Bruce was in front of his own line, arraying his men.
布鲁斯国王站在军队前,排兵布阵。
He had his full armour on, and a battle-axe in his hand, but he rode only a little palfrey.
他全副武装,手上拿着战斧,但他仅有一头小马充当坐骑。
He could easily be known by a light crown of gold which he wore upon his helmet.
通过他的头盔上的金皇冠,很容易就能把他认出来。
He was laughing and talking gaily as he rode along the line.
他骑着战马在军队中走动时,谈笑风生。
An English knight, Sir Henry de Bohun, riding out a bow-shot from the front, knew the king by the crown on his helmet.
一个叫亨利·德·博恩的英国爵士,背着弓箭来到阵前,从国王的皇冠知道了他的身份。
Seeing him so poorly horsed, he thought that he could easily have him at his will.
看到他骑着这么小的战马,他认为要打败他肯定不费吹灰之力。
Levelling his spear and spurring his charger, he came on at speed.
他举起矛,拍打战马,快速冲上前去。
The king, measuring him with steady eye, awaits his approach.
国王目测着距离,岿然不动,等待敌人前来。
He comes rushing at full career; the Bruce, by a touch on his palfrey's rein, avoids the shock,
爵士全速前进;布鲁斯勒了一下缰绳,躲过了一次攻击,
and rising in his stirrups as the English knight sweeps past, smites him fiercely on the helmet with his battle-axe.
等到英国人冲过来时,他刷地从马镫上站起来,用战斧重重击在对方的头盔上。
The axe crashes through helmet and skull deep into the brain, and the riderless steed gallops wildly away!
战斧穿过了头盔,深深扎进头盖骨中,失去了主人的战马惊慌地跑开了!
This was the first stroke of the fight.
这是本场战役的第一战。
It was not the purpose of the English, however, to attack that night.
但是英国人并未打算那天晚上进攻,
They drew off and encamped. All night long, sounds of revelry were heard from their lines.
他们安营扎寨。军队狂欢了一整晚,
The Scots lay in arms upon the field.
苏格兰军队则和衣而睡。
Early in the morning the English host advanced, pressed by the narrowness of the ground into one immense, unwieldy column.
黎明时分,英军发动进攻,由于地势狭窄,他们只能变为一列大纵队。