Joan of Arc
圣女贞德
To stand up for what one believes in... to save the nation. These are the goals that we imagine the ideal hero striving for. This is what we see come up from our subconscious when the word “hero” is uttered... but perhaps， just perhaps， a hero is something more. Someone would sacrifice all of herself for the good of others， for a just cause. Someone who isn't afraid to be right， even if it means being wrong to achieve their ends. Maybe then， this someone is a true hero. To me， this hero is Joan of Arc.
Joan of Arc， who would later be recognized by the Catholic church as a saint， began her life in the small town of Domremy on the border of eastern France on the 6th of January， 1412. She was a happy child， most known through the village as being the most pious of anyone， and she was always scampering off to church to confess even the smallest sin. These humble beginnings would soon lead to a much larger cause. In 1428， at the age of 16， Jehanne D'Arc (her actual French name) began to see visions of what she described as Saints Catherine and Margaret， and of Michael the Archangel. These， coupled with the “Signs of God” told Jehanne to go forth and lead an army against the British in order to free France and put the current Dauphin (i.e. heir to the throne) ， Charles VII， on the throne as King. She explained that God had taken pity on the French for all of the suffering they endured， and in 1428， she finally listened to him and went to demand an army of Charles. When she was finally granted an audience， after four repeated attempts， witnesses say that she “...presented herself before his Royal majesty with great humility and simplicity， a poor shepherd girl， and ...said to the King， ‘Most illustrious lord Dauphin， I have come and am sent in the name of God to bring aid to yourself and to the kingdom.’” After she convinced him by telling him accurately of a private prayer he had recently given to God， he granted her a band of men with which to carry out her quest.
After repeated attempts failed to drive the English back to England， she rallied her men to battle， readying them for the fight ahead. Carrying her beloved banner， (She carried this flag with her in every battle she fought， and would later state “I loved my banner forty times more than my sword.”) she cried “all who love me， follow me！” She led them into a battle against the Saxons at Orleans， where within days， the English were beaten， and Orleans was freed. When this news came back to Charles， he was ecstatic. This meant that he could now claim the throne as King Charles VII. This， being only part of what Jeheanne had set out to do， was not what she considered the end of her task. She still felt that God wanted her to do something higher—that He wanted her to lead her people to utter victory， and free the commoners from the oppressions of war and hunger， sickness and overwork. Pleading with Charles to help them， she now realized that he thought she held little value any longer. He gently dismissed her， but Jeheanne wouldn't stand for it. She continued to battle the English with her loyal army， waving her banner with her signature slogan “Jesus-Maria” in gold.
In April of 1430， Jeheanne told her army that the saints had shown her the future—she would be captured before late June， saying “Pray for me， for I have been betrayed.” Jeheanne D'Arc was taken as prisoner， and the English refused to ransom her to Charles， and set a date for her trial. Through the next year， until March of 1431， the judges of her case tried all they could to convict her of anything， but because of her purity and faith， and her ability to argue successfully against any theologian， the only things they could convict her of were cross-dressing and heresy. “La Pucelle”， as she called herself (literally “the maiden”) was sentenced to burn at the stake， for both of the above charges. Jeheanne was said to be calm while the ropes were tied about her wrists， and her sermon read to her， but when the time came for her to address the crowd and her accusers， she began to sob， saying that she forgave them for what they were doing， and asking them to pray for her. When the flames rose too high， she began to scream in a loud voice the holy name of Jesus， English and French officials alike were overcome. Only a handful of her accusers did not now regret what they had done， and fear for their own souls for “burning a Saint”. Joan of Arc was canonized by the Pope... 500 years later.
So maybe a hero is someone who stands up for what they believe in， and wants to save the world. Joan not only stood for it， she fought for it， and finally gave her life for the country she loved. She certainly paid the ultimate sacrifice in her quest， and even to her last breath remained true to the one who had sent her. She really was the brave Maiden that fought for her country. Joan of Arc is now considered a Saint... but more so than that... Joan of Arc was a true—in every sense of the word—hero.
为信仰而战，为拯救祖国……这就是我们心中那个“英雄”的理想形象，是我们道出“英雄”这个词时脑海中所能浮现出的模样。然而或许，仅仅是或许，“英雄”这个词所包含的意义还有更多。为伸张正义，她会牺牲自我为人类谋福；她对自己的理想信念坚定不移，即使早已料到会以失败告终。或许如此，她就是位真正的英雄。于我而言，她，就是圣女贞德。
圣女贞德牺牲后被天主教尊为圣女。她本来只是法国东部边界杜鲁弥村的一个平凡小女孩，生于1412年1月6日。从小活泼开朗的贞德是村子里远近闻名的最虔诚的小姑娘，即使做错了一点儿小事她都要跑去教堂做祷告。就是平时这些谦逊的举动逐渐促成了日后一场惊天动地的义举。1428年，16岁的贞德声称遇到了天使圣迷迦勒、圣玛烈和圣凯瑟琳，从而得到神的启示——要求她带兵收复当时英国人占领的法国失地，并带领王储查理七世进行登基加冕。贞德解释说上帝怜悯法国人民所遭遇的苦难。1428年在上帝的指引下她去觐见国王，要求查理拨一支军队给她带领。经过几番周折，贞德终于得到兵权。后来有人回忆说：“一位贫穷的牧羊女，衣着简朴，谦逊地站在国王面前，对国王说，‘圣明的陛下，上帝派我来此为您解难，帮助我们国家收复失地。’”接着贞德一语道破国王私下对上帝做过的一个祷告。这不得不使国王信服，确信贞德是天主派来的使者，并派给她一支军队来完成使命。
几次试图将英军逐回自己的地盘的尝试都失败了。贞德集合起民众及士兵，准备带兵出征。高举那面鲜明的旗帜，她高呼：“爱我的人们，请跟我上！”（每场战役贞德都会手持战旗，她解释说：“与宝剑相比，我还是更注重我的军旗。”）贞德率领大军在奥尔良攻克撒克逊军队，继而英军战败，奥尔良失地得以收复。查理收到捷报后，喜出望外。因为这就意味着自己可以登基成为国王查理七世。如今贞德的任务已经全部完成了，但她却期待上帝能赋予她更多的使命，带领法军赢取最后的胜利，来解救那些受战争压迫，在饥饿、疾病、劳苦中挣扎的百姓。贞德再三恳请查理七世出兵，但她发现国王已经认为自己不再有什么利用价值了。查理七世轻而易举地把她打发走了，可贞德却没因此而放弃。她带领那支忠诚的队伍，手持那面她亲手书写的“圣玛丽亚”金色战旗，继续与英军作战。
1430年4月的一天，贞德对她的军队说，上帝已经预示了她的未来——她会在六月末之前被捕。贞德说：“请保佑我吧，因为我已经被人出卖了。”后来，圣女贞德遭到英军俘虏，并公布出审判日期并禁止赎出贞德。到了第二年3月份法庭审判之时，法官们使出浑身解数企图判她有罪，原本目不识丁的村女凭借一份坚定的信念竟能舌战群儒，把法官们驳得哑口无言。最后法庭只能以“女扮男装”、“异端邪说”来指控她有罪。贞德经常把自己称作“布赛乐”（法语原意为“少女”）。因以上罪名，布赛乐被判处火刑。据说贞德双手被捆绑进行说教时，她勇敢而镇静。但当她最后陈辞时，她忍不住啜泣，哭着说会宽恕那些审判自己的人，并请大家为她祈祷。烈焰熊熊上升，贞德高呼耶稣的圣名，在场的英法双方官员都被这一幕震惊了。只有一小撮审判者还执迷不悔，但他们却终日惶恐“杀死了一位圣女”。500年后，圣女贞德被天主教皇封为圣徒。
因此，“英雄”从某种意义上说是要在关键时刻挺身而出、拯救世界。贞德不仅能挺身而出，还为此而战，并将其一生奉献给了她深爱的祖国。为完成自己的使命，她做出了极大的牺牲。哪怕是在留有最后一口气时，她对上帝依然忠贞不渝。她的确是位为国而战的勇敢少女！人们如今把贞德奉为圣女。然而，这并不是全部。无论从哪种意义上来说，圣女贞德都是真正的“英雄”。
译者感言
16岁的贞德听到一种神奇的声音，催她到奥尔良去，指挥军队作战。贞德说：“我一个弱女子，既不会骑马，又不会使用武器，怎样能指挥军队呢？”奇声对她说：“指挥战争的，不是你，是天主。”关于村女出身的小姑娘贞德在战场上是否真具有实际领导能力，这一直是历史上争论的焦点。曾有目击者声称：“她常常在战场上做出相当明智的决策，士兵和将领们往往将她所获得的胜利视为是上帝的神秘力量所成就的”，使之神乎其神！诚然，战场上的贞德时刻不忘鼓舞士气，更注重她的军旗，而不是她的宝剑。她利用人们对神灵的崇敬来激发祖国人民抗敌收复失地的勇气。
忠贞这个词可以包含多层含义，对爱人、对朋友、对祖国、对事业。我们可以忠贞不渝的为信念而活。这正是贞德作为圣女超出我们常人之处。且不论这是否来自上帝的驱使，就凭这份坚定不移的忠贞就值得我们后人为她谱一曲赞歌！
