The Egyptian Book of the Dead: A guidebook for the underworld - Tejal Gala

譯者: Crystal Yip 審譯者: YuFei Liang

Ani stands before a large golden scale

阿尼站在大型黃金天平前面

where the jackal-headed god Anubis is weighing his heart

胡狼頭神阿努比斯正秤重他的心

against a pure ostrich feather.

與一條純潔的鴕鳥羽毛相比較

Ani was a real person,

阿尼確有其人

a scribe from the Egyptian city of Thebes

是埃及城市底比斯的書吏

who lived in the 13th century BCE.

生於公元前 13 世紀

And depicted here is a scene from his Book of the Dead,

這一幕取自他的《死亡之書》

a 78-foot papyrus scroll designed to help him attain immortality.

一幅長 78 呎紙莎草卷 作用在於幫助他獲得永生

Such funerary texts were originally written only for Pharaohs,

這樣的葬禮文原只為法老王而寫

but with time, the Egyptians came to believe

但隨時間過去，埃及人逐漸相信

regular people could also reach the afterlife

普通人也能到達死後世界

if they succeeded in the passage.

只要他們順利通過通道

Ani's epic journey begins with his death.

阿尼史詩般的旅程始於他的死亡

His body is mummified by a team of priests

他的身體由一組祭師製成木乃伊

who remove every organ except the heart,

祭師移去其他器官，只留下心臟

the seat of emotion, memory, and intelligence.

這個情感、記憶和智力的所在

It's then stuffed with a salt called natron

他的身體被塞滿一種 稱為泡鹼的化學鹽

and wrapped in resin-soaked linen.

並被浸過樹脂的亞麻布包裹

In addition, the wrappings are woven with charms for protection

此外，這些包裹的布中 織入了護身咒語

and topped with a heart scarab amulet that will prove important later on.

在上配有聖甲蟲護身符 將於之後大有用處

The goal of the two-month process is to preserve Ani's body as an ideal form

這兩個月木乃伊化的目標是 將阿尼的身體置於理想狀態

with which his spirit can eventually reunite.

使靈魂最終得以與身體重逢

But first, that spirit must pass through the duat, or underworld.

但首先，靈魂必須通過 「杜亞特」，即冥界

This is a realm of vast caverns,

那領域滿是巨大洞窟

lakes of fire,

火湖

and magical gates,

和附有魔法的門

all guarded by fearsome beasts -

全都由可怕的怪獸守衛著

snakes, crocodiles, and half-human monstrosities

蛇、鱷魚和半人怪獸

with names like "he who dances in blood."

有著名字如「在血中舞動的他」

To make things worse, Apep, the serpent god of destruction,

更糟的是，蛇形破壞之神阿佩普

lurks in the shadows waiting to swallow Ani's soul.

潛伏暗處，等待吞下阿尼的靈魂

Fortunately, Ani is prepared

慶幸，阿尼早有預備

with the magic contained within his book of the dead.

他的《死亡之書》內有魔法

Like other Egyptians who could afford it,

如同其他負擔得起的埃及人

Ani customized his scroll to include the particular spells, prayers, and codes

阿尼定製他的紙莎草卷 包括特定的咒語、禱文和密碼

he thought his spirit might need.

這些他預想他的靈魂或會需要的

Equipped with this arsenal,

有了這些裝備

our hero traverses the obstacles,

我們的英雄越過重重阻礙

repels the monsters' acts,

擊退怪獸的攻擊

and stealthily avoids Apep

並悄悄地避開阿佩普

to reach the Hall of Ma'at, goddess of truth and justice.

到達真理和正義女神瑪特之殿

Here, Ani faces his final challenge.

這裡，阿尼面對他最後的挑戰

He is judged by 42 assessor gods

他由 42 個輔助神審判

who must be convinced that he has lived a righteous life.

阿尼必須讓祂們相信 他生前正義地活著

Ani approaches each one,

阿尼走近每一個神

addressing them by name,

逐一叫出祂們的名字

and declaring a sin he has not committed.

並聲明他未曾犯過罪

Among these negative confessions, or declarations of innocence,

在這些無罪宣言中

he proclaims that he has not made anyone cry,

他聲稱他未曾讓任何人哭泣

is not an eavesdropper,

不是個偷聽者

and has not polluted the water.

也未曾污染水源

But did Ani really live such a perfect life?

但阿尼是否真的活得如此完美？

Not quite, but that's where the heart scarab amulet comes in.

並非如此，但就這是 心臟聖甲蟲護身符發揮作用的時候

It's inscribed with the words, "Do not stand as a witness against me,"

護身符上刻有字句： 「不要成為與我為敵的證人」

precisely so Ani's heart doesn't betray him

正因如此，阿尼的心不會出賣他

by recalling the time he listened to his neighbors fight

不會使他回想起 他那次偷聽鄰居打架

or washed his feet in the Nile.

或是於尼羅河洗腳

Now, it's Ani's moment of truth, the weighing of the heart.

現在是阿尼關鍵時刻，秤重心臟

If his heart is heavier than the feather, weighed down by Ani's wrongdoings,

如果阿尼的心因為犯過錯事 而變得比羽毛重

it'll be devoured by the monstrous Ammit,

它就會被怪獸般的阿米特吞噬

part crocodile, part leopard, part hippopotamus,

阿米特為鱷頭、半獅身、半河馬身

and Ani will cease to exist forever.

阿尼就會永遠消失

But Ani is in luck.

但阿尼很幸運

His heart is judged pure.

他的心被評為純潔

Ra, the sun god, takes him to Osiris, god of the underworld,

稱為拉的太陽神 帶領他到冥神奧西烈斯

who gives him final approval to enter the afterlife.

冥神給予他進入 死後世界的最後批准

In the endless and lush field of reeds,

在這片無盡而茂盛的蘆葦田

Ani meets his deceased parents.

阿尼重遇他過世的父母

Here, there is no sadness, pain, or anger, but there is work to be done.

這裡沒有悲傷、痛苦或憤怒

但有項工作要做

Like everyone else, Ani must cultivate a plot of land,

正如其他人一樣 阿尼必須開墾一塊地

which he does with the help of a Shabti doll that had been placed in his tomb.

而放置於他墓中的 巫沙布提俑會幫助他

Today, the Papyrus of Ani resides in the British Museum,

今天，阿尼這卷紙莎草 收藏於大英博物館

where it has been since 1888.

它自 1888 年已在那裡

Only Ani, if anyone, knows what really happened after his death.

除了阿尼，沒有人 知道他死後真的發生了什麼

But thanks to his Book of the Dead,

但有賴於他的《死亡之書》

we can imagine him happily tending his crops for all eternity.

我們能想像他永生愉快地躬耕作物