of reason to believe that the popular story is fanciful nonsense contrived because it made a good story. Multiple accounts by Mexicans—including at least one who was present at the incident—state that seven Americans, including Davy Crockett, surrendered to Santa Anna. However, they were shot because he did not want any survivors after the massacre.
雖然這麼說會傷大衛·克羅斯特粉絲們的心，但這有一百種理由讓人不得不相信，他們編造的這個好故事純粹就是在一本正經地胡說八道。墨西哥人對此戰役的描述有多種版本——不止一位親臨現場的目擊者說道，包括大衛·克羅斯特在內的七位美軍都朝桑塔·安納投降了。但最後大衛·克羅斯特他們還是被槍殺了，就因爲桑塔不想在這場大屠殺中看到有任何人活着回去。Although many people now think of this as an affront to Crockett's honor, this version of events was actually accepted and not considered offensive many years ago. It is only recently that those who honor the Alamo decided that the truth somehow besmirches their legacy.
雖然現在有很多人認爲這樣說是對克羅斯特的侮辱，但其實多年以前人們就已經接受了事情的真相，也不覺得這冒犯了什麼。是最近某些以阿拉莫爲榮的人認爲，這件事的真相或多或少地讓他們蒙羞了。At the time, people saw it differently. They saw a group who had fought to almost the last man and realized that it was hopeless. The men surrendered, hoping for honorable treatment after how they had fought, but they were mercilessly executed. The US government at the time was actually quite happy to use this as propaganda of Santa Anna's cruelty to spur people to take further action against him.
那時候大家看待這件事的態度也不一樣。他們看到阿拉莫防守者幾乎戰鬥到了只剩最後一個人時，就覺得沒希望贏了。克羅斯特部隊最終還是投降了，以爲這樣能得到體面的對待，但結果呢，他們都被殺了。那時美國政府總是用這件事來宣傳桑塔·安納的殘忍性，激勵人們進一步起來反抗他。y Armored Knights On Horseback Were Quite Rare
4.連戰馬也全副武裝的重騎兵極少
Although many people romanticize the medieval era and picture many grand battles with armored knights on horseback holding colorful pennants, the truth is that those kind of awe-inspiring knights were an extremely rare commodity. It wasn't that the training was arduous, as there were plenty of people who were ready and willing to undergo it, but rather a simple matter of expense.
騎士的浪漫精神在中世紀廣泛流傳，人們能腦補在大型戰役中，重騎兵舉着多彩三角旗高高飄揚的威武樣子。但事實上呢，這種驚歎人心的騎士非常稀少。少不是因爲訓練過程有多痛苦，事實上有很多人都相當樂意當重騎兵，其真正的原因是耗費太高。No matter how strong or stable a kingdom was, trying to keep even one fully equipped knight was a huge drain on the resources of the kingdom's territories. The horses required extremely expensive training and upkeep, and the knights' armor was a similar situation. An entire suit of plate armor did not come cheap. Keeping all of it maintained, as well as having a personal servant to help the knight do so, was also very expensive even at minimum cost.
再有錢的國家要養一個全副武裝的重騎兵也是一項沉重的負擔，就一個都是。戰馬的訓練費用、維修費用和重騎兵的鎧甲都極其昂貴，整套板甲也不會便宜多少。此外，還要給重騎兵配置一個私人僕人輔助他。所以，即使算最小的開銷，養重騎兵也非常非常昂貴。This meant that most battles, even fairly large engagements by richer kingdoms, tended to have a relatively small number of fully plated knights riding on horseback. They were used mainly as the forerunners of tanks—as a means to help push a position or flank the enemy with a strong charge. They couldn't be thrown away carelessly because they were a huge investment in medieval times.
所以打仗時一般都只會讓少量重騎兵參加戰鬥，對此投入很多資金的富有國家也是如此。重騎兵一般是坦克的先鋒部隊——軍隊靠重騎兵取得戰爭優勢，或者強有力地從側面包抄敵人。軍隊絕不會輕易拋下重騎兵，因爲中世紀時重騎兵那可是相當值錢啊。Of course, the richer kingdoms definitely had a greater number of knights on horseback. But for strategic reasons, these kingdoms still kept their armies extremely varied. In fact, many warlords preferred that their men spend more time learning proper archery—a skill that was prized by many cultures over skill with the blade due to its ability to win battles before the enemy even came in range.
不用說，國家越有錢，重騎兵數量就會越多。要不是爲戰略原因考慮的話，這些國王都想讓軍隊保持多變的風格。實際上，很多軍閥反而更願意讓其士兵把時間花在箭術上——箭術在很多文化中都備受推崇，因爲，甚至在敵軍還未進入視線前，他們就能靠箭刃贏得戰爭。ent Soldiers Were Using Layered Fabric Armor Long Before The Invention Of Kevlar
3.芳綸纖維發明很久之前，古代士兵就已在使用分層織物盔甲了
In ancient days, people protected themselves with leather (if it was all that was available) and then progressively harder and more protective varieties of metal. The evolution of armor led all the way to suits of plate armor that covered the entire body, which has now evolved beyond the need for metal.
在古代，人們用皮革來保護自身(當時是否只有皮革呢)，之後，經過艱難的進化，人們轉而使用保護作用更強的各類金屬。盔甲革命從未中斷，直到包裹全身的整套板甲出現，到現在，人們已經不需要金屬盔甲了。For protection against the advanced weaponry that military and law enforcement deal with in our modern age, we need special Kevlar armor to keep them safe. This armor basically uses many layers of extremely thin fabric stacked together to arrest the movements of projectiles that would otherwise harm someone.
爲防士兵們受到現代軍隊和執法機關先進武器的傷害，需要使用芳綸纖維盔甲。這種盔甲主要成分是一層一層的極薄纖維，可以抵擋射彈，從而起到保護作用。Although it may sound like the latest in technology, there were many examples of ancient people using something very similar, long before we thought of it today. One of the most notable examples was Alexander the Great and his men, who used laminated cloth armor. Multiple layers were glued together to protect them from arrows, knives, spears, and other dangerous weapons.
芳綸纖維盔甲聽起來像是近代纔出現的科技，其實，早在很久以前，就有很多古人使用過芳綸纖維盔甲樣的防護物的例子。其中最著名的是亞歷山大大帝及其戰士曾使用過分層織物盔甲。他們堆了很多層布料，藉此擋箭、擋刀、擋矛和其它危險的武器。To test the effectiveness of this armor, researchers used materials that would have been historically available and made fabric armor as close as possible to historical records. The researchers concluded that this cloth armor could have offered effective protection against arrows—perhaps as good or better at doing so than metal armor. While it may not be advanced enough to stop bullets, it was quite useful for its time and shows that many new ideas are actually just modern refinements of very old concepts.
爲驗證這種盔甲的有效性，研究人員採用古時有的材料，儘可能製造跟歷史上一模一樣的織物盔甲。之後，他們總結道，該織物盔甲確實能夠有效地抵擋箭雨的進攻——也許和金屬盔甲一樣好，甚至更好。織物盔甲雖然沒先進到可以擋子彈，但放在那時來看已經非常有用了，這說明，許多新點子只是現代人在舊概念的基礎上稍加修飾而成的。Invasion Of Normandy Was Much Closer To Failure Than People Realize
2.諾曼底登陸比人們想象中的更接近失敗
The photos are famous and burned into everyone's memories. They showed scores of ships in the ocean disgorging troops and massive numbers of men fanning out across the beach, moving toward the hills ahead, and preparing for the fight of their lives. It was perhaps the most important, decisive battle in the entire war, and it actually came much closer to failure than many people realize.
這張圖片有名吧，沒人能將它從腦海裏抹去。從圖中你可以看到，海洋中有滿載軍隊的戰艦數千艘，大規模的軍隊分散在海灘各地，紛紛朝着丘陵前進，他們正準備着殊死一搏。這場戰役也許是整個二戰中最重要、也是定生死的一場戰役，但實際上它比人們想像的更接近失敗。The battle was meticulously planned by the Allied forces, who knew that the Germans had a strong, well-positioned army as well as geographic advantages. They also knew that the Axis powers had a strong spy network. So the Allies had to work carefully to avoid letting the enemy know where they were planning to attack or the invasion was likely to fail. In this case, the Germans did figure out that a major invasion was coming, and they even had a rough idea of the time frame for the attack. But they didn't know specifically when or where.
盟軍基於德國強大的軍事力量及其地理優勢，精心策劃了這場戰役。他們也清楚軸心國有一支龐大的間諜網，所以策劃時十分小心，生怕被德軍發現其作戰地點，襲擊失敗。那時，德軍的確刺探到有場大戰要打，連盟軍登陸的時間他們也大概猜到了。但關於具體的時間地點，他們無從得知。The beaches of Normandy were not a strategically advantageous position for the Allies to try to take, but this may have been why the position was ultimately chosen. The Germans were quick to mount a counteroffensive, and the cliffs were already well guarded. In fact, the battle was quite close and might have been lost if the Nazi leadership had elected to send their nearby heavy reinforcements to support their troops. They didn't because they believed that this attack was just a diversion for the real attack.
諾曼底海灘對盟軍來說並沒有戰略上的地理優勢，但這也許正是盟軍選擇諾曼底的原因吧。德軍在戰役中迅速開始反擊，懸崖上都安好了警哨。實際上，如果當時納粹領導人派遣最近的增援部隊去諾曼底的話，諾曼底登陸很可能就失敗了。但德軍沒有派遣增援部隊，因爲他們認爲這次襲擊是盟軍的佯攻，是在爲真正的戰役做準備。Although the Allies were able to take advantage of the Nazis' mistakes, they also got lucky with weather conditions. Even so, the Allies won the battle by a much closer margin than they were truly comfortable with. As for the consequences of a loss, they would have been disastrous. The British would likely have lost the last of their army's main strength, and the United States may have gone back to more isolationist policies. This might have left Russia as the only nation standing against the Nazi domination of Europe.
盟軍不僅從德軍的錯誤判斷上取得了優勢，天氣也幫了他們大忙。但儘管如此，他們的成功還是非常僥倖。稍有不慎，他們就會自尋死路。英國可能會失去之前軍隊擁有的主要優勢，美國也許會進一步回到孤立主義中。結果就是:俄國單槍匹盟軍不僅從德軍的錯誤判斷上取得了優勢，天氣也幫了他們大忙。但儘管如此，他們的成功還是非常僥倖。稍有不慎，他們就會自尋死路。英國可能會失去之前軍隊擁有的主要優勢，美國也許會進一步回到孤立主義中。結果就是:俄國單槍匹馬地與納粹主導下的歐洲繼續作戰。Japanese Soldiers Did Not Believe That Their Emperor Was God
1.日本武士沒把天皇當成神
Japan is well-known for their kamikaze bomber pilots who performed suicide attacks in their aircraft, thus showing a fanatical loyalty to their cause. For years, most people believed that this insane devotion happened because the Japanese worshiped their emperor as a god.
大家都知道日本神風隊的轟炸機飛行員執行的自殺式襲擊，從這件事可以看出他們狂熱的忠誠度。多年來，大部分人都認爲這種瘋狂忠誠之所以發生，是因爲日本人把天皇當成神在崇拜。Although it is an easy way to explain the situation, the truth is much more complicated. Emperor Hirohito was never considered to be a god in the strictest sense, and he certainly wasn't considered their highest or one true god by any means.
解釋這件事是很簡單，但真正的情況可複雜多了。嚴格地說，從來沒人將裕仁天皇當作神，不管怎樣，裕仁天皇也確實不是他們最高或唯一真正的神。According to Shinto beliefs, he was considered to be descended from the gods and partly divine, but putting this in terms of Western mythology would make him more like a half-human demigod. This means that he received great respect, but it does not mean that people thought he was god.
據神道教教義所說，裕仁天皇就是神仙下凡，這在一定程度上非常神聖，但要是把這擱在西方神學中，裕仁天皇更像是一個半神半人。意思就是，雖然大家很尊重他，但這不代表大家把他當成神看待。At the end of World War II, Emperor Hirohito renounced his divinity after the victorious Allied forces essentially forced him to do so. In recent years, historical revisionists have claimed that Hirohito never truly meant it and that he never stopped being divine. However, despite this revival movement, no one seems to be worshiping him, especially over other gods. He is highly honored, but that is it.
二戰接近尾聲時，爲戰勝方的盟軍逼裕仁天皇再次重申他的神性。近年來，歷史修正主義聲稱裕仁天皇就是神，而不是他自己有意爲之。但似乎沒人崇拜他，也沒人把他的地位看得比其他神還重。大家很尊重他沒錯，但僅限於此。The myth about the Japanese soldiers staging suicide attacks against the Allied forces was likely a combination of many factors. All people have the capability of being very patriotic and going to great lengths to protect their countries, and many Asian people tend to be much more community-minded than Westerners.
關於日本自殺式襲擊盟軍事件，可能是多種因素共同作用的結果吧。所有人都有一顆強烈的愛國心，大家都願意付出一切去保衛家國，且亞洲人往往比西方人更團結。Perhaps the Westerners contrived the explanation because it made more sense than an individual sacrificing his life as just a small part of the machine to win the war. Westerners may be willing to go out in a blaze of glory, but they would want it to be a gigantic spectacle that was very important and got them on the news.
西方人這麼解釋可能是因爲他們覺得，比起用生命去戰鬥，像機器一樣去戰鬥更加說得通。西方人可能也會爲榮譽作戰，但他們這樣做的目的是希望這能成爲一件大奇事，讓自己上個新聞頭條。
