The myth of Hades and Persephone - Iseult Gillespie

翻译人员: Zhongyi Kim 校对人员: Yip Yan Yeung

Every year before the ancient Greeks sowed their seeds of grain,

每一年，古希腊人都会在播种之前

they celebrated Demeter, the goddess of agriculture.

祭祀农业女神得墨忒耳。

On Earth, each morsel of food was sweet sustenance,

大地之上，每一口食物 都是甘甜的滋养。

while in the land of the dead, it ensured a permanent stay.

但在幽冥之国，却是永恒的囚禁。

Demeter tended to Earth’s fields with her beloved daughter, Persephone,

得墨忒耳和她心爱的女儿珀耳塞福涅

一起照看着大地。

who inherited her mother’s passions and grew into a bright young woman.

珀耳塞福涅继承了母亲的热情奔放，

长成了一个聪明活泼的少女。

But all the while, a shadowy figure watched from below.

但自始至终都有一个黑影，

从地底观察着她们。

One day, Persephone was frolicking in a meadow

有一天，珀耳塞福涅正在草地上

with a freshwater nymph, Cyane.

和水泽仙女赛娜嬉戏。

As they admired a blooming narcissus flower,

正当她们欣赏一株盛开的水仙花时，

they noticed it tremble in the ground.

地底传来了剧烈的震颤。

Suddenly, the earth split, and a terrifying figure arose.

突然之间，大地开裂，

一个可怕的人影升腾而起。

It was Hades, god of the dead and the underworld.

人影正是掌管死亡与冥界的 冥王哈迪斯。

He wrenched Persephone from Cyane, dragged her into his inky chariot,

他从赛娜处强行掳走了珀耳塞福涅，

将她拖入他的黑暗马车，

and blasted back through the earth.

冲回了地底之下。

Cyane wept so hard she dissolved, becoming one with the river.

赛娜为此哭泣不止，

最终化为水滴融入了江河。

By the time Demeter arrived at the scene of the abduction,

当得墨忒耳赶到绑架现场时，

the crater in the meadow had closed— and Cyane and Persephone had vanished.

草地上的坑洞已经合拢，

赛娜与珀耳塞福涅也早已消失不见。

Demeter sped to Mount Olympus for help.

于是，得墨忒耳飞速赶往 奥林匹斯山求助。

Many of the gods had witnessed the scene.

许多神祇都目睹了绑架的发生，

And they knew about the deal that paved the way for it:

并且知晓绑架背后的交易：

Zeus, Persephone’s father, had granted Hades her hand in marriage

珀耳塞福涅的父亲宙斯

违背了她和母亲得墨忒耳的意愿，

without her consent— or Demeter’s.

答应了哈迪斯的求婚。

But when faced with Demeter’s pleas, the other gods stayed silent,

面对得墨忒耳的恳求，

众神全都保持沉默。

So, she searched alone.

得墨忒耳只好独自去寻找女儿。

In her grief and desperation, she neglected her usual tasks.

悲痛与绝望让得墨忒耳 疏忽了她的职责。

Crops withered, and a great famine plagued the Earth.

庄稼逐渐枯萎消失， 大饥荒席卷了大地。

As mortals began to perish, the gods grew wary.

凡人开始死亡， 众神的担忧也逐渐滋长。

Who would worship them and offer tributes if the humans disappeared?

如果人类灭绝了，

谁还会供奉和献祭他们呢？

So, Zeus ordered Demeter to stop her crusade and returned to her duties.

于是，宙斯命令得墨忒耳 停下她的征程，

履行她农业女神的职责。

But she refused.

但得墨忒耳拒绝了。

Deep below, across the frigid river Styx, and through the halls of the underworld,

穿过冰冷的冥河与地府的重重宫殿，

Persephone was waging her own protest.

幽冥深处的珀耳塞福涅

也在进行着她的抗争。

Hades expected her to serve as his wife and queen.

哈迪斯想要她成为他的妻子——

冥界的王后。

But Persephone rebuffed the god’s advances and refused food.

但是珀耳塞福涅断然拒绝，

并以绝食抗议。

As she longed for her mother’s company,

她渴望母亲的陪伴、

her friends’ laughter, and the sun’s warmth,

朋友的欢笑和阳光的温暖。

Persephone grew colder and lonelier.

她感到越来越冷，越来越孤独。

And she was starving.

绝食更是让她饥饿难忍。

She hungered for satisfying grains, crisp vegetables and fresh fruit.

她想念令人满足的谷物、爽脆的蔬菜

和新鲜的水果。

Wandering the ghostly gardens,

她在鬼气森森的花园游荡，

she contemplated the pomegranates that hung heavily on their branches...

久久凝视着那些沉甸甸

悬挂在树枝上的石榴……

Meanwhile, Demeter continued her hunt.

同时，得墨忒耳也在 继续寻找女儿的踪迹。

She appealed to the all-seeing sun god, Helios,

她恳求无所不见的太阳神赫利俄斯，

whose rays had long warmed her crops.

因为他的光芒 总会温暖她所照拂的庄稼。

Indeed, when Helios drew his golden chariot across the sky that fateful day,

事实上，绑架发生的那一天，

赫利俄斯正驾驶着 他的黄金马车穿过天际。

he saw what happened— and he knew of the deal.

他看到了发生的一切，

也知道这背后的交易。

Out of respect and sympathy for Demeter,

出于对得墨忒耳的尊敬与同情，

Helios told her of Hades’ demands, Zeus’ betrayal and Persephone’s abduction.

赫利俄斯告诉了她哈迪斯的要求、

宙斯的背叛以及 对珀耳塞福涅的绑架。

Furious and heartbroken, Demeter sped to Mount Olympus and confronted Zeus,

得墨忒耳既愤怒又心碎，

再一次来到奥利匹斯山与宙斯对峙，

demanding their daughter’s return.

并要求归还他们的女儿。

But Zeus declined: in her ravenous hunger,

但宙斯拒绝了。

Persephone had eaten a few seeds from the pomegranate that grew in the underworld.

珀耳塞福涅受不住极度的饥饿，

吃了几颗石榴的种子。

Though a meager amount, it was enough to ensnare her in Hades forever.

虽然只是几颗种子，

却足以让她永远被禁锢在哈迪斯身边。

Demeter wouldn't accept this fate.

得墨忒耳绝不接受命运的安排。

She swore that if she wasn’t reunited with Persephone,

她发誓如果无法与女儿团聚，

the fields would never be fertile again,

大地将永不再有生机，

and the distinction between the Earth and the underworld would soon dissolve.

并将变得和冥界别无二致。

So, they made a pact.

最终，宙斯和哈迪斯 与得墨忒耳达成协议。

For two thirds of every year, Persephone would return to the land of the living,

一年三分之二的时间里，

珀耳塞福涅可以在人间生活。

But for the remainder, she would stay in the world of the dead.

但剩下的时间，她必须留在冥界。

When Persephone ascended to Earth, she and her mother rejoiced.

当珀耳塞福涅重返大地，

她和她的母亲都非常高兴。

Together, they showered the fields with rain and nurtured them with sun.

她们一起向大地施雨， 再以阳光滋养。

For mortals, Persephone’s arrival came to herald the start of spring.

对于凡人来说，珀耳塞福涅的到来

预示着春天的开始。

But her descent always came too soon.

但她很快又要回到冥界。

Each time she returned to Hades, Demeter mourned,

珀耳塞福涅每一次回到哈迪斯身边，

得墨忒耳都非常忧伤。

and the earth grew cold, dark, and unyielding,

于是大地变得寒冷、 黑暗、寸草不生，

ushering in the winter months.

漫长的冬季也就到来了。

Knowing Demeter couldn’t be roused from her grief,

明白得墨忒耳无法从悲伤中释怀，

the humans stored their crops, stoked their fires,

人们会囤积粮食、点燃炉火，

and awaited Persephone’s safe return.

等待珀耳塞福涅再一次安全地归来。

And so it was that her transit marked the gradual turning of the seasons

珀耳塞福涅的往来标志着季节的转换，

and the bittersweet compromise between life and death.

也展现了生与死之间苦乐参半的妥协。