英格兰vs苏格兰 尼斯湖水怪争夺战

 Of all the tales about the Loch Ness Monster, it must be one of the most unlikely – an English plot to kidnap the beast and display its carcass in London. But back in the 1930s the Scots feared that such a thing was all too possible, according to newly revealed papers, and fought to ensure she stayed north of the border. The Scottish Office opened a file on Nessie in December 1933 after being bombarded with inquiries following sightings that year.

在所有关于尼斯湖水怪的故事中，这恐怕是最荒诞的一个了：英格兰计划劫持尼斯湖水怪并在伦敦展出它的遗骸。但据最新公布的资料显示，在20世纪30年代，苏格兰人对此深信不疑，并努力争取水怪继续留在苏格兰。苏格兰当局公布了一份1933年12月的尼斯湖水怪文件。同年发现水怪后，人们不断要求进行调查。

And similar files have also been found at the Natural History Museum in London, with the contents describing Scotland’s fears that Nessie should not be allowed to find its last resting place in England after a bounty was placed on the monster’s head.

在位于伦敦的国家历史博物馆里也发现了类似的文献记载，描述了苏格兰人得知对水怪的悬赏后，担心它的尸体会被带到英格兰。

The documents also reveal that many years later Prince Philip even suggested calling in the Royal Navy to search for the creature. By 1934 both the Natural History Museum in London and the Royal Scottish Museum in Edinburgh wanted Nessie.

文件还披露多年后有人建议菲利浦亲王召集皇家海军寻找水怪。截至1934年位于伦敦的国家历史博物馆和位于爱丁堡的苏格兰皇家博物馆都想得到尼斯湖水怪。

But while Scotland hoped that the bounty hunters could be kept at bay long enough to get new laws passed to protect her, London preferred her shot on sight. In March 1934 an unnamed official at the National History Museum made no bones about how he thought bounty hunters should deal with the creature.

虽然苏格兰方面希望在保护水怪的相关法律通过之前赏金猎人们不要找到水怪，但伦敦方面却想尽快亲眼看到水怪被射杀的场面。1934年3月一位不愿透露姓名的国家历史博物馆官员大谈特谈了他对猎人们应该如何处置水怪的想法。

The files show he said: ‘Should you ever come within range of the “monster” I hope you will not be deterred by any humanitarian considerations from shooting him on the spot and sending the carcass to us in cold storage, carriage forward. Short of this, a flipper, a jaw or a tooth would be very welcome.

根据文献记载他当时说：“如果你发现了水怪，我希望你不要被任何人道主义思想影响而放弃射杀水怪，完成射杀后请把冷藏中的水怪尸体运给我们，运费将由我们支付。如果没有水怪尸体，水怪的鳍、颌或牙齿我们也很感兴趣。

According to more documents found in Edinburgh, pressure was already growing for a special Act of Parliament to prevent Nessie being killed or captured. The campaign was led by Inverness MP Murdoch MacDonald, who assured the Scottish Secretary Sir Godfrey Collins the creature was no myth.

随后人们在爱丁堡发现了大量的相关文献报道，文献显示当时越来越多的媒体开始呼吁议会推出特别法案保护水怪免于捉捕和射杀。该项倡议活动由因弗内斯议员默多克•麦克唐纳领导，他曾向苏格兰事务大臣柯林斯爵士保证水怪并非是传言中伤人的怪物。

Evidence of its presence can be taken as undoubted. Far too many people have seen something abnormal to question its existence,’ he wrote. He demanded a Bill be put before Parliament to protect the creature, but Sir Godfrey advised there was ‘no law for the protection of monsters.

水怪存在的证据毋庸置疑，有太多的人目睹了证明水怪存在的异常现象，默多克这样写道。默多克要求在议会明确保护水怪前应先推出相关法案，但柯林斯爵士却表示至今为止还没有为保护怪物制定过相关法律。

The Royal Scottish Museum wrote to Sir Godfrey staking Edinburgh’s claim to the carcass. ‘The museum urges strongly that the RSM have the reversionary rights to the “monster” if and when its corpse should become available,’ the letter said.

苏格兰皇家博物馆还特地给柯林斯爵士写了信强调苏格兰对水怪遗骸的所有权。如果射杀成功苏格兰皇家博物馆对水怪的尸体拥有保管权。

Natural History Museum files from the 1960s also state that when approached by a Tory MP, David James, who was ‘obsessed’ with Nessie, Prince Philip encouraged him to contact the Royal Navy for assistance.

国家历史博物馆里记录于20世纪60年代的文献显示当接触沉迷于尼斯湖水怪的保守党大卫•詹姆斯时，菲利浦亲王鼓励他要多接触皇家海军以获取皇家海军的帮助。

The revelations are made by author David Clarke in his book Britain’s X-traordinary Files. He said: ‘During the 1930s … Nessie had become a Scottish icon, a symbol of national identity. There was genuine outrage at the possibility that the corpse of the monster might be taken for display in London.

大卫•克拉克在其新书《英国特别档案》中记录了苏格兰人对水怪所有权的重视。他说：“20世纪30年代尼斯湖水怪已经成为苏格兰的标志是国家身份的象征。人们对可能在伦敦展出水怪尸体表示极大的愤慨。