The myth of Pandora’s box - Iseult Gillespie

Translator: Julie Mbeyella Reviewer: Doris Mangalu

Curiosity:

Udadisi:

a blessing, or a curse?

Baraka au laana?

The paradoxical nature of this trait

Utata wa hili fumbo

was personified for the ancient Greeks

iliwekewa kwa Wagiriki

in the mythical figure of Pandora.

kwa umbo la dhana la Pandora.

According to legend,

Wahenga wanasema,

she was the first mortal woman,

alikuwa mwanamke wa kwanza mfaji,

whose blazing curiosity set a chain of earth-shattering events in motion.

udadisi wake ulipeleka ugunduzi wa mambo mengi kusogea.

Pandora was breathed into being by Hephaestus, God of fire,

Pandora alipewa pumzi na Hephaestus, mungu wa moto,

who enlisted the help of his divine companions to make her extraordinary.

ambae aliomba msaada wa wenzie ili amfanye kuwa maridadi

From Aphrodite she received the capacity for deep emotion;

Kutoka kwa Aphrodite alipewa uwezo wa hisia za kina;

from Hermes she gained mastery over language.

kwa Hermes akapata uwezo wa lugha

Athena gave the gift of fine craftsmanship and attention to detail,

Athena akampa zawadi ya usanii bora na umakini kwa kila kitu,

and Hermes gave her her name.

Na Hermes akampa jina lake.

Finally, Zeus bestowed two gifts on Pandora.

Mwishowe, Zeus akampatia zawadi mbili Pandora.

The first was the trait of curiosity,

Ya kwanza ilikuwa ni zawadi ya udadisi,

which settled in her spirit and sent her eagerly out into the world.

iliokaa ndani ya roho yake na kumtuma kwa bidii duniani.

The second was a heavy box, ornately curved, heavy to hold –

Ya pili ilikuwa ni boksi zito, lilitengenezwa vizuri, zito kubeba -

and screwed tightly shut.

na kufungwa kwa nguvu.

But the contents, Zeus told her, were not for mortal eyes.

Ila yaliyomo, Zeus alimwambia, hayakua kwa macho ya mfaji.

She was not to open the box under any circumstance.

Hakutakiwa kufungua boksi kwenye hali yeyote ile.

On earth, Pandora met and fell in love with Epimetheus, a talented titan

Duniani, Pandora akakutana na kupendana na Epimetheus, mtitani mwenye kipaji

who had been given the task of designing the natural world by Zeus.

ambaye alipewa kazi ya kutengeneza dunia ya kawaida na Zeus.

He had worked alongside his brother Prometheus,

Alifanya kazi hiyo pembeni ya kaka yake Prometheus,

who created the first humans

aliyeumba binadamu wa kwanza

but was eternally punished for giving them fire.

lakini alipewa adhabu ya milele kwa kuwapa moto.

Epimetheus missed his brother desperately,

Epimetheus alimkumbuka kaka yake mno,

but in Pandora he found another fiery-hearted soul for companionship.

lakini alivyokuwa na Pandora alipata nafsi nyingine machachari ya urafiki.

Pandora brimmed with excitement at life on earth.

Pandora alifurahia sana maisha ya duniani.

She was also easily distracted and could be impatient,

Alipagawa kirahisi pia na kila alichokiona na hakuwa mtulivu

given her thirst for knowledge and desire to question her surroundings.

kutokana na kiu yake ya maarifa na nia ya kujifunza mazingira yake.

Often, her mind wandered to the contents of the sealed box.

Mara nyingi, akili yake iliwaza vilivyomo kwenye boksi lililofungwa.

What treasure was so great it could never be seen by human eyes,

Ni hazina gani kubwa sana mpaka isionekane na macho ya binadamu,

and why was it in her care?

na kwanini yeye alipewa alitunze?

Her fingers itched to pry it open.

Vidole vyake viliwasha kutaka kulifungua.

Sometimes she was convinced she heard voices whispering

Kuna muda aliamini alisikia sauti zikinong'oneza

and the contents rattling around inside,

na vilivyomo vikitoa sauti kwa ndani,

as if straining to be free.

kama vile vinataka kuwa huru.

Its enigma became maddening.

Fumbo lake likawa linamtatiza.

Over time, Pandora became more and more obsessed with the box.

Muda ulivyozidi kwenda Pandora alizidi kuwa na hamu na boksi.

It seemed there was a force beyond her control that drew her to the contents,

Ilionekana kulikuwa na nguvu nje ya uwezo wake iliyomuita kwenye boksi,

which echoed her name louder and louder.

Iliyoita jina lake kwa nguvu zaidi.

One day she could bear it no longer.

Siku moja alishindwa kuvumilia.

Stealing away from Epimetheus,

Akajificha mbali na Epimetheus,

she stared at the mystifying box.

aliangaza lile boksi la mafumbo.

She’d take one glance inside,

Angeangalia mara moja ndani,

then be able to rid her mind of it forever...

kisha akili yake itulie na asiliwaze tena...

But at the first crack of the lid, the box burst open.

Ila alivyogusa mfuniko mara moja, boksi likafunguka kwa nguvu.

Monstrous creatures and horrendous sounds

Majitu ya kutisha na sauti za ajabu

rushed out in a cloud of smoke and swirled around her, screeching and cackling.

iktoka na wingu la moshi na kumzunguka na sauti za mkwaruzo na kelele.

Filled with terror,

Akijawa na uwoga,

Pandora clawed desperately at the air to direct them back into their prison.

Pandora alishikilia kwa bidii ile hewa akiwarudisha kwenye gereza lao.

But the creatures surged out in a gruesome cloud.

Lakini vile viumbe vilifurika nje kwenye wingu la kutisha.

She felt a wave of foreboding as they billowed away.

Alijisikia hali ya kukataza vilivyokuwa vikiondoka.

Zeus had used the box as a vessel

Zeus alitumia boksi kama chombo

for all the forces of evil and suffering he’d created –

cha mabaya yote na mabadhuri aliyotengeneza -

and once released,

na yakiachiwa,

they were uncontainable.

hayarudi tena.

As she wept,

Pandora akilia,

Pandora became aware of a sound echoing from within the box.

akasikia sauti ikitoka kwenye boksi,

This was not the eerie whispering of demons,

Hii haikua sauti ya minong'ono ya mashetani,

but a light tinkling that seemed to ease her anguish.

ila mwanga uliovuma ulionekana ukipungua hasira yake.

When she once again lifted the lid and peered in,

Alipofungua mfuniko na kuangalia ndani tena,

a warm beam of light rose out and fluttered away.

mwanga wenye joto zuri ukatoka na kuangaza mbali.

As she watched it flickering in the wake of the evil she’d unleashed,

Akiutazama ukiwaka kwenye amsho la uovu alioachia,

Pandora’s pain was eased.

uchungu wa Pandora ukapungua.

She knew that opening the box was irreversible –

Alijua kwamba hatoweza kurekebisha kufungua boksi -

but alongside the strife, she’d set hope forth to temper its effects.

lakini pamoja na jitihada, aliweka matumaini kubadilisha matokeo.

Today, Pandora’s Box suggests the extreme consequences

Leo hii, Boksi la Pandora linatufundisha madhara makubwa

of tampering with the unknown –

ya kuhangaika na tusivyovijua -

but Pandora’s burning curiosity also suggests the duality that lies

lakini hamu ya Pandora ya kujua ilidokeza uwili uliopo

at the heart of human inquiry.

kwenye kiini cha uchunguzi wa binadamu.

Are we bound to investigate everything we don’t know,

Je tunatakiwa kuchunguza kila tusichokijua,

to mine the earth for more –

kuchimbua dunia kwa zaidi -

or are there some mysteries

au kuna baadhi ya maajabu

that are better left unsolved?

ambayo ni bora yasitatuliwe?