The Fijian myth of the greedy god - Raiana McKinney and Esther Wozniak

翻译人员: Jing Quan 校对人员: suya f.

With his appetite for conquest and knack for combat,

凭借对征服的渴望和战斗的技巧，

the shark god Dakuwaqa was determined to vanquish all his rivals.

鲨鱼之神达库瓦卡决心战胜所有对手。

Long ago, the ancestral gods of Fiji, known as kalou vu or simply vu,

很久以前，斐济祖先的诸神， 被称为卡卢乌或简称乌，

settled on the Pacific archipelago,

他们定居在太平洋群岛，

each establishing a village in a different area.

各自占山为王。

Eventually, they metamorphosed into various forms.

最终，它们幻化成各种形态。

Dakuwaqa settled on resource-rich Cakaudrove

达库瓦卡选择了富饶的卡考德罗夫

and transformed into a shark.

并幻化成了鲨鱼。

But he was unsatisfied.

但他并不满意。

He became proud and greedy, and wanted to challenge every vu,

他变得傲慢又贪婪，想挑战每一位乌，

establish himself as the mightiest, and dominate all of Fiji’s islands.

确立自己为最强者并统治斐济所有岛屿。

In his quest for power, Dakuwaqa sped through the waters toward Rewa,

在寻求权力的过程中，达库瓦卡 疾驰穿过水域前往雷瓦，

where a quick and cunning eel-shaped vu tried to stop him in the mouth of a river.

在那里，一个敏捷而狡猾的鳗鱼乌 试图将他拦在河口。

Soon, the two were tumbling through the water, locked in combat.

很快，两人在水中翻滚，陷入了战斗。

The brawling vu created towering waves,

这场激烈的战斗带来了巨浪，

stretching the river further inshore and flooding nearby coastal communities.

河流进一步向近海延伸， 并淹没了附近的沿海群落。

In the end, the eel was no match for Dakuwaqa’s ferocity.

最后，鳗鱼乌不敌达库瓦卡败下阵来。

After the fight, the Rewa River became the longest and widest in Fiji,

战斗结束后，雷瓦河成为斐济 最长、最宽的河流，

which made nearby communities especially prone to flooding.

这使得附近的群落特别容易发生洪灾。

But Dakuwaqa didn’t care what damage he caused,

但达库瓦卡并不在乎他带来的灾难，

so long as he remained undefeated.

只要他能立于不败之地。

Dakuwaqa continued on his rampage, later vanquishing Masilaca,

达库瓦卡继续作恶还征服了马西拉卡——

the small, mischievous shark vu that lived near Beqa Island.

那个生活在贝卡岛附近的顽皮小鲨鱼乌。

Despite their rocky start, the two became friends.

不打不相识，两人成了朋友。

But one day, Masilaca— perhaps growing tired of Dakuwaqa’s proud, selfish ways

但是有一天，马西拉卡 ——也许已经 厌倦了达库瓦卡傲慢、自私的方式，

and the chaos he’d caused across the archipelago—

以及他在群岛上造成的混乱——

presented a challenge he knew Dakuwaqa couldn’t resist.

提出了他知道达库瓦卡无法抗拒的挑战。

Masilaca spoke about a fierce vu called Rokobakaniceva,

马西拉卡谈到了一个 名叫罗科巴卡尼切娃的乌，

who guarded the outer island of Kadavu,

他守卫着坎达乌的外岛，

and teased that, until Dakuwaqa defeated them,

并开玩笑说，在达库瓦卡击败他们之前，

he couldn’t claim the title of strongest vu.

他不配获得最强乌的称号。

Before Masilaca could even finish describing Rokobakaniceva,

没等马西拉卡说完 罗科巴卡尼切娃的的事迹，

Dakuwaqa was jetting through the water in the direction of Kadavu.

达库瓦卡就朝着坎达乌的方向疾驰而去。

As he came close, Dakuwaqa saw a giant octopus

当他靠近时，达库瓦卡看见一只巨型章鱼

hovering at the entrance to a reef.

在珊瑚礁的入口处盘旋。

The octopus vu, Rokobakaniceva, cared greatly for the people of Kadavu

章鱼乌罗科巴卡尼切娃 非常关心坎达乌的人民，

and asked Dakuwaqa politely to stay away and not intimidate the villagers.

并礼貌地要求达库瓦卡离开， 不要恐吓村民。

Dakuwaqa was only emboldened by the request.

达库瓦卡只是因为这个要求 而奋起攻击。

He showed his imposing teeth and lunged forward to attack.

他露出利齿，向前猛冲进攻。

But Rokobakaniceva was prepared.

但是罗科巴卡尼切娃已经做好了准备，

With four tentacles, the octopus vu remained rooted to a rock on the seafloor

他的四根触角仍然扎根于海底的岩石上，

and with the remaining four, captured Dakuwaqa’s body

剩下的四只触角抓住了达库瓦卡的身体

and flipped him over.

并将他翻过来。

In this position, his breathing slowed and his muscles relaxed.

在这个姿势下， 达库瓦卡的呼吸减慢，肌肉松弛，

He was paralyzed and powerless in a mysterious state called tonic immobility

处于一种叫做强直性不动的 神秘状态下，瘫软无力，

that some sharks assume when flipped over

有些鲨鱼在翻身

or when the sensitive pores of their snout are stimulated.

或鼻子敏感毛孔 受到刺激时也会出现这种状态。

Dakuwaqa was stuck upside down and struggling to breathe,

达库瓦卡被倒置困住，难以呼吸，

and Rokobakaniceva’s tentacles wrapped tighter and tighter around his body.

而罗科巴卡尼切娃的触角 越来越紧地缠绕着他的身体。

Though still shocked,

尽管震惊不已，

Dakuwaqa realized the battle was lost for the first time in his life.

但达库瓦卡有生以来 第一次意识到这场战斗失败了。

In exchange for Rokobakaniceva’s mercy, he promised that he would change his ways.

为了让罗科巴卡尼切娃饶命， 他承诺会改变自己的方式。

Instead of menacing the villagers and other vu,

他发誓不会威胁村民和其他乌，

he vowed to protect Fijian fishers from Kadavu and beyond.

而是要保护坎达乌 及斐济其他地方的渔民免受侵害，

Pleased with the pact, Rokobakaniceva agreed and freed Dakuwaqa.

罗科巴卡尼切娃对承诺感到满意， 同意并释放了达库瓦卡。

He stayed true to his word— no longer bragging about dueling vu,

他信守诺言， 不再吹嘘与其他乌决斗、

conquering coastlines, and taking tributes.

征服海岸线或是收取贡品。

Instead, he began finding satisfaction in guiding lost people back to their homes

相反，他开始满足于 引导迷路的人返回家园，

and warning local fishers of bad weather and sinister sea creatures.

以及提醒当地渔民注意恶劣天气 和险恶的海洋生物。

In return, some of Fiji’s people would pay homage to Dakuwaqa

作为回报，一些斐济人会向大海里 倒入一种传统的饮料

by pouring a traditional drink— yaqona, also known as kava— into the ocean.

——亚科纳，也称为卡瓦酒， 向达库瓦卡致敬。

And upon returning safely from fishing trips with an abundance of catch,

而且，当他们带着丰富的战利品 从钓鱼航行中安全回来后，

they’d throw fish heads back into the ocean for the sharks—

他们会把鱼头扔回海里送给鲨鱼

gestures of mutual care to elicit luck

意思是互相照顾以求好运，

and protection from Dakuwaqa himself.

并得到达库瓦卡本人的保护。