The Saint-Protected Marksburg 凭吊神佑莱茵古堡
美式发音 适合精读
Formed by melting snowfields high in the Swiss Alps, the 1)mighty Rhine carves an 800-mile channel through the heart of Europe. In the 50-mile stretch between Mainz and Koblenz, Germany, some 30 castles and ruins tower above the rivers edge, every bend and coil in the snaking waterway seems to reveal another. Rhine travellers not only get a journey through Europe’s heart but backwards through time itself. These spectacular 2)vistas have survived virtually unchanged since the 3)Middle Ages.
A few miles downriver, on the east bank of the Rhine, a high cone-shaped hill rises above the quiet 4)hamlet of Braubach. This is the Marksburg.
For stability, the Marksburg’s walls are 5)triangular and built so close to the hills edge that in places it’s hard to see where the rocks end and the walls begin. Old foundations reveal that the 6)citadel began as a fortified tower, probably built by the 10th century Franks. The Roman-styled central tower was built about 200 years later, subsequent owners of the Marksburg erected an additional defensive wall. Unlike other castles, the Marksburg has survived into the 20th century as more than a ruin or a romantic restoration. Despite additions in the 17th and 18th centuries, its medieval character has been magnificently preserved.
7)Adjoining the knights’ hall inside the second tower is a striking 8)polygonal 9)chapel spanned by 10)groined 11)vaulting in 10 sections. Colourful biblical scenes compete overhead with 12)flattering portraits of knights.
This portrait 13)depicts Saint Mark, he played a vital role in the legend that gave the fortress its name.
浩荡的莱茵河由瑞士阿尔卑斯山雪原上的融雪汇聚而成,在欧洲内陆开凿出一条八百英里的水道。在德国境内从美因兹到科伦布兹的五十英里河岸上,约有三十座古堡耸立其间,蜿蜒水道的每一个拐弯处似乎都能让人看到又一座古堡。旅行者沿着莱茵河航行,不仅可以游遍欧洲内陆,还可以重温昔日时光,因为这里亮丽的景色从中世纪以来几乎没有变过。 
顺流而下几里,在莱茵河的东岸,在平静的小村庄巴尔巴赫之上,有一座圆锥形的小山丘。这就是马克斯堡。 为了加强稳定性,马克斯堡的墙紧靠着山腰建成三角形,有的地方看不清是岩块还是城墙。旧的基石显示这座护城碉堡原本是城塔,可能是在十世纪由法兰克人建造。古罗马式的中塔则是两百年后盖的。马克斯堡日后的主人加建了防御墙。与其他城堡不同的是,二十世纪的马克斯堡仍十分完整,并未被后人破坏或进行夸张的修整,虽然十七、十八世纪曾经加建,但城堡原有的中世纪面貌几乎没变。
第二座塔里面的骑士厅旁边是一个漂亮的多角形礼拜堂,由十片穹棱的拱形圆顶组成。上面色彩鲜明的圣经场景画与俊美的骑士画像相互比美。
这是使徒圣马克的画像。关于古堡名字的来源有一个传说,他正是这个传说中的关键人物。
Long ago, Elizabeth, a 14)maiden of the castle, became secretly engaged to a knight called Siegbert. When Siegbert went to war on behalf of his king, Elizabeth waited for him, but in vain. Word came that in a 15)gruesome battle her beloved had been killed. In her grief, Elizabeth was comforted by a 16)stalwart monk called Markus. Soon, a mysterious knight named Rochus appeared asking for Elizabeth’s hand. Reluctantly, she agreed to be wed and the kingdom celebrated the 17)nuptials, all except for the monk, Markus. He was suspicious of the mysterious Rochus and prayed for guidance.
On the night before the wedding, Markus had a strange and disturbing vision. In a flash of blinding light, Saint Mark the Apostle appeared. Giving Markus a cross, he told the loyal monk that Rokus was the devil himself. He must be 18)banished from the castle.
In the morning, Rokus and Elizabeth were to come to the chapel. Markus waited for just the right moment. The demon screamed, beneath him the earth opened wide. The Apostle Mark appeared once again to protect the 19)mortals with a holy sword. Since that day, 20)Schloss Braubach has worn the name of the Saint, Marksburg.
Chief of the 21)von Katzenelnbogen clan was Philip the Elderly, an adventurous if aged 22)bon vivant. Even in his 23)twilight years he 24)craved parties, the hunt and adventure. And when he died in 1479, there was no male von Katzenelnbogen to carry on the family name. His beloved castle Marksburg fell into the hands of his son-in-law, Heinrich von Hessen. But with their own castle far away, the von Hessens had only a 25)fleeting interest in the Marksburg. They visited long enough to pay their respects to the former lord then stripped the castle of its valuables, including Philip’s extensive library and treasures of silver and gold. No noble man would ever live here again. Marksburg’s years as a 26)regal showplace had ended. An era had come to a close.
Only recently, after more than 1,000 years 27)unscathed did the great castle endure its darkest moments. In 1945, while occupied by retreating German troops, it came under American 28)grenade fire. Its wounds, however, were minor. Perhaps, once more Saint Mark lent a hand in protecting the stronghold, leaving the greatest treasure of the Rhine intact to this day.
很久以前,城堡里的年轻姑娘伊丽莎白与骑士席博私订终身。席博为了效忠国王上了战场,伊丽莎白一直在等他,但徒劳无果。消息传来,她的心上人在激战中身亡。这时,诚笃的僧侣马库斯安慰哀伤的伊丽莎白。不久,有一位叫罗卡士的神秘骑士前来向伊丽莎白求婚,她很不情愿地答应了。除了僧侣马库斯外,整个王国都为婚礼而庆祝。他怀疑这位神秘的骑士,于是祈求上天的指引。
婚礼前的晚上,马库斯看到一个奇异且令人不安的显像。使徒圣马克出现在一道刺眼的光芒中,他赐给忠诚的马库斯一个十字架,告诉他罗卡士是恶魔的化身,一定要将其逐出城堡。
罗卡士和伊丽莎白在第二天早上来到礼拜堂,马库斯伺机而动。恶魔开始尖叫,而他脚下的土地也随之裂开,使徒圣马克再度出现,用圣剑保护众人。从那天开始,这座巴尔巴赫城堡就以这位圣人命名——马克斯堡。
菲利普长老是卡兹涅伯家族的老大。他是爱冒险的享乐主义者,即使在他的晚年,仍酷爱宴会、狩猎与冒险。菲利普死于1479年,家族无男子嗣继承祖业。他珍爱的马克斯堡落入女婿海因里希·赫森手里。由于两家的城堡相距较远,因此赫林家族对马克斯堡兴趣不大。他们在原来的堡主死后在堡内停留了一段时间,以示尊敬。之后,他们便带走了堡内的珍宝,包括菲利普生前的丰富藏书和金银财富。从此,再没有贵族居住其间,马克斯堡作为王室胜地的日子结束了。一个时代就此划上了句号。
这座历经千余年后仍保存完整的城堡最近才刚度过了它最黑暗的时光。1945年撤退的德军进驻此地,城堡因此遭受美军的炮击,所幸它并没有受到重创。也许圣马克再度保护这座城堡,使莱茵河畔的珍宝至今仍保完整。
翻译:木乃伊