The Aztec myth of the unlikeliest sun god - Kay Almere Read

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Carol Wang

Nanahuatl, weakest of the Aztec gods, sickly and covered in pimples,

納納瓦提是阿茲特克神話中 最弱的神，病懨懨且滿身丘疹，

had been chosen to form a new world.

祂被選中要創造一個新世界。

There had already been four worlds, each set in motion by its own “Lord Sun,"

已經有四個世界了，每個世界 都被它自己的「太陽神」啟動，

and each, in turn, destroyed:

但每個世界也被摧毀了：

the first by jaguars, the next by winds,

第一個世界被美洲豹摧毀， 第二個被風摧毀，

the next by rains of fire, and the fourth by floods.

第三個被火雨摧毀， 第四個被洪水摧毀。

To establish the Fifth Sun,

為了創造第五個太陽，

Lord Quetzalcoatl, the “Feathered Serpent,”

克察爾科亞特爾神， 即「羽蛇神」，

had gone to the underworld and returned with the bones of earlier people,

去了一趟地下世界， 帶回了先前人類的骨頭，

nourishing them with his own blood to create new life.

用祂自己的血來滋養這些骨頭， 創造出新生命來。

But for them to have a world to live in,

但要讓他們有個世界可以生活，

another god had to leap into the great bonfire and become the fifth sun.

就要有另一個神跳入巨大的 篝火中，成為第五個太陽。

The Lord of Sustenance and the Lord of Fire had chosen Nanahuatl for this task,

食物神和火神選上了 納納瓦提來進行這項任務，

while the Lord of Rain and the Lord of the Four Quarters

而雨神和四相神

had picked their own offering: the proud, rich Tecciztecatl.

則挑選了他祂們自己的人選： 驕傲、富有的特克西斯特卡特爾。

First, the chosen ones had to complete a four-day fasting and bloodletting ritual.

首先，被選中的人要完成 四天的禁食和放血儀式。

Nanahuatl had nothing but cactus thorns with which to bleed himself,

納納瓦提要讓自己流血， 只能用仙人掌的刺，

and fir branches to paint with his red offering,

再用冷杉木當畫筆， 祂獻出的血當顏料，

but he resolved to try his best.

但祂下定決定要盡力而為。

Meanwhile, Tecciztecatl flaunted his riches,

而特克西斯特卡特爾 則在炫耀祂的財富，

using magnificent jade spines and branches adorned with iridescent quetzal feathers

用华丽翡翠做的尖刺和 用燦爛綠咬鵑羽毛裝飾的樹枝

for his own blood offering.

來做祂自己的血祭。

When four days had passed, the fire was roaring high.

四天過去了，火勢非常兇猛。

Four times proud Tecciztecatl approached the flames,

驕傲的特克西斯特卡特爾 四度嘗試靠近火焰，

and four times he pulled back in fear.

每次都因為恐懼而退回。

Humble Nanahuatl stepped forward.

謙遜的納納瓦提步向前。

The other gods painted him chalky white and glued feathers to him.

其他的神將祂塗成白堊色， 並將羽毛黏在祂身上。

Without hesitation, he threw himself into the flames.

祂毫不猶豫，縱身進入火焰。

A fire-blackened eagle swooped over the fire,

一隻被火燒黑的老鷹俯衝向火焰，

grabbed Nanahuatl and carried him into the sky.

抓住納納瓦提，將祂帶上天空。

There, Lord and Lady Sustenance bathed him,

食物神將祂浸洗過，

sat him on a feathered throne, and wrapped a red band around his head.

讓祂坐上羽毛王座， 並在祂頭上繞上一條紅色圈帶。

Inspired by Nanahuatl,

受到納納瓦提的激勵，

Tecciztecatl threw himself into what was left of the fire: cooled ashes.

特克西斯特卡特爾縱身跳入 火焰的殘餘物：冷卻的灰燼。

A jaguar jumped over the fire pit, but couldn’t carry Tecciztecatl into the sky.

一隻美洲豹跳入火坑，

但無法將特克西斯 特卡特爾帶上天空。

When Tecciztecatl reached the horizon, a band of goddesses dressed him in rags.

當特克西斯特卡特爾抵達地平線， 一群女神給祂穿上破布。

Still, he shined just as brightly as Nanahuatl.

但祂仍然和納納瓦提一樣地照耀。

But since he had shown far less bravery and much more pride,

可是，因為祂展現出 太少勇氣和太多的驕傲，

one of the gods picked up a rabbit and tossed it in his face,

其中一個神抓起 一隻兔子，丟向祂的臉，

dimming his light.

讓祂的光變暗。

But the fifth world still wasn’t truly established.

但，第五個世界 還沒有真正建立起來。

Nanahuatl, Lord Sun, shined for four days straight

納納瓦提太陽神， 直接照射了整整四天，

without moving through the sky like all the previous suns had moved.

沒有像過去其他的太陽 一樣在天空上移動。

Back in their home, Teotihuacan, the gods began to worry.

返回家鄉特奧蒂瓦坎 之後，眾神開始擔心。

They sent Obsidian Hawk up to ask what was wrong.

祂們派黑躍鷹飛上去 問出了什麼問題。

Nanahuatl replied that just as he had sacrificed himself to become Lord Sun,

納納瓦提回覆說， 祂犧牲了自己而成為太陽神，

he now needed the nourishing blood of the other gods

現在，祂需要其他神的血來滋養，

in order to move through the sky.

才能在天空上移動。

Enraged at this suggestion, Lord Dawn stepped up and shot an arrow at Lord Sun.

這個建議激怒了黎明神， 祂站出來，一箭射向太陽神。

Lord Sun shot back,

太陽神反擊回來，

and his quetzal-feathered arrows struck Lord Dawn in the face,

祂用綠咬鵑鳥羽毛做的箭 射中了黎明神的臉，

turning him to frost.

將祂變成了霜。

Before anyone else could act rashly,

在任何人再魯莾反應之前，

the other gods turned to each other to discuss what to do.

其他的神彼此求助， 討論該如何是好。

Of course, no one wanted to sacrifice themselves,

當然，沒有人想要犧牲自己，

but nor did anyone want to act like Lord Dawn.

但也沒有人想要像黎明神那麼做。

Besides, Nanahuatl had held up his end of the bargain to nourish the earth—

此外，納納瓦提實現了 祂的諾言，滋養了地球，

how could they refuse to nourish him in return?

祂們怎麼能夠拒絕 滋養祂來作為回報？

They remembered how even the wimpy Tecciztecatl

祂們想起了即使 特克西斯特卡特爾很懦弱，

had eventually managed to emulate Nanahuatl's bravery.

祂最終也是模仿了 納納瓦提的勇氣。

At long last, five other gods agreed to sacrifice themselves.

終於，五位神同意要犧牲自己。

One by one, Lord Death stabbed them in the heart with an obsidian knife,

一個接一個，死神用黑曜石 做的刀子刺入祂們的心臟，

offering their bodies to their new Lord Sun.

將祂們的身體獻給 祂們的新太陽神。

As the last god made the sacrifice,

在最後一個神犧牲自己時，

Lord Quetzalcoatl blew the embers of the great fire back to life,

克察爾科亞特爾神朝餘燼一吹， 讓大火死灰復燃，

and the sun began to move through the sky at last,

而太陽終於開始在天空上移動，

ushering in the fifth age.

展開了第五個時代。

Thanks to a pimply weakling whose fortitude inspired all the other gods,

幸虧這個滿身丘疹又虛弱的神 用祂的剛毅鼓舞了其他的神，

the sun moves along its daily path,

太陽沿著它每日的路徑移動，

the rabbit-faced moon following in its wake.

臉上有著兔子的月亮 則跟在它的後面。