The Aztec myth of the unlikeliest sun god - Kay Almere Read

翻译人员: Candace Hwang 校对人员: Carol Wang

Nanahuatl, weakest of the Aztec gods, sickly and covered in pimples,

阿兹特克众神中最弱的纳纳华特， 体弱多病并且全身长满了丘疹，

had been chosen to form a new world.

被选中去创造一个新的世界。

There had already been four worlds, each set in motion by its own “Lord Sun,"

过去已存在过四个世界， 每个都由自己的 “太阳神” 启动，

and each, in turn, destroyed:

并且依次被毁灭。

the first by jaguars, the next by winds,

第一个世界被美洲豹毁灭， 第二个世界被风毁灭，

the next by rains of fire, and the fourth by floods.

第三个被火雨毁灭， 第四个被洪水摧毁。

To establish the Fifth Sun,

为了建立第五个太阳，

Lord Quetzalcoatl, the “Feathered Serpent,”

魁札尔科亚特尔神，即”羽蛇神“，

had gone to the underworld and returned with the bones of earlier people,

前往地下世界并带回了先民骨头，

nourishing them with his own blood to create new life.

用自己的鲜血滋养骨头造出新生命。

But for them to have a world to live in,

为了让他们有一个可以生活的世界，

another god had to leap into the great bonfire and become the fifth sun.

另一个神必须跳入篝火， 成为第五个太阳。

The Lord of Sustenance and the Lord of Fire had chosen Nanahuatl for this task,

创造神和火神选择 纳纳华特来完成这项任务，

while the Lord of Rain and the Lord of the Four Quarters

而雨神和四方位神则推举了

had picked their own offering: the proud, rich Tecciztecatl.

骄傲而富有的特库希斯特卡特。

First, the chosen ones had to complete a four-day fasting and bloodletting ritual.

首先， 被选中的人必须经历 禁食四天和放血的仪式。

Nanahuatl had nothing but cactus thorns with which to bleed himself,

纳纳华特只有用仙人掌刺 扎破自己流血，

and fir branches to paint with his red offering,

用冷杉枝蘸着自己的鲜血 作画去献祭，

but he resolved to try his best.

但是他决心竭尽所能。

Meanwhile, Tecciztecatl flaunted his riches,

与此同时，特库希斯特卡特 在炫耀着他的财富，

using magnificent jade spines and branches adorned with iridescent quetzal feathers

用华丽玉脊和彩虹色 咬鹃羽毛所装饰的树枝

for his own blood offering.

来代替自己的血液祭献，

When four days had passed, the fire was roaring high.

四天过去了，火焰熊熊燃烧，

Four times proud Tecciztecatl approached the flames,

骄傲的特库希斯特卡特四次靠近火焰，

and four times he pulled back in fear.

又四次害怕地退回来。

Humble Nanahuatl stepped forward.

谦虚的纳纳华特走上前，

The other gods painted him chalky white and glued feathers to him.

其余众神将他涂成雪白并沾上羽毛，

Without hesitation, he threw himself into the flames.

他没有任何犹豫，扑进了火焰里，

A fire-blackened eagle swooped over the fire,

一只被火烧黑的老鹰， 俯冲到火堆上方，

grabbed Nanahuatl and carried him into the sky.

抓住纳纳华特并带他上了天，

There, Lord and Lady Sustenance bathed him,

在那里，创造神和创造女神为他洗礼，

sat him on a feathered throne, and wrapped a red band around his head.

让他登上羽毛宝座，并头系红带。

Inspired by Nanahuatl,

被纳纳华特所激励，

Tecciztecatl threw himself into what was left of the fire: cooled ashes.

特库希斯特卡特跳进了 烧剩下的火堆：冷却的灰烬，

A jaguar jumped over the fire pit, but couldn’t carry Tecciztecatl into the sky.

一只美洲豹越过火坑，却无法 把特库希斯特卡特带向天空，

When Tecciztecatl reached the horizon, a band of goddesses dressed him in rags.

当特库希斯特卡特到达地平线时， 一群女神给他穿上破衣服，

Still, he shined just as brightly as Nanahuatl.

他的光芒仍像纳纳华特一样闪亮，

But since he had shown far less bravery and much more pride,

但因他表现得不够勇敢且太骄傲，

one of the gods picked up a rabbit and tossed it in his face,

其中一位神捡起一只兔子 并扔到了他的脸上，

dimming his light.

调暗了他的光芒。

But the fifth world still wasn’t truly established.

但第五个世界并没真正建立起来，

Nanahuatl, Lord Sun, shined for four days straight

太阳神纳纳华特持续照耀了四天，

without moving through the sky like all the previous suns had moved.

不像以前的太阳那样在天空移动。

Back in their home, Teotihuacan, the gods began to worry.

众神回到特奥蒂瓦坎城的家， 开始担忧起来。

They sent Obsidian Hawk up to ask what was wrong.

他们派黑鹰上天，询问事由。

Nanahuatl replied that just as he had sacrificed himself to become Lord Sun,

纳纳华特回复说，就像 他牺牲自己成为太阳神，

he now needed the nourishing blood of the other gods

现在需要其他众神用血来滋养他，

in order to move through the sky.

这样才能在天空中运转。

Enraged at this suggestion, Lord Dawn stepped up and shot an arrow at Lord Sun.

黎明之神被这个提议所激怒， 站出来并向太阳神射了一箭，

Lord Sun shot back,

太阳神射箭反击，

and his quetzal-feathered arrows struck Lord Dawn in the face,

其咬鹃羽毛箭射中黎明之神的脸，

turning him to frost.

把他变成了冰霜。

Before anyone else could act rashly,

在任何人冲动行动之前，

the other gods turned to each other to discuss what to do.

其他的神开始互相讨论该怎么做。

Of course, no one wanted to sacrifice themselves,

当然，没有人想牺牲自己，

but nor did anyone want to act like Lord Dawn.

但也没人想效仿黎明之神。

Besides, Nanahuatl had held up his end of the bargain to nourish the earth—

此外，纳纳华特信守承诺滋养地球，

how could they refuse to nourish him in return?

其他神怎可拒绝用滋养回报他呢？

They remembered how even the wimpy Tecciztecatl

众神记起懦弱如特库希斯特卡特，

had eventually managed to emulate Nanahuatl's bravery.

最终也效仿纳纳华特勇敢的举动。

At long last, five other gods agreed to sacrifice themselves.

终于, 其他五个神同意牺牲自己。

One by one, Lord Death stabbed them in the heart with an obsidian knife,

死神依次用黑石刀捅进他们的心脏，

offering their bodies to their new Lord Sun.

把他们的身体祭献给新太阳神。

As the last god made the sacrifice,

当最后一位神作出牺牲时，

Lord Quetzalcoatl blew the embers of the great fire back to life,

生命之神重燃大火的余烬，

and the sun began to move through the sky at last,

太阳终于在天空中开始运转，

ushering in the fifth age.

引领第五太阳纪。

Thanks to a pimply weakling whose fortitude inspired all the other gods,

多亏一个长满肿泡的弱者， 他的坚毅激发了所有其他的神，

the sun moves along its daily path,

太阳沿着它每天的路径运行，

the rabbit-faced moon following in its wake.

兔子脸的月亮紧随着它的轨迹。