The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King

　　Fantasy Mirrored In History

　　魔戒终结篇：王者无敌

　　史实交错看魔戒

　　Fifty years ago when Tolkien wrote the book as they are today, they were relevant 500 years ago. What is the connection between these timeless themes and our own lives and histories? What inspires a reluctant hero to become a courageous leader, to cast off the burdens of his past and go on and lead his people? What makes men go into battle against overwhelming odds? To march without flinching right into the line of fire? Are friendship and loyalty on a quest the key to achieving the impossible? Are these the qualities that are needed to cross the uncharted American West? Perhaps our own history is closer than we think with this mythic past. Now we go beyond the movie, see how fantasy meets history, The Lord of the Rings.

　　Helm’s Deep vs Agincourt

　　Fight for the fortress of Helm’s Deep is a battle against an overwhelming enemy. There is despondency in the castle, some of its defense is in the hands of boys and old men. Fear grows as the vicious Uruk-hai march relentlessly toward them. But Aragorn refuses to give in to despair. A kind of optimism runs through The Lord of the Rings, it is a refusal to give in no matter what. This same spirit was behind one of the greatest victories in English history. At Agincourt in 1415, the English King Henry V, like Aragorn at Helm’s Deep, is facing a fight against impossible odds.

　　(专家点评)

　　Dr. Areyah Musbacher (Royal Military Academy Sandhurst): When King Henry starts to march toward Calais he has got six thousand, seven thousand, that’s it. And as he looks across the River Somme at the French army he sees an army that is 25, 26, 27 thousand, four times the size of his army.

　　Henry, like Aragorn, fights from the heart, he must motivate his men or they could be annihilated. And as the battle nears Henry rallies his tired troops with a speech immortalized in Shakespeare’s play.

　　King Henry: I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips, straining upon the start. The game’s afoot, follow your spirit and upon this charge, by God, for Henry, England and Saint George!

　　Like Henry’s speech, the arrival of the formidable Elvish archers of the last minute, inspires the defenders of Helm’s Deep. The power of the bow is critical at Agincourt too. The English archers unleashed volley after volley of their deadly accurate arrows, up to ten a minute into the French army, darkening the sky like a cloud. Henry wins the day achieving one of the greatest battlefield reversals of all time.

　　(精彩选段)

　　(Aragron inspires his soldiers before attacking Mordor.)

　　Aragorn: Hold your ground! Hold your ground! Sons of Gondor! Of Rohan! My brothers! I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship. But it is not this day. An hour of wolves and shattered shields when the age of men comes crashing down. But it is not this day! This day we fight! By all that you hold dear, on this good earth, I bid you stand! Men of the west!

　　五十年前托尔金写下的《魔戒》，不仅读起来像现今的作品，即使在五百年前，也能引起当时读者的共鸣。这与我们的生活与历史有什么关系呢？是什么激励本无壮志的主人公终于成长为英勇的领袖，摆脱过去的阴影，领导子民继续前行？是什么令人们不畏艰难险阻，无惧死亡的威胁投入前线战斗？对友情和忠诚的执著追求真的是创造成功奇迹的关键？这些品质是否正是美国西进运动之所需？也许我们的历史要比我们想象的更接近这一神话。现在让我们超越电影，看看《魔戒》这一传奇如何与历史契合呼应。

　　海尔姆深谷 vs 阿金库尔(关键词：以弱胜强)

　　“海尔姆深谷”之役是一场敌强我弱的背水之战，城内连男童和老叟都要上阵，绝望的情绪在蔓延。当邪恶的乌拉凯兵团步步逼近的时候，恐惧更是不可遏止地滋长。但是阿拉贡拒绝向绝望屈服，他那种永不言败的乐观精神贯穿《魔戒》的始终。这一精神同样成就了英国战争史上其中一次最伟大的胜利。如同“海尔姆深谷”之役中的阿拉贡，在1415年的阿金库尔，英王亨利五世面对着一场力量悬殊的恶战。

　　(专家点评)

　　阿里耶-马斯巴克博士(英国皇家军校)：亨利国王带领仅六、七千士兵向加来进军，而当他望向索姆河对岸的法军时，发现对方足有二万五、六、七千多人，是他兵力的四倍。

　　亨利像阿拉贡一样全力以赴，他必须鼓舞军中士气，否则就会被敌人歼灭。在开战前夕，亨利向疲惫不堪的军队发表演说，他的讲词被莎士比亚写入戏剧，成为传世经典。

　　亨利五世: 尔等如蓄势以待之猎犬，如箭在弦，整装待发。神明在上，佑我冲锋。英伦万岁，圣乔治万岁！

　　正如亨利国王的激昂言辞，强大的精灵弓箭手的及时赶到为海尔姆深谷的守军注入强心剂。在阿金库尔战役中，弓箭也起了关键作用。英军以约每分钟十支的频率，向法军发射精准的致命连环箭，漫天的箭雨像乌云一样令日月无光。亨利终于成就了一场历史上罕有的以少胜多的战役。

　　(精彩选段)

　　(进攻莫都前，阿拉贡鼓舞士气。)

　　阿拉贡: 坚守阵线！坚守阵线！冈多和罗翰的子民们，你们都是我的兄弟。从你们的眼中，我看到你们和我一样的恐惧，这种恐惧令我心惊胆战。或许有一天，人类变得畏缩懦弱，舍弃朋友、断绝友谊。但今天绝不会这样。或许某个时刻，豺狼入侵、盾牌粉碎，人类因此被灭绝，但今天绝不会这样！今天我们誓死奋战！我以你们在这世上所珍视的一切的名义命令，奋勇杀敌！西方的勇士们！

　　(想听更多更清晰的《魔戒》的精彩内容，请参阅CE第46期)