The myth of Arachne - Iseult Gillespie

譯者: Regina Chu 審譯者: Marssi Draw

From sailors who were turned into pigs,

水手變成豬

nymphs that sprouted into trees,

精靈長成樹

and a gaze that converted the beholder to stone,

直視其眼就變成石頭

Greek mythology brims with shape-shifters.

希臘神話充滿了變形幻化

The powerful gods usually changed their own forms at will,

力量強大的神可以 依祂們的意志轉換形體

but for mortals, the mutations were often unwanted.

但是難逃一死的凡人 這種變化通常都非己所願

One such unnerving transformation befell the spinner Arachne.

這樣令人不安的轉變 就發生在紡紗人奧拉克妮身上

Arachne was the daughter of a tradesman

奧拉克妮是職人的女兒

who spent his days dying cloth the deepest shades of purple.

她的父親每天都將布料 染上最深的紫色

She had a flair for spinning the finest threads,

她天賦異稟，能紡出最上等的絲線

weaving them into flowing fabric,

編織成平滑輕盈的布料

and creating magnificent tapestries.

創造出宏偉的繡帷

People flocked to watch her hands flying across her loom,

群眾蜂擁而至 觀賞她的手在織機中穿梭

as if thread sprung directly from her fingertips.

好像絲線從她的指尖 直接生出一般

But as praise for her work grew, so did her pride.

但是，大家愈讚揚，她就愈驕傲

Arachne could often be heard boasting about her skills,

大家常常聽到奧拉克妮 誇耀自己的技巧

declaring that her talent surpassed anyone else’s—mortal or divine.

宣稱自己的才能 超過任何凡人或天神

She refused to see weaving as a gift from the gods.

她拒絕視編織為神送給人的天分

Rather, she flaunted it as her own personal genius.

相反地，她炫耀那是自己的才能

Unfortunately, the goddess of wisdom and crafts, Athena,

不幸的是，工藝與智慧之女神雅典娜

overheard Arachne making these claims.

聽到了奧拉克妮的自誇自擂

Planning to teach the ungrateful girl a lesson,

雅典娜計畫要給這個 不知感恩的女孩一個教訓

Athena disguised herself as an old woman and stole amongst the mortals.

她偽裝自己為老婦人，在人間潛行

She berated Arachne in public—

她公開斥責奧拉克妮──

how dare the weaver claim herself greater than the gods?

一個編織女怎敢宣稱 自己比神還偉大？

But Arachne only laughed, barely looking up from her loom.

但是奧拉克妮只笑了笑 根本沒有從織機上抬眼

Provoked, the old woman threw off her cloak to reveal her true form.

老婦人被激怒了，斗篷一揮 揭示了她的真實身分

If Arachne insisted on defaming the gods,

如果奧拉克妮堅持詆毀眾神

Athena would challenge her to a contest directly.

雅典娜會挑戰她直接出來比賽

Masking her shock at the appearance of the grey-eyed goddess,

對這位灰眼女神的出現 奧拉克妮掩飾了自己的驚訝

Arachne accepted the challenge.

她接受了挑戰

Athena drew up her own glittering loom as a great crowd gathered to watch.

在大批群眾圍觀之下 雅典娜變出閃閃發亮的織機

The weavers began, eyes fixed and shuttles blurring.

織布人開始比賽 目不轉睛，飛梭走線

Athena conjured wisps of cloud from above

雅典娜召喚天上的雲化作絲縷

and slender threads of grass from below in a spectacle of strength.

又將地上的草拉成絲線 場面奇妙壯觀

She wove tremendous scenes that showed the power of the gods:

她織出盛大的景象，顯示神的能力

Poseidon riding the waves,

海神波塞頓乘風破浪

Zeus firing thunderbolts,

天神宙斯擎天霹雷

and Apollo hurtling across the sky.

太陽神阿波羅在天空呼嘯而過

In Athena’s splendid tapestry, the glory of the gods dwarfed mortal life.

雅典娜的錦繡掛毯上 眾神的榮耀使凡人相形渺小

But Arachne had no interest in boosting godly egos.

但是奧克拉妮一點都不想 讚揚眾神的自負

Her tapestry showed the gods abusing their power:

她的掛毯上織出了眾神濫用權力

squabbling amongst themselves,

彼此拌嘴爭吵

drinking and bragging,

喝酒吹牛

and meddling in the lives of mortals.

還干涉凡人的生活

She represented Zeus as a philanderer, transfiguring himself to ensnare women:

她把宙斯描繪成風流情聖 為了釣女人而變身

a swan for Leda,

為了麗達變成天鵝

a bull for Europa,

為了歐羅巴變成公牛

a shower of gold for Danae.

為了戴納漪降下金雨

Arachne then turned to the misdemeanors of other gods,

然後奧克拉妮轉向 其他天神的不法事件

from Pluto’s abduction of Persephone

冥王綁架普西芬尼

to Bacchus’s wild pursuit of Erigone.

酒神瘋狂追求厄里戈涅

Even though she cast the gods in the most unflattering light,

即使奧拉克妮描繪眾神 最不光彩的那一面

Arachne’s work shone with her dazzling skill.

她的作品仍然閃耀出令人目眩的技巧

Her tapestry was almost alive,

她的掛毯栩栩如生

filled with movement and lustrous colors

活靈活現，色澤鮮明

that winked triumphantly.

閃爍出勝利的光芒

When Athena saw Arachne's undeniably better and flagrantly subversive work,

當雅典娜看到奧拉克妮那無可否認 更好且公然顛覆的作品

she flew into a rage and turned on the human weaver.

她勃然大怒，轉身面對這位凡人織匠

Arachne’s glee dimmed as she felt her body shrinking and contorting.

奧拉克妮的歡喜之情驟然消失 因為她發覺自己的身體縮小扭曲

Her fingers waved wildly as her arms stuck to her sides,

她的手指瘋狂地揮舞著 手臂黏在身體的兩側

and black hair sprouted all over her body.

黑色的毛長滿全身

The goddess left Arachne with a single spool of thread unfurling from her belly,

這位女神只留給奧拉克妮一縷線

從她的肚子吐出

a slim reminder of her human talent.

提醒著她那渺小的人類才能

For challenging the assumption that the gods were untouchable,

因為挑戰了高不可觸的天神

Athena had shrunk her adversary into the first spider.

雅典娜讓衪的對手縮小成第一隻蜘蛛

To this day, Arachne and her children spin out her penance—

一直到今天，奧拉克妮 和她的子子孫孫都在贖罪──

or is it undaunted persistence?—

又或者那其實是 他們不屈不撓的堅持？──

in the shadows of giants.

在巨人的陰影中，無窮無盡

如果你喜歡奧拉克妮的神話故事

再看看這個播放清單吧

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