欧洲最后的守夜人 欧洲最后的守夜人

今日导读：

《权力的游戏》里，保护绝境长城的守夜人们忠诚果敢。而这个源自中世纪的古老工种，在路灯明亮、监控设备健全的今天，正慢慢走向灭绝。但在一些欧洲国家，这样的传统仍然被保留了下来——在瑞士的洛桑和德国的讷德林根，就有一批守夜人们夜夜驻守在高耸的钟塔上，注视着人来人往，守护着城市的文化灵魂。

For 33 years, from 22:00 to02:00, Renato Haeusler hasgazed out at the view fromLausanne Cathedral andwondered vaguely: Who is onthe streets below? Where arethey going? And does anyonerealise he is high above them,squirreled away inside thebelfry?

33 年来，从每晚的 10 点到凌晨 2 点，雷纳托·豪斯勒都会凝视着洛桑大教堂（钟塔）外的风景，隐约地想着：塔下街道上的是谁？他们要去哪里？还有，这些路人是否会知道，自己就在他们头顶上的高处——藏在教堂的钟塔里？

Haeusler, 61, is one of theworld's last Night Watchmenand probably the closest thingwe have in the modern age to areal-life character from TheLord of the Rings or Game ofThrones.

今年 61 岁的豪斯勒，是这个世界上最后的守夜人之一。他或许是我们今天这个时代存在的，最接近《指环王》或者《权力的游戏》里真实角色的人物了。

The last in a long line ofwatchmen, who have beenmanning this post sinceNovember 1405, he steadfastlymaintains a longstandingmedieval tradition — pure andsimple — to safeguard thecity's cultural heritage.***Ironically, he has not worn awatch for more than 40 yearsyet copes stoically with hisdecades-long nightly vigil.

从 1405 年 11 月以来，就有无数守夜人坚守着自己的岗位；在这条长长的守夜人队伍里，豪斯勒排在了末尾。出于纯粹的初心——保护这座城市的文化遗产，他坚定不移地维护着这由来已久的中世纪传统。讽刺的是，他已经 40 多年没戴手表了，但仍然坚忍地度过这数十年之久的守夜生活。

"I'll have to stop when I'm 65,but I'd prefer not to think aboutthat," he said. "It'll be toopainful. Too emotional."

“等我到 65 岁的时候，我就不得不退休了。但我宁愿不去想这件事儿。”他说。“这太痛苦了。太伤感了。”

Another Night Watchmanadhering to tradition is HorstLenner in Bavaria, Germany.Fulfilling a childhood ambitionto become tower keeper ofNördlingen 10 years ago, theretired journalist maintains ahalf-hourly shout of "So G'sellso" ('Hey, buddy, hey!').

另一位坚守着传统的守夜人，是来自德国巴伐利亚的霍斯特·伦纳。10 年前，这位已经退休的前记者实现了儿时想成为讷德林根守塔人的梦想，（在塔上）每隔半小时就会大喊“So G'sell so（嘿，伙计，嘿）”。

Of course, Lenner has movedbeyond his first adolescent"Sword in the Stone" fantasiesand he is now a representativeof the city and extended arm tothe tourist office.

当然，伦纳已经超越了他最初青春时期的“石中剑”幻想，他现在是讷德林根这座城市的代表，和旅游部门额外的援手。

In unprecedented days likethese, one question lingers:Who do the last NightWatchmen watch when no oneneeds to be watched? To aremarkable extent, the cities ofLausanne and Nördlingenhave stuck to the past at the height of the Covid-19lockdown.

在这样史无前例的日子里，有一个疑问挥之不去：在没人需要被看守的时候，最后的守夜人们守的是什么？在新冠疫情封城的紧要关头，洛桑和讷德林根这两座城市很大程度上仍维持着过去的守夜传统。

In spite of Covid-19, the storyof the Night Watchmen is aliveand well. And it is tradition at its most touching.

尽管新冠病毒肆虐，守夜人的故事依然鲜活而美好。在这样的时刻，守夜人的传统显得最为动人。

Game of Thrones: Season 2 — The Night's Watch Oath

权力的游戏第二季守夜人誓词：

Night gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not end until my death. I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children. I shall wear no crowns and win no glory. I shall live and die at my post. I am the sword in the darkness. I am the watcher on the walls. I am the fire that burns against the cold, the light that brings the dawn, the horn that wakes the sleepers, the shield that guards the realms of men. I pledge my life and honor to the Night's Watch, for this night and all the nights to come.

长夜将至，我从今开始守望，至死方休。我将不娶妻、不封地、不生子。我将不戴宝冠，不争荣宠。我将尽忠职守，生死于斯。我是黑暗中的利剑，长城上的守卫，抵御寒冷的烈焰，破晓时分的光线，唤醒眠者的号角，守护王国的坚盾。我将生命与荣耀献给守夜人，今夜如此，夜夜皆然。