風聲鶴唳 - 古德明

風聲鶴唳 - 古德明

In1654,aBritishexpeditiontocaptureJamaicafromtheSpaniardssufferedanignominiousdefeat.AstheboatscarryingtheBritishsoldiersapproachedtheshore,therewasarustlingsoundcomingfromwithinthedryreedsthatfringedthebeach.Themendisembarkedandcautiouslymovedtowardsthesound,onlyfortherustlingtoincrease.Fearingthatthereedscontainedawell-armedenemyforce,theBritishsoldiersturnedandfledbacktotheboatsandputouttosea,refusingtoreturninspiteoftheirofficers'orders.
LaterinvestigationrevealedthattheenemywhohadputtheBritishtoflightwerenothingmorethanhundredsoflandcrabs,whichhadbeenmovingaboutamongthereedsinalarm.

一六五四年,英國一支遠征軍奉命攻取西班牙的牙買加,敗得很不光彩。他們乘船靠岸,聽到海灘邊緣的乾蘆葦沙沙作聲,下船後,小心翼翼向那聲音走去,發覺沙沙聲有增無已,擔心蘆葦叢中埋伏着裝備精良的敵軍,轉身就逃回船上,向大海划去,不聽軍官要他們回頭的命令。
後來調查發現,令英軍望風而潰的敵人,無非蘆葦叢中數以百計受驚亂走的地蟹。
【附注】Putout(tosea)和puttoflight都是成語,一指「出海」,一指「使逃跑」,例如:(1)Thefishingboatputouttosea(漁船解纜出海)。(2)Ourdogputtheburglartoflight(我們的狗把入屋行竊者趕走了)。Ignominious則是「可恥的」,例如:Hitlerdiedanignominiousdeath(希特勒死得很不光彩)。