The twins who tricked the Maya gods of death - Ilan Stavans

譯者: 芄妤 陳 審譯者: Helen Chang

Day after day, the twin brothers, Jun and Wuqub,

日復一日，雙胞胎兄弟琿與胡庫，

ran back and forth playing ball.

來回玩著球。

One day, their vigorous game disturbed the lords of the underworld,

某天他們的遊戲惹怒了 地府的統治者，

who challenged the twins to a match.

於是統治者向他們提出一個挑戰。

But when the brothers arrived, the lords trapped and killed them,

當雙胞胎到比賽現場時， 統治者抓住並殺了雙胞胎，

hanging Jun’s head from a tree as a trophy.

並將琿的頭掛在樹上作為戰利品。

The tree soon sprouted massive fruit,

那棵樹很快地結了大果實，

which caught the attention of one of the lords’ daughters.

其中一位統治者的女兒注意到這件事。

When she reached for it, the skull of Jun spat on her hand

當她伸手想摘果實時， 琿的頭顱向她手心吐口水，

and impregnated her.

讓她受孕。

Fleeing of her father’s wrath,

為了躲避父親的怒火，

she sought refuge with her mother-in-law and gave birth to twin sons:

她逃到婆婆家尋求庇護， 生下了一對雙胞胎：

Junajpu and Ixb’alanke.

胡納普和伊斯巴蘭克。

The second generation of twins discovered their father’s ballgame equipment,

第二代雙胞胎發現了爸爸的遊戲球。

which their grandmother had hidden, and began to play.

原本被祖母藏起來， 卻被他們拿出來玩。

Soon enough, the messengers from the underworld

很快地，地府的信使

arrived to issue another challenge.

向他們提出了另一項挑戰。

Knowing what had happened to their fathers,

儘管知道父親們曾慘遭毒手，

the twins nevertheless answered the call,

雙胞胎還是接受了挑戰，

trekking through deep caverns

他們向幽深的洞穴挺進，

and across rivers filled with scorpions, blood, and pus,

跨越爬滿蠍子、留著黃膿的血河，

until they reached the great city

抵達地府偉大之城，

from which the lords of the underworld controlled every aspect of nature

在那地府統治者們控制萬物，

and caused suffering for humans.

並製造了人類的苦難。

The twins pressed on, searching for the lords who had challenged them.

雙胞胎繼續前行， 尋找提出挑戰的統治者。

The lords had hidden among statues of themselves to confuse their guests,

為了混淆雙胞胎， 統治者們藏在他們的雕像中。

but the brothers sent a mosquito ahead of them.

但雙胞胎送出一隻蚊子先行，

When it stung the figures, the lords cried out, revealing themselves.

當蚊子咬了雕像一口，

統治者大叫一聲，暴露了自己身份。

They forced the twins to spend the night in the House of Darkness.

他們強迫雙胞胎在黑暗之屋內過夜。

They gave them a torch, but warned they must return it unburnt or face death.

統治者給他們一個火把，

但警告他們絕對不能點燃，

否則就殺了他們

As the darkness closed in,

當黑暗降臨，

the quick-thinking brothers adorned the torch

這對機敏的兄弟 用紅色金剛鸚鵡的羽毛，

with red macaw feathers and fireflies.

還有螢火蟲裝飾火把。

Come morning, the lords were shocked to see the torch lit, but unburnt.

一到早上，統治者看到點亮 卻沒被點燃的火把時全都嚇呆了。

They insisted on playing the game with their own ball.

接著統治者堅持要雙胞胎 使用他們的球進行比賽。

The twins agreed, only to find that the lords had hidden a weapon

雙胞胎答應了，

卻發現統治者在球裡暗藏武器。

inside the ball,

which chased them around the court, trying to kill them.

那顆球在宮殿裡追殺雙胞胎， 試圖殺死他們。

The twins survived that first round,

雖然雙胞胎在第一回合存活了下來，

but by now they were sure this would be no ordinary match.

但現在他們更加確信這會是場硬仗。

They played many more rounds,

他們又進行了好幾回合，

and each time the twins scored no better than a tie,

然而每次都只能打得平手，

leaving them to face whatever supernatural trial

只能面對統治者 任意訂下的超自然試煉，

the lords set for them before picking up the game again.

在他們再次比賽前都是如此。

They survived the House of Cold by lighting a fire,

他們在寒冷之屋靠著升火活了下來，

and the House of Jaguars by feeding bones to the beasts.

在美洲豹之屋內餵猛獸骨頭得以自保。

But in the House of Bats, a bat bit off Junajpu’s head.

然而在蝙蝠之屋時， 胡納普的頭被一隻蝙蝠咬了下來。

Certain they now had the advantage,

佔得優勢後，

the lords called for another round of the ballgame,

統治者要求進行另一場玩球比賽，

hanging Junajpu’s head over the court.

而胡納普的頭被吊在宮殿上方。

The quick-thinking Ixb’alanke called the animals to him.

才思敏捷的伊斯巴蘭克 召喚動物來到身邊。

A turtle brought him a chilacayote squash,

一隻烏龜為他帶來了一顆黑籽南瓜，

and he carved it into the likeness of a head.

他將南瓜刻成了頭的形狀。

While the lords chased the ball, he swapped it with the head.

正當統治者追球時， 他用南瓜調換了兄弟的頭。

With Junajpu’s head back on his body, the twins played harder than ever.

胡納普接回頭後， 他們竭盡全力比賽。

Finally, they won the game,

最後他們贏得了比賽，

hitting the hanging squash so it shattered on the ground.

用球砸中南瓜，使其碎成一地。

The twins knew their treacherous hosts would not take the loss well.

雙胞胎知道他們奸詐的 統治者絕對不會服輸。

To protect themselves, they enlisted a pair of seers.

為了保護自己， 他們尋求一對預言家的幫助。

Sure enough, the lords burned the brothers in an oven,

可想而知，統治者用烤爐 將雙胞胎燒成灰燼，

but the seers made sure their remains were thrown in the river,

但預言家確保他們的遺體 被棄置於河中，

which restored them to life.

讓他們得以復生。

The brothers then came before the lords disguised as two disheveled children

這對兄弟偽裝成一對 衣衫襤褸的孩子來到統治者面前，

and began to dance and perform miracles.

表演跳舞及展示奇蹟。

For their final trick, Ixb’alanke pretended to kill Junajpu,

在最後一個把戲， 伊斯巴蘭克佯裝殺死胡納普，

then resurrect him.

隨後又復活他。

The lords were so delighted that they demanded the same trick

統治者們龍心大悅，

be performed on them.

要求在他們身上玩一樣的把戲。

Still in disguise, the brothers were only too happy to oblige,

偽裝之下的雙胞胎十分樂意效勞，

and began killing the lords one by one.

一個接一個地殺死統治者。

As the surviving lords realized who stood before them

當還活著的統治者發覺 站在他們面前的人是誰，

and that no resurrection was forthcoming,

並且其他統治者並沒有復活時，

they begged for mercy, and the twins spoke their curse.

他們下跪求饒， 而雙胞胎施下了詛咒。

Henceforth, the lords would have no sacrifices

從今以後，地府統治者不得 收取任何供品，

and no power over the surface world.

也不得掌控地上世界。

Their days of terrorizing humans were over.

地府統治者對人類所施行的 暴政自此結束。