Samuel Johnson - Congregational Music 汉译

As we sat at Sir Alexander’s table, we were entertained, according to the ancient usage of the North, with the melody of the bagpipe. Everything in these countries has its history. As the bagpiper was playing, an elderly Gentleman informed us, that in some remote time, the Macdonalds of Glengary having been injured or offended by the inhabitant of Culloden, and resolving to have justice or vengeance, came to Culloden on a Sunday, where finding their enemies at worship, they shut them up in the church, which they set on fire; and this, said he, is the tune that the piper played while they were burning.

Narrations like this, however uncertain, deserve the notice of a traveler because they are the only records of a nation that has no historians, and afford the most genuine representation of the life and character of the ancient Highlanders.

聚会音乐

塞缪尔·约翰森

我们坐在亚历山大爵士的桌旁，主人按照北方古老习俗招待我们听风笛乐。这些地区发生的每件事情都有它的历史。风笛演员正在演奏时，一位年长的先生告诉我们，很久以前，格伦加里地区的麦克唐纳家人因受到卡洛登地区居民的伤害或冒犯，决心讨个公道或报仇，在一个礼拜日来到卡洛登，发现他们的敌人正在做礼拜，便把他们关在教堂里，放火烧教堂；老先生说，现在演奏的正是描述他们葬身火海时的曲调。

这样的故事，虽然真伪难辨，但很值得旅行者留意，因为对一个没有历史学家的国家，这类故事是它唯一的记录，最真实地反映了古代苏格兰高地人的生活和性格。