The myth of Icarus and Daedalus - Amy Adkins

譯者: LaiNi Chu 審譯者: Winston Szeto

In mythological ancient Greece,

在古希臘神話中，

soaring above Crete on wings made from wax and feathers,

用蠟和羽毛製成雙翼 在克里特島上飛翔的

Icarus, the son of Daedalus, defied the laws of both man and nature.

代達洛斯之子伊卡洛斯， 他無視了人類和自然的法則，

Ignoring the warnings of his father, he rose higher and higher.

不理會父親的警告飛得越來越高。

To witnesses on the ground, he looked like a god,

其他人從地面往上看， 他就像是神。

and as he peered down from above, he felt like one, too.

他由上至下掃視， 也覺得自己像個神。

But, in mythological ancient Greece,

但是，在古希臘神話中，

the line that separated god from man was absolute

人神絕對有別，

and the punishment for mortals who attempted to cross it was severe.

踰越這條界線的凡人會受嚴重懲罰。

Such was the case for Icarus and Daedalus.

伊卡洛斯和代達洛斯的情況 就是這樣。

Years before Icarus was born,

在伊卡洛斯出生前，

his father Daedalus was highly regarded as a genius inventor,

他的父親代達洛斯曾是在家鄉雅典 受到高度評價的天才發明家、

craftsman,

工匠

and sculptor in his homeland of Athens.

和雕塑家。

He invented carpentry and all the tools used for it.

他發明了木工這門學問 以及所有用於木工的器具。

He designed the first bathhouse

他設計了首座澡堂

and the first dance floor.

和首座舞池。

He made sculptures so lifelike that Hercules mistook them for actual men.

他的雕塑逼真傳神， 連赫拉克勒斯也誤以為真人。

Though skilled and celebrated, Daedalus was egotistical and jealous.

代達洛斯工藝精湛、有口皆碑， 但卻自大又善妒。

Worried that his nephew was a more skillful craftsman,

他擔心侄子成為工藝更精湛的木匠，

Daedalus murdered him.

於是殺害了侄子。

As punishment, Daedalus was banished from Athens and made his way to Crete.

代達洛斯被驅離雅典作為懲罰後， 來到克里特島。

Preceded by his storied reputation,

由於他的顯赫名聲，

Daedalus was welcomed with open arms by Crete's King Minos.

代達洛斯受到 克里特國王米諾斯振臂歡迎。

There, acting as the palace technical advisor,

代達洛斯在那裡成為宮殿工程顧問，

Daedalus continued to push the boundaries.

繼續突破自己的界限。

For the king's children,

他為國王的孩子

he made mechanically animated toys that seemed alive.

製作了栩栩如生的機動玩具。

He invented the ship's sail and mast, which gave humans control over the wind.

他發明了船帆和桅杆， 讓人類能駕馭風。

With every creation, Daedalus challenged human limitations

代達洛斯在每次創作中 挑戰人類極限，

that had so far kept mortals separate from gods,

挑戰當時把凡人和神分開的界限，

until finally, he broke right through.

直到最後，他打破了這個界限。

King Minos's wife, Pasiphaë, had been cursed by the god Poseidon

米諾斯王的妻子帕西淮 被海神波塞冬詛咒，

to fall in love with the king's prized bull.

與米諾斯王推崇的公牛墜入愛河。

Under this spell, she asked Daedalus to help her seduce it.

她在咒語的影響下， 請代達洛斯幫她色誘公牛。

With characteristic audacity, he agreed.

因著他大膽的個性，他答應了。

Daedalus constructed a hollow wooden cow

代達洛斯製造一個空心的木製母牛。

so realistic that it fooled the bull.

逼真得把公牛騙倒了。

With Pasiphaë hiding inside Daedalus's creation,

帕西淮躲藏在木製母牛裡，

she conceived and gave birth to the half-human half-bull minotaur.

她受孕並生下了 半人半牛的米諾陶爾。

This, of course, enraged the king

這當然激怒了米諾斯王，

who blamed Daedalus for enabling such a horrible perversion of natural law.

他指責代達洛斯 做出扭曲自然法則的可怕之事。

As punishment, Daedalus was forced to construct an inescapable labyrinth

代達洛斯被懲罰在宮殿下構築迷宮，

beneath the palace for the minotaur.

讓米諾陶爾無法逃離。

When it was finished, Minos then imprisoned Daedalus

迷宮建成後，米諾斯王把代達洛斯

and his only son Icarus

和他的獨子伊卡洛斯

within the top of the tallest tower on the island

監禁在島上最高塔的頂層，

where they were to remain for the rest of their lives.

要他們在那裡度過餘生。

But Daedalus was still a genius inventor.

但代達洛斯畢竟是一位天才發明家，

While observing the birds that circled his prison,

當他觀察到鳥兒繞著 監獄飛翔的時候，

the means for escape became clear.

他的逃獄方法也變得清晰。

He and Icarus would fly away from their prison

他和伊卡洛斯要飛離這個監獄，

as only birds or gods could do.

不讓鳥兒和眾神專美。

Using feathers from the flocks that perched on the tower,

代達洛斯用在塔內棲息的鳥群的羽毛

and the wax from candles,

和蠟燭裡的蠟，

Daedalus constructed two pairs of giant wings.

製造了兩對巨大的翅膀。

As he strapped the wings to his son Icarus,

當他給兒子伊卡洛斯綁翅膀的時候，

he gave a warning:

他警告伊卡洛斯：

flying too near the ocean would dampen the wings

飛得太靠近海洋會沾濕翅膀，

and make them too heavy to use.

讓翅膀變重而不利於飛行。

Flying too near the sun,

飛得太靠近太陽，

the heat would melt the wax and the wings would disintegrate.

熱力會讓蠟融化，翅膀將會解體。

In either case, they surely would die.

發生任何一種情況，他們都會死。

Therefore, the key to their escape would be in keeping to the middle.

因此，逃離的關鍵 在於保持在半空飛行。

With the instructions clear, both men leapt from the tower.

指引說明白後，他們從塔上飛躍。

They were the first mortals ever to fly.

從未有凡人像他們一樣嘗試飛翔。

While Daedalus stayed carefully to the midway course,

當代達洛斯小心翼翼 保持在半空飛翔時，

Icarus was overwhelmed with the ecstasy of flight

伊卡洛斯卻被飛行的狂喜沖昏頭腦，

and overcome with the feeling of divine power that came with it.

還以為自己飛翔時就擁有神聖力量。

Daedalus could only watch in horror as Icarus ascended higher and higher,

代達洛斯只能恐懼地 看著伊卡洛斯越飛越高，

powerless to change his son's dire fate.

無力扭轉他兒子的厄運。

When the heat from the sun melted the wax on his wings,

當太陽的高溫融化了 他翅膀上的蠟時，

Icarus fell from the sky.

伊卡洛斯從天上掉下來。

Just as Daedalus had many times ignored

正如代達洛斯曾多次不理會

the consequences of defying the natural laws of mortal men

挑戰凡人自然法則所帶來的後果

in the service of his ego,

以滿足一己虛榮心一樣，

Icarus was also carried away by his own hubris.

伊卡洛斯也因過度自滿而害了性命。

In the end,

結局就是，

both men paid for their departure from the path of moderation dearly,

兩個人都為他們偏離謙遜之途 付出了沉重代價：

Icarus with his life

伊卡洛斯付出了生命，

and Daedalus with his regret.

代達洛斯則抱憾終生。