《勇敢的三百勇士》

整个希腊都陷入了危险之中。波斯伟大的国王率领一支强大的军队，从东方赶来。这支军队正沿着海岸行军，只要几天时间就会进入希腊境内。

All Greece was in danger. A mighty army, led by the great King of Persia, had come from the east. It was marching along the seashore, and in a few days would be in Greece.

波斯的大王向每一个城邦派去了使者，命令他们献上水和泥土，以此表示陆地和海洋都属于他。但是希腊人回答说：——

The great king had sent messengers into every city and state, bidding them give him water and earth in token that the land and the sea were his. But they said,—

“不，我们要自由。”

“No: we will be free.”

于是，整个希腊大地都震动起来。男人们拿起武器，急忙出发去击退敌人；女人们则留在家里，一边哭泣一边等待，害怕得浑身发抖。

And so there was a great stir throughout all the land. The men armed themselves, and made haste to go out and drive back their foe; and the women staid at home, weeping and waiting, and trembling with fear.

波斯军队要从那一侧进入希腊，只有一条路可走，那就是夹在高山与大海之间的一道狭窄山口。斯巴达国王列奥尼达正带着三百名斯巴达士兵，守卫着这道山口。

There was only one way by which the Persian army could go into Greece on that side, and that was by a narrow pass between the mountains and the sea. This pass was guarded by Leonidas, the King of the Spartans, with three hundred Spartan soldiers.

不久，人们就看见波斯士兵开过来了。他们的人数实在太多，没有人能数得清。仅仅靠这少数几个人，又怎么能挡得住如此庞大的一支军队呢？

Soon the Persian soldiers were seen coming. There were so many of them that no man could count them. How could a handful of men hope to stand against so great a host?

然而，列奥尼达和他的斯巴达战士依然坚守着阵地。他们已经下定决心，要战死在自己的岗位上。有人给他们送来消息说，波斯人多到射出的箭都能遮住太阳。

And yet Leonidas and his Spartans held their ground. They had made up their minds to die at their post. Some one brought them word that there were so many Persians that their arrows darkened the sun.

“那更好，”斯巴达人说，“我们正好可以在阴凉下战斗。”

“So much the better,” said the Spartans; “we shall fight in the shade.”

他们勇敢地站在狭窄的山口。他们勇敢地面对敌人。对斯巴达人来说，根本就不知道什么是害怕。波斯人冲上前来，却只能送死在他们的长矛尖下。

Bravely they stood in the narrow pass. Bravely they faced their foes. To Spartans there was no such thing as fear. The Persians came forward, only to meet death at the points of their spears.

但是斯巴达战士也一个接一个倒下了。最后，他们的长矛都折断了；可他们依然并肩站在一起，战斗到最后一刻。有的用剑打，有的用短刀搏斗，还有的人只能用拳头和牙齿拼死反抗。

But one by one the Spartans fell. At last their spears were broken; yet still they stood side by side, fighting to the last. Some fought with swords, some with daggers, and some with only their fists and teeth.

整整一天，波斯大军都被死死挡在外面。然而当太阳落山时，斯巴达战士已经没有一个人还活着了。在他们曾经站立的地方，只留下一堆阵亡者的尸体，上面插满了密密麻麻的长矛和利箭。

All day long the army of the Persians was kept at bay. But when the sun went down, there was not one Spartan left alive. Where they had stood there was only a heap of the slain, all bristled over with spears and arrows.

两万名波斯士兵倒在了这少数几个人面前。而希腊终于得救了。

Twenty thousand Persian soldiers had fallen before that handful of men. And Greece was saved.

从那时到现在，几千年过去了；但是人们依然喜欢讲述列奥尼达和为了保卫祖国而牺牲的勇敢的三百勇士的故事。

Thousands of years have passed since then; but men still like to tell the story of Leonidas and the brave three hundred who died for their country’s sake.