要让青草覆盖的地方，都成为我的牧马之地

一代枭雄成吉思汗咕哒镇

【No.22】
书名丨Who Was Genghis Khan？
作者丨Nico Medina
Goodreads丨4.03 / 5.00

Who Was Genghis Khan?
谁是成吉思汗？
翻译：Catrina Chiang
The year was 1179. A teenager named Temujin slept soundly in his felt-walled tent alongside his wife, Borte.
这一年是1179年，一个名叫铁木真的年轻人，和他的妻子孛儿帖，在毛毡房里睡得正香。
The round tent, called a ger, stood alone at the edge of the steppe—a region of vast, flat grasslands in Mongolia. Temujin and Borte shared this ger with family and friends. Together, they formed a small clan of thirteen people.
这种圆顶帐篷叫做“蒙古包”，孤零零的矗立在大草原边缘——蒙古地区的一大片广阔、平坦的草原。铁木真和孛儿帖与家人朋友同住在这个蒙古包里；他们一起组成了一个13人的小家族。

via Caitlin Dwyer
Most clans lived close together, forming communities of thousands called tribes. But Temujin"s clan lived alone and isolated.
大多数家族紧密地生活在一起，形成了数千个社区，称为部落。但是铁木真的家族却是单独居住，与世隔绝。
An old woman was awakened by vibrations in the ground.
一个老妇人被地面的震动惊醒。
Hoofbeats. Coming closer.
是马蹄声；越来越近了。

via Google
She screamed for everyone to wake up. Someone was coming!
她大声叫着，把每个人都叫醒过来。有人来了！
Three hundred men on horseback from the Merkid tribe raced toward Temujin"s ger. Eighteen years earlier, Temujin"s father—a man named Yesugei—had kidnapped his mother from her Merkid husband. Now Temujin was grown, with a wife his own. The Merkid wanted revenge.
三百名蔑儿乞部的骑士，朝铁木真的蒙古包冲来。十八年前，铁木真的父亲——一个名叫也速该的男人——曾从铁木真母亲的蔑儿乞部丈夫手中，将他母亲抢了过来。现在铁木真长大了，有了自己的妻子。蔑儿乞部想要伺机复仇。
Temujin"s clan jumped into action. But there were not enough horses for everyone to escape. In the confusion, Borte was kidnapped.
铁木真家族迅速做出反应，但是他们没有足够的马匹，能让所有人都逃跑。在一片混乱中，孛儿帖被劫走了。

via womanscape.com
Temujin and his clan rode hard through the night. They tried to reach the safety of the forested mountains to the north. There was nowhere to hide on the treeless steppe.
铁木真和他的族人彻夜未眠，骑马狂奔。他们想要去到北边茂密山林中的安全地带。在树木稀疏的大草原，他们无处可藏。
For days, the Merkid searched for Temujin. Finally, they gave up and returned home with Borte as their prisoner.
蔑儿乞人搜寻了铁木真好几天。最后，他们放弃搜寻，带着他们的俘虏孛儿帖，回家去了。
Temujin climbed to the top of Burkhan Khaldun—"God mountain" in Mongolian. The Mongols worshipped the spirits of the earth, sun, and sky. Burkhan Khaldun, the tallest peak in the area, was the closest earthly place to the Eternal Blue Sky.
铁木真爬上了不儿罕合勒敦山顶——蒙语中的“圣山”。蒙古人崇拜大地之神、太阳之神和天神。不儿罕合勒敦山是这片地区的最高峰，是大地上最接近长生天的地方。
To thank the gods for protecting him, Temujin flicked milk into the air then sprinkled some on the ground. He prayed for guidance for three days.
为感恩众神护佑，铁木真将牛奶洒向空中，又泼了一些在地上。他祈祷了三天，祈求上天的指引。

via Pinterest
Three rivers flowed from this sacred mountain, presenting Temujin with three choices.
三条发源于圣山的河流，给了铁木真三个选择。
He could follow one river southeast, back toward his ger. But alone on the steppe, he would never be safe from future attacks. The Onon River flowed northeast, back to the forests where Temujin had grown up, barely surviving by hunting birds and mice. He did not wish to live like that again.
他可以沿着其中一条漂向东南，回到自己的蒙古包。但是孤身一人待在大草原上，他将永无宁日，难以躲避日后的袭击。要是沿着鄂嫩河往东北方向去，回到铁木真长大的那片山林中呢？在那里只能靠捕鸟猎鼠勉强活命。他可不希望再过那样的生活。
So Temujin chose the third river. He followed it southwest, to the Kereyid people.
因此，铁木真选择了第三条河流，他沿河向西北而去，投奔克烈部。

via Gifs
The Kereyid joined forces with Temujin and his clan. They attacked the Merkid and rescued Borte.
克烈部与铁木真及族人联手，集结武力攻打蔑儿乞部，救出了孛儿帖。
But that was only the beginning.
但这仅仅是一个开始。
Over the next twenty-seven years, Temujin would unite all the steppe tribes. He would become Genghis Khan, ruler of the Mongols, and conqueror of the largest land empire the world had ever known.
在接下来的27年里，铁木真将统一所有草原部落。他将成为成吉思汗，蒙古人的统治者，拥有世界上最大领土的帝国的征服者。

via Pinterest
Chapter 3
第三章
Friends and Allies
朋友和盟友
When Temujin was sixteen years old, he traveled back across the steppe to claim his bride. Borte"s family was happy to see him. Her father gave the couple a valuable coat made of black sable fur as a wedding gift.
铁木真十六岁时，穿过大草原，回去迎接他的新娘。孛儿帖的家人见到他很高兴，她父亲送给夫妻俩一件贵重的紫貂大衣，作为新婚贺礼。
Temujin returned home with Borte, eager to start a family. But he could not risk being captured again—or worse, killed. To protect his clan, he needed allies.
铁木真带着孛儿帖回到了家乡，他渴望组建自己的家庭。但是他不能冒着再次被抓——或者更糟，被杀——的风险。为了保护自己的家族，他需要盟友。

via Good Free Photos
Temujin visited the powerful Kereyid tribe seeking an alliance. He met with their leader, Toghril, in his golden ger. Since Toghril and Temujin"s father had been andas, Temujin hoped Toghril would agree to become his ally. To seal the deal, he gave Toghril the beautiful sable coat.
铁木真拜访了强大的克烈部，以寻求联盟。他前往克烈部，在金色大帐中拜见了首领王罕（即王罕，译者注）。因为王罕曾经是铁木真父亲的‘安答’（译者注：结义兄弟），铁木真希望王罕同意成为他的盟友。为达成交易，他将那件漂亮的紫貂大衣献给了王罕。
Toghril accepted Temujin"s gift and offered him a position of power within the Kereyid tribe. But Temujin declined. He only wanted Toghril"s protection. In return, he and his men would fight for Toghril whenever it was needed. Temujin returned home.
王罕接受了铁木真的礼物，并在克烈部给了他一个权职。但是铁木真拒绝了，他只想要王罕的保护。作为回报，只要有需要，他和他的部众将为王罕而战。随后铁木真便回家了。

via ArtStation
One day, eight of Temujin"s horses were stolen. He rode his only remaining horse to pursue the thieves. On his journey he met a boy named Boorchu who helped find and recover the horses.
一天，铁木真有八匹马被偷了。他骑上仅剩的一匹马，去追赶盗马贼。在追赶途中，他遇到了一个名叫博尔术的男孩，他帮铁木真夺回了马匹，并治好了这些马。
Temujin asked Boorchu how many horses he would like as a reward, but Boorchu refused. "I joined you," Boorchu said, "because I saw that you were in trouble and in need of help." Then Boorchu joined Tenujin"s camp. The two became lifelong friends.
铁木真问他想要几匹马作为酬劳，不过博尔术拒绝了，他说：“我帮你，是因为我看到你有麻烦，需要帮助。”后来，博尔术加入了铁木真的麾下，两人成为生死之交。

via Horsetalk NZ
Around this time, another boy named Jelme joined Temujin"s camp. Although Jelme was sent to Temujin as a servant, he was treated as an equal. One day, Jelme would become Temujin"s most trusted commander.
大约在这个时段，另一个名叫做者勒茂的男孩也加入了铁木真麾下。虽然者勒茂是被送给铁木真当仆人的，但是他受到了平等的对待。有朝一日，者勒茂将成为铁木真最信赖的将领。
Temujin now had powerful protection and new friends in his clan.
现在，铁木真既有了强大保护，部族也有了新朋友。
But he still had enemies.
但是，他依然有敌人。
It was around this time that Merkid raided Temujin"s camp and kidnapped Borte.
正是在这个时期，蔑儿乞部突袭了铁木真的营地，抢走了孛儿帖。

via Knowll
After praying for guidance on Burkhan Khaldun, Temujin rode down the mountain to ask his Kereyid allies for help. Toghril offered twenty thousand of his troops, plus twenty thousand more from another ally.
在不儿罕合勒敦山上祈求指引之后，铁木真骑马下山，向他的克烈部盟友寻求帮助。王罕给了他两万人马，外加另一个盟友的两万人马。
That ally was Temujin"s blood brother. His anda, Jamuka. The blood brothers were reunited!
那个盟友，就是铁木真歃血为盟的兄弟，他的"安答"扎木合。血盟兄弟重聚了！
The men rode over the mountains to attack the Merkid camp and rescue Borte.
大队人马翻山越岭，前去攻打蔑儿乞部落营地，营救孛儿帖。

via Quora
But Borte did not know the attack was a rescue mission. When the Merkid scattered, she fled. Only after Borte heard Temujin calling her name did she turn and run into his arm.
但是孛儿帖不知道此次袭击是为了救她。当蔑儿乞部众四处逃窜时，她也逃走了。直到孛儿帖听到铁木真在呼喊自己的名字后，她才转身跑进他的怀里。
After looting the Merkid camp, everyone returned home.
一众人马掠夺了蔑儿乞部营地，然后返回。
Temujin"s clan joined with Jamuka"s. Borte was pregnant and in 1179 gave birth to a son. Temujin named him Jochi, which means "visitor" or "guest." Perhaps he gave him this name because they were guests in Jamuka"s clan. Or perhaps he left Jochi was merely a visitor to the Mongol tribe.
铁木真部落加入了扎木合部。孛儿帖怀孕了，并在1179年生下了一个男孩。铁木真给他取名为术赤，意思是“来访者”或“客人”。他取这个名字，或许是因为他们是扎木合部的客人；或是因为他觉得术赤只是蒙古部落的来访者。

via New Yorker Times
Some say Jochi"s father was not actually Temujin, but a member of the Merkid. Whatever the reason, Temujin raised Jochi as his own son.
有人说，术赤的父亲实际上不是铁木真，而是一个蔑儿乞部人。但不管什么原因，铁木真还是将术赤当作自己的亲生儿子抚养。
Life was good for Temujin. He had a wife, a son, close friends, powerful allies, and a tribe. Temujin and Jamuka sealed their friendship in front of Jamuka"s tribe by exchanging gifts from the Merkid raid: golden sashes and strong horses. After a celebratory feast, the two slept beside each other under one blanket, as real brothers did.
铁木真的生活很美满。他有了妻子、儿子、亲密的朋友、强大的盟友，还有自己的部落。铁木真和扎木合在扎木合部众面前，结拜兄弟，互赠从蔑儿乞部夺来的的礼物：金色腰带和强壮马匹。庆祝宴会结束后，两人同盖一条毡毯，抵足而眠，真如亲兄弟一般。

via Daily Mail
But the good times would not last.
然而，人无千日好，花无百日红。
TIPS
The Mongolian Steppe
蒙古大草原
The high, treeless plains of Mongolia are known as the steppe. This rolling grassland covers an area larger than Texas.
地势高远、树木稀疏的蒙古平原被称为大草原。这片绵亘起伏的草地，覆盖的范围比得克萨斯州还大。
It is bordered to the north and east by the forests of Siberia and Manchuria. To its west rise the snow-covered Altai Mountains, and the arid Gobi Desert forms it southern boundary.
它北与西伯利亚森林接壤，东与满洲丛林交界；西边是白雪皑皑的阿尔泰山，南边则是贫瘠的戈壁沙漠。

via NOMA Dasaurus
It is a land of extreme weather. Temperatures can rise to ninety degrees in the summer, and fall to fifty below zero in the winter.
这片地区天气极端恶劣。夏季温度可高达90（华氏）度，而冬季会降至零下50（华氏）度。
Rainfall is scarce and unpredictable, so farming is nearly impossible. But melting winter snow and an abundance of lakes and rivers make it the perfect place for raising livestock.
这里降水稀少且难以预测，因此几乎无法进行农事生产。不过，融化的冬雪和众多湖泊、河流，使这里成为饲养牲畜的最佳场所。
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