Centuries ago, master archers were able to perform incredible feats of archery. These skills have long since been forgotten, but the Danish archer Lars Andersen is trying to reinvent what has been lost.
幾世紀以前，神射手們能表現出不可思議的射箭技藝。 這些技法已被遺忘許久，但丹麥弓箭手 Lars Andersen 試著重現被遺落的技法。
He uses forgotten historical methods, and holds all his arrows in the same hand he shoots with. Once, this technique was widespread, and Assyrian artwork shows that the method was at least 5,000 years old.
他利用被遺忘的早期技法，將他所有的箭握在他射箭的同一隻手上。曾經，這技巧十分普遍，而亞述人的藝術品顯示出這方法至少有五千年歷史。
Arab Archery, the most extensive historical book ever made about archery, states, "This is the best type of shooting and there is nothing beyond it in power or accuracy." Using this technique, Lars has set several speed shooting records, and shoots more than twice as fast as his closest competitors. And being able to shoot fast is just one of the benefits of the method.
《阿拉伯射箭集》，史上內容最豐富的射箭史書，指出：「這是射箭的最佳樣式，在威力及精準度上無可匹敵。」利用這種技巧，Lars 創下許多急速射箭記錄，並比記錄最接近的對手速度快超出兩倍。而能夠快速射箭僅是這技法的眾多好處之一。
But the big question is, why has it been forgotten today?
但重要的問題是，為何這技法如今被遺忘了？
About 10 years ago, Lars started using a bow. The arrows, he carried in a quiver on his back. Surprisingly, the quiver turned out to be useless when it came to moving fast. The back quiver is a Hollywood myth, and was not common in the past, but it is still spread all over the world.
約十年前，Lars 開始使用弓。箭，他裝在背上的箭筒裡帶著。出乎意料地，箭筒在快速移動情況下變得毫無用武之地。背式箭筒只是好萊塢迷思，在過去並不常見，但它仍在全世界普及。
Why? Because modern archers do not move. They stand still, firing at a target board—something that was unknown in the past. These archers also started placing the arrow on the left side of the bow, just as archers do in movies. This is probably due to the fact that aiming at a stationary two-dimensional target makes you aim with one eye instead of two. This one-eyed aiming also led to bows with front sights and other technical gadgets, but that's another story.
為什麼？因為現代弓箭手不移動。他們站定，射在標靶上－－一個在過去是未知的物品。這些弓箭手也開始將箭置於弓的左邊，就像電影裡的弓箭手做的一樣。這有可能是因為瞄準一個靜置的平面目標使你用單眼而非雙眼瞄準。這種單眼瞄準法也使配有前置瞄準器以及其他科技配備的弓出現，但那又是另一個故事了。
However, placing the arrow left around the bow is not good while you're in motion. By placing the arrow on the left side, your hand is on the wrong side of the string, so you need several movements before you can actually shoot.
然而，將箭置於弓的左邊在你移動時並不有利。將箭放在左邊，你的手會在弦的錯誤一側，因此在你真正發射前，你需要許多動作。
From studying old pictures of archers, Lars discovered that some historical archers held their arrows on the right side of the bow. This means that the arrow can be drawn and fired in one single motion, which is both faster and better, and this was not the only problem with archery today.
從研究古老弓箭手圖，Lars 發現一些早期的弓箭手將他們的箭握在弓的右側。這代表箭能夠以單一動作拿取並發射，那更快又更有效，而這並非現今射箭的唯一問題。
Lars realized that what we thought was historical archery only works well for modern target archery and Hollywood films. If he wanted to learn the shoot like the master archers of all, he would have to unlearn what he had learned and start reading historical manuscripts today. He would have to find his way back to a time when archery was simpler and more natural, exactly like throwing a ball, an essence making archery as simple as possible.
Lars 理解到，我們如今認為是早期射箭的技法，只適用在現代標靶射箭及好萊塢電影。如果他想要學像所有神射手那樣的射擊，他將需要忘掉他所學過的，並開始研讀今日留下的早期書稿。他會需要找到他的方法回到一個射箭更為純粹且更為自然的時期，就像丟球一樣，一個盡可能讓射箭變得簡單的要素。
It is harder to learn how to shoot this way, but it gives more options, and ultimately, it's also more fun. A war archer must have total control over his bow in all situations, and must be able to handle his bow and arrows in a controlled way, under the most varied of circumstances.
學會如何這樣射箭是更加困難的，但它給予了更多選擇，且最終，它還更有趣。一名戰地弓箭手必須要在所有情況下完全掌控他的弓，且必須要能夠以受控的方式掌握他的弓箭，在最多變的情況之下。
The old manuscripts told Lars that master archers could shoot the bow with both hands and still hit the target, so he began practicing. It is also described that an archer in motion must be able to hit a blade so that the arrow splits in two parts, like this.
古老書稿告訴 Lars，神射手可以用雙手射箭，且仍能射中目標，所以他開始練習。書稿中也描述移動中的弓箭手一定要能夠擊中刀鋒，好能讓箭劈成兩半，像這樣。
Archers could also pick up enemy arrows and shoot them back, or grab arrows while on the move and fire them rapidly. There are even myths of archers who could grab an enemy's arrow and shoot it back. Lars took it a step further, and he's now able to catch an arrow while jumping and fire it before he hits the ground.
弓箭手還可以撿起敵人的箭並回射，或是在移動同時拿箭並迅速射出它們。。甚至有傳說，有能夠抓住敵人來箭並回射的弓箭手。Lars 又更上一層樓，他現在能夠在跳躍同時抓住箭，並在他著地前射出。
Perhaps most importantly, modern slow archery has led people to believe that war archers only shot at long distances. However, Lars found that they could shoot at any distance, even up close. This does require the ability to fire fast, though.
也許最重要的是，現代不急不徐的射箭引導人們相信，戰地弓箭手只能遠距射箭。但是，Lars 發現他們在任何距離都能射箭，甚至近距離。然而，這確實需要快速發射的能力。
In the beginning, archers probably drew arrows from quivers or belts, but since then, they started holding the arrows in the bow hand, and later in the draw hand. Taking it to this third level, that of holding arrows in the draw hand, requires immense practice and skill, and only professional archers, hunters, and so on, would have had the time for it. When gun started replacing bows, this technique was forgotten.
一開始，弓箭手也許從箭筒或腰帶抽箭，但自此後，他們開始以持弓手拿箭，接著再用拉弓手拿。將其帶到這第三個層次，用拉弓手拿箭的層次，需要大量練習和技術，而且只有職業弓箭手、獵人等等能有時間做這件事。當槍開始取代弓箭時，這個技術便被遺忘。
And the only reason Lars is able to do it is because he spent years practicing intensely. The hard part is not learning how to hold the arrows but learning how to handle them properly, and draw and fire in one single motion. No matter what method is used, it works in all positions, and while in motion, whether rolling, running, or on horseback.
Lars 能夠做到這的唯一原因，是因為他認真地花上數年練習。困難的部份不在於學習如何握箭，而是學習如何適當地拿著它們，並在單一動作內抽出並射擊。無論使用哪種方式，它在所有位置都行得通，還有在移動時，無論在滾、在跑，或是在馬背上都行得通。
It also works with sharp arrows and powerful bows. And while there is no doubt that those war archers of the past were stronger and more fit than Lars is, his arrows still penetrate chainmail armor and the heavy gambeson worn beneath it. It is difficult to compare actual striking power, though. Modern archers use only one hand, but in the past, some archers allegedly used both hands to give the arrow more power.
它也適用於鋒利的箭及強大的弓。雖然過去那些戰地弓箭手毫無疑問地都比 Lars 還有力且強健，他的箭還是能射穿鎖子甲，以及穿在下方的笨重軟鎧甲。但很難去比較實際的攻擊力道。現代弓箭手只用一支手，但在過去，有些弓箭手據稱使用兩手好賦予箭更大威力。
Old manuscripts tell us that it was common to hold three arrows in the draw hand at once while keeping more in the belt quiver. We know that some archers held more, and in a way, the bow was the ultimate weapon. Who can escape 10 arrows fired quickly after another?
古老書稿告訴我們，拉弓的手一次拿三把箭是很正常的，同時更多箭留在箭筒裡。我們知道某些弓箭手拿得更多，且某方面來說，弓是終極武器。誰能夠逃過十支快速連射的箭呢？
From old texts, we know that Saracen archers were expected to be able to fire three arrows in 1.5 seconds, and very skilled archers were even faster. Lars has managed to shoot three arrows in 0.6 seconds, but while speed is important, hitting the target is essential.
從古老文本中，我們知道撒拉森的弓箭手應能在 1.5 秒內射出三支箭，且技藝高超的弓箭手甚至還能更快。Lars 成功做到 0.6 秒內射出三支箭，但雖然速度很重要，命中目標還是必要的。
To test accuracy and speed at the same time, Lars set up an experiment, where he shot incoming arrows with arrows of his own. But he took it one step further. In the 1938 movie, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Robin Hood splits an arrow down the middle. Some consider this the ultimate archery trick. They are wrong.
為了要同時測試準確度和速度，Lars 設立一場實驗，實驗中他用自己的箭射向飛射而來的箭。但他又更上一層樓。在一部 1938 年的電影《羅賓漢歷險記》中，羅賓漢從中射穿一支箭。某些人認為這是終極的射箭技巧。他們錯了。
The ultimate archery trick is splitting an incoming arrow in two with one of your own. We do not recommend you trying this at home.
終極射箭技巧是用你自己的其中一支箭將飛射而來的箭劈成兩半。我們不建議你在家嘗試這技巧。
Thank you for watching.
感謝你的收看。
- 「至少」- At Least
Once, this technique was widespread, and Assyrian artwork shows that the method was at least 5,000 years old.
曾經，這技巧十分普遍，而亞述人的藝術品顯示出這方法至少有五千年歷史。 - 「結果成為」- Turn Out To Be
Surprisingly, the quiver turned out to be useless when it came to moving fast.
出乎意料地，箭筒在快速移動情況下變得毫無用武之地。 - 「當談到...時」- When It Comes To
Surprisingly, the quiver turned out to be useless when it came to moving fast.
出乎意料地，箭筒在快速移動情況下變得毫無用武之地。 - 「因為、由於」- Due To
This is probably due to the fact that aiming at a stationary two-dimensional target...
這有可能是因為瞄準一個靜置的平面目標... - 「導致、引起」- Lead To
This one-eyed aiming also led to bows with front sights and other technical gadgets, but that's another story.
這種單眼瞄準法也使配有前置瞄準器以及其他科技配備的弓出現，但那又是另一個故事了。 - 「找到途徑」- Find One's Way
He would have to find his way back to a time when archery was simpler and more natural...
他會需要找到他的方法回到一個射箭更為純粹且更為自然的時期... - 「在移動、進行中」- On The Move
Archers could also pick up enemy arrows and shoot them back, or grab arrows while on the move and fire them rapidly.
弓箭手還可以撿起敵人的箭並回射，或是在移動同時拿箭並迅速射出它們。 - 「不管什麼」- No Matter What
No matter what method is used, it works in all positions, and while in motion, whether rolling, running, or on horseback.
無論使用哪種方式，它在所有位置都行得通，還有在移動時，無論在滾、在跑，或是在馬背上都行得通。
