The myth of Jason, Medea, and the Golden Fleece - Iseult Gillespie

翻译人员: Wanting Zhong 校对人员: Yolanda Zhang

In the center of Colchis in an enchanted garden,

在科尔喀斯王国的中心 有一个魔法花园，

the hide of a mystical flying ram hung from the tallest oak,

一只会飞的神奇公羊的皮毛 悬挂在最高的橡木树上，

guarded by a dragon who never slept.

由一条巨龙不眠不休地守护着。

Jason would have to tread carefully to pry it from King Aeetes’ clutches

伊阿宋必须步步谨慎， 才能从埃厄忒斯王手中将它夺走，

and win back his promised throne.

并赢回允诺自己的王座。

But diplomacy was hardly one of the Argonauts’ strengths.

但交涉手腕绝非阿尔戈英雄的长处，

Jason would have to navigate this difficult task alone.

伊阿宋只能独自挑战 这项艰巨的任务。

Or so he thought.

至少他是这么以为的。

Leaving most of his bedraggled crew to rest,

他让大多数旅途劳顿的船员们休息，

Jason made for the palace with some of his more even-tempered men.

自己则带上脾性最好的 几位手下前往宫殿。

His first instinct was to simply ask the king for his prized possession.

他的第一反应是直接向国王 索取这件他珍视的宝物。

But Aeetes was enraged at the hero’s presumption.

但这放肆的要求 让埃厄忒斯勃然大怒。

If this outsider wanted his treasure,

若是这个外乡人想要自己的宝物，

he would have to prove his worth by facing three perilous tasks.

他必须通过三项险恶的考验 以证明自己的价值。

The trials would begin the following day, and Jason was dismissed to prepare.

试炼将在次日开始， 他命伊阿宋退下，着手准备。

But another member of the royal family was also plotting something.

但是皇室的另一位成员 也在暗自谋划着什么。

Thanks to the encouragement of Jason’s guardians on Mount Olympus,

多亏了奥林匹斯山上 伊阿宋的守护者们出手相助，

Medea, princess of Colchis and priestess of the witch goddess Hecate,

科尔喀斯的公主、 女巫守护神赫卡忒的女祭司美狄亚

had fallen in love with the challenger.

爱上了这位挑战者。

She intended to protect her beloved from her father’s tricks — at any cost.

她打算从父王的诡计中 解救自己的爱人——不惜任何代价。

After a sleepless night, Jason somberly marched to the castle—

一夜未眠的伊阿宋 神色阴郁地迈向城堡——

but was intercepted.

却被人拦住了。

The princess armed him with strange vials and trinkets,

公主给他装备了奇异的药瓶和饰物，

in exchange for a promise of eternal devotion.

为了换取一个永远倾心的承诺。

As they whispered and planned their victory,

当他们正在细语谋划胜利时，

both hero and princess fell deeply under each other’s spell.

英雄与公主都深深地迷上了彼此。

Unaware of his daughter’s scheming,

对女儿的密谋毫不知情的国王

the king confidently led Jason to face his first task.

信心十足地领着伊阿宋 去接受第一项考验。

The hero was brought to a huge field of oxen

英雄被带到了一片 横亘在他和金羊毛之间的

that lay between him and the fleece,

遍布牛群的广袤田地边，

and told that he had to plough the land around the crowds of oxen.

并被要求在牛群中犁完这块地。

A simple task— or so Jason thought.

一项简单的任务—— 至少伊阿宋以为如此。

But Medea had concocted a fire-proof ointment,

不过美狄亚已调配出了耐火的药膏，

and so he plowed the flickering fields unscathed.

于是他毫发无伤地 耕完了火舌肆虐的田地。

For the second task,

在第二项考验中，

he was given a box of serpent’s teeth to plant into the scorched earth.

他要将一盒毒蛇的牙齿 播种到烧焦的土地中。

As soon as Jason scattered them, each seed sprouted into a bloodthirsty warrior.

伊阿宋刚将毒牙撒下， 每颗牙中便窜出了一名嗜血的战士。

They burst up around him, barricading his way forward,

他们在他四周暴起， 堵住了他的去路。

but Medea had prepared him for this task as well.

但美狄亚也帮他 为这项挑战做足了准备。

Hurling a heavy stone she had given him into their midst,

他将她提供的一块巨石 扔到战士们正中，

the fighters turned on themselves as they scrabbled for it,

他们便哄抢起石头， 开始自相残杀，

letting him slip by the fray.

伊阿宋则得以从乱斗中脱身。

For the third task,

在第三项考验中，

Jason was finally face to face with the guardian of the Fleece.

伊阿宋终于要和 金羊毛的守护者正面对峙了。

Dodging sharp claws and singeing breath,

他躲过尖锐的爪子和灼热的龙息，

Jason scrambled up the tree and sprinkled a sweet-smelling concoction

匆忙爬上了树，将一瓶芳香的药水

over the dragon.

洒在龙身上。

As the strains of Medea’s incantations reached its ears

当美狄亚的魔咒传入耳朵、

and the potion settled in its eyes, the dragon sank into a deep sleep.

药水滴进眼睛，巨龙便陷入了沉睡。

Elated, Jason climbed to the top of the tallest oak,

伊阿宋喜出望外地 爬到了最高的橡树顶端，

where he slipped the gleaming fleece off its branch.

将闪闪发光的金羊毛 从树枝上摘了下来。

When the king saw the hero sprinting away—

当国王看到英雄不仅带着金羊毛，

not only with the fleece, but his daughter in tow—

还携着自己女儿远走高飞，

he realized he had been betrayed.

他意识到自己遭到了背叛。

Furious, he sent an army led by his son Absyrtus

怒不可遏的国王 派儿子阿布绪尔托斯带领军队

to bring the ill-gotten prize and his conniving daughter home.

去将不义之财和不孝之女追捕回家。

But all the players in this tale had underestimated the viciousness

可这故事的所有参与者

都低估了这对可耻的恋人 能有多么心狠手辣。

of these disgraced lovers.

To the horror of the Gods, Jason ran his sword through Absyrtus in cold blood.

在众神的震惊之中，伊阿宋无情地 用剑刺穿了阿布绪尔托斯的身体，

Medea then helped him scatter pieces of the body along the shore,

接着美狄亚帮他碎尸， 并将尸块一路沿岸丢弃，

distracting her grieving father while the Argonauts escaped.

她的父亲悲痛欲绝， 阿尔戈英雄则趁机逃脱。

As Colchis and their pursuers grew smaller on the horizon,

当科尔喀斯和追击者们 逐渐消失在地平线尽头，

a solemn silence fell aboard the Argo.

一阵严肃的沉默 降临在了阿尔戈号上。

Jason could now return to Thessaly victorious—

伊阿宋本可以凯旋， 带着众人回到色萨利——

but his terrible act had tarnished his crew’s honor,

但他可怖的恶行玷污了船员的荣誉，

and turned the Gods against them.

也让众神与他们反目。

Buffeted by hostile winds,

在遭受风暴重创之后，

the wretched crew washed up on the island of Circe the sorceress.

凄惨的船员们被冲到了 魔女喀尔刻的岛上。

Medea begged her aunt to absolve them of wrongdoing—

美狄亚哀求姑妈帮他们赦免罪孽——

but bloody deeds are not so easily forgotten,

但血腥的罪行不会轻易被遗忘，

and fallen heroes not so rapidly redeemed.

堕落的英雄也无法轻松地赎罪。