The myth of Zeus' test - Iseult Gillespie

翻译人员: Grace Man 校对人员: Yip Yan Yeung

It was dark when two mysterious, shrouded figures

天色已晚， 两个身影模糊的神秘人

appeared in the hillside village.

出现在了山坡上的村庄。

The strangers knocked on every door in town, asking for food and shelter.

两个陌生人挨家挨户地敲门， 想寻求借宿与食物。

But, again and again, they were turned away.

但是，他们被一次又一次地拒绝。

Soon, there was just one door left:

不久以后，就剩一户人家了：

that of a small, thatched shack.

一个非常小的简陋农舍。

An elderly couple, Baucis and Philemon, answered the thunderous knock.

敲门声如雷鸣一般，

一对老夫妻，鲍西丝(Baucis)和 费莱蒙(Philemon)来应门。

Although there was something off about these visitors,

尽管陌生人看起来有点不对劲，

it was in the pair’s nature to care for those in need.

但是这对夫妻一向乐善好施。

Philemon invited them to rest,

费莱蒙邀请他们进屋休息，

and the cottage flooded with warmth as Baucis teased the fire back to life.

鲍西丝重新生起了火， 小屋里变得非常暖和。

When they were young, Baucis and Philemon had fallen in love,

年轻的时候，鲍西丝和费莱蒙相恋，

married, and settled in the humble cottage.

结婚，在这简陋的农舍里安了家。

Decades later, their home was still standing—

几十年过去了，他们的家还在——

and they were more devoted to each other than ever.

他们对彼此的爱也变得无以复加。

The strangers watched intently as Baucis nestled twigs under a battered pot

鲍西丝将蔬菜放进破破烂烂的锅里， 把树枝放在锅的下面。

filled with vegetables.

陌生人专注地看着。

The couple could rarely afford meat, but in honor of their guests,

因为贫穷，这对夫妇很少买肉， 但是为了好好地招待客人，

Philemon cut strips from an aging shank for the stew.

费莱蒙将一块放了很久的腱子肉 一条一条切下来，放进炖着的菜里。

They made cheerful conversation and offered their visitors hot baths.

他们与客人相谈甚欢， 还为客人准备热水用以洗浴。

Baucis used a chip of broken clay to balance the wobbly table’s legs

鲍西丝用一块破碎的黏土垫在桌脚下， 使摇摇晃晃的桌子保持稳定，

and rubbed its surface with mint until it smelled sweet and fresh.

然后用薄荷摩擦桌面， 直到气味变得香甜清新。

Weaving around each other with care,

夫妻俩一通忙活，精心准备，

the couple transformed what they had into a feast.

将他们有的食材 变成了一顿美味大餐。

Soon, the tabletop overflowed with food and the last of their sweet wine.

不久，桌上便满是食物以及 最后端上来的甜酒。

Privately, Baucis and Philemon worried that their provisions would run out.

私下里，鲍西丝和费莱蒙 担心他们所剩的食物不够生活了。

Yet, as the night wore on,

夜幕降临，

and their strange guests took hearty gulps of wine,

两位陌生的客人 一杯接着一杯开怀地喝着，

the clay vessel never ran dry.

可是他们杯中的酒一直不会被喝完。

The couple, at first relieved, grew terrified.

这对夫妇最开始的时候松了一口气， 而后逐渐慌张起来。

Their guests weren’t humble peasants traveling the countryside.

这两位客人并不是 路过村庄的普通的农夫。

They were almost certainly gods in disguise—

夫妻俩几乎可以确定 他们是两位伪装成农夫的神明——

but which gods, they didn’t know.

只是他们不知道，是哪两位神。

Panicked that their preparations were inadequate,

鲍西丝和费莱蒙 担心他们准备的不够，

Baucis and Philemon searched for another offering.

开始寻找更多来招待客人。

The only precious thing left was the goose that guarded their home.

他们只剩下一件宝贵的东西， 就是为他们看家的鹅。

The couple repeatedly lunged after the bird,

鹅在前面逃， 夫妻俩在后面一直追着，

but they were too worn out for the chase.

可是他们太累了，没能追得上。

So, they prepared to receive the wrath of the gods.

他们觉得神明会因招待不周而愤怒， 准备接受惩罚。

Their guests rose up, shedding their rags and mortal masks.

客人们站了起来，脱下破烂的衣衫， 摘下伪装成人类的面具。

Looming before them was Zeus, the storm-brewing ruler of the gods,

现身在他们眼前的是宙斯(Zeus)， 众神之王、天空与雷电、乌云之神，

and his son, Hermes,

以及宙斯之子，赫耳墨斯(Hermes),

the fleet-footed messenger who shepherded mortals to the underworld.

他动作迅捷， 担当神界与人界之间的信使。

The gods told the old couple that, unlike the other townspeople,

神明告诉夫妻俩， 与镇子上其他的人不同

they had shown true xenia, or loving hospitality to strangers.

他们展现出了乐善好施的品质， 热心周到地帮助陌生人。

They alone had passed the test.

只有夫妻俩通过了测试。

The gods commanded the couple to follow them,

神明让夫妻俩跟着自己，

and the group ascended the nearest mountain.

一行人爬山了最近的山，

Nearing the summit, Baucis and Philemon looked back—

快到山顶时， 鲍西丝和费莱蒙回头看，

but were shocked to see a murky swamp where their village stood

他们惊讶地发现，就在不久以前，

村子的所在地 变为了一片阴暗的沼泽，

just moments before.

As punishment for refusing to shelter the gods,

这是神明对于村民 拒接神明借宿的惩罚，

Zeus and Hermes had cast the townspeople underwater,

宙斯与赫耳墨斯 将村民置于洪水之下，

leaving only their hosts’ home intact,

只有招待了他们的夫妻俩的家 完好无损。

Recalling their friends and neighbors,

想到他们的朋友们与邻居们，

Baucis and Philemon couldn’t hide their terror and mournful tears,

即使看到自己的家变为神庙，

鲍西丝和费莱蒙仍然无法隐藏 他们的惊惧和难过的泪水。

even as their house transformed below.

It grew larger and sprouted marble pillars and steps.

他们的房子变得越来越大， 长出了大理石柱子与台阶。

Legends etched themselves onto its grand doors.

神明们将自己的形象 刻在壮丽的大门上，

Their rickety cottage had metamorphosed into a gleaming temple for the gods.

风雨飘摇的农舍变成了 光彩夺目的神庙。

Hermes commended the couple and gently asked if there was anything they desired.

赫耳墨斯称赞了夫妻俩， 语气温和地询问他们想要什么。

After a brief discussion, Philemon requested that he and Baucis

简短的商讨后， 费莱蒙希望自己和鲍西丝

be permitted to care for the new temple.

可以被准许留下来照看神庙。

And he asked if, when their time came, they could die together,

他询问，等到死亡来临的那天， 他与妻子是否可以一同离开世间，

so neither would have to face life without the other.

这样他们就不需要面对 世上没有另一个人的日子。

Tending to the temple and one another, they lived many more years.

就这样，夫妻俩照看着神庙与彼此， 又生活了很多很多年。

Until, one day, Baucis noticed leaves fluttering from her husband’s hands

直到有一天，鲍西丝注意到 有叶子从她丈夫的手中飘落下来，

and looked down to find her own skin hardening.

她低头看去， 发现自己的皮肤开始硬化。

They embraced, becoming rooted in place.

他们彼此拥抱，原地生根。

Vines wound around their legs and canopies flourished overhead.

他们的腿被藤蔓缠绕， 他们的头顶上长出茂密的树冠。

They bid each other a loving, last farewell as humans.

他们给彼此 一个最后的作为人类的爱的告别。

And where Baucis and Philemon had just stood, bent with age,

随着时间流逝， 鲍西丝和费莱蒙站着的地方

there towered a linden and an oak tree,

矗立着一棵椴树与一棵橡树，

their branches intertwined for eternity.

他们的树枝永远地交织在一起。