The plot to overthrow the Inca Empire - Gabriel Prieto

翻译人员: Gia Hwang 校对人员: Carol Wang

It’s daybreak in the city of Chan Chan,

昌昌城黎明时分，

and Maxo, a former soldier, has been up all night fretting.

前士兵马克索一夜无眠、惴惴不安。

Last night, a friend stopped by and instructed Maxo to go to the plaza

昨晚一朋友来访，嘱咐马克索

中午去工匠街区广场，有重要消息。

in the artisan neighborhood at noon for an important message.

But with the recent political turmoil,

但最近政局动荡，

answering this mysterious summons will be dangerous.

应约前去这个神秘召集会有危险。

Situated on the north coast of modern-day Peru,

这座位于现代秘鲁北海岸、 土坯砖建造的大都市，

for hundreds of years,

数百年来

this adobe brick metropolis was the seat of the Chimú Empire,

一直是奇穆帝国的所在地，

the most powerful empire ever seen on this continent—

迄今为止，

奇穆帝国是这片大陆上最强大的帝国。

until now.

This morning, the sleeping city looks, in many ways, the same as ever.

今天早上，这座沉睡的城市 在许多方面都与往日无异。

Its ten palaces have decorative walls that keep ordinary people like Maxo out,

它的十座宫殿都有装饰墙， 把马克索这样的普通人拒之城外，

but he doesn’t need to enter to know that the rulers inside

但他无需进城就知道，

城里的统治者不再真正代表他的人民，

no longer truly represent his people.

Instead, the Incas rule here now,

相反，现在统治这里的是印加人。

after defeating the Chimú army.

印加人在击败奇穆军队后，

They took the Chimú king, Minchancaman, to the Inca capital of Cusco

将奇穆国王明昌卡曼带到印加首府库斯科，

and married him to an Inca princess.

并命他与印加公主成了亲。

Now, though one of Minchancaman’s sons still sits on the throne,

目前虽然明昌卡曼的一个儿子仍居王位，

he must do as the Incas wish because his father is their hostage.

但必须按印加人的意愿做事， 因为他的父亲是他们的人质。

Maxo hurries past the palaces, following a canal to his destination.

马克索匆忙穿过宫殿， 沿一条运河前往目的地。

An elaborate network of canals bring water from the Andean highlands

精心设计的运河网络

将水从安第斯高原引入这座沙漠城市。

to this desert city.

The plaza is bustling, but to Maxo’s eyes, it’s a shadow of what it used to be.

广场上熙熙攘攘， 但在马科索看来却今非昔比。

Before the conquest, Chan Chan was a trade hub,

在被征服之前，昌昌是一个贸易中心，

with llamas bringing goods from the highlands,

骆驼从高原运来货物，

and thousands of artisans— including expert goldsmiths

还有成千上万的工匠，包括专业金匠

and artists who turned the feathers of macaws and exotic birds

以及能把金刚鹦鹉和奇异鸟类的羽毛

into beautiful clothing.

制成漂亮衣服的艺术家。

All this is gone now:

现在，这一切都消失不见，

the Incas took the artisans away to Cusco.

印加人把工匠带去了库斯科。

Inca spies could be anywhere,

印加间谍无处不在，

so to blend in, Maxo approaches a man peddling seafood.

为混入人群，马克索 走进一个兜售海鲜的人。

As he barters for fresh fish, a priest taps his shoulder.

当他以物易物换鲜鱼时， 一位牧师拍了拍他的肩膀，

He silently beckons Maxo to follow him.

并用手势示意马克索跟他走。

As they wind through the empty artisan’s homes,

当他们蜿蜒穿过空荡荡的工匠之家时，

Maxo fears a trap.

马克索担心会有陷阱。

When the priest leads him through a dark doorway,

当牧师领他穿过一个黑暗的门洞时，

he even draws his knife.

他甚至拔出了刀。

But when he sees what’s on the other side, he drops it.

但看清另一边的情景后，他收起了刀。

Gathered in front of him are influential people from all over the city and beyond:

眼前聚集了全城内外有影响力的人：

nobility, local political and religious leaders,

贵族、地方政治及宗教领袖，

even a few familiar faces from the army— what’s left of it.

甚至还有几张残军里的熟悉面孔。

They've been secretly working on a plan that could change everything.

他们一直在秘密制定一项 可能改变一切的计划，

Leaders from all over the former Chimú Empire

来自前奇穆帝国的掌权者

are waiting to see what happens here, in Chan Chan.

都拭目以待昌昌城里要发生的大事。

Tonight, they will rebel against the Incas,

今晚，他们将抗击印加人，

attacking the Inca soldiers posted at the old fortress down the road,

袭击驻扎在路边古堡里的印加士兵，

site of the final battle in the war.

这正是战争最后一战的地点。

They want Maxo to join them.

他们想让马克索加入他们，

Actually, they need Maxo to join them.

实际上，他们需要马克索的加入，

As the only survivor of the last battle, he alone knows the layout of the site.

因马克索是最后一战的唯一幸存者， 也只有他知道场地布局。

Maxo isn't sure he can face the place where so many of his friends died.

马克索不确定自己能否 直面一众朋友丧命的地方，

And what about their king, hostage in Cusco?

还有在库斯科被扣为人质的国王怎么办？

If they rebel, won’t the Incas kill him?

如果他们造反，印加人不会杀死他吗？

In response, a young man steps out of the shadows:

这时，一年轻人从阴影中走出来，

King Minchancaman’s son.

正是明昌卡曼国王的儿子。

He explained that a rumor has arrived from Cusco,

他解释说，从库斯科传言过来，

that the king is already dead.

说国王已驾崩。

So the time for rebellion is now, and the young prince will lead it.

因此，反抗时机正当时， 且年轻的王子将领导抗争。

The prince’s speech is enough to convince Maxo.

王子的话彻底说服了马克索。

As he follows the canals home to prepare,

当他沿运河回家去做准备时，

he remembers how the Incas cut off the water supply,

想起印加人是如何切断供水的，

but Chan Chan survived on its deep, independent wells.

但昌昌城靠独立的深井活了下来。

He hopes his city has one more reserve of strength to draw from.

他希望自己的城市能再多一份力量储备。

In 2016, the mummified remains of a man from this period

2016 年在昌昌城外，

发现了该时期的一具男性木乃伊遗骸。

were discovered just outside Chan Chan.

Many details of the rebellion and who was behind it

抗争印加的诸多细节以及幕后主导是谁

remain mysteries and best guesses.

至今仍是谜团，众说纷纭。

What we do know is that afterward, the Incas burned Chan Chan,

我们已知的是，此后印加人烧毁了昌昌，

killing many of its residents

杀死了许多居民，

and scattering others throughout the Inca Empire.

并将剩余的人遣散到整个印加帝国。

Just decades later, the Inca Empire itself fell,

仅仅几十年后，印加帝国崩塌，

conquered by Spanish forces.

被西班牙军队所灭。

As for our mummy, after surviving many battle wounds,

至于发现的那具木乃伊， 在经历了多次战斗创伤之后，

he likely lived to an old age and died of natural causes.

他很可能活到了老年，自然死亡。