The myth of Anansi, the trickster spider - Emily Zobel Marshall

譯者: Camila Lin 審譯者: Helen Chang

As the sun sets on a plantation in Jamaica,

在牙買加的某座莊園結束一日工作後，

children flock to Mr. Kwaku for a story.

孩子們聚到夸庫先生身邊， 要他說個故事。

They all know he’s full of tales from Ghana, the land of their ancestors.

他們都知道，夸庫記得 許多來自迦納的故事，

那裏也是他們祖先居住的地方。

But what they don’t know, Kwaku winks,

夸庫眨了眨眼，他們不知道的是，

is how their ancestors got those stories in the first place.

他們的祖先，又是從哪裡 聽來那些故事的。

Long ago, all stories belonged to Nyame, the all-seeing Sky God.

很久很久以前，所有的故事都屬於 遍覽一切的天空之神尼亞美。

People on Earth were bored and knew nothing about their history.

地上的人們覺得很無聊， 也對他們的歷史一無所知。

But one creature decided enough was enough.

但某個生物終於受夠了這種情況。

Anansi, the tricky, shapeshifting spider,

詭計多端、懂得變形的蜘蛛安納西

resolved to bring the stories down to Earth.

決心將故事帶到地面。

He spun a web that stretched into the clouds

牠織出一張延伸到雲層中的蜘蛛網，

and climbed up to confront the Sky God.

爬上天空，直面天空之神。

Crouching at Nyame’s feet, Anansi shouted at the top of his lungs

安納西蜷伏在尼亞美的腳邊， 用震耳欲聾的音量喊道

that he had come to take ownership of the world’s stories.

牠來此取得世界上所有故事的所有權。

Looking down from his golden stool,

那亞美從金色的凳子上往下看，

Nyame hooted with laughter at the spider’s absurd request.

因為這隻蜘蛛荒謬的要求 而發出短促響亮的笑聲。

Nyame told Anansi that he could have all the stories he wished—

那亞美說，安納西可以 把想要的故事都拿去，

but only if he could complete an impossible task.

但牠必須先完成一件不可能的任務。

If Anansi brought him Osebo the Leopard, Onini the Python,

如果安納西能把 獵豹奧賽博、蟒蛇奧尼尼、

Mmoboro the Hornet, and Mmoatia the Forest Spirit,

黃蜂莫伯羅

和森之精靈瑪緹雅帶過來，

then he could take the stories.

牠就能把故事帶走。

Anansi humbly accepted.

安納西謙恭地答應了。

Nyame didn’t see him grinning as he scuttled away.

那亞美沒看見牠快速離去時的笑容。

Back on Earth, Anansi grabbed his magic bag and set to work.

回到地面後，安納西背著 牠的魔法包包上工。

Anansi found Onini the Python bathing in the sun.

安納西發現蟒蛇奧尼尼正在做日光浴。

Anansi scoffed that Onini couldn’t be the longest animal,

安納西嘲笑牠不可能是 世上最長的動物，

saying he looked no longer than a piece of bamboo cane.

說牠看起來根本沒比一根竹竿長。

Enraged, Onini stretched himself across the bamboo to prove his lengthiness.

奧尼尼非常生氣，在竹竿旁 拉長身體，證明自己的長度。

Anansi quickly bound him tight-tight to each end and placed him in his bag.

安納西快速地將牠綁緊並裝進包包。

Next, Anansi dug a great pit in the middle of the path

接著，安納西在獵豹歐賽博 常出沒的路中間

Osebo the Leopard usually prowled, and covered it with banana leaves.

挖了一個大坑，並用香蕉葉蓋住。

Sure enough, mighty Osebo soon fell in.

不出牠所料，強壯的歐賽博 一下子就落入陷阱。

Anansi scolded Osebo for his carelessness, but offered to rescue him.

安納西責備歐賽博粗心大意， 但承諾會幫助牠脫困。

As he helped Osebo out of the pit, Anansi swiftly jabbed him with his knife.

但在牠幫忙把歐賽博拉上來時， 卻立刻用刀子刺了牠。

Osebo fell back to the ground

歐賽博掉回坑中，

where Anansi wound him up tight-tight in spider thread.

安納西則用蛛絲緊緊地把牠裹住。

Then, Anansi heard Mmoboro and his hornets buzzing.

接著，安納西聽見莫伯羅 和牠的黃蜂群的嗡嗡聲。

He cautiously approached them.

牠小心地接近牠們。

This would be tricky— their stings could make someone swell up and die—

這件事很棘手，牠們的螫刺能 造成傷口腫脹並死去，

but Anansi knew they hated rain.

但安納西知道牠們討厭雨。

He filled his mouth with water and spat it at the swarm.

牠口含著水，對黃蜂群噴去，

As they panicked, Anansi urged the hornets to shelter in his gourd,

在牠們驚慌失措的時候， 慫恿黃蜂躲進牠的葫蘆瓢裡避難，

where they found themselves trapped.

牠們才發現自己上了當。

Anansi had one more task: to capture Mmoatia

安納西只剩一個任務：抓住瑪緹雅。

the elusive and mischievous Forest Spirit.

她是神出鬼沒又淘氣的森之精靈。

She usually hid herself deep in the woods, but Anansi knew she was lonely.

她常常躲在深林中， 但安納西知道她很寂寞。

So, he made a little doll covered in sap and left it in her path.

所以，牠做了一個小娃娃， 浸過樹液後，丟在她必經的路上。

When she came upon it, Mmoatia spoke to the doll

瑪緹雅發現它後，就和它說話，

but became enraged when it didn’t answer.

但娃娃沒有回答她，讓她很生氣，

She hit the disrespectful doll

因此毆打那個無禮的娃娃，

and her small fists stuck to its sticky surface.

而她小小的拳頭便 被它黏答答的表面黏住了。

Anansi wrapped Mmoatia up tight-tight and scooped her into his bag

安納西緊綁住瑪緹雅，把她剷進包包，

along with the other creatures.

讓她和其他動物作伴。

Triumphantly, he climbed his web back into the clouds.

安納西得意洋洋地爬上他的網， 回到雲端之上。

When the Sky God saw that Anansi had completed the impossible task,

在天空之神發現安納西 完成了不可能的任務後，

he was amazed.

他非常驚豔。

Nyame told Anansi that he had earned the world’s stories.

尼亞美告訴安納西， 牠已經贏得世界上所有的故事。

Dancing for joy, Anansi gathered them up, stuffed the stories into his bag,

安納西開心地手舞足蹈， 收好故事，放進牠的包包，

and descended to Earth.

回到地面上。

There, he scattered the stories throughout the world for people to share.

牠把故事分散到各地，讓人們分享。

And they did, Kwaku tells the children.

夸庫告訴孩子們，人類的確這樣做了。

Generations have continued telling and reimagining Anansi’s stories

世世代代的人講述且重新詮釋 安納西的故事，

even after being stolen from Africa and enslaved.

就算他們被帶離非洲， 淪為奴隸也是如此。

Anansi may be small, but “cunning’s better than strong,” Kwaku says,

夸庫說：「安納西的體型也許嬌小， 但聰明勝過強壯。」

and tells the children to take Anansi’s stories with them wherever they go.

他告訴孩子們，不管到哪裡 都要記得安納西的故事。

Looking at his audience, Kwaku knows that Anansi will persist

看著他的聽眾們，

夸庫知道，安納西會繼續以足智多謀 且勇於反抗壓迫的象徵存續下去，

as a symbol of resourcefulness and resistance in the face of oppression,

and a testament to the enduring power of storytelling.

同時也是故事蘊含的長久力量的明證。