The myth of Zeus' test - Iseult Gillespie

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

It was dark when two mysterious, shrouded figures

在黑暗中，兩個神秘隱蔽的身影

appeared in the hillside village.

出現在山腰上的村落裡。

The strangers knocked on every door in town, asking for food and shelter.

這兩位陌生人在鎮上挨家挨戶敲門，

請求食物和棲身處。

But, again and again, they were turned away.

但他們一再地被拒絕。

Soon, there was just one door left:

沒多久，就只剩下一戶還沒問了：

that of a small, thatched shack.

一間小型的茅草棚屋。

An elderly couple, Baucis and Philemon, answered the thunderous knock.

一對老夫妻，

鮑西絲和費萊蒙，

回應了雷聲般的敲門聲。

Although there was something off about these visitors,

雖然這兩位訪客似乎 有什麼不對勁的地方，

it was in the pair’s nature to care for those in need.

出於本性，這對夫妻 仍然想要照顧有需求的人。

Philemon invited them to rest,

費萊蒙邀請他們進來休息，

and the cottage flooded with warmth as Baucis teased the fire back to life.

小屋內暖烘烘的，

因為鮑西絲又重新讓火燃起來。

When they were young, Baucis and Philemon had fallen in love,

年輕的時候，

鮑西絲和費萊蒙陷入熱戀，

married, and settled in the humble cottage.

他們結了婚，在簡陋的小屋定居。

Decades later, their home was still standing—

數十年後，

他們的家仍然屹立——

and they were more devoted to each other than ever.

他們對彼此也更忠誠專一。

The strangers watched intently as Baucis nestled twigs under a battered pot

兩位陌生人專注地看著

鮑西絲在老舊的鍋子 下面放置小樹枝，

filled with vegetables.

鍋中滿是蔬菜。

The couple could rarely afford meat, but in honor of their guests,

這對夫妻幾乎負擔不起肉類，

但為了招待賓客，

Philemon cut strips from an aging shank for the stew.

費萊蒙從一塊很老的 小腿肉上切下肉條

來烹煮。

They made cheerful conversation and offered their visitors hot baths.

他們愉快地談話，

並提供熱水澡給他們的訪客。

Baucis used a chip of broken clay to balance the wobbly table’s legs

鮑西絲把一片黏土破片

放在桌腳下，讓搖晃的桌子能平衡，

and rubbed its surface with mint until it smelled sweet and fresh.

再用薄荷來擦桌面，

直到桌面聞起來又芳香又清新。

Weaving around each other with care,

帶著關懷，在彼此身邊搖晃地走著，

the couple transformed what they had into a feast.

這對夫妻用手邊現有的素材 變出了一頓盛宴。

Soon, the tabletop overflowed with food and the last of their sweet wine.

沒多久，桌面上就滿是

食物以及他們的最後一瓶美酒。

Privately, Baucis and Philemon worried that their provisions would run out.

鮑西絲和費萊蒙在私底下

擔心他們的糧食會用盡。

Yet, as the night wore on,

但，隨著夜漸深，

and their strange guests took hearty gulps of wine,

這兩位奇怪的賓客盡情地大口飲酒，

the clay vessel never ran dry.

黏土酒瓶卻始終沒有見底。

The couple, at first relieved, grew terrified.

這對夫妻一開始是鬆了一口氣，

然後開始害怕。

Their guests weren’t humble peasants traveling the countryside.

他們的賓客並非 旅經鄉間的卑微農民。

They were almost certainly gods in disguise—

幾乎可以確定他們就是

偽裝成人的神——

but which gods, they didn’t know.

但他們不知道是哪兩位神。

Panicked that their preparations were inadequate,

出於害怕他們準備的東西不妥當，

Baucis and Philemon searched for another offering.

鮑西絲和費萊蒙又去找 還有什麼能拿來招待。

The only precious thing left was the goose that guarded their home.

唯一省下的珍品就是 看守他們家園的鵝。

The couple repeatedly lunged after the bird,

這對夫妻不斷撲向那隻鵝，

but they were too worn out for the chase.

但追逐讓他們筋疲力竭。

So, they prepared to receive the wrath of the gods.

所以他們準備好了要承受神的憤怒。

Their guests rose up, shedding their rags and mortal masks.

他們的賓客站起來，

除去披在身上的布以及凡人的面具。

Looming before them was Zeus, the storm-brewing ruler of the gods,

出現在眼前的是令人生畏的宙斯，

他是呼風喚雨的眾神統治者，

and his son, Hermes,

另一位是他的兒子赫密士，

the fleet-footed messenger who shepherded mortals to the underworld.

是護送凡人到陰間的敏捷信差。

The gods told the old couple that, unlike the other townspeople,

兩神告訴這對夫妻，

和鎮上其他人不同，

they had shown true xenia, or loving hospitality to strangers.

他們展現了真正的好客，

或是說對陌生人的慈愛款待。

They alone had passed the test.

只有他們通過了考驗。

The gods commanded the couple to follow them,

兩神命令這對夫妻跟著祂們，

and the group ascended the nearest mountain.

大夥登上了最近的山上。

Nearing the summit, Baucis and Philemon looked back—

接近頂峰時，

鮑西絲和費萊蒙回頭看——

but were shocked to see a murky swamp where their village stood

大吃一驚，他們看到 一片黑暗的沼澤，

不久前那個位置還是他們的村落。

just moments before.

As punishment for refusing to shelter the gods,

為了懲罰拒絕提供棲身處給神的人，

Zeus and Hermes had cast the townspeople underwater,

宙斯和赫密士

把鎮民通通丟入水底，

leaving only their hosts’ home intact,

只有招待祂們的東道主， 房子還能不受影響。

Recalling their friends and neighbors,

想到他們的朋友和鄰居，

Baucis and Philemon couldn’t hide their terror and mournful tears,

鮑西絲和費萊蒙 再也藏不住他們的驚駭

和悲傷的眼淚，

even as their house transformed below.

即使他們底下的房子已經改觀了。

It grew larger and sprouted marble pillars and steps.

房子變大了，

還長出大理石柱和階梯。

Legends etched themselves onto its grand doors.

傳奇將自己蝕刻在房子的堂皇大門上。

Their rickety cottage had metamorphosed into a gleaming temple for the gods.

他們那搖搖晃晃的小屋

變成了閃閃發光的神殿。

Hermes commended the couple and gently asked if there was anything they desired.

赫密士稱讚了這對夫妻，

並溫柔地詢問他們有沒有想要什麼。

After a brief discussion, Philemon requested that he and Baucis

經過簡短的討論，

費萊蒙的請願是他和鮑西絲

be permitted to care for the new temple.

能獲准去照顧這個新神殿。

And he asked if, when their time came, they could die together,

他還有個請求，當他們的時候到了，

希望能夠一起死去，

so neither would have to face life without the other.

這麼一來，誰都不用面臨 沒有對方的日子。

Tending to the temple and one another, they lived many more years.

照顧著神殿，也照顧著彼此，

他們又活了許多年。

Until, one day, Baucis noticed leaves fluttering from her husband’s hands

直到有一天，

鮑西絲注意到樹葉 從她先生的手中飄起來，

and looked down to find her own skin hardening.

低頭看時，發現 她自己的皮膚在變硬。

They embraced, becoming rooted in place.

他們互相擁抱，

在原地生根。

Vines wound around their legs and canopies flourished overhead.

藤蔓纏繞他們的腿，

樹冠在他們頭上茂盛生長。

They bid each other a loving, last farewell as humans.

他們給了彼此慈愛的道別， 身為人的最後一次道別。

And where Baucis and Philemon had just stood, bent with age,

鮑西絲和費萊蒙先前站立著， 並隨著時間漸漸彎曲的地方，

there towered a linden and an oak tree,

長出了一棵菩提樹和一棵橡樹，

their branches intertwined for eternity.

他們的樹枝永遠交纏在一起。