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玛丽•瑞瑙特（Mary Renault, 1905—1983），英国现当代名作家。
“亚历山大三部曲”是瑞瑙特最著名的作品之一，分为《天堂之火》、《波斯少年》（The Persian Boy）和《葬礼竞技》（Funeral Games）。《天堂之火》讲述的是马其顿王子亚历山大20岁继位以前的人生，以亚历山大和赫菲斯蒂安为主人公，描写了两者从小生根、愈发枝繁叶茂的情谊。瑞瑙特以其娴熟的写作技法与大胆的推断，完成了她对亚历山大大帝的重现与再造。
选文讲述的是少年亚历山大如何驯服其战马布西发拉斯（Boukephalas/Bucephalus）的著名故事。
Excerpt from Chapter Four
前文提要：亚历山大根据以往经验和现场细心的观察，断定这匹在众人眼中野性未驯、难成大器的马是上佳的良驹，便当众与父王打赌：如果他能骑上去，这匹马就属于他；否则，则要自己付款，买下这匹“天价”的烈马……
Alexander remembered, then, that he had not asked when the horse was first called Thunder, or if it had had another name. It had said plainly enough that Thunder was the word for 1)tyranny and pain. It must have a new name, then. He walked round, keeping his shadow behind, looking at the horned blaze under the blowing2)forelock.
“Oxhead,” he said, falling into Macedonian, the speech of truth and love. “Boukephalas, Boukephalas.”
The horse’s ears went up. At the sound of this voice, the hated presence had lost power and been driven away. What now? It had lost all trust in men. It 3)snorted, and pawed the ground in warning.
Alexander said to the groom, “I’ll take him. You needn’t wait.”
“Oh, no, sir! When you’re mounted, my lord. My lord, they’ll hold me accountable.”
“No, he’s mine now. Just give me his head without 4)jerking that bit…I said, Give it me. Now.”
He took the reins, easing them at first only a little. The horse snorted, then turned and 5)snuffed at him. The off forefoot raked restlessly. He took the reins in one hand, to run the other along the moist neck; then shifted his grip to the 6)headstall, so that the barbed bit no longer pressed at all. The horse only pulled forward a little. He said to the groom, “Go that way. Don’t cross the light.”
He pushed round the horse’s head to face the bright spring sun. Their shadows fell out of sight behind them. The smell of its sweat and breath and leather bathed him in its steam.
“Boukephalas,” he said softly.
It 7)strained forward, trying to drag him with it; he took in the rein a little. A horse-fly was on its 8)muzzle; he ran his hand down, till his fingers felt the soft lip. Almost pleadingly now, the horse urged them both onward, as if saying, “Come quickly away from here.”
“Yes, yes,” he said, stroking its neck. “All in good time, when I say, we’ll go. You and I don’t run away.”
He had better take off his cloak; while he spared a hand for the pin, he talked on to keep the horse in mind of him. “Remember who we are. Alexander and Boukephalas.” The black eye rolled round at him. “Easy, easy, now. I’ll tell you when.”
With the reins looped in his left hand he grasped the arch of the 9)mane; with his right, its base between the shoulders. He could feel the horse 10)gather itself together. He ran a few steps with it to gain 11)momentum, then leaped, threw his right leg over; he was up.
The horse felt the light weight on its back, compact of certainty; the mercy of 12)invincible hands, the13)forbearance of immovable will; a nature it knew and shared, transfigured to divinity. Men had not mastered it; but it would go with the god.
The crowd was silent at first. They were men who knew horses, and had more sense than to startle this one. In a breathing 14)hush they waited for it to get its head, taking for granted the boy would be run away with, eager to applaud if he could only stick on and ride it to a standstill. But he had it in hand; it was waiting his sign to go. There was a hum of wonder; then, when they saw him lean forward and kick his heel with a shout, when boy and horse went racing down towards the water-meadows, the roar began. They vanished into the distance; only the rising clouds of wildfowl showed where they had gone.
They came back at last with the sun behind them, their shadow thrown clear before. Like the feet of a carved 15)pharaoh treading his beaten enemies, the drumming 16)hooves trampled the shadow17)triumphantly into the ground.
亚历山大想起来，他还没问这马是一开始就叫做雷鸣的，还是有别的名字。显而易见，雷鸣是个代表着暴虐和痛苦的名字。那么，他得有个新名字。他绕着它走着，小心不让影子投到它身上，看着其额毛下若隐若现的牛角状的白斑。
“牛头，”他说，然后转为马其顿语这种真挚和爱的语言，“牛头，牛头。”
马的耳朵竖了起来。此言一出，憎恨的神情便有所收敛。现在又怎么了？它已经对人完全失去信任，它喷着鼻息，刨着地面以示警告。
亚历山大对马夫说：“让我来牵他，你可以走了。”
“哦，不，殿下！您上马的话，殿下，殿下，他们会找我算账的。”
“不，他现在是我的了。把他给我，但别用力扯……我说了，立刻给我！”
他接过缰绳，开始只松开一点点。马喷着鼻息，转过头来嗅着他，前蹄不停地刨着地。他一只手拉着缰绳，另一只手抚摸着汗湿的脖子；然后把力量转移到笼头，这样带刺的衔铁就不会勒紧马的口角了。马只向前挪了一点儿，他对马夫说：“走开，别挡着阳光。”
他让马的头向着春日的骄阳，他与马的影子却落在了身后。它身上所散发出的汗味、鼻息和皮革味包围着他。
“牛头，”他轻柔地说。
它奋力向前迈步，想拉着他一起走；他稍稍拉紧了缰绳。它鼻子上有只马蝇；他的手下移着，直到手指触到柔软的嘴唇。几乎是祈求状，马急迫地向前挣扎着，好像在说：“快离开这儿吧。”
“好的，好的，”他说道，抚摸着它的脖子，“等时间一到，我发令的时候，我们就出发。我们不能随便跑开。”
他觉得该把斗篷脱掉。空出一只手松开别针时，他继续对马说话以吸引它的注意：“记住我们是谁，亚历山大和牛头。”黑眼珠乌溜溜地看着他。“放松，放松，等我的命令。”
他用圈着缰绳的左手抓住背上的鬃毛，用右手按住马肩中间。他感到马已蓄势待发。他随着马小跑了几步助力，然后一跃而上，把右腿翻过去；他上马了。
这匹马感到背上轻微的重量，一个笃定的契约；一双充满仁慈而又战无不胜的手，一种百折不挠而又坚忍克制的意志；一种它懂得并愿意共享的天性。这一切变成了一股神奇的力量。凡人未能驾驭它，而它将跟随着天神。
起初人群都很安静。他们是懂马的人，都清楚知道不可惊扰这样一匹马。他们摒住呼吸等待着它回过神来，料想着这男孩会被甩下，所以即使他能在马上稳住一瞬间他们也准备喝彩。但是他掌控着一切，它正等待着他的命令。场上一阵窃窃的惊诧声，他们看见他身体前倾，脚后跟一踢并发出一声号令；当男孩骑着马驰向河边草地时，人群顿时沸腾起来。他们消失在远方中，只有沿路被惊起的野禽显示着他们的位置。
最后他们背向太阳回来了，影子清晰地投在前方。像法老雕像践踏着战败的敌人一般，鼓点般的马蹄得意地把影子踩在地上。
翻译：Sylvia
“亚历山大三部曲”是瑞瑙特最著名的作品之一，分为《天堂之火》、《波斯少年》（The Persian Boy）和《葬礼竞技》（Funeral Games）。《天堂之火》讲述的是马其顿王子亚历山大20岁继位以前的人生，以亚历山大和赫菲斯蒂安为主人公，描写了两者从小生根、愈发枝繁叶茂的情谊。瑞瑙特以其娴熟的写作技法与大胆的推断，完成了她对亚历山大大帝的重现与再造。
选文讲述的是少年亚历山大如何驯服其战马布西发拉斯（Boukephalas/Bucephalus）的著名故事。
Excerpt from Chapter Four
前文提要：亚历山大根据以往经验和现场细心的观察，断定这匹在众人眼中野性未驯、难成大器的马是上佳的良驹，便当众与父王打赌：如果他能骑上去，这匹马就属于他；否则，则要自己付款，买下这匹“天价”的烈马……
Alexander remembered, then, that he had not asked when the horse was first called Thunder, or if it had had another name. It had said plainly enough that Thunder was the word for 1)tyranny and pain. It must have a new name, then. He walked round, keeping his shadow behind, looking at the horned blaze under the blowing2)forelock.
“Oxhead,” he said, falling into Macedonian, the speech of truth and love. “Boukephalas, Boukephalas.”
The horse’s ears went up. At the sound of this voice, the hated presence had lost power and been driven away. What now? It had lost all trust in men. It 3)snorted, and pawed the ground in warning.
Alexander said to the groom, “I’ll take him. You needn’t wait.”
“Oh, no, sir! When you’re mounted, my lord. My lord, they’ll hold me accountable.”
“No, he’s mine now. Just give me his head without 4)jerking that bit…I said, Give it me. Now.”
He took the reins, easing them at first only a little. The horse snorted, then turned and 5)snuffed at him. The off forefoot raked restlessly. He took the reins in one hand, to run the other along the moist neck; then shifted his grip to the 6)headstall, so that the barbed bit no longer pressed at all. The horse only pulled forward a little. He said to the groom, “Go that way. Don’t cross the light.”
He pushed round the horse’s head to face the bright spring sun. Their shadows fell out of sight behind them. The smell of its sweat and breath and leather bathed him in its steam.
“Boukephalas,” he said softly.
It 7)strained forward, trying to drag him with it; he took in the rein a little. A horse-fly was on its 8)muzzle; he ran his hand down, till his fingers felt the soft lip. Almost pleadingly now, the horse urged them both onward, as if saying, “Come quickly away from here.”
“Yes, yes,” he said, stroking its neck. “All in good time, when I say, we’ll go. You and I don’t run away.”
He had better take off his cloak; while he spared a hand for the pin, he talked on to keep the horse in mind of him. “Remember who we are. Alexander and Boukephalas.” The black eye rolled round at him. “Easy, easy, now. I’ll tell you when.”
With the reins looped in his left hand he grasped the arch of the 9)mane; with his right, its base between the shoulders. He could feel the horse 10)gather itself together. He ran a few steps with it to gain 11)momentum, then leaped, threw his right leg over; he was up.
The horse felt the light weight on its back, compact of certainty; the mercy of 12)invincible hands, the13)forbearance of immovable will; a nature it knew and shared, transfigured to divinity. Men had not mastered it; but it would go with the god.
The crowd was silent at first. They were men who knew horses, and had more sense than to startle this one. In a breathing 14)hush they waited for it to get its head, taking for granted the boy would be run away with, eager to applaud if he could only stick on and ride it to a standstill. But he had it in hand; it was waiting his sign to go. There was a hum of wonder; then, when they saw him lean forward and kick his heel with a shout, when boy and horse went racing down towards the water-meadows, the roar began. They vanished into the distance; only the rising clouds of wildfowl showed where they had gone.
They came back at last with the sun behind them, their shadow thrown clear before. Like the feet of a carved 15)pharaoh treading his beaten enemies, the drumming 16)hooves trampled the shadow17)triumphantly into the ground.
亚历山大想起来，他还没问这马是一开始就叫做雷鸣的，还是有别的名字。显而易见，雷鸣是个代表着暴虐和痛苦的名字。那么，他得有个新名字。他绕着它走着，小心不让影子投到它身上，看着其额毛下若隐若现的牛角状的白斑。
“牛头，”他说，然后转为马其顿语这种真挚和爱的语言，“牛头，牛头。”
马的耳朵竖了起来。此言一出，憎恨的神情便有所收敛。现在又怎么了？它已经对人完全失去信任，它喷着鼻息，刨着地面以示警告。
亚历山大对马夫说：“让我来牵他，你可以走了。”
“哦，不，殿下！您上马的话，殿下，殿下，他们会找我算账的。”
“不，他现在是我的了。把他给我，但别用力扯……我说了，立刻给我！”
他接过缰绳，开始只松开一点点。马喷着鼻息，转过头来嗅着他，前蹄不停地刨着地。他一只手拉着缰绳，另一只手抚摸着汗湿的脖子；然后把力量转移到笼头，这样带刺的衔铁就不会勒紧马的口角了。马只向前挪了一点儿，他对马夫说：“走开，别挡着阳光。”
他让马的头向着春日的骄阳，他与马的影子却落在了身后。它身上所散发出的汗味、鼻息和皮革味包围着他。
“牛头，”他轻柔地说。
它奋力向前迈步，想拉着他一起走；他稍稍拉紧了缰绳。它鼻子上有只马蝇；他的手下移着，直到手指触到柔软的嘴唇。几乎是祈求状，马急迫地向前挣扎着，好像在说：“快离开这儿吧。”
“好的，好的，”他说道，抚摸着它的脖子，“等时间一到，我发令的时候，我们就出发。我们不能随便跑开。”
他觉得该把斗篷脱掉。空出一只手松开别针时，他继续对马说话以吸引它的注意：“记住我们是谁，亚历山大和牛头。”黑眼珠乌溜溜地看着他。“放松，放松，等我的命令。”
他用圈着缰绳的左手抓住背上的鬃毛，用右手按住马肩中间。他感到马已蓄势待发。他随着马小跑了几步助力，然后一跃而上，把右腿翻过去；他上马了。
这匹马感到背上轻微的重量，一个笃定的契约；一双充满仁慈而又战无不胜的手，一种百折不挠而又坚忍克制的意志；一种它懂得并愿意共享的天性。这一切变成了一股神奇的力量。凡人未能驾驭它，而它将跟随着天神。
起初人群都很安静。他们是懂马的人，都清楚知道不可惊扰这样一匹马。他们摒住呼吸等待着它回过神来，料想着这男孩会被甩下，所以即使他能在马上稳住一瞬间他们也准备喝彩。但是他掌控着一切，它正等待着他的命令。场上一阵窃窃的惊诧声，他们看见他身体前倾，脚后跟一踢并发出一声号令；当男孩骑着马驰向河边草地时，人群顿时沸腾起来。他们消失在远方中，只有沿路被惊起的野禽显示着他们的位置。
最后他们背向太阳回来了，影子清晰地投在前方。像法老雕像践踏着战败的敌人一般，鼓点般的马蹄得意地把影子踩在地上。
翻译：Sylvia