A day in the life of the oracle of Delphi - Mark Robinson

翻译人员: Lixin Foo 校对人员: Wanting Zhong

As the sun rises over Delphi in 500 BCE,

公元前 500 年，当太阳 在德尔斐（Delphi）城里升起时，

Aristonike hurries to the temple of Apollo.

阿里斯托尼克（Aristonike）正匆匆地 赶往阿波罗（Apollo）的神庙。

Like all Greeks, she's known the legend of Delphi since childhood.

如同所有的希腊人一般， 她从小就听过了德尔斐的传说。

Two eagles released by Zeus from opposite ends of the Earth

宙斯从大地两端放出的两只老鹰

met on the slopes of Mount Parnassus,

在帕纳索斯山的山坡上相逢，

identifying Delphi as the center of the world.

从此将德尔斐标为世界的中心。

Marking this spot was a mysterious stone guarded by a legendary serpent

标记着这个地方的神秘之石

则由一条名为皮同（pytho）的 传奇之蟒镇守。

called the pytho.

But when Apollo killed the pytho, he made Delphi his home—

但阿波罗在斩杀了皮同之后， 将德尔斐化为了自己的圣地——

establishing the city as the best place in the world

并把此处变成了世界上

to seek guidance directly from the God of Prophecy.

直接向预言之神祈求引导 最灵验的地方。

Well, almost directly.

好吧，几乎是直接的。

At any given time, a single oracle known as the Pythia communicates Apollo’s will.

无论何时，这里都有一名

被称为皮媞亚（Pythia）的先知 传达阿波罗的意志。

Reserved only for women, this is the most important job in the city—

这个专属于女性的职责 是城里最重要的职位——

and one that Aristonike will soon have to take on as the current Pythia-in-training.

也是身为现任皮媞亚学徒的 阿里斯托尼克即将担任的职责。

Despite serving in the Temple of Apollo for many years,

虽然她已经在阿波罗的神庙里 侍奉了多年，

Aristonike is still uncertain that she’s wise enough to fulfill this role.

阿里斯托尼克仍然不确定自己 是否有足够的智慧来胜任这一角色。

But these doubts will have to wait.

不过现在可不是迷茫的时候。

Today she’ll be shadowed by officials from the city’s governing council.

今天，城邦理事会的官员 将会考察她的工作。

If her performance meets their standards,

如果她的表现达到他们的标准，

this is the day she’ll become the new Oracle of Delphi.

她今天就会被封为 新一任的德尔斐先知。

In the heart of the temenos, or sacred enclosure,

在特米诺斯 （temenos，圣域）的中心，

Aristonike greets the current Oracle and the city officials.

阿里斯托尼克迎接了 现任先知和城市官员。

The group joins the procession to the Castilian Spring,

他们一行人加入了前往 卡斯塔里亚圣泉的队伍，

where the Pythia performs a purification ceremony

皮媞亚将在这里履行净化仪式，

to prepare for a day of prophecy.

为一天的预言做好准备。

To establish whether Apollo is willing to be consulted,

为了确认阿波罗是否愿意接受咨询，

Aristonike brings water from the spring to the temple priests,

阿里斯托尼克取来泉水 交给神庙祭司，

who sprinkle it on a goat.

由他们泼洒在一头山羊身上。

If the goat shudders, it will be a prophecy day.

如果山羊颤栗了， 今天便能进行预言。

If not, travelers from as far away as modern day Sicily, Egypt, and Afghanistan

如果不然，那从现代的西西里、 埃及和阿富汗远道而来的旅人

will have to wait an entire month to consult the Oracle again.

必须等上足足一个月 才能再次拜问神谕。

Fortunately, Apollo is in a communicative mood.

所幸的是，今天阿波罗愿意传话。

Delphians are first in line, most seeking advice about business or marriage.

排在前面的是德尔斐本地人， 请教的大多与生意或姻缘有关。

Following the locals are other Greeks and then non-Greeks,

排在其后的是别处的希腊人， 然后是非希腊人，

including ambassadors from great cities who plan to ask

包括来自伟大城市的使者，

前来拜问是否应该开战， 或者应在哪里建立新的殖民地。

about whether to go to war, or where they should found new colonies.

Most supplicants bring two options for the Pythia to choose between,

除了必需的祭品糕点，

大多数咨询者都提供了两种选项， 让皮媞亚从中选择。

alongside the obligatory sacrificial cake.

Aristonike reports back to the Pythia,

阿里斯托尼克向皮媞亚汇报，

pointing out important figures and sharing some of their concerns—

指出重要人物，解释他们的忧虑——

all while the city counselor takes notes on her performance.

城市议员则一直记录她的表现。

Then the Pythia disappears into her oracular chamber known as the adyton.

随后，皮媞亚进入了名为阿底顿 （adyton）的神谕内殿里。

Inside, she’ll channel the inspiration of Apollo,

在这里，她将让阿波罗的灵感附身，

uttering ambiguous prophecies the questioners must interpret.

吐露出模棱两可的预言， 由询问者自行诠释。

The adyton is the one place in the temple Aristonike isn’t allowed to go.

阿底顿是阿里斯托尼克 在神庙里唯一不能进入的场所。

So while consultations continue,

所以在神谕继续进行的时候，

the Oracle-in-training sets off to collect wood for the temple’s eternal flame.

身为先知学徒的她前去 为神庙里的不灭圣火收集木柴。

While gathering branches from the sacred laurel trees,

在从神圣的月桂树上收集树枝时，

Aristonike spies wealthy Greeks training for the upcoming Pythian Games.

阿里斯托尼克窥见了在为即将开幕的 皮提亚竞技会训练的希腊富人。

Second in importance only to the Olympics,

这项运动会的重要性仅次于奥运会，

these games bring great riches and attention to Delphi.

将让德尔斐获得大量金钱与瞩目。

Typically, Aristonike would pause to admire the athletes,

阿里斯托尼克通常 会停下来欣赏运动员，

but today she’s more focused on impressing her observer.

不过今天，她更专注于 为考察者留下好印象。

Taking the exact amount of branches necessary,

她撷取了数量恰到好处的树枝，

she hurries back to the temple for her long awaited evaluation.

匆匆赶回神庙， 迎接期待已久的评估。

The counselor who shadowed her shares his notes with the other officials,

考察她的议员 与其他官员分享了记录。

and after a brief discussion, their leader nods.

在短暂的讨论之后， 他们的领袖点了点头，

He endorses Aristonike as the new Oracle—

将阿里斯托尼克拥为新任先知——

and the Pythia offers Apollo’s blessing on their verdict.

而皮媞亚则对这一决定 奉上了阿波罗的祝福。

Approaching Aristonike beside the sacred hearth,

皮媞亚走向了 站在圣炉旁的阿里斯托尼克，

the Pythia finally unveils the secrets of her trade.

终于揭晓了皮媞亚一职的秘密。

Passed directly from one Oracle to the next,

这些秘密在先知之间口口相传，

no history book will ever record these details.

永远不会记载于任何史书之中。

But the Pythia’s insights will guide all of Aristonike’s future prophecies—

但是皮媞亚的见解将会引导 阿里斯托尼克日后的所有预言——

shaping wars, politics, and relationships for years to come,

塑造未来多年的战争、 政治与人际关系，

and making Aristonike one of the most powerful women in the ancient world.

从而让阿里斯托尼克跻身 古代最有权力的女性。

As the Pythia concludes her final lesson,

在最后一堂课后，

she points to two inscriptions on the temple walls:

皮媞亚指向了 刻在神庙墙上的两道字：

“know yourself” and “nothing in excess.”

“认识你自己” 与 “凡事勿过度”。

Left alone to ponder these ideas,

独自留下思考这些理念的 阿里斯托尼克，

Aristonike feels the first touch of Apollo’s inspiration—

第一次感受到了 阿波罗启示的触动——

the insight that keeping an open mind may be more important

维持开明的思想

或许比找出单一的答案更为重要。

than finding a single answer.