The myth of Cupid and Psyche - Brendan Pelsue

譯者: Eve Chan 審譯者: Marssi Draw

"Beauty is a curse," Psyche thought

「美麗是個詛咒」 賽姬心想

as she looked over the cliff's edge where she'd been abandoned by her father.

她望向懸崖邊 賽姬的父親將她遺棄在此

She'd been born with the physical perfection so complete

她天生的相貌是如此完美

that she was worshipped as a new incarnation of Venus, the goddess of love.

人們視她為新愛神維納斯化身般崇拜

But real-life human lovers were too intimidated even to approach her.

但現實中的愛慕者都心生畏懼 而不敢接近她

When her father asked for guidance from the Oracle of Apollo,

當她的父親在阿波羅神廟尋求指引

the god of light, reason, and prophecy.

衪是光明、真理與預言之神

He was told to abandon his daughter on a rocky crag

阿波羅叫他將女兒遺棄在岩石懸崖

where she would marry a cruel and savage serpent-like winged evil.

她將在那嫁給一個殘暴且野蠻 擁有雙翼及蛇一般樣貌的惡魔

Alone on the crag, Psyche felt Zephyr the West Wind

獨自在懸崖邊 賽姬感受到溫和西風

gently lifting her into the air.

輕輕將她抬至天際

It set her down before a palace.

微風在一處宮殿前將她放下

"You are home," she heard an unseen voice say.

「妳回到家了」 未知的聲音告訴她

"Your husband awaits you in the bedroom, if you dare to meet him."

「妳的丈夫在臥室等待 如果妳有膽子見他的話」

She was brave enough, Psyche told herself.

我夠勇敢 賽姬向自己喊話

The bedroom was so dark that she couldn't see her husband.

臥室是如此黑暗 賽姬無法看見她的丈夫

But he didn't feel serpent-like at all.

但是他摸起來一點也不像蛇

His skin was soft, and his voice and manner were gentle.

他的肌膚柔軟 而他的聲音和態度溫柔

She asked him who he was,

賽姬詢問他的身分

but he told her this was the one question he could never answer.

但他告訴賽姬 那是一個他永遠無法回答的問題

If she loved him, she would not need to know.

如果賽姬愛他 她並不需要知道他是誰

His visits continued night after night.

他每晚都來拜訪她

Before long, Psyche was pregnant.

過不了多久，賽姬懷孕了

She rejoiced, but was also conflicted.

她非常高興，但也很掙扎

How could she raise her baby with a man she'd never seen?

她要如何與一個她從未見過的男人 養育她的孩子

That night, Psyche approached her sleeping husband holding an oil lamp.

那晚，賽姬拿著油燈 走向他沉睡的丈夫

What she found was the god Cupid

她發現那是邱比特

who sent gods and humans lusting after each other

他能使神與人們對彼此產生慾望

with the pinpricks of his arrows.

只要他用他的箭頭一扎

Psyche dropped her lamp, burning Cupid with hot oil.

賽姬掉下燈 火熱燈油燙傷了邱比特

He said he'd been in love with Psyche ever since his jealous mother, Venus,

他告訴賽姬他愛上了她 從一開始他善妒的母親維納斯

asked him to embarrass the young woman by pricking her with an arrow.

要求他去用箭扎她 讓那個年輕姑娘出糗

But taken with Psyche's beauty, Cupid used the arrow on himself.

但他被賽姬的美貌擄獲 邱比特將箭扎向自己

He didn't believe, however, that gods and humans could love as equals.

然而他不相信 神和人類能平等的相愛

Now that she knew his true form, their hopes for happiness were dashed,

現在她知道他真正的身分 他們已失去了幸福的希望

so he flew away.

所以他振翅飛去

Psyche was left in despair until the unseen voice returned

賽姬感到絕望 直到她再次聽到那未知的聲音

and told her that it was indeed possible

告訴她那是可能的

for her and Cupid to love each other as equals.

她和邱比特能夠 視對方為平等的相愛

Encouraged, she set out to find him.

賽姬自信滿滿的出發尋找邱比特

But Venus intercepted Psyche and said she and Cupid could only wed

但維納斯攔住賽姬

說唯有完成一系列不可能的任務 她和邱比特才能結婚

if she completed a series of impossible tasks.

First, Psyche was told to sort a huge, messy pile of seeds in a single night.

首先，她叫賽姬將一大堆 雜亂種子在一夜間分類

Just as she was abandoning hope,

正當她放棄希望

an ant colony took pity on her and helped with the work.

一個蟻群可憐她的處境 幫助她完成了任務

Successfully passing the first trial,

成功地通過第一個試煉

Psyche next had to bring Venus the fleece of the golden sheep,

接下來賽姬被要求 將金羊毛獻給維納斯

who had a reputation for disemboweling stray adventurers,

金羊以將迷途的冒險者開膛剖腹聞名

but a river god showed her how to collect

但河神告訴她如何收集

the fleece the sheep had snagged on briars,

那些被荊棘勾下的羊毛

and she succeeded.

而她成功完成任務

Finally, Psyche had to travel to the Underworld

最後，賽姬必須前往冥府

and convince Proserpina, queen of the dead,

去說服冥后波賽芬娜

to put a drop of her beauty in a box for Venus.

將一滴她的美貌放進盒子裡 獻給維納斯

Once again, the unseen voice came to Psyche's aide.

未知的聲音再一次幫助了賽姬

It told her to bring barley cakes for Cerberus, the guard dog to the Underworld

它叫賽姬帶大麥糕 獻給冥府的守門狗

and coins to pay the boatman, Charon to ferry her across the river Styx.

和金幣去獻給船夫卡戎 以助她度過冥河

With her third and final task complete,

當她完成第三也是最後的任務

Psyche returned to the land of the living.

賽姬回到人間

Just outside Venus's palace, she opened the box of Proserpina's beauty,

在維納斯的宮殿前 她打開了裝有波賽芬娜美貌的盒子

hoping to keep some for herself.

希望偷留下一點給自己

But the box was filled with sleep, not beauty,

但盒子內裝的並非美貌 而是沉睡

and Psyche collapsed in the road.

賽姬就這樣在路上倒下

Cupid, now recovered from his wounds, flew to his sleeping bride.

傷勢已復原的邱比特 向他沉睡的新娘飛去

He told her he'd been wrong and foolish.

他告訴賽姬 他是如此錯誤且愚蠢

Her fearlessness in the face of the unknown

她面對未知而無懼的勇氣

proved that she was more than his equal.

證明了她絕對能與他平起平坐

Cupid gave Psyche amborsia, the nectar of the gods, making her immortal.

邱比特給了賽姬仙饌密酒 讓她成為不死之身

Shortly after, Psyche bore their daughter.

過了不久，賽姬生下了他們的女兒

They named her Pleasure,

他們將她命名為喜悅

and she, Cupid, and Psyche, whose name means soul,

喜悅、邱比特和塞姬 他們的名字代表了靈魂

have been complicating people's love lives ever since.

它們從古至今使人們的愛情更加複雜