Why should you read Dante’s “Divine Comedy”? - Sheila Marie Orfano

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

“Abandon all hope, ye who enter here… ”

「入此門者了斷希望……」

Inscribed above the Gate of Hell,

刻在地獄之門的上方，

these ominous words warn dark tidings for Dante

在但丁開始墜落至地獄時， 這些不吉利的文字，

as he begins his descent into inferno.

代表了黑暗訊息的警示。

Yet despite the grim tone,

儘管調性很陰森，

this prophecy sets into motion what is perhaps the greatest love story ever told;

這個預言開啟了可說是史上 大家所知最偉大的愛情故事；

an epic journey that encompasses both the human and the divine.

一場人神共存的史詩旅程。

But for Dante to reach benevolent salvation,

但，若但丁想要得到慈愛的救贖，

he must first find his way through Hell.

他必須要先找到路穿過地獄。

This landscape of torture is the setting for "Inferno,"

這個虐待的景象 就是《地獄》的背景，

the first in a three-part narrative poem

十四世紀但丁阿利吉耶里 所寫的敘事詩作共分為三部分，

written by Dante Alighieri in the 14th century.

《地獄》是其中的第一部分。

Casting himself as the protagonist,

但丁讓自己擔任詩中的主角，

Dante travels deeper and deeper into Hell’s abyss,

不斷深入地獄的深淵，

witnessing obscene punishments distinct to each of its nine realms.

目擊九層地獄每一層中 讓人反感的獨有懲罰方式。

Beginning in Limbo, he travels through the circles of Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Wrath,

從靈薄獄開始，

他行經地獄的每一圈，包括慾望、

暴食、貪心、憤怒、

Heresy, Violence, and Fraud,

異教、暴力、詐欺，

to the horrific ninth circle of Treachery,

一直到可怕的第九圈：背叛，

where sinners are trapped under the watchful eyes of Satan himself.

在那裡，罪人被困在 撒旦自己的監視下。

The following two parts, "Purgatorio" and "Paradiso," continue Dante’s journey,

接下來的兩部曲《煉獄》 和《天堂》繼續描述但丁的旅程，

as he scales the Mount of Purgatory

他登上煉獄山，

and ascends the nine celestial spheres of Heaven.

升上九重天堂。

Written together over 10 years, these 3 sections comprise the "Divine Comedy"–

這三部曲共花了十年撰寫， 合起來構成了《神曲》——

an allegorical imagining of the soul’s journey towards God.

針對靈魂通往神的旅程 做了寓言式的幻想。

But Dante’s "Divine Comedy" is more than just religious allegory.

但，但丁的《神曲》 不僅僅是宗教幻想而已。

It’s also a witty, scathing commentary on Italian politics.

它也是對義大利政治的 機智、苛刻評論。

A soldier and statesman from Florence, Dante was staunchly faithful to God,

但丁是來自佛羅倫斯的 士兵和政治家，

他對神有著堅定的忠誠，

but often critical of the Roman Catholic Church.

但通常對於羅馬 天主教堂有所批評。

He particularly disliked its rampant nepotism and practice of simony,

他特別不喜歡教堂猖獗的任人唯親

以及聖職買賣，

the buying and selling of religious favours such as pardons from sin.

也就是宗教恩惠的買賣， 比如罪過的赦免。

Many groups took advantage of these corrupt customs,

許多團體會利用這些腐敗的習俗，

but few supported them as much as the Guelfi Neri, or Black Guelphs.

但也有少數人跟參與教皇派 黑黨一樣支持這些習俗。

This was a political and religious faction

這是一個政治和宗教的派別，

which sought to expand the pope’s political influence.

目的是要尋求擴展 教宗的政治影響力。

Dante was a member of the Guelfi Bianchi, or White Guelphs–

但丁是參與教皇派白黨的成員——

who believed Florence needed more freedom from Roman influence.

認為佛羅倫斯需要 少點羅馬影響，多點自由。

As a public representative for the White Guelphs,

身為白黨的公眾代表，

Dante frequently spoke out against the pope’s power,

但丁經常公開反對教宗的權力，

until the Black Guelphs leveraged their position

直到 1302 年，黑黨的地位提升，

to exile him from Florence in 1302.

將但丁放逐出佛羅倫斯。

But rather than silencing him,

但這一生的放逐 並沒有讓但丁沉默，

this lifelong exile led to Dante’s greatest critique of all.

反而讓他寫出了最偉大的評論。

Dishonored and with little hope of return,

這位作家被侮辱， 也沒有了返家的希望，

the author freely aired his grievances with the Church and Italian society.

因此反而自由地發表他對 教堂和義大利社會的不滿。

Writing the "Divine Comedy" in Italian,

他用義大利文寫《神曲》，

rather than the traditional Latin of the educated elite,

而不是受教育的菁英 會使用的傳統拉丁文，

Dante ensured the widest possible audience for his biting political commentary.

但丁的目的是要確保盡可能 讓他辛辣的政治評論觸及更多人。

In the "Inferno’s" circle of the Wrathful,

在《地獄》中，在憤怒的地獄裡，

Dante eagerly witnesses sinners

但丁帶著渴望，目擊罪人

tear Black Guelph Filippo Argenti limb from limb.

將黑黨的菲力普阿根提肢解。

In the circle of Fraud,

在詐欺的地獄裡，

Dante converses with a mysterious sinner burning in the circle’s hottest flames.

但丁和一位神秘的罪人交談， 那名罪人在最熱的烈焰中被燒著。

He learns that this is Pope Nicholas III,

他發現這個人是教宗尼古拉三世，

who tells Dante that his two successors will take his place when they die—

他告訴但丁，他的兩位繼任者死後 就會來接替他在地獄的位子——

all three guilty of simony and corruption.

這三個人都犯了 聖職買賣和貪汙的罪。

Despite the bleak and sometimes violent imagery in "Inferno,"

儘管《地獄》的意象 很淒涼，有時還很暴力，

the "Divine Comedy" is also a love story.

《神曲》卻也是個愛情故事。

Though Dante had an arranged marriage

雖然但丁已經和一個有權有勢的

with the daughter of a powerful Florentine family,

佛羅倫斯家庭的女兒訂了婚約，

he had also been unrequitedly in love with another woman since he was nine years old:

他卻從九歲時就一直 單戀著另一名女子：

Beatrice Portinari.

貝緹麗彩坡提納里。

Despite allegedly meeting just twice, she became Dante’s lifelong muse,

雖然據說只有見過兩次面， 她卻成了但丁一生的女神，

serving as the inspiration and subject for many of his works.

是但丁許多作品的 靈感來源和主題。

In fact, it’s Beatrice who launches his intrepid journey into the pits of Hell

事實上，正是貝緹麗彩讓他 大膽踏上這段通往地獄深坑之旅，

and up the terraces of Mount Purgatory.

爬上煉獄山的平頂。

Portrayed as a powerful, heavenly figure,

她被描繪成強大的天堂人物，

she leads Dante through "Paradiso’s" concentric spheres of Heaven

引領但丁通過 《天堂》中的九重天，

until he is finally face-to-face with God.

直到他終於和神面對面。

In the centuries since its publication,

在出版後數世紀，

the "Divine Comedy’s" themes of love, sin, and redemption

《神曲》主題， 包括愛情、罪過、救贖，

have been embraced by numerous artists–

一直受到許多藝術家喜愛——

from Auguste Rodin and Salvador Dali, to Ezra Pound and Neil Gaiman.

從奧古斯特羅丹及薩爾瓦多達利， 到艾茲拉龐德及尼爾蓋曼。

And the poet himself received his own belated, earthly redemption in 2008,

這位詩人本身也在 2008 年得到 他自己在地球上的遲來救贖，

when the city of Florence finally revoked Dante’s antiquated exile.

佛羅倫斯市終於撤消了 但丁已過時的流放。