阿拔斯王朝的覆灭(英中对照)

古德明《征服英语》之英语军事故事，古德明，香港英语教育作家，他开了一个《征服英语专栏》，在专栏中专门用英语写了世界近代史上的军事小故事，用英语讲述历史中那些惊心动魄的战争。
阿拔斯王朝的覆灭
in 1258, the abbasid dynasty was invaded by the mongols under hulagu khan, the grandson of genghis khan. the caliph had been deluded by promises from his vizier that the mongols could be driven off by the women of baghdad throwing stones at them, and did not raise an army to defend the city from the largest mongol army ever assembled. instead he sent weak threats to hulagu, warning the mongols that they faced the wrath of god if they attacked baghdad.
hulagu's forces besieged the city, and the caliph had to surrender, leading to a week-long massacre by the mongols, regarded as one of the most devastating events in the history of islam.
一二五八年，成吉思汗的孙子旭烈兀可汗率领蒙古军队进侵阿拔斯王朝。阿拔斯王误听大臣的话，以为巴格达城中妇女向蒙古人掷石头，就可以把他们击退，并没有征募军队守城，对抗这支历来最庞大的蒙古雄师，只是向旭烈兀发出软弱的恐吓，说攻击巴格达将受天谴。

旭烈兀挥军攻城，阿拔斯王唯有投降。蒙古人展开一个星期屠杀，是回历来最惨痛的劫难之一。
【附注】阿拔斯王朝公元七五○年开始统治阿拉伯回世界，以巴格达为首都，八世纪末至九世纪初势力极盛。caliph是从前回最高统治者的称号。旭烈兀那场屠杀，死者或说有二十万，或说达八十万，或说超过百万。vizier指古时回国家的大臣。