The Egyptian myth of Isis and the seven scorpions - Alex Gendler

翻译人员: Yizhuo He 校对人员: Jiasi Hao

一名衣衫褴褛的女子渐渐地 从沼泽地中浮现，她的旁边有七只巨蝎。

A woman in rags emerged from the swamp flanked by seven giant scorpions.

Carrying a baby, she headed for the nearest village to beg for food.

她怀抱着一个婴儿，往最近的村庄走去， 乞求人们能给她点食物。

She approached a magnificent mansion,

她走到一座富丽堂皇的府邸跟前，

but the mistress of the house took one look at her grimy clothes

府邸的女主人瞥了一眼 她沾满污垢的衣裳

and unusual companions and slammed the door in her face.

和并不寻常的同伴， 随之重重地砸上了门。

So she continued down the road until she came to a cottage.

于是她只能继续前进， 直到她走到了一座小村舍门前。

The woman there took pity on the stranger and offered her what she could:

村舍的女主人觉得这位陌生人很可怜， 于是尽其所能为她提供的一切援助：

a simple meal and a bed of straw.

一顿简餐和一张稻草制成的床。

Her guest was no ordinary beggar.

其实她的这位客人 并不只是一个普通的乞讨者。

She was Isis, the most powerful goddess in Egypt.

她是伊西斯， 埃及最无所不能的女神。

伊西斯在躲着她的哥哥塞特，

Isis was in hiding from her brother Set,

塞特谋杀了她的丈夫， 还想谋杀她刚出生的儿子荷鲁斯。

who murdered her husband and wanted to murder her infant son, Horus.

Set was also a powerful god, and he was looking for them.

塞特也是一位强大的神， 此时他正在寻找伊西丝和她儿子的踪迹。

So to keep her cover, Isis had to be very discreet—

为了不被塞特发现， 伊西丝必须非常小心谨慎——

she couldn’t risk using her powers.

她不敢冒险使用她的法术。

But she was not without aid.

但她也并非孤立无援。

Serket, goddess of venomous creatures,

赛尔凯特，蝎子之神，

had sent seven of her fiercest servants to guard Isis and her son.

派了她七个最凶猛的仆人， 去守护伊西丝和她的儿子。

As Isis and Horus settled into their humble accommodation,

伊西丝和荷鲁斯 在简陋的村舍安置下来后，

the scorpions fumed at how the wealthy woman had offended their divine mistress.

蝎子们想起那位富有的女人 冒犯了它们神圣的女神，于是变得很愤怒。

They all combined their venom and gave it to one of the seven, Tefen.

于是它们把毒液全部结合起来， 传给了它们七个中的一个：特芬。

In the dead of night, Tefen crept over to the mansion.

夜深人静的时候， 特芬悄悄地往府邸爬去。

As he crawled under the door,

它从门缝底下爬进了屋子,

he saw the owner’s young son sleeping peacefully

看见女主人的儿子睡得正香，

and gave him a mighty sting.

狠狠地蛰了他一口。

Isis and her hostess were soon awakened by loud wailing.

不久后，伊西丝和村舍女主人 被阵阵哭号惊醒了。

As they peered out of the doorway of the cottage,

她们从门口望出去，

they saw a mother running through the street,

看到有位母亲在街上，

weeping as she cradled her son.

怀里抱着她的儿子，边跑边哭。

When Isis recognized the woman who had turned her away,

伊西斯认出了那个之前拒绝她的女人，

she understood what her scorpions had done.

于是意识到了 她那七只蝎子做了些什么。

Isis took the boy in her arms and began to recite a powerful spell:

伊西斯把她怀中的孩子抱过来， 并开始吟诵一则强大的咒语：

"O poison of Tefen, come out of him and fall upon the ground!

“特芬之毒，速速出来，归于尘土！

Poison of Befen, advance not, penetrate no farther, come out of him,

贝芬之毒，莫再前进， 莫再渗透，速速出来，

and fall upon the ground!

归于尘土！

For I am Isis, the great Enchantress, the Speaker of spells.

因我是魔力强大的施咒者伊西斯。

Fall down, O poison of Mestet! Hasten not, poison of Mestetef!

梅斯特之毒，莫再停留！ 梅斯特夫之毒，速速出来！

Rise not, poison of Petet and Thetet! Approach not, poison of Matet!"

皮特与特提之毒，莫再上升！ 麦特之毒，莫再前进。”

With each name she invoked, that scorpion’s poison was neutralized.

随着她提到每个名字， 相应蝎子的毒液就失去了效力。

The child stirred, and his mother wept with gratitude

孩子苏醒了过来， 她的母亲落下了感激的泪水，

and lamented her earlier callousness,

为自己先前的冷漠追悔莫及，

offering all her wealth to Isis in repentance.

并提出要把她所有的财产 都交给伊西斯以忏悔自己的罪过。

The woman who had taken Isis in watched in awe—

而那位款待伊西斯的贫穷女子 带着敬畏之心看着这一切发生——

she had had no idea who she’d brought under her roof.

她没想到自己的客人 身份竟然如此尊贵。

And from that day on,

从那天起，

the people learned to make a poultice to treat scorpion bites,

人们学会了敷膏药以解蝎子之毒，

speaking magical incantations just as the goddess had.

并模仿伊西斯女神，念那则咒语。