Who is the fastest god in all mythology? - Iseult Gillespie

翻译人员: Jacky He 校对人员: Gia Hwang

Welcome to another event in the Myth Olympics—

欢迎来到神话奥林匹克运动会的 另一场赛事——

the eternal arena in which creatures and deities

在这样永恒的竞技场上，

from global mythologies compete for glory.

各种生物和神明为荣誉而战。

I’m Shamash, the Mesopotamian god of judgment,

我是沙玛什， 美索不达米亚的审判之神，

and today we’re gathered to witness this year’s clash of stunning speed.

我们齐聚一堂，共同见证 今年令人惊叹的速度之战。

Keeping track of our racers with me is last year’s champion, Hermes—

与我一起观察参赛者的 是去年的冠军赫尔墨斯——

the swift-footed messenger of the Greek gods.

希腊众神的迅捷信使。

Oh, I'm delighted to hang up my winged sandals today, Shamash.

赫尔墨斯：哦，我非常高兴 今天换下了飞翼拖鞋，沙玛什。

But I am keeping my helmet on because we are in for a wild ride!

但我会依然戴着头盔， 因为我们要来一场疯狂之旅!

沙玛什：（笑声）没错！ 几乎每个神话分支

It’s true! Almost every mythical tradition claims one creature

as the fastest of them all.

都自称自己的生物是最快的。

From goddesses who run like the wind to creatures who outstrip every captor,

从奔跑如风的女神 到胜过各个狩猎者的生物，

mortals of all cultures are fascinated by superhuman swiftness.

各种文化的凡人都对 超人类的速度而着迷。

So, Hermes, who are this year’s contestants?

那么，赫尔墨斯， 今年的参赛者都有谁呢？

Well, the Norse gods have sent Sleipnir—

赫：嗯，北欧诸神派出了斯莱普尼尔——

son of Loki and the greatest of Asgard’s steeds.

洛基之子，阿斯嘉德最伟大的战马。

He’s usually spotted gallivanting between the realms with Odin.

他通常与奥丁一起 在各个空间中玩耍嬉戏。

But today, Sleipnir is riding solo.

但今天，斯莱普尼尔独自一人出场。

Also competing is Raiju, the Japanese beast of thunder and lightning.

同时参赛的还有莱寿， 日本的雷电之兽。

When the weather’s nice, they like to nap in mortals’ belly buttons.

天气晴朗时，它喜欢 在凡人的肚脐眼中酣睡；

But when clouds darken, Raiju leaps into action alongside Raijin,

然而，当乌云聚集时， 雷兽会配合神道的雷神行动。

the Shinto god of storms.

With this fearsome competitor, lightning can strike at any time.

有了这位可怕的竞争对手， 闪电随时可能来袭。

But storms don’t scare Idaten.

赫：但风暴吓不倒伊达天，

This Buddhist deity has a record of outrunning the weather—

这位佛教神明以胜过天气而闻名——

his name is even part of the Japanese expression for “run like the wind.”

他的名字甚至就是日语短语 “如风般奔跑”的一部分。

Idaten’s definitely got some tricks up those steel sleeves.

伊达天那钢袖里肯定藏着些秘技。

沙：（笑声）也许吧，不过我们的 最后一位竞争者也有自己的绝招。

Perhaps, but our last competitor has tricks of his own.

Savitar is the Hindu deity that sets everything in motion,

萨维塔是印度教的神明，掌管万物运转，

from moving the Sun to chasing away sorrow and sickness.

从移动太阳到消除忧伤与疾病。

Yes, today’s roster contains many mythic interpretations of speed.

是的，今天的参赛列表中 囊括了许多神话对于速度的诠释，

From personifications of the unpredictable elements

从不可预知元素的化身

to creatures capable of outrunning reality itself.

到得以超越现实的生物。

But perhaps the myth of speed is really about the elusive nature

但速度的神话可能其实反映出

of all supernatural beings.

所有超自然神明的虚幻本质。

Those are some, uh, neat ideas, Shamash— but this race is the real deal!

赫：这些看法不错，沙玛什， 但这场比赛才是真正的比赛！

Our noble competitors will run the equivalent of 100 marathons

我们尊贵的参赛者将沿着 一条危险的自然障碍路线，

through a hazardous natural obstacle course.

奔驰相当于 100 场马拉松的距离。

And our racers are taking their first steps right now!

沙：我们的选手现在正迈出第一步！

Idaten takes the lead, but don’t let that calm exterior fool you—

赫：伊达天在领先位置， 但不要被那平静的外表欺骗，

his determination is legendary.

他的决心不可动摇。

When a literal speed demon stole one of Buddha's teeth,

当一个迅捷魔鬼偷走佛陀的一颗牙齿时，

he raced over mountains and rivers to capture the culprit.

他飞越山脉和河流追捕那个罪犯。

Don’t forget Sleipnir— he’s cleared hurdles in his time, too.

沙：别忘了斯莱普尼尔， 他的光辉时刻也曾清除过障碍。

I’ll say! On his mission to retrieve Baldur the Bright

赫:（笑声）我来说！在黑尔堡垒 解救巴尔德的任务中，

from the fortress of Hel, he rode for nine days straight—

他连续疾驰了九天，

clearing the gates of the underworld without breaking a sweat.

毫不费力地穿越了冥界的大门。

They don’t call him the sliding one for nothing—

沙：他不是白叫“滑行者”——

he appears to slide on the wind itself!

他仿佛可以乘着风滑行！

Of course, wind is often personified as a sacred being that—

当然，风经常被看作 神圣的存在......

No time for a history lesson! That wind is picking up!

赫：没时间讲历史知识了！ 风越来越大了！

Like the force of nature they are, Raiju brews a storm to scorch the competition.

凭着内在的自然之力， 雷兽酝酿着一场颠覆比赛的风暴。

It’s certainly possible.

沙：这完全是可能的。

Raiju is known for their destructive storms.

雷兽以它破坏性的风暴而闻名，

But they’re also our most chaotic racer,

但它也是最无章法的选手，

frequently crashing to earth and getting tangled in flimsy mortal nets.

经常摔到地上，被脆弱的凡人之网缠住。

They’re unpredictable!

赫：它是无法预测的！

Chaos is often associated with mythology’s fastest creatures,

混乱常常与神话中最快的生物相伴，

from the shapeshifting Flemish Kludde who preys on travelers

从捕食旅行者的变形怪 佛兰德·克鲁德，

to the smelly Japanese spirit Nuppeppō who moves too fast to be caught.

到臭气熏天、快到抓不住的 日本精灵努比波。

True, but there are also steady agents of speed.

沙：没错，还有速度稳定的选手，

Here comes one now!

现在出现一位！

Lending his boundless energy to the Sun, Savitar breaks through Raiju’s storm!

赫：萨维塔将他无尽的能量转移给太阳， 破开了雷兽的风暴！

This golden-handed protector of the universe can manipulate the elements—

这位万能的宇宙守护者可以操纵元素——

and all moving things for that matter!

以及所有动态的事物！

A valiant effort to redirect the wind by Idaten... but not valiant enough.

沙：伊达天努力去改变风向， 但可惜技不如人。

The path seems clear for Savitar.

萨维塔的道路似乎畅通无阻，

But is that the gallop of hooves I hear?

我听到的是马蹄声吗？

What beautiful blindside!

赫：多么美丽的侧影！

It’s Sleipnir hurtling out of another dimension!

斯莱普尼尔从另一个维度疾驰而来！

it seems the shamanic steed shares Odin’s ability to travel between the realms.

看来这匹萨满之马与奥丁一样， 能够穿梭于不同的领域之间。

This racer might not have to play by Savitar’s rules.

这位选手也许不需要 按照萨维塔的规则比赛。

But... wait a second, am I watching this in slow motion?

但是……等一下， 我是不是在观看慢动作比赛？

No! It appears the god of motion is slowing the speed of his opponent,

沙：不！似乎是运动之神 减慢了对手的速度，

suspending him centimeters from the course’s conclusion.

将他停在距离终点几厘米的地方。

Sleipnir’s stampede slows to a snail’s pace

赫：斯莱普尼尔的冲刺变得蜗速一样，

as Savitar leisurely glides over the finish line!

而萨维塔则悠闲地滑过终点线！

What a finale!

多么精彩的结局！

Savitar’s mastery of motion immobilized his fastest foe!

萨维塔对运动的掌控 使最快的对手无法动弹！

It seems Sleipnir’s not too happy with this controversial result,

沙：看起来斯莱普尼尔对这个 有争议的结果并不太满意，

but hey, there’s always next year.

不过，明年还会有机会。

And one might say that we’re all winners for witnessing the mind-bending speed

有人说，得以目睹如此多 神话和传说的超凡速度，

of so many myths and legends.

我们也是赢家。