A day in the life of an Aztec midwife - Kay Read

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

Lord Sun dawns on the day called 7-Monkey,

太陽神會在所謂 「七猴」的日子升起，

his fingers slowly spreading a rosy sheen

他的手指緩慢地散出明亮的光輝，

that mixes softly with smoke rising from Tenochtitlan’s many hearth fires.

和特諾奇蒂特蘭許多爐火 升起的輕煙柔和地混和在一起。

The midwife, Xoquauhtli, has a difficult choice to make.

產婆肖卡烏特莉 需要做個困難的決定。

A momentous shift from rainy season to dry season is underway.

現在正值從雨季變成 旱季的重大轉變時期。

All summer, the gods have kept the people fed with corn,

整個夏天，神都讓人民 有足夠的玉米可以飽食，

but the fertile summer months are disappearing.

但富饒的夏季月份就要消失了。

This day occurs during the festival that marks the shift

今天是節慶中的一天， 這個節慶代表了轉變，

between the summer season, when the gods feed the people,

從神讓人民飽食的夏季轉變為

and the winter season, when the people feed the gods in return.

改由人民提供食物給神的冬季。

Xoquauhtli owes a debt to her patron, Teteoinnan,

肖卡烏特莉還虧欠 她的守護神特提歐因南，

the female warrior goddess at the center of this festival.

和這個節慶有重要關聯的女戰神。

Teteoinnan wages war both on women’s battlefields of birth

特提歐因南會在女性 及男性的戰場上發動戰爭，

女性為生育而戰，男性則是 對抗特提歐因南的敵人。

and in men’s battles with Tenochtilan’s enemies.

She must be kept happy or she will bring bad luck.

一定要讓她保持開心， 要不然她就會帶來厄運。

The midwife should participate in the festival today,

這位產婆今天應該要參與節慶，

but one of her patients could go into labor any minute.

但她的其中一位病人 隨時都可能開始分娩。

Xoquauhtli decides to check on her patient first.

肖卡烏特莉決定 先去查看她的病人。

The expecting mother hasn’t worked too hard, chewed gum,

這位準媽媽一直沒做過什麼粗活、

or lifted heavy things.

嚼食口香糖，或搬什麼重物。

Her family is taking good care of her.

她的家人把她照顧得很好。

Surely Xoquauhtli can take a little time to honor her goddess.

肖卡烏特莉確實可以 騰出些時間對她的神表示敬意。

She leaves her apprentice in charge and heads to the center of the city.

她讓她的學徒留下來接手， 她自己則前往城市中心。

Along the way, she sees women sweeping the roads and hanging gourds

在路上，她看到女人們 在打掃道路及懸掛葫蘆，

in preparation for the festival.

來為節慶做準備。

Finally, she reaches the Great Pyramid.

終於，她到達了大金字塔。

On top are two temples: the north,

金字塔上有兩座神殿：北神殿，

where rituals honor the rain god in the summer,

儀式是在向夏季的雨神表示敬意，

and the south one is where rituals honor the war god in the winter.

還有南神殿，儀式是在 向冬季的戰神表示敬意。

On the equinox, the sun rises between the two sides.

在晝夜平分點， 太陽會在兩方之間升起。

The ceremony begins with a mock battle between the midwives

儀式一開始是由產婆 與其他醫師進行嘲弄戰。

and the other physicians.

Xoquauhtli’s team battles heartily, throwing nochtles, marigolds,

肖卡烏特莉的隊伍 全力以赴，丟擲果實、

萬壽菊，及蘆葦和苔蘚做成的球。

and balls made of reed and moss.

They joke, call their rivals names, and laugh.

他們會開玩笑、 謾罵他們的對手以及大笑。

But then, a girl comes running with a message for Xoquauhtli.

但，接著，一個女孩跑來， 帶著要給肖卡烏特莉的口信。

Her patient is in labor!

她的病人在分娩了！

She hurries back to the house.

她趕回那間房子。

All the old women from the extended family

大家庭中的每位年長女性 都為了這次生產而齊聚一堂——

have already gathered for the birth—

their experience is very valuable if anything goes wrong.

如果出了狀況， 她們的經驗就非常寶貴。

She readies herself with a prayer praising her most important tools, her fingers.

她讓自己做好準備的方式，

是為她最重要的工具， 她的手指，做祈禱。

Then she doses the patient with cihuapatli to help expel the baby,

接著，她讓病人服下 能協助產出嬰兒的草藥，

massages her in the sweathouse, and rubs her stomach with tobacco.

在汗屋中為她按摩， 並用菸草來挫揉她的胃部。

Offering Teteoinnan a short prayer,

她向特提歐因南做了簡短的祈禱，

she urges her patient to act like a warrior.

鼓勵她的病人要表現得像個戰士。

A strong baby girl slips into her waiting hands

一個強健的女嬰滑入 她等著接生的雙手中，

and the old women shout triumphant cries.

年長女性們發出勝利的歡呼。

Xoquauhtli takes a few drops of water from a jade bowl, breaths on them,

肖卡烏特莉從玉碗中取出幾滴水，

對著水滴呼吸，再把水滴 放在嬰兒的小舌頭上。

and places them on the baby’s tiny tongue.

She calls her a precious greenstone, a little warrior,

她稱呼嬰兒為珍貴的 綠色石頭，小戰士，

and tells her how the Lord and Lady of the Ninth Sky

告訴她第九天空的神與女神 如何將生命呼入她體內，

breathed life into her, sending her to this place of burden and torment.

將她送到這個負擔和折磨的世界。

She then turns to the new mother, praising her,

接著她轉向新媽媽，稱讚她，

telling her she acted like an eagle warrior, a jaguar warrior.

告訴她她剛才簡直像是 老鷹戰士、美洲豹戰士。

By the time they finish, it’s late, and the flames of the fire have died down.

她們結束時，天色已晚，

火焰都已經熄滅。

Xoquauhtli piles the remaining hot coals in the center of the hearth,

肖卡烏特莉把剩下的熱煤 堆在爐灶的中央，

stoking them to keep them going.

撥旺爐火。

She lays the baby in a woven basket, head facing the warming fire.

她把嬰兒放在編織的籃子裡， 面向溫暖的爐火。

This will warm her tonalli, an important “soul” center in the body

這麼做能溫暖她的托納利， 是身體內的重要「靈魂」中心，

central to health and well-being.

跟健康和幸福息息相關。

It’s almost midnight— if Xoquauhtli hurries,

就快要午夜了—— 如果肖卡烏特莉手腳快一些，

she can get back to the temple for the culmination of the festival.

還來得及回到神殿， 趕上節慶的高潮。

She makes her way to the city center, where a priest carries a woman on his back

她來到了城市中心，在那裡， 有位祭司背著一名女子，

to the top of the pyramid.

上金字塔的頂端。

To begin the new season and feed the gods, she will be beheaded,

為了新季節的開始 和提供食物給神，

她將會被斬首。

symbolizing how corn is cut in the fields.

象徵田裡的玉米被割下來。

Afterward, she will be reborn as Lady Teteoinnan,

之後，她將會以 特提歐因南女士之姿重生，

and preside over the induction of new warriors.

掌管新戰士的加入。