2016-07-08

【Aiden in English】

The first stop of our English Isles cruise is at the small island of Guernsey in the Channel Islands, the sunshine island. The natives are "stubborn as a mule, with a kick like a horse!" Being a part of the Crown dependencies, it is considered the last remnants of the medieval Duchy of Normandy, although not the UK. In other words, Guernsey people take great pride that they are allied with Britain, but not controlled by it. This explains the self-governing or autonomous system, as well as the decision to not be in the European Union, at the beginning. Now that you look at it, with the UK leaving, it seems like a good idea. 

        The island has a long history of wars. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, Guernsey pledged allegiance to the Crown, which upset the French very much. Fueled by a fiery hatred that had been burning for centuries, the two countries went to war that lasted for over 300 hundred years. Throughout the wars, many bunkers and castles were constructed around the island. The "sunshine island" had become a war zone. Ironically, it was the very exact bunkers and fortifications that started another bloody scene on the island nine centuries later. I’m still scratching my head over why an island measuring five miles wide by nine miles long and an area of 30 square miles is worth a fight. I guess it was more excuse to cut off the other guy's head. 

        In June 1944, WWII was in full swing. Not that it's a good thing, but it did make a few stories. Guernsey was not considered a valuable point to capture. The tiny piece of land was easy to surround and easier to bomb. So, the Allies handed the island over by evacuating every person on Guernsey. Unfortunately, the Germans attacked before the evacuation was complete, but not in the way that you would think. While flying around, scouts reported the fortifications of the century-old bunkers and castles with high, strong walls. Mistaken for a defensive stand, the scouts bombed the parts of the island, ones with civilians. Around thirty people were killed, and the oddest mistake came when the bombers saw a convoy. The trucks were transporting food and necessities for the people, and the Nazis thought they were surface-to-air missiles. These events plagued Guernsey's history, but the one similar aspect that hasn't changed after the bombs is nature. 

        The Guernsey cow and goat are world-renowned animals, sacred and domestic to the island. They produce one of the best butter and milk in the world, being creaming and rich. The butter has a tinge of gold, which is why it is known as gold butter. The island produces its own ice cream as well, is known around the globe. These animals were endangered and on the verge of going extinct, but after becoming herded into farms, the population has steadily grown. Another quick naturalistic fact is that the island has no spiders, snakes, and foxes, which draws in many immigrants, I'm sure. 

        After surviving wars and bombs, the island of Guernsey has rebounded better than ever. Although small, it has a large heart, and Mother Nature is healing like it will naturally do (bad pun).

【红霞译文】

        我们巡游英伦诸岛的第一站是海峡群岛上一个阳光灿烂名叫根西的小岛，当地人“固执时像头骡子，暴躁时又像匹野马！”。根西岛被视为中世纪诺曼底公国最后一块保留地，虽不受英国管辖，但却隶属皇家海外领地，难怪根西人不无骄傲，只跟英国佬结盟而不受其摆布。正因为根西采用自治体制，所以一开始便决定不加入欧盟组织，如今英国宣布退出欧盟，看来根西人似有先见之明。

        根西岛历经战争纷扰，随着1066年黑斯廷斯战役结束，根西人开始效忠英国皇室，因此而得罪法兰西人。从那以后，仇恨如同星星之火燎原了几个世纪，两国之间旷日持久的战争横亘三百多年历史，许多碉堡城堡应运而生，“阳光岛”逐步演变成比武场。颇具讽刺意味的是，九个世纪之后，这些防御工事再度遭受战火洗礼。我疑惑不解，这样一个五英里宽九英里长卅平方英里的海岛为何成为兵家必争之地，莫非有人杀鸡给猴看借机想称王称霸。

        一九四四年六月，第二次世界大战鏖战正酣，这里不想说应该打仗，而是要讲几个跟战争有关的趣事轶闻。根西岛没有什么战略价值，别说围剿这样一个弹丸之地无需大动干戈，就是把它炸成灰烬丝毫不费九牛二虎之力，于是盟军把战前躲避事宜交给根西老百姓自己去做。不料德军在他们疏散完毕之前便发动进攻，结果大大出乎意外。敌机在空中侦察飞行时发现了已有上百年历史的古碉堡老要塞以及高大坚实的围墙，由于误判成针对他们的防御工事，所以该岛便成为轰炸的目标，流弹殃及到无辜百姓，大约有卅名人被杀，其中最不可思议的厄运落到德军看到的运输车上，当时卡车装的都是当地人所需食物和日用物资，纳粹却以为是地对空导弹，血雨腥风就这样在根西岛历史上上演了一幕又一幕的悲剧，狂轰滥炸过后唯一没有改变的就是根西岛自然本质。

        根西乳牛和根西山羊举世无双，被当成上天赐给本岛的特殊礼物，这里生产的奶产品全天下数一数二，黄油油金灿灿的，素有“黄金奶油”之称；岛上加工制作的冰激凌遐迩闻名。根西乳牛和根西山羊因濒临灭绝而被列为珍稀动物，近年来通过农场饲养，牲畜数量得以稳步提升。此外，根西岛天生没有蜘蛛、蛇和狐狸，相信会吸引不少外来动物到这里安家落户。

        经过战争磨难及炮火考验，根西岛已建设得比以前更加美好。虽说地盘不大，但人心善良，大自然正逐渐恢复元气，完全不以人的意志为转移（双关语用得欠妥）。