A day in the life of a Mongolian queen - Anne F. Broadbridge

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

As dawn breaks over a moveable city of ten thousand yurts,

黎明時分，太陽照亮了一萬個 蒙古包所組成的可移動城市，

Queen Boraqchin is in for a rude awakening.

布拉克青皇后被無禮地叫醒。

A rogue sheep has slipped past her servants and guards

一隻離群的綿羊 溜過她的僕人和守衛，

and bolted into her yurt,

衝進她的蒙古包，

where he springs into bed and bleats in her ear.

跳到她的床上， 在她的耳邊咩咩叫。

Although she’s the formidable khatun of the Golden Horde,

雖然她是欽察汗國 讓人畏懼的可敦（皇后），

a huge kingdom in the Mongolian Empire,

欽察汗國是蒙古帝國的一大汗國，

Boraqchin has a hands-on approach to ruling.

但布拉克青有她自己 躬親的統治方法。

She’s been married to Batu Khan,

她嫁給拔都汗，

the fearsome grandson of Genghis Khan himself,

他是成吉思汗的孫子， 讓人害怕的可汗，

since she was fifteen –

她結婚時才十五歲——

and while her husband is out on his raids,

當她的丈夫在外襲擊，

she juggles the duties of flocks, family and empire at home.

她則要處理家鄉的 羊群、家庭，以及帝國。

This makes her the manager – and the mover – of a city of thousands.

那讓她成為數千人城市的 管理者以及移動者。

Twice a year, Boraqchin moves the city between two seasonal camping grounds.

布拉克青一年要將城市在兩個 季節性的營地間移動兩次。

This ensures constant water and lush grass in summer,

這樣才能確保在夏天 有不斷的水源和茂盛的草，

and protection from harsh winds in winter.

冬天則能躲避寒風。

The whole operation requires weeks of strict planning,

這整個行動需要數週的周密計劃，

liaising with the other camps in her domain, strategic delegation –

她聯絡領土上的其他營地， 策略性地下放權力，

and the patience to move at the speed of dawdling animals.

還耐心地循動物的速度緩緩移動。

Today is moving day,

今天是移動日，

and she’ll have to direct throngs of her ladies, commanders, slaves and animals

她得要引導一大群女子、 指揮官、奴隸，以及動物，

up the river Volga for the summer.

前往窩瓦河，在那度過夏天。

As Boraqchin steps outside,

當布拉克青走出來時，

she’s greeted by a commotion –

馬上碰到了騷動——

her unwanted visitor is now running circles around her stewards.

這位不速之客繞著 她的管事們轉圈子。

They’re attempting to stow her possessions securely into wagons.

這些管事們正在試著 將她的物品安全地放到車上。

Boraqchin orders them to get it under control –

布拉克青命令他們把牠管好——

but she’s the only one quick enough to catch the stray.

但只有她快到能抓住這隻亂跑的羊。

She next supervises her ladies who are unpinning her yurt

接著，她監督她侍女們 收起她的蒙古包，

and lifting it onto its custom wagon.

放到為它訂製的貨車上。

It requires a team of twenty oxen to pull,

需要有二十頭牛來拉才足夠，

and Boraqchin wouldn’t trust anyone to steer it but herself.

而布拉克青不相信任何人， 她要親自駕駛。

Next, Boraqchin and her woolly companion meet with the guards.

接著，布拉克青 和她的羊夥伴去找守衛。

She orders them to keep close watch on her husband's special reception yurt

她命令他們要嚴守 她丈夫的特殊接待蒙古包，

and port-able throne during the journey.

以及在旅行時可攜帶的王座。

They’ll also act as outriders,

他們也要擔任騎乘侍從，

and she tells them how to secure the route, surround her for safety –

她告訴他們要如何確保路線安全， 圍繞著她來保護她——

and keep the animals in check.

並要確保動物都在掌控中。

But when the sheep finally breaks free and makes for the fields,

但當這隻羊終於脫身跑向田野，

the guards can barely keep up

守衛們幾乎追不上，

as it scampers through crowds packing up their yurts.

牠蹦跳穿過正在打包 蒙古包的人群。

Exasperated, Boraqchin rides down to the pastures herself.

布拉克青很火大， 自己騎馬追到牧地。

When she gets there,

到那裡時，她看見那隻麻煩的綿羊

she catches sight of the troublesome sheep wriggling into the middle of a flock.

潛入了一群羊群中。

When she follows him in,

她跟著進去，

he’s nestled next to a ewe, his mother.

牠依偎在一隻母羊身邊， 那是牠的母親。

She’s pregnant, and seems to be in pain.

母羊懷孕了，似乎很痛苦。

With a start, Boraqchin realizes that this ewe’s impending delivery

布拉克青吃了一驚， 她發現母羊馬上就要生產了，

has been forgotten in the flurry of moving day.

在忙亂的移動日，此事竟被遺忘。

There’s no time to find a shepherd –

沒有時間去找牧羊人——

instead, Boraqchin rolls up her sleeves, greases her arm

布拉克青決定捲起衣袖， 潤滑她的手臂，

and helps the ewe give birth to two new additions to the empire.

協助母羊生產，

為帝國再生出了兩隻小羊。

Leaving the lambs and their mother,

布拉克青離開了小羊 和牠們的母親，趕回到營地。

Boraqchin dashes back to the camp.

Here the final touches have been put to packing,

營地的打包工作已經在收尾，

and vehicles are starting to line up.

交通工具開始排好隊形。

This vast procession starts with the queen

這浩大的隊伍以皇后為首，

and two hundred wagons filled with her treasures.

以及兩百台車，裝滿她的寶物。

Next up are the junior wives and crew,

後面則是小妻子和工作人員，

then the concubines –

然後是妾——

and this is only Boraqchin's camp.

且這只是布拉克青的那一營。

After this comes the second imperial camp

在後面還有另一位資深的妻子

led by another senior wife,

所領導的第二個帝國營隊，

then two more camps, also led by wives.

然後還有另外兩個營， 也是由妻子領導。

Boraqchin has been checking in with them for weeks to ensure

數週來，布拉克青 都要和她們聯絡確認，

a smooth departure and orderly queue.

以確保能順利起程， 並保持隊伍的秩序。

But they only make up the royal portion of the line –

但這也只是隊列中的 皇室部分而已——

behind them winds the entire civilian city,

還有一整個平民城市 蜿蜒地跟在他們後面，

which includes holy men with portable chapels and mosques,

成員包括帶著可攜式小教堂 和清真寺的神職人員、

families, tradesmen, and shepherds.

家庭、生意人，以及牧人。

Finally, Boraqchin settles into her wagon.

最後，布拉克青 在她的座車上安頓好，

It’ll take weeks to reach their destination –

還要數週的時間才會 抵達目的地——

but over the course of the journey,

但在旅行的過程中，

she’ll keep everyone expertly in check –

她會確保每一個人 都很熟練地遵守規則——

from her proud children and attentive subjects,

從讓她驕傲的孩子們及身邊的人，

to the most meandering sheep at the back of line.

到隊伍後段最會漫步的綿羊。