How Thor got his hammer - Scott A. Mellor

翻译人员: Xu Xingruo 校对人员: Lipeng Chen

Loki the mischief-maker, was writhing uncomfortably in Thor’s iron grip.

诡计之神洛基正在雷神托尔的 铁掌之下瑟瑟发抖。

The previous night, while the rest of the gods slept, he’d snuck up on Thor’s wife

昨晚， 他趁众神入睡之际 潜到托尔的妻子西芙身旁，

Sif and shorn off her beautiful hair.

一把剪下了她的秀发。

It’d seemed like a funny prank at the time,

当时这不过是个恶作剧，

but now Thor was about to break every bone in his body.

但现在托尔恨不得让他粉身碎骨。

Loki had to think of some way to fix what he’d done.

洛基得想办法弥补他的过错，

Yet who could replace Sif’s matchless hair, golden like a field of summer wheat?

但谁能挽回西芙那头无与伦比、 如夏天的麦子般金黄的秀发呢？

The dwarves! – their legendary smiths could make anything.

侏儒！

没有什么是他们的能工巧匠 造不出的。

So Loki rushed to their realm, deep within the mountains of the earth.

于是洛基匆匆赶到他们 藏于深山的国度。

Even before he arrived, the wily Loki was already scheming

早在路上， 狡猾的洛基就已在盘算着

how he would get the dwarves to do his bidding.

怎样才能让侏儒按他的命令行事。

He decided that his best bet was to pit two families against each other.

他认为最可靠的方法是 让两个家族相互挑战。

He first visited the masterful sons of Ivaldi.

他先拜访了伊瓦尔迪 技术高超的儿子们，

He told them that their rivals, a pair of brothers named Brokk and Eitri,

并说他们的竞争对手， 布洛克和辛德里兄弟，

had claimed that they were the best craftsmen in the world

自称是世界上最厉害的工匠，

and were determined to prove it in a competition.

而且打算组织一场竞赛证明这一点。

The rules were that each family had to create three gifts for the gods,

比赛规则：每个家族各设计 三个献给诸神的礼物，

including, for the Ivaldis, golden hair.

其中的金发由伊瓦尔迪家族设计。

Then Loki visited Brokk and Eitri, and told them the same thing,

洛基又拜访了布洛克和辛德里， 把同样的事情告诉了他们，

only now claiming that the sons of Ivaldi had issued the challenge.

不过却说是伊瓦尔迪的儿子们 发起了这场挑战。

But Brokk and Eitri couldn’t be fooled so easily,

但布洛克和辛德里还没有愚蠢到 完全相信他，

and only agreed to participate if Loki put his own head on the line.

只肯在洛基以自己的脑袋为担保 的条件下参加比赛。

Literally—if Brokk and Eitri won, Loki would forfeit his head to them.

也就是说，如果布洛克和辛德里赢了， 洛基的脑袋就归他们了。

Loki had no choice but to agree, and to save himself had to find a way

洛基只好答应，但为了保住脑袋

他必须想方设法使 伊瓦尔迪的儿子们获胜。

to make sure the sons of Ivaldi emerged victorious.

Both sets of dwarves got to work.

两派侏儒都投入了工作。

Eitri set Brokk to man the bellows and told him not to stop for any reason,

辛德里派布洛克去拉风箱， 并吩咐无论如何都不能停下来，

or the treasures would be ruined.

否则礼物就做不成了。

Soon a strange black fly flew into the room.

不一会儿，一只奇怪的黑苍蝇 飞进了房间。

As a piece of pigskin was placed in the forge, the fly stung Brokk’s hand,

趁一块猪皮革还在锻铁炉里， 苍蝇叮了布洛克的手，

but he didn’t flinch.

但布洛克没有停下。

Next, while Eitri worked a block of gold, the fly bit Brokk on the neck.

接着，在辛德里锻造金块时， 苍蝇咬了布洛克的脖子。

The dwarf carried on.

这位侏儒忍痛工作。

Finally, Eitri placed a piece of iron in the furnace.

最后，辛德里把一铁块放进了熔炉。

This time the fly landed right on Brokk’s eyelid and bit as hard as it could.

这回苍蝇停在了布洛克的眼皮上，

使尽浑身力气咬了下去。

And for just a split second, Brokk’s hand left the bellows.

就在那一刻， 布洛克的手松开了风箱。

That’s all it took; their final treasure hadn’t stayed in the fire long enough.

这就玩完了：最后一件礼物 没有被锻造充足。

Loki now reappeared in his normal form, overjoyed by their failure,

洛基现回了原型，幸灾乐祸，

and accompanied the dwarves to present their treasures to the gods.

还陪着侏儒们将礼物送给众神。

First, Loki presented the treasures from the sons of Ivaldi.

洛基先送上伊瓦尔迪的儿子们的 礼物。

Their golden hair bound to Sif’s head and continued to grow,

他们制作的金发与西芙的头 完美融合，而且还能继续生长，

leaving her even more radiant than before.

令她更加光彩照人。

Next, for Odin the all-father,

紧接着送给众神之王奥丁的

a magnificent spear that could pierce through anything.

是一把无所能敌的矛， 没有它刺穿不了的东西。

And finally a small cloth that unfolded into a mighty ship built for Freyr,

最后，一块展开之后变为神船的布料

被送给了弗雷——丰饶之神。

god of the harvest.

Then Brokk presented the treasures made by him and his brother.

接下来布洛克递上了 由他们兄弟俩制作的礼物。

For Freyr they’d forged a golden-bristled boar

他们为弗雷送上一只金鬓山猪，

who’d pull Freyr’s chariot across the sky faster than any mount.

它能拉着弗雷的战车穿过天空， 速度之快令其它坐骑望尘莫及。

For Odin, a golden arm ring which would make eight more identical rings

他们为奥丁送上一只金手镯

它每过九个晚上就会复制出 八只一样的镯子。

on every ninth night.

And for Thor, a hammer called Mjolnir.

他们为托尔送上一把名为 “姆乔尔尼尔”的铁锤。

Its handle was too short, and Loki smirked at the obvious defect.

锤柄很短，洛基为这个明显的缺陷 偷偷发笑，

But then Brokk revealed its abilities.

但接着布洛克展示了铁锤的威力。

Mjolnir would never shatter, never miss its mark

“姆乔尔尼尔”坚不可摧，每击必中，

and always return to Thor’s hand when thrown.

每次投掷后都会返回托尔手中。

Despite the short handle, the gods all agreed this was the finest gift of all.

尽管锤柄偏短，众神还是一致推选 铁锤为最佳礼物。

Remembering what was at stake, Loki tried to flee, but Thor reached him first.

想到自己的脑袋危在旦夕， 洛基试图逃跑，但被托尔捉了回来。

But before the dwarves could have their due,

但在侏儒们得手之前，

clever Loki pointed out that they had won the rights to his head, but not his neck,

机灵的洛基指出他们的确赢了 他的脑袋，但没有权利动他的脖子，

and thus had no right to cut it.

所以不能动刀。

All begrudgingly admitted the truth in that, but Brokk would have the last laugh.

在场的人不情愿地承认了这个事实， 但笑到最后的还是布洛克。

Taking his brother’s awl, he pierced it through Loki’s lips

他拿出兄弟的尖锥， 用它穿过洛基的嘴唇，

and sewed his mouth shut,

最终缝上了他的嘴。

so the trickster god could no longer spread his malicious deceit.

所以这个诡计之神再也不能 施展他恶毒的骗术了。

Yet the irony was not lost on the gods.

但对众神来说， 仍然颇为讽刺。

For it was Loki’s deceit that had brought them these fine treasures

要不是洛基的把戏， 他们就不会有这么多珍贵的礼物，

and given Thor the hammer for which he’s still known today.

托尔也不会拥有这把 传诵至今的雷神之锤了。