《牧羊少年奇幻之旅》 79 绿洲里开战了（在线收听）

Next morning, there were two thousand armed men scattered throughout the palm trees at Al-Fayoum.

第二天早晨，法尤姆绿洲的椰枣林中埋伏了两千名武装起来的男人。

Before the sun had reached its high point, five hundred tribesmen appeared on the horizon.

日上三竿之时，五百名骑兵出现在地平线上。

The mounted troops entered the oasis from the north; it appeared to be a peaceful expedition, but they all carried arms hidden in their robes.

他们从绿洲北面开来，表面上是和平进军，但在白色披风下隐藏着武器。

When they reached the white tent at the center of Al-Fayoum, they withdrew their scimitars and rifles. And they attacked an empty tent.

当他们靠近法尤姆绿洲中心的大帐篷时，便抽出弯刀和长枪，向那座空帐篷发起攻击。

The men of the oasis surrounded the horsemen from the desert and within half an hour all but one of the intruders were dead.

绿洲的人包围了入侵的沙漠骑兵。不到半个时辰，四百九十九个骑兵便尸横遍野，命丧黄泉。

The children had been kept at the other side of a grove of palm trees, and saw nothing of what had happened.

孩子们待在树林的另一边，什么都没看见。

The women had remained in their tents, praying for the safekeeping of their husbands, and saw nothing of the battle, either.

女人们在帐篷里为丈夫祈祷，也什么都没看见。

Were it not for the bodies there on the ground, it would have appeared to be a normal day at the oasis.

如果不是那些横七竖八的尸体，绿洲和往日一样平静。

The only tribesman spared was the commander of the battalion.

只有一人逃过一劫，他就是那支队伍的指挥官。

That afternoon, he was brought before the tribal chieftains, who asked him why he had violated the Tradition.

下午，他被带到部落头领面前。头领们质问他为什么破坏传统。

The commander said that his men had been starving and thirsty, exhausted from many days of battle, and had decided to take the oasis so as to be able to return to the war.

那名指挥官说，他们的人又饥又渴，旷日持久的战斗搞得他们疲惫不堪，于是决定攻占一块绿地，以便重整旗鼓。

The tribal chieftain said that he felt sorry for the tribesmen, but that the Tradition was sacred.

部落的最高头领说，他为那些死去的士兵感到痛心，但是传统绝不能随意改变。

He condemned the commander to death without honor.

然后，他宣布对那位指挥官执行死刑。

Rather than being killed by a blade or a bullet, he was hanged from a dead palm tree, where his body twisted in the desert wind.

既不用刀，也不用枪，他被绞死在一棵已经枯掉的椰枣树上，尸体被沙漠的风吹得晃来荡去。

The tribal chieftain called for the boy, and presented him with fifty pieces of gold.

最高头领把圣地亚哥叫到跟前，给了他五十枚金币。

He repeated his story about Joseph of Egypt, and asked the boy to become the counselor of the oasis.

之后，他再次提起约瑟在埃及的经历，并请圣地亚哥做绿洲的顾问。