The imaginary king who changed the real world - Matteo Salvadore

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Bruce Sung

In 1165, copies of a strange letter began to circulate throughout Western Europe.

1165 年

一封怪信的複本傳遍了整個西歐

It spoke of a fantastical realm,

信中提到一個想像中的國度

containing the Tower of Babel and the Fountain of Youth—

裡面有巴比倫塔 以及青春之泉——

all ruled over by the letter’s mysterious author: Prester John.

都由該信的神秘作者 祭司王約翰統治

Today, we know that this extraordinary king never existed.

現今，我們知道這位 不凡的國王並不存在

But the legend of this mythical kingdom and its powerful ruler

但這個虛構王國 及其強大統治者的傳說

would impact the decisions of European leaders for the next 400 years.

卻在接下來的四百年間 影響著歐洲領導人的決策

Prester John’s myth would propel the age of exploration,

祭司王約翰的神話 促使了探索時代的來臨

inspire intercontinental diplomacy, and indirectly begin a civil war.

鼓勵大陸間的外交

並間接造成了一場內戰

When Prester John’s letter appeared, Europe was embroiled in the Crusades.

當祭司王約翰的信出現時

歐洲正處於十字軍的混亂當中

In this series of religious wars,

在這一連串的宗教戰爭中

Europeans campaigned to seize what they regarded as the Christian Holy Land.

歐洲人出征的目的是要取得 他們心目中的基督教聖地

The Church vilified any faith outside of Christianity,

教會會詆毀基督教 以外的所有信仰

including that of the Jewish and Muslim communities populating the region.

包括住在該區中的 猶太教和伊斯蘭教群體

Crusaders were eager to find Christian kingdoms to serve as allies in their war.

十字軍很渴望找到其他基督教王國 並以盟軍身分加入他們的戰爭

And they were particularly interested in rumors of a powerful Christian king

他們特別感興趣的就是關於 一位強大基督教國王的謠言

who had defeated an enormous Muslim army in the Far East.

這位國王在遠東打敗了 巨大的伊斯蘭教軍隊

In fact, it was a Mongol horde including converted Christian tribes

事實上，是蒙古遊牧民族 包括皈依的基督徒

that had routed the army.

擊潰了回教軍隊

But news of this victory traveled unreliably.

但是，關於這次勝利 消息的傳播方式很不可靠

Merchants and emissaries filled gaps in the story

商人和密使把故事中的缺漏洞之處

with epic poems and Biblical fragments.

填上史詩和聖經片段

By the time the story reached Europe,

當故事傳到歐洲時

the Mongol horde had been replaced with a great Christian army,

蒙古遊牧民族已經被改為 偉大的基督教軍隊

commanded by a king who shared the Crusader’s vision

軍隊的領導人是個國王 他的遠景與十字軍一致

of marching on Jerusalem.

就是進軍耶路撒冷

And when a letter allegedly written by this so-called “Prester John” appeared,

當據稱由「祭司王約翰」 所寫的信出現時

European rulers were thrilled.

歐洲統治者都相當興奮

While the letter’s actual author remains unknown,

雖然那封信的作者至今仍然未知

its stereotypes about the East and alignment with European goals

信中對於東方的刻板印象 及對歐洲人目標的認同

indicate it was a Western forgery.

都顯示這封信是西方人偽造的

But despite the letter’s obvious origins as European propaganda,

但，儘管這封信的來源 很明顯是歐洲人的宣傳

the appeal of Prester John’s myth was too great for the Crusaders to ignore.

祭司王約翰的神話吸引力太大了

讓十字軍無法忽略它

Before long,

不久後，歐洲的地圖製圖師

European mapmakers were guessing the location of his mythical kingdom.

開始猜測他的虛構王國所在地

In the 13th and 14th centuries, European missionaries went East,

十三、十四世紀時，歐洲的傳教士

沿著新恢復的絲綢之路前往東方

along the newly revived Silk Road.

They weren’t searching for the letter’s author,

他們並非要尋找那封信的作者

who would have been over a century old; but rather, for his descendants.

因為即便他活著也已是期颐之年 他們是去尋找他的後裔

The title of Prester John was briefly identified

很快就有幾位中亞的統治者

with several Central Asian rulers,

被認為是祭司王約翰

but it soon became clear that the Mongols were largely non-Christian.

但也很快就發現 這些蒙古人大多不是基督徒

And as their Empire began to decline,

隨著他們的帝國開始勢微

Europeans began pursuing alternate routes to the Far East,

歐洲人開始另尋道路前往遠東

and new clues to Prester John’s location.

尋找祭司王約翰所在地的新線索

At the same time these explorers went south,

在這些探險家向南行的同時

Ethiopian pilgrims began traveling north.

衣索比亞的朝聖者開始北進

In Rome, these visitors quickly attracted the interest

在羅馬，這些訪客很快就吸引了

歐洲學者和地圖製圖者的興趣

of European scholars and cartographers.

Since Ethiopia had been converted to Christianity in the 4th century,

因為在第四世紀時 衣索比亞改信基督教

the stories of their African homeland fit perfectly into Prester John’s legend.

他們非洲家園的故事完全 符合祭司王約翰的傳奇

Portuguese explorers scoured Africa for the kingdom,

葡萄牙探險家走遍非洲 搜索那個王國

until a mix of confusion and diplomacy finally turned myth into reality.

直到混淆誤認再加上外交

神話終於被轉變為現實

The Ethiopians graciously received their European guests,

衣索比亞人很親切地 接待他們的歐洲客人

who were eager to do business with the ruler

他們認為這位統治者 就是祭司王約翰

they believed to be Prester John.

很迫切想跟他做生意

Though the Ethiopians were initially confused by the Portuguese’s

雖然衣索比亞人一開始很困惑

不懂葡萄牙人為何用這 不尋常的名稱稱呼他們的帝王

unusual name for their Emperor,

they were savvy enough to recognize the diplomatic capital it afforded them.

但他們很聰明，知道這個名稱 能帶給他們的外交資本

The Ethiopian diplomats played the part of Prester John’s subjects,

衣索比亞的外交官扮演 祭司王約翰的臣民

and the Portuguese triumphantly announced an alliance with the fabled sovereign—

而葡萄牙人得意洋洋地宣佈 他們和傳說中的君主結盟了——

over 350 years after the European letter had begun the search.

這已經是歐洲人收到那封信 並展開搜尋的至少三百五十年後

But this long-awaited partnership was quickly tested.

但這段期待已久的合夥關係 很快就受到考驗

A decade later, the Sultanate of Adal,

十年後，由鄂圖曼帝國扶持的

a regional power supported by the Ottoman Empire, invaded Ethiopia.

地方勢力阿達爾蘇丹國 入侵了衣索比亞

The Portuguese sent troops that helped Ethiopians win this conflict.

葡萄牙人派兵協助 衣索比亞打贏這場戰爭

But by this time,

此時已經清晰顯露出衣索比亞

it was clear that Ethiopia was not the powerful ally Europe had hoped.

並非歐洲所期望的強大盟友

Worse still, the increasingly intolerant Roman Catholic Church

更糟的是，逐漸無法 容忍下去的羅馬天主教教會

now deemed the Ethiopian sect of Christianity heretical.

現在將衣索比亞的 基督教教派視為是異教

Their subsequent attempts to convert the people

他們接著開始嘗試要讓這些

they once revered as ideal Christians

曾經被他們視為 理想基督徒的人民皈依

would eventually spark a civil war,

這些行為最終觸發了內戰

and in the 1630s, Ethiopia cut ties with Europe.

1630 年代，衣索比亞 切斷和歐洲的關係

Over the next two centuries,

在接下來的兩世紀

the legend of Prester John slowly faded into oblivion—

祭司王約翰的傳奇慢慢被淡忘——

ending the reign of a king who made history despite having never existed.

這位從未存在卻名垂史冊的 國王，在位期間就到此告終