The rise and fall of the Inca Empire - Gordon McEwan

譯者: Ting-Yen Tsai 審譯者: Helen Chang

「在公元 1491 年，印加統治了 地球上最偉大的帝國。」

──查爾斯．C．曼恩 《1491：重寫哥倫布前的美洲歷史》

It was the Western Hemisphere’s largest empire ever,

它曾經是西半球有史以來最大的帝國

with a population of nearly 10 million subjects.

有著將近一千萬的人口

Over an area of more than 900,000 square kilometers,

面積也超過九十萬平方公里

its people built massive administrative centers,

它的人民建立起巨大的行政中心

temples, and extensive road and canal systems.

寺廟以及大規模的道路與運河系統

They did so in an inhospitable, extreme terrain,

他們在極端荒涼的陸地上辦到了

all without the use of wheels, horses, iron, or even written language.

沒用到輪子、馬匹、鐵 甚至書寫的語言

Yet within 100 years of its rise in the fifteenth century,

然而在十五世紀興起後的一百年內

the Inca Empire would be no more.

印加帝國已不復存在

According to legend,

根據傳說

the ancestors of the Inca rulers were created by the sun god Inti,

太陽神印堤創造了印加統治者的祖先

and they emerged from a cave called Tambo Toco.

他們出現在一個叫做坦伯多科的洞穴裡

Leading four brothers and four sisters was Ayar Manco,

阿亞．曼科帶領了他的 四個兄弟與四個姊妹

who carried a golden staff with instructions

他擁有一支有指引能力的金拐杖

to find the place where it would sink into the ground,

如果那支拐杖可以穿入土地之中

showing fertile soil.

顯示出那裡就有肥沃的土壤

After many adventures and extensive searching,

經過很多次的探險和尋找

Ayar Manco and his siblings reached the Cuzco Valley,

阿亞．曼科和他的兄弟姊妹 來到了庫斯科峽谷

where the staff pierced the ground.

在那裏拐杖深深穿入了土地

After fighting off the fierce local native population,

在他們擊退兇猛的原住民後

they founded their capital,

他們建立了自己的首都

and Ayar Manco became Manco Capac, the first Sapa Inca, or king of the Incas.

而阿亞．曼科成為了曼科．卡帕克

第一位薩帕．印加 也就是印加的國王

Archaeological evidence suggests

考古學證據顯示

that the Incas first settled in this valley around 1200 CE.

印加人約在公元一千兩百年 在這個峽谷定居下來

They remained a small kingdom until 1438,

他們在公元 1438 年之前 都是個小王國

when they were nearly overrun by the neighboring Chanka tribe.

那時他們幾乎被鄰近的昌卡部落佔領

The Inca king at this time, Viracocha, and his designated heir fled in fear,

當時的印加國王維拉科查 和他的王儲在恐懼中逃走

but one of his other sons remained

但他的其中一個兒子留下

and successfully rallied the city’s defenses.

並成功的保衛了城市

For his military skill, he became the ninth Inca ruler,

由於他的軍事才能，他成為 印加王國的第九位統治者

assuming the name of Pachacuti, or "Cataclysm."

名字是帕查庫特克 意為「翻轉／擾亂／改變世界的人」

Pachacuti expanded Inca rule throughout the Andes mountains,

帕查庫特克將印加的統治範圍 擴張至安地斯山脈

transforming the kingdom into an empire through extensive reforms.

並且進行許多改革 將一個小王國轉變為帝國

The empire’s territory was reorganized as Tahuantinsuyu, or "four quarters,"

印加帝國的領土被他重新劃分 為塔烏安廷蘇優，意為「四區」

with four divisions ruled by governors reporting to the king.

四個區域分別有長官 對國王直接負責

Although the Inca had no writing,

雖然印加王國沒有書寫語言

they used a complex system of knotted strings called quipu

他們採用一個複雜 被稱為「奇普」的繩結系統

to record numbers and perhaps other information.

來記錄數字，或許還記錄其他的資訊

A decimal-based bureaucracy enabled systematic

一個十進位的官僚體制

and efficient taxation of the empire’s subjects.

使課稅得以有系統、有效率地進行

In return, the empire provided security, infrastructure, and sustenance,

作為回報，帝國提供人民 國防安全、基礎建設還有糧食

with great storehouses containing necessities to be used when needed.

有許多倉庫儲存著緊急用的必需品

Great terraces and irrigation works were built

廣大的梯田還有灌溉系統被建造

and various crops were grown in at different altitudes

在不同的海拔高度還種植多樣化的作物

to be transported all over the empire.

它們會被運送至帝國的每個角落

And it was during Pachacuti’s reign

就是在帕查庫特克的統治時期

that the famous estate of Machu Picchu was constructed.

印加人建造了著名的馬丘比丘

Pachacuti’s son Topa Inca continued the empire’s military expansion,

他的兒子圖帕．印加 接下來持續帝國的軍事擴張

and he eventually became ruler in 1471 CE.

他最後在公元 1471 年成為國王

By the end of his reign, the empire covered much of western South America.

在他的統治結束前，印加帝國已 涵蓋了南美洲西部的多數地區

Topa’s son Huayna Capac succeeded him in 1493.

圖帕的兒子瓦伊納．卡帕克於 公元 1493 年繼承王位

But the new ruler’s distant military campaigns strained the social fabric.

但是新國王的遠距離軍事行動 導致了社會上的緊張

And in 1524, Huayna Capac was stricken by fever.

在公元 1524 年 瓦伊納．卡帕克為發燒所苦

Spanish conquistadors had arrived in the Caribbean some time before,

西班牙征服者在這之前 已經來到加勒比海地區

bringing diseases to which the native peoples had no resistance.

帶來原住民沒有抵抗力的疾病

Millions died in the outbreak,

好幾百萬人在疾病大流行中死亡

including Huayna Capac and his designated heir.

包含瓦伊納．卡帕克和他的王儲

The vacant throne ignited a civil war between two of the surviving brothers,

空缺的王位導致了一場兩兄弟

Atahualpa and Huascar,

阿塔瓦爾帕和瓦斯卡爾間的戰爭

greatly weakening the empire.

大大地消耗了帝國的元氣

In 1532, after finally winning the Inca civil war,

在公元 1532 年終於贏得內戰後

Atahualpa and his army encountered the European invaders.

阿塔瓦爾帕和他的軍隊 面臨到歐洲侵略者的威脅

Although greatly outnumbered,

雖然人數遠遠不及對方

Francisco Pizarro and his small group of conquistadors

法蘭西斯克·皮薩羅 和他的一小群征服者

stunned the king’s much larger force with guns and horses,

運用槍枝和馬匹震懾了 國王的大批軍隊

neither of which they had seen before.

因為他們從來沒看過那種東西

Atahualpa was taken captive and killed about a year later.

阿塔瓦爾帕被囚禁 並約在一年後被殺害

The Spanish conquerors were awed by the capital of Cuzco.

西班牙征服者對首都 庫斯科的美感到敬畏

Pizarro described it as so beautiful that “it would be remarkable even in Spain.”

皮薩羅形容它美麗到 「就算在西班牙也是非凡無比」

Though the capital had fallen

雖然首都陷落

and the native population had been destroyed by civil war and disease,

而且印加人遭受內戰和疾病的摧殘

some Incas fell back to a new capital at Vilcabamba

有些印加人撤退到新首都比爾卡班巴

and resisted for the next 40 years.

並頑強抵抗了四十年

But by 1572, the Spaniards had destroyed all remaining resistance

但在公元 1572 年 西班牙人清除了殘餘勢力

along with much of the Incas’ physical and cultural legacy.

和許多印加王國的物質與文化遺產

Thus, the great Inca empire fell even faster than it had risen.

因此，偉大印加王國的衰落 比它的崛起還要快了許多

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