A day in the life of a Celtic Druid - Philip Freeman

譯者: Clement Fu 審譯者: Bruce Sung

As the sun rises on a fall morning in 55 BCE,

公元前 55 年，晨曦初露的秋日

Camma lays two pigeons on the altar at the center of her village.

在村中央的祭壇，金瑪奉上兩只鴿

She offers a prayer to Matrona mother goddess of the Earth,

祭禱地母神馬特羅納 (Matrona)

and Lugus chief of the gods.

及眾神之神魯格斯 (Lugus)

Then, she wrings the birds’ necks

然後掐了鴿脖子

and cuts them open to examine their entrails for divine messages.

剖開內臟解讀呈現的讖記

Camma is a druid.

金瑪是個德魯伊 (druid)

This means she conducts religious rites,

即是說，她掌管祭祀

but she also serves as a judge, healer, and scholar,

同時是法官、醫者、學者

teaching children and mediating conflict between Celtic tribes.

教導幼小，在凱爾特部族之間解紛

She began her studies as a child,

她自幼開始研習

memorizing the countless details necessary to perform her many roles,

記住各個角色所需數之不盡的細節

since the druids’ knowledge is considered too sacred to record in writing.

德魯伊的知識神聖，只口傳不筆錄

Like many druids, she spent years studying in Britain.

如許多德魯伊般在不列顛研習多年

Now, she is a resident Druid of the Veneti tribe

學成歸來留駐威尼蒂 (Veneti) 部族

in a small farming village near the western coast of Gaul,

近高盧 (Gaul) 西岸的一個小農村

in what is now France.

即今日的法國

Since returning to Gaul, she has received many offers of marriage–

回到高盧後，她收到許多人求婚

but she has decided to devote herself to her work, at least for now.

但她仍潛心工作，至少目前如是

This morning, the omens are troubling.

今早，眼前的朕兆令人不安

They tell of war and strife, as they often have in recent months.

預示紛爭戰亂，數月來都預兆如此

A neighboring tribe, the Redones,

鄰近的部族雷東尼族 (Redones)

have raided their village and stolen cattle in broad daylight twice this fall.

入秋以來已兩次光天化日掠村奪牛

The children have gathered around to watch her work.

村中小孩聚在一旁看她工作

Camma plays her lyre and sings to them.

金瑪彈著里拉琴為他們唱歌

She weaves stories of the powerful kings who once ruled their land –

故事編捏許多曾治領土的強大君王

brave warriors who were slain naked in combat but who will be reborn,

英勇義士赤膊上陣戰死沙場後重生

as will all the Celts.

正如凱爾特人絕處逢生

When the children go off to help in the fields,

小孩到田野幫忙活兒去

Camma heads across the village to visit an old woman with an eye infection.

金瑪走過村莊，造訪患眼疾的老婦

On the way to the old woman’s hut,

到老婦家一路上

she passes men salting pigs for the winter food supply

經過醃豬肉備糧過冬的男子

and women weaving clothing from dyed wool.

用染上色的羊毛織衣的女子

She delivers a remedy for the injured eye–

金瑪為眼疾帶來草藥

it’s made from mistletoe, a sacred healing plant,

草藥用了槲寄生這神聖的療治植物

but deadly if used incorrectly.

誤用卻可致命

From there, Camma visits the chieftain to discuss the omens.

之後，她拜會酋長商討不祥之兆

She convinces him to go and talk through their problems with their neighbors.

說服他與鄰族會面商討問題

Accompanied by several warriors,

在數名戰士護送下

they head through the forest and demand a meeting

他們穿過叢林，來到雷東尼族村外

outside the Redones’ village walls.

隔著圍牆要求會面

The Redones’ representatives bring their own druid,

雷東尼族代表帶來其駐村德魯伊

who Camma recognizes from the annual gathering in central Gaul

金瑪似曾相識，高盧中部年度聚會

where head druids are elected.

推選德魯伊首領時大家曾碰過面

The chieftains immediately begin to argue and threaten each other.

酋長甫見面便惡言相向、語帶威嚇

Camma steps between the opposing sides to stop them from fighting—

金瑪站到雙方中間阻止動武

they must honor her authority.

德魯伊的權威必須聽從

Finally, the Redones agree to pay Camma’s tribe several cattle.

雷東尼族最終同意付給部族數隻牛

In spite of this resolution, Camma still feels uneasy on the long walk home.

儘管言和，漫長歸途上金瑪依然不安

As they approach the village walls, a bright streak shoots across the sky—

回到村口圍牆，天空掠過一道長光

another omen, but of what?

是另一個凶兆，有何含意？

Back home, Camma sits among the elders for her evening meal of porridge,

回到家，金瑪與長老共進晚餐

a bit of meat, and a cup of wine.

有餬、一點肉和一杯酒

While they were out during the day, an intercepted parchment arrived.

早上不在時，曾截獲一份羊皮紙信

Camma recognizes the writing immediately.

信中的字，金瑪頓時看得明白

Although the druids are forbidden from recording their knowledge,

雖然德魯伊的知識禁止記錄

she and many other young druids can read Latin.

她和許多年輕德魯伊看得懂拉丁文

From the message, she learns that the Romans are drawing closer to their lands.

從信中她得悉羅馬軍正迫近這土地

Some of the elders say that the tribe should flee to the nearby hills and hide,

好些長老認為部族應逃進附近山中

but Camma counsels them to trust in the gods and remain in their home.

金瑪安撫他們託賴神祇，留在家中

Privately, she has her doubts.

骨子裡，金瑪卻難掩憂心

Should the Romans reach them, her power to help might be limited.

羅馬軍一旦壓境，她襄助也有心無力

Unlike the other Celtic tribes,

羅馬軍團不是其他凱爾特部族

Roman legions have no regard for the druids’ sacred role as peacemakers.

不屑一顧德魯伊神聖的睦鄰角色

Before going to bed,

睡覺前

she observes the course of the planets and consults her charts,

她觀察天文軌跡，查閱星圖

trying to make sense of the meteor she saw earlier.

嘗試理解早前見到的流星

The signs are converging on a larger threat than their neighbors.

種種徵象，遙指比鄰族更甚的威脅