A day in the life of an Aztec midwife - Kay Read

翻译人员: Lark Yu 校对人员: Yanyan Hong

Lord Sun dawns on the day called 7-Monkey,

太阳神在七猴之日出现，

his fingers slowly spreading a rosy sheen

从他指尖慢慢散播出红润的光辉，

that mixes softly with smoke rising from Tenochtitlan’s many hearth fires.

和特诺齐特兰的村庄人家 升起的袅袅炊烟慢慢融合。

The midwife, Xoquauhtli, has a difficult choice to make.

接生婆胥夸特莉， 要做一个艰难的决定。

A momentous shift from rainy season to dry season is underway.

现在正值雨季过渡到 旱季的重大转换时期。

All summer, the gods have kept the people fed with corn,

整个夏天，众神们 都确保人们能吃上玉米，

but the fertile summer months are disappearing.

而丰饶的夏季月份即将过去。

This day occurs during the festival that marks the shift

庆典季的今天标志着转变，

between the summer season, when the gods feed the people,

从众神让人们饱餐的夏季转换到

and the winter season, when the people feed the gods in return.

改由人民回馈众神的冬季。

Xoquauhtli owes a debt to her patron, Teteoinnan,

胥夸特莉亏欠她的守护神，特里欧娜，

the female warrior goddess at the center of this festival.

她是与这个庆典季 有重要关系的战斗女神。

Teteoinnan wages war both on women’s battlefields of birth

特里欧娜会发动女性的生育战争，

and in men’s battles with Tenochtilan’s enemies.

以及男性与特诺齐特兰敌人的战争。

She must be kept happy or she will bring bad luck.

一定要让她满心欢喜， 否则会带来厄运。

The midwife should participate in the festival today,

接生婆要参加今天的庆典，

but one of her patients could go into labor any minute.

但她有一个病人可能随时要分娩。

Xoquauhtli decides to check on her patient first.

胥夸特莉决定先去看看她的病人。

The expecting mother hasn’t worked too hard, chewed gum,

准妈妈还没有进入 最后产程，嚼着口香糖，

or lifted heavy things.

或拿重物。

Her family is taking good care of her.

她的家人悉心地照顾着她。

Surely Xoquauhtli can take a little time to honor her goddess.

当然胥夸特莉可以抽出 片刻时间向她的女神祈祷。

She leaves her apprentice in charge and heads to the center of the city.

她留下助手照料现场， 只身前往市中心。

Along the way, she sees women sweeping the roads and hanging gourds

一路上她看到妇女们 在清扫道路和悬挂水瓢

in preparation for the festival.

为庆典做准备。

Finally, she reaches the Great Pyramid.

终于，她到达大金字塔。

On top are two temples: the north,

顶上有两座神庙：北神殿，

where rituals honor the rain god in the summer,

举行仪式祈求夏季雨神的地方，

and the south one is where rituals honor the war god in the winter.

南边是举行仪式 祈福冬季战神的地方。

On the equinox, the sun rises between the two sides.

在昼夜平分点， 太阳会在两方之间升起。

The ceremony begins with a mock battle between the midwives

仪式一开始，是由接生婆 与其他医护人员之间

and the other physicians.

展开一场模拟作战。

Xoquauhtli’s team battles heartily, throwing nochtles, marigolds,

胥夸特莉所在小组全情投入， 扔着果实，金盏花，

and balls made of reed and moss.

以及芦苇和苔藓做成的球。

They joke, call their rivals names, and laugh.

他们说着玩笑， 叫对手的名字，发出笑声。

But then, a girl comes running with a message for Xoquauhtli.

就在这时，一个女孩跑过来， 给胥夸特莉带来一个消息。

Her patient is in labor!

她的病人要分娩了！

She hurries back to the house.

她急忙赶回病人房间。

All the old women from the extended family

整个大家族的所有年老女性，

have already gathered for the birth—

已经到来，等待着新生命降临——

their experience is very valuable if anything goes wrong.

如果哪里不对劲， 她们的经验非常宝贵。

She readies herself with a prayer praising her most important tools, her fingers.

胥夸特莉祈祷并准备使用 她最重要的工具，她的手指。

Then she doses the patient with cihuapatli to help expel the baby,

然后她让赤花帕特里 协助病人用力生出孩子。

massages her in the sweathouse, and rubs her stomach with tobacco.

在产房中给她按摩， 并用烟草按揉肚子。

Offering Teteoinnan a short prayer,

给特里欧娜一个很短的祈祷，

she urges her patient to act like a warrior.

她鼓励病人表现得像战士一样。

A strong baby girl slips into her waiting hands

一个强健的女宝宝 滑落到伸着等待的手中

and the old women shout triumphant cries.

老年的妇女们发出胜利的呼叫。

Xoquauhtli takes a few drops of water from a jade bowl, breaths on them,

胥夸特莉从一个玉制碗中 沾了几滴水，靠近闻了闻，

and places them on the baby’s tiny tongue.

然后放到了小宝宝的小舌头上。

She calls her a precious greenstone, a little warrior,

她称小宝宝是珍贵的 绿宝石，小战士，

and tells her how the Lord and Lady of the Ninth Sky

并告诉她，第九天空的 众神和女神是怎样

breathed life into her, sending her to this place of burden and torment.

给她带来生命，送到这个 满是责任和磨难的地方。

She then turns to the new mother, praising her,

她然后转向新妈妈，赞扬她，

telling her she acted like an eagle warrior, a jaguar warrior.

告诉她，她表现得就像 一位鹰斗士，或虎斗士。

By the time they finish, it’s late, and the flames of the fire have died down.

他们结束时，天色已晚， 燃起的火苗也已经熄灭。

Xoquauhtli piles the remaining hot coals in the center of the hearth,

胥夸特莉把剩下的 热炭堆在在炉子中，

stoking them to keep them going.

煽动着它们继续燃烧。

She lays the baby in a woven basket, head facing the warming fire.

她把宝宝放入一个编织的篮子中， 面朝着温暖的炉火。

This will warm her tonalli, an important “soul” center in the body

这会暖和她的托纳利， 一个她身体重要的 “灵魂” 中心

central to health and well-being.

对健康和幸福非常重要。

It’s almost midnight— if Xoquauhtli hurries,

几乎到午夜了—— 如果胥夸特莉抓紧时间，

she can get back to the temple for the culmination of the festival.

她还能赶回神庙， 加入到庆典高潮中。

She makes her way to the city center, where a priest carries a woman on his back

她一路走到市中心，在那里， 一位神父背着一位妇女

to the top of the pyramid.

往金字塔顶走去。

To begin the new season and feed the gods, she will be beheaded,

为了回馈众神、 迎接季节的开始，她会被砍头，

symbolizing how corn is cut in the fields.

象征着田地里玉米被收割。

Afterward, she will be reborn as Lady Teteoinnan,

之后，她会以 特里欧娜女神的模样重生，

and preside over the induction of new warriors.

掌管着新斗士的到来。