How Magellan circumnavigated the globe - Ewandro Magalhaes

譯者: Bobby Chiu 審譯者: Yingying Lee

On September 6, 1522,

1522 年 9 月 6 日

the "Victoria" sailed into harbor in southern Spain.

維多利亞號回到西班牙南方港口

The battered vessel and its 18 sailors were all that remained

只剩下破舊的船艙及 18 名水手

of a fleet that had departed three years before.

已非三年前船隊出航的盛大風光

Yet her voyage was considered a success

然而這趟航行依然是個創舉

for the "Victoria" had achieved something unprecedented:

維多利亞號寫下了人類的歷史

the first circumnavigation of the globe.

第一次繞地球一周的航行

But this story really begins in 1494,

故事得從 1494 年說起

two years after Columbus's voyage on behalf of Spain.

哥倫布代表西班牙航行的兩年後

Columbus's discovery had prompted the Catholic Spanish rulers

他的發現讓西班牙的統治者蠢蠢欲動

to turn to the Pope to preempt any claims by Portugal to the new lands.

他們搶在葡萄牙前 向教皇聲明新大陸所有權

The Pope resolved this dispute by drawing an imaginary line on the world map.

於是教皇在世界地圖上 畫了一條假想線來解決爭議

Spain had the right to claim territories west of the divide,

西班牙有權佔領西半邊的土地

and Portugal to the east.

東半邊則給葡萄牙

Spain and Portugal, the two major seafaring super powers at the time,

西班牙和葡萄牙這兩個當代強權

agreed to these terms in what came to be called the Treaty of Tordesillas.

都同意這項史稱 「托爾德西利亞斯條約」的決議

At the time, these nations had their eyes on the same prize:

當時，雙方都著眼於同一個目標

trade routes to the Spice Islands in today's Indonesia.

那就是找到貿易路線， 前往位於今日印尼的香料群島

The spices found there,

那裡的香料

which were used as seasonings,

可以用來增添風味

food preservatives,

保存食物

and aphrodisiacs,

甚至用作催情劑

were worth many times their weight in gold.

小小一撮就價值連城， 是等重金價的許多倍

But because of Portugal's control over eastern sea routes,

然而葡萄牙已經佔了東向的航線

Spain's only viable option was to sail west.

西班牙唯一的選擇就是向西航行

So when a Portuguese defector named Ferdinand Magellan

於是當葡萄牙叛逃出來的 斐迪南·麥哲倫說

claimed that a westward route to the Spice Islands existed,

有一條向西的航線能到香料群島

King Charles made him captain of a Spanish armada,

西班牙國王查理一世 便派他當一支船隊的船長

and gave him all the resources he would need.

除了提供一切所需的資源

Along with a share in the voyage's profits,

國王還承諾給他航行成果的分紅

he granted Magellan five ships and about 260 men.

麥哲倫得到五艘船 和大約 260 名船員

The crew included a young slave named Enrique,

包含一名年輕奴隸恩里克

captured by Magellan on a previous journey to Malacca,

他是麥哲倫之前去馬拉加抓到的

and Antonio Pigafetta,

以及安東尼奧·皮加費塔

a Venetian nobleman seeking adventure.

一名熱愛冒險的威尼斯貴族

On September 20, 1519, the fleet weighed anchor

1519 年 9 月 20 日船隊出航

and headed southwest.

向西南前進

After making landfall in what is now Brazil,

在現今的巴西登陸後

it proceeded along the coast, exploring any water way leading inland.

船隊沿著海岸尋找往內陸的水路

They were looking for the fabled passage linking east and west.

尋找著傳說中連結東西的通道

As the weather worsened,

但隨著天氣變糟

the Spaniards resentment at having a Portuguese captain escalated.

西班牙船員對麥哲倫 這個葡萄牙船長的不滿日漸升高

A full-blown mutiny soon erupted,

全面叛亂頓時引爆

which Magellan crushed with unspeakable cruelty.

而麥哲倫無比殘酷地鎮壓了叛亂

But his problems were only just beginning.

但他的麻煩才正要開始

During a reconnaissance mission, the "Santiago" was wrecked by a storm.

聖地牙哥號在一次偵察任務中 被風暴捲入而摧毀

Then while exploring a narrow waterway,

此外，在探索一條狹窄的水路時

the captain of the "San Antonio" took the first opportunity to slip away

聖安東尼奧號的船長趁機逃跑

and sail back home.

直接掉頭回家鄉

Magellan pressed forward,

麥哲倫繼續向前

and on October 21, he started exploring a navigable sea way.

在 10 月 21 日開始探索 一條可供航行的海路

27 freezing days later,

27 個寒冷日子後

the three remaining ships emerged from what we now call

剩下的三艘船穿過了一道海峽

the Strait of Magellan into the Mar Pacifico.

也就是現在的麥哲倫海峽， 進入太平洋

The fleet never expected the new ocean to be so vast.

這片海洋遠比船隊想像得遼闊

After 98 days at sea, dozens of sailors had succumbed to scurvy and famine.

在海上待了 98 天後， 許多船員死於壞血病及飢餓

When they finally reached land again,

當他們終於重新踏上陸地時

Enrique, the young slave, proved able to communicate with the natives.

發現船員中那年輕的奴隸恩里克 能夠與當地土著溝通

Their goal couldn't be far.

表示他們的目的地不遠了

Sailing further west, Magellan was warmly received by Rajah Humabon of Cebu.

再往西邊前進，麥哲倫受到 宿霧統治者的熱情禮遇

So when the ruler asked him to help subdue

所以當對方請他幫忙鎮壓

and convert the rebellious chief of Mactan,

並撤換造反的麥克坦島統治者

the captain readily agreed.

麥哲倫就欣然同意了

The adventure would be his last.

而這卻成為他最後一場冒險

Overconfident and severely outnumbered, Magellan's force was overwhelmed,

麥哲倫的軍隊過分自信， 最後卻寡不敵眾而慘遭擊潰

and the native's bamboo spears ended the captain's life.

麥哲倫也死在當地原住民的竹矛下

Yet the voyage had to continue.

然而航程還是得繼續下去

Magellan's will specified that Enrique should be freed,

麥哲倫的遺囑提到放安里克自由

but the expedition still needed an interpreter.

但此次遠航仍需由他來做翻譯

With his freedom at stake,

據說安里克為了自由

Enrique is believed to have plotted with the Rajah

和宿霧的統治者合辦了場鴻門宴

to have about 30 of the Spaniards killed at a feast on the beach.

在宴會上殺死了約三十個西班牙船員

Enrique was never heard from again,

之後就再也沒有安里克的下落

but if he ever made it back to Malacca,

但若是他回到馬拉加

he may have been the first person to actually circumnavigate the globe.

他很可能成為史上第一個 繞地球一周的人

Meanwhile, the survivors burned the Concepcion

同時，倖存者燒了康塞普西翁號

and proceeded onward.

繼續向前行

They finally reached the Spice Islands in November of 1521

終於在 1521 年 11 月 抵達香料群島

and loaded up on precious cargo.

加載了珍貴的貨物

But they still had to return to Spain.

但他們還得航行回去西班牙

The "Trinidad" sank shortly after being captured by the Portuguese.

特立尼達號被葡萄牙捕獲後便沉沒

The "Victoria" continued west, piloted by Juan Sebastián Elcano,

維多利亞號則持續向西， 由胡安·艾爾卡諾掌舵

one of the pardoned mutineers.

他是一名被赦免的叛將

Against all odds, the small vessel made it back to Spain

經過風風雨雨， 小船總算回到西班牙

with a full cargo of cloves and cinnamon,

船上滿載丁香和肉桂

enough to cover the expedition and turn a profit.

價值足以攤平航行成本，還賺了一筆

An obsessive chronicler,

倖存者之一的探險家皮加費塔

Pigafetta described the lands and people they encountered.

紀錄下航程中的所見所聞

With the help of a humble slave,

他還在奴隸的幫助下

he also compiled the world's first phrase book

編寫了世上第一本土語大全

of native languages.

紀錄土著語言

His journal is the reason we can tell this story.

我們之所以有這些故事能說 也都要歸功於他

Magellan's legacy lingers.

麥哲倫的傳奇流傳於世

He had galaxies and space programs named after him.

有銀河和太空計畫都以他命名

Elcano, too, was celebrated in Spain

接替他掌舵的艾爾卡諾 同樣在西班牙受到推崇

with a coat of arms and his face on currency and stamps.

紙鈔和郵票上都可以看到 他的盾徽和肖像

United by fate, the survivors

命中注定般

and the hundreds who sacrificed their lives

倖存者和在旅途中喪命的人 匯聚在一起

challenged conventional wisdom

顛覆了當時人們的想像

and completed a historic journey once thought impossible.

完成了這趟 一度被認為不可能的旅程