The myth of King Midas and his golden touch - Iseult Gillespie

譯者: Regina Chu 審譯者: Marssi Draw

With his harebrained schemes and asinine dealings with the gods,

由於邁達斯王計謀不經大腦 拙於與眾神交往

King Midas ruled the ancient kingdom of Phrygia with an uneven hand.

且兩手不公地統治古國佛里幾亞

He was known in Greek mythology as a rogue ruler

讓他在希臘神話中以昏君聞名

whose antics bemused his people and distracted the gods.

其愚蠢行為不但困惑人民 還使眾神不勝其擾

Midas spent his days in a stupor of splendor,

邁達斯在金迷紙醉中度日

spoiling himself and his beloved daughter and gorging himself on feasts and wine.

驕寵自己及心愛的女兒 並盡享筵席及葡萄酒

Unsurprisingly, he felt an affinity with Dionysus,

想當然爾，他覺得自己與戴歐尼修斯

god of wine, carnival, and performance.

這位掌管酒、歡樂與表演的神很相似

One day, Midas discovered a satyr

有一天，米達斯發現 一個嗜酒好色之徒

dozing in his rose garden and drunk on more than the scent of flowers.

在他的玫瑰園中打盹 還沉醉在奇怪的氣味中

Midas recognized the satyr as one of Dionysus’s followers

邁達斯認出這個酒鬼 是戴歐尼修斯的部下

and let him nurse his hangover at the palace.

就讓他在皇宮中調治宿醉

Pleased with the king’s hospitality, Dionysus offered to grant him one wish.

戴歐尼修斯對國王的款待很滿意 決定滿足他一個願望

Midas cast a greedy eye over his surroundings.

邁達斯用貪婪的眼看著四周

Despite the luxury in which he lived,

儘管已經過著奢華的生活

no amount of precious jewels, finest silk or splendid decor felt like enough.

無論多少貴重的珠寶、上等的絲綢 或華麗的裝飾都不能滿足他

His life, he thought, was lacking luster; what he needed was more gold.

他認為自己的生活缺乏光彩 所以想要更多金子

The god sent the power to turn anything the king touched to gold

這位酒神送他點物成金的能力

surging through Midas.

邁達斯全身充滿超能力

Ecstatic, he turned to his possessions.

他欣喜若狂地轉向他的財物

At his lightest touch, the palace walls transformed,

只要輕輕一碰，宮殿的牆就變了

stone statues shone,

石雕閃閃發光

and goblets glittered.

酒杯燦爛耀眼

He galloped through his home in a frenzy,

他瘋狂地在家中奔馳

handling each item until it took on a lustrous sheen.

把每一件物品都變得金光閃閃

Soon the palace heaved with gold,

宮殿很快就遍布黃金

and Midas’s delirious laughter echoed off the walls.

邁達斯的狂笑聲在四壁中迴盪

Exhausted and hungry from his rampage,

他橫衝直撞，疲憊不堪

Midas picked up a bunch of grapes from his newly gilded fruit bowl.

邁達斯從新鍍金的 水果盤中拿起一串葡萄

But he nearly shattered his teeth,

但是他差點把牙齒咬斷

for the fruit had turned to metal in his mouth.

因為葡萄在他的口中變成金屬

When he picked up a loaf of bread, the crumbs hardened in his hand.

他又拿起一條麵包 碎屑卻在他手中變硬

Flinging himself onto his bed in frustration,

他在無奈之下，倒臥在床

Midas discovered his plush pillows had morphed into solid gold.

卻發現他軟綿綿的枕頭 變形成堅硬的金塊

Hearing his cries of frustration, his daughter entered the room.

聽到他失望的呼天喊地 他的女兒進入房間

But when Midas reached out to her,

但是當邁達斯手一碰到她

he saw with horror that he had frozen her into a golden statue.

就驚恐地看到他把自己的女兒 變成一座金雕像

Horrified at what he had done,

他被自己所為嚇壞

Midas begged the gods to rid him of his power.

邁達斯哀求眾神把他的能力拿走

Taking pity on the foolish king,

戴歐尼修斯同情這位愚王

Dionysus told Midas to wash his hands in the River Pactolus.

告訴他去帕克托洛斯河洗手

When Midas reached into the river, the gold drained from his fingertips.

邁達斯一碰到河水 金子就從他指尖流出

Midas returned home to find his daughter alive

邁達斯回到家中，發現女兒還活著

and his palace back to normal, and he rejoiced.

宮殿恢復原貌，他就滿心歡喜

You’d think he would’ve learned his lesson,

你以為這樣他就學乖了？

but just a few weeks later, Midas blundered again,

不到幾個星期，米達斯又出漏子了

insulting the music and sun god Apollo when he declared Pan a greater musician.

他羞辱了掌管音樂及太陽的阿波羅神

因為他宣稱牧神潘是最偉大的音樂家

Apollo scornfully declared that the king must have the ears of an ass

阿波羅很不屑地表示 這位國王一定有對驢子的耳朵

to make such a misjudgment, and transformed Midas accordingly.

才會做出這麼不正確的判斷 就讓米達斯長出驢耳

Once again regretting his behavior,

邁達斯再次對自己的行為後悔

Midas kept his hairy ears hidden in public.

他把毛茸茸的耳朵 藏起來不讓大家看見

They were seen only by his barber,

只有他的理髮師看得到

who was sworn to secrecy during a very awkward grooming session.

有次理髮時非常尷尬 理髮師還發誓要保密

The barber stifled his laughter and fought the desire to tell someone,

這位理髮師強忍笑聲 克制住想對人說的慾望

yet the secret consumed him.

然而這個秘密壓垮了他

One day, he walked outside the city and dug a hole in the ground.

有一天，他走到城外 在地上挖一個洞

Plunging his head into the earth,

他把頭伸進土裡

the desperate barber whispered, “Midas has ass’s ears.”

絕望的理髮師低語著： 「邁達斯有對驢耳。」

Soon after, a clump of reeds sprang up

不久之後，一叢蘆葦長起

in the spot where the barber had buried his words.

出現在理髮師埋葬話語的地方

When the wind blew, they carried the echoes of his whisper through the breeze:

陣風吹起，他的低語在風中迴盪：

"Midas has ass’s ears."

「邁達斯有對驢耳。」

At the sound, donkeys in the fields raised their heads in recognition

聽到這回聲，田中的驢子 抬起頭來表示認可

and people chuckled to themselves at the follies of their king.

民眾暗自竊笑國王的蠢事

With his golden touch and ass’s ears, Midas was not the most respected ruler.

邁達斯點物成金及驢耳朵的事 讓他沒能成為最受尊敬的統治者

And where other leaders were honored through statues and temples,

其他領袖都因受人景仰 而獲封雕像與廟宇

his people remembered him a little differently:

他的人民卻以不同的方式紀念他：

in the depths of the glittering river and the rustle of the Phrygian wind.

河流深處閃閃發光的金 和佛里幾亞沙沙的風聲

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