How Thor got his hammer - Scott A. Mellor

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

Loki the mischief-maker, was writhing uncomfortably in Thor’s iron grip.

洛基是個惡作劇製造者，

索爾緊緊地抓住他， 讓他很不舒服地扭動著。

The previous night, while the rest of the gods slept, he’d snuck up on Thor’s wife

前一晚，其他的神都已入睡，

他悄悄地接近索爾的太太希芙， 剪了她美麗的頭髮。

Sif and shorn off her beautiful hair.

It’d seemed like a funny prank at the time,

當時似乎是很個很趣的惡作劇，

but now Thor was about to break every bone in his body.

但現在索爾準備 把他的每一根骨頭都打斷。

Loki had to think of some way to fix what he’d done.

洛基得要想辦法補救他幹的好事。

Yet who could replace Sif’s matchless hair, golden like a field of summer wheat?

但，有誰能夠救回希芙那頭

像夏日田野小麥般金黃 又無與倫比的美髮？

The dwarves! – their legendary smiths could make anything.

矮人！——他們傳說中的 鐵匠什麼都做得出來。

So Loki rushed to their realm, deep within the mountains of the earth.

所以洛基趕去矮人的王國， 在地球的深山中。

Even before he arrived, the wily Loki was already scheming

狡猾的洛基在抵達之前 就已經在盤算

how he would get the dwarves to do his bidding.

他要如何讓矮人照他說的做。

He decided that his best bet was to pit two families against each other.

他認為他最好的機會就是 讓兩個家庭互相較勁。

He first visited the masterful sons of Ivaldi.

他先造訪了伊凡第能幹的 兒子們，告訴他們，

He told them that their rivals, a pair of brothers named Brokk and Eitri,

他們那對叫做 布羅克和伊特利兄弟的對手

had claimed that they were the best craftsmen in the world

聲稱自己是世界上最好的工匠，

and were determined to prove it in a competition.

且決定要用一場競賽來證明。

The rules were that each family had to create three gifts for the gods,

規則是，每個家庭得要 製造出三樣給神的禮物，

including, for the Ivaldis, golden hair.

包括伊凡第要做出的金色頭髮。

Then Loki visited Brokk and Eitri, and told them the same thing,

接著，洛基去造訪了布羅克 和伊特利，對他們說了同樣的話，

only now claiming that the sons of Ivaldi had issued the challenge.

只是改成挑戰是由 伊凡第的兒子們提出的。

But Brokk and Eitri couldn’t be fooled so easily,

但布羅克和伊特利沒這麼好騙，

and only agreed to participate if Loki put his own head on the line.

他們同意參加，但有一個條件， 就是洛基要賭上自己的頭。

Literally—if Brokk and Eitri won, Loki would forfeit his head to them.

這不是比喻， 如果布羅克和伊特利贏了，

洛基就要把自己的頭給他們。

Loki had no choice but to agree, and to save himself had to find a way

為了保命，洛基別無選擇只得同意，

他得要確保伊凡第的 兒子們能勝出。

to make sure the sons of Ivaldi emerged victorious.

Both sets of dwarves got to work.

兩組矮人開始動工。

Eitri set Brokk to man the bellows and told him not to stop for any reason,

伊特利叫布羅克負責鼓風， 不論任何原因都不得停下來，

or the treasures would be ruined.

否則寶物就會毀掉。

Soon a strange black fly flew into the room.

沒多久，一隻奇怪的 黑蒼蠅飛進房間。

As a piece of pigskin was placed in the forge, the fly stung Brokk’s hand,

當一片豬皮被放到熔鐵爐中時， 蒼蠅叮了布羅克的手，

but he didn’t flinch.

但他並沒有縮手。

Next, while Eitri worked a block of gold, the fly bit Brokk on the neck.

接著，當伊特利正在處理金塊時， 蒼蠅咬了布羅克的脖子。

The dwarf carried on.

這個矮人仍繼續工作。

Finally, Eitri placed a piece of iron in the furnace.

最後，伊特利把一片鐵放入熔爐。

This time the fly landed right on Brokk’s eyelid and bit as hard as it could.

這次，蒼蠅停在布羅克的眼瞼上，

盡可能狠狠地咬下去。

And for just a split second, Brokk’s hand left the bellows.

布羅克的手離開了 鼓風機短短一下子。

That’s all it took; their final treasure hadn’t stayed in the fire long enough.

就只要這短短一下子；他們的最後 一樣寶物無法在火中停留夠久。

Loki now reappeared in his normal form, overjoyed by their failure,

洛基現在恢復了原型， 對他們的失敗感到欣喜若狂，

and accompanied the dwarves to present their treasures to the gods.

他陪著這些矮人 將他們的寶物獻給神。

First, Loki presented the treasures from the sons of Ivaldi.

首先，洛基獻出 伊凡第兒子的寶物。

Their golden hair bound to Sif’s head and continued to grow,

他們的金髮與希芙的頭 結合之後，持續增長，

leaving her even more radiant than before.

讓她比以前更容光煥發。

Next, for Odin the all-father,

接著，輪到眾神之父奧丁，

a magnificent spear that could pierce through anything.

一把可以刺穿任何 東西的華麗長矛。

And finally a small cloth that unfolded into a mighty ship built for Freyr,

最後，給豐收之神 弗雷的是一小塊布，

打開之後會變成強大的船艦。

god of the harvest.

Then Brokk presented the treasures made by him and his brother.

接著，布羅克獻出 兩兄弟製造的寶物。

For Freyr they’d forged a golden-bristled boar

他們為弗雷鍛造了 一隻金毛的公豬，

who’d pull Freyr’s chariot across the sky faster than any mount.

牠會幫弗雷在天上拉戰車， 速度比任何坐騎都快。

For Odin, a golden arm ring which would make eight more identical rings

給奧丁的是黃金的臂環，每九天，

它就會再生成八個同樣的臂環。

on every ninth night.

And for Thor, a hammer called Mjolnir.

給索爾的，則是雷神之槌。

Its handle was too short, and Loki smirked at the obvious defect.

它的握把太短了，這明顯的 瑕疵讓洛基得意地笑著。

But then Brokk revealed its abilities.

但布羅克揭示了它的能力。

Mjolnir would never shatter, never miss its mark

雷神之槌絕對不會破碎， 不會錯失目標，

and always return to Thor’s hand when thrown.

且丟出去之後總會 再回到索爾的手中。

Despite the short handle, the gods all agreed this was the finest gift of all.

儘管握把很短，眾神都認同 這是所有禮物中最棒的。

Remembering what was at stake, Loki tried to flee, but Thor reached him first.

想到自己的頭就是賭注， 洛基試圖逃離，但索爾先逮到他。

But before the dwarves could have their due,

但在矮人領取他們應得的獎賞前，

clever Loki pointed out that they had won the rights to his head, but not his neck,

聰明的洛基指出， 他們贏得的是他的頭，

不是他的脖子， 因此沒有權力將頭砍下。

and thus had no right to cut it.

All begrudgingly admitted the truth in that, but Brokk would have the last laugh.

大家都吝嗇地承認這的確是事實， 但布羅克還是贏得最後的勝利。

Taking his brother’s awl, he pierced it through Loki’s lips

他用他兄弟的尖錐， 穿過洛基的嘴脣，

and sewed his mouth shut,

將他的嘴巴縫起來，

so the trickster god could no longer spread his malicious deceit.

這位神中的騙子就無法 再到處惡意欺騙人了。

Yet the irony was not lost on the gods.

但對眾神來說，仍然是很諷刺的。

For it was Loki’s deceit that had brought them these fine treasures

因為正是洛基的欺騙行為， 帶給他們美好的寶物，

and given Thor the hammer for which he’s still known today.

帶給索爾那把至今 仍為人所知的槌子。