The myth of Hades and Persephone - Iseult Gillespie

譯者: Camila Lin 審譯者: Amanda Zhu

Every year before the ancient Greeks sowed their seeds of grain,

每一年，古希臘人都會在播種前

they celebrated Demeter, the goddess of agriculture.

榮耀農業女神狄蜜特。

On Earth, each morsel of food was sweet sustenance,

在人間，每一口食物都是豐沛的營養，

while in the land of the dead, it ensured a permanent stay.

但冥界的食物卻是禁錮靈魂的枷鎖。

Demeter tended to Earth’s fields with her beloved daughter, Persephone,

狄蜜特總是和愛女波賽芬妮， 一同看顧人間的田地。

who inherited her mother’s passions and grew into a bright young woman.

波賽芬妮繼承了母親的熱情， 長成一位明艷動人的年輕女子。

But all the while, a shadowy figure watched from below.

在此期間，某個黑暗的身影 也一直從地底窺視著她。

One day, Persephone was frolicking in a meadow

某天，波賽芬妮和名叫賽恩妮的水精靈

with a freshwater nymph, Cyane.

一同在草地上嬉戲。

As they admired a blooming narcissus flower,

在欣賞一朵盛開的水仙時，

they noticed it tremble in the ground.

她們感到大地一陣震動。

Suddenly, the earth split, and a terrifying figure arose.

突然，地面裂開， 出現一個可怕的身影。

It was Hades, god of the dead and the underworld.

那是掌管冥界的死亡之神黑帝斯。

He wrenched Persephone from Cyane, dragged her into his inky chariot,

他猛力將波賽芬妮 拉進他漆黑的馬車裡，

and blasted back through the earth.

瞬間又返回地底。

Cyane wept so hard she dissolved, becoming one with the river.

賽恩妮哭得非常厲害， 最後化成水，融入河流。

By the time Demeter arrived at the scene of the abduction,

在狄蜜特趕到女兒被擄走的地方時，

the crater in the meadow had closed— and Cyane and Persephone had vanished.

草地上的坑洞早已密合， 賽恩妮和波賽芬妮也不見蹤影。

Demeter sped to Mount Olympus for help.

狄蜜特立刻趕往奧林帕斯求助。

Many of the gods had witnessed the scene.

許多神明都看見事發經過。

And they knew about the deal that paved the way for it:

他們也知道引發這件事的一項約定：

Zeus, Persephone’s father, had granted Hades her hand in marriage

波賽芬妮的父親宙斯 曾經答應黑帝斯要把女兒嫁給他，

without her consent— or Demeter’s.

卻未經波賽芬妮本人或狄蜜特的同意。

But when faced with Demeter’s pleas, the other gods stayed silent,

但在面對狄蜜特的懇求時， 這些神明都保持沉默。

So, she searched alone.

所以，狄蜜特只能自己找尋女兒。

In her grief and desperation, she neglected her usual tasks.

深陷在悲傷和絕望中的狄蜜特 完全忽略了自己平常的職責。

Crops withered, and a great famine plagued the Earth.

穀物枯萎，嚴重的飢荒席捲人間。

As mortals began to perish, the gods grew wary.

在人類開始消亡時， 神明們也開始擔心。

Who would worship them and offer tributes if the humans disappeared?

畢竟如果人類都消失了， 還有誰會祭拜他們並獻上貢品呢？

So, Zeus ordered Demeter to stop her crusade and returned to her duties.

因此，宙斯命令狄蜜特 停止搜尋女兒，完成自己的職責。

But she refused.

但狄蜜特根本不甩他。

Deep below, across the frigid river Styx, and through the halls of the underworld,

在地底深處，越過冰冷的冥河， 穿過冥界的宮殿，

Persephone was waging her own protest.

波賽芬妮也正在以自己的方式抗爭。

Hades expected her to serve as his wife and queen.

黑帝斯希望她 能盡到妻子和冥后的義務，

But Persephone rebuffed the god’s advances and refused food.

但波賽芬妮不但 拒絕他的殷勤，還絕食抗議。

As she longed for her mother’s company,

由於她渴望著母親的陪伴、

her friends’ laughter, and the sun’s warmth,

朋友的笑聲和溫暖的陽光，

Persephone grew colder and lonelier.

她變得越來越冷漠，也更加寂寞。

And she was starving.

她也非常飢餓。

She hungered for satisfying grains, crisp vegetables and fresh fruit.

她想吃美味的穀物、 鮮脆的蔬菜，和新鮮的水果。

Wandering the ghostly gardens,

在陰森的花園中遊蕩時，

she contemplated the pomegranates that hung heavily on their branches...

她若有所思地看著結實纍纍的石榴。

Meanwhile, Demeter continued her hunt.

這時的狄蜜特仍在尋找女兒。

She appealed to the all-seeing sun god, Helios,

她向遍覽一切的太陽神赫利歐斯求助，

whose rays had long warmed her crops.

他一直都用陽光溫暖她的穀物。

Indeed, when Helios drew his golden chariot across the sky that fateful day,

在那可怕的一天， 赫利歐斯駕駛金黃戰車橫越天空時，

he saw what happened— and he knew of the deal.

他確實看見了事發經過， 也知道這件事的前因後果。

Out of respect and sympathy for Demeter,

但出於對狄蜜特的尊敬和同情，

Helios told her of Hades’ demands, Zeus’ betrayal and Persephone’s abduction.

他將黑帝斯的要求、宙斯的背叛 和波賽芬妮被綁架一事都告訴了她。

Furious and heartbroken, Demeter sped to Mount Olympus and confronted Zeus,

心碎而憤怒的狄蜜特 立刻回到奧林帕斯和宙斯對質，

demanding their daughter’s return.

並要求他把波賽芬妮還給她。

But Zeus declined: in her ravenous hunger,

但宙斯卻拒絕她的請求，告訴她，

Persephone had eaten a few seeds from the pomegranate that grew in the underworld.

因為太過飢餓，波賽芬妮已經 吃了一些冥界的石榴種子，

Though a meager amount, it was enough to ensnare her in Hades forever.

雖然她吃的很少， 但已經足夠讓她永遠留在冥界。

Demeter wouldn't accept this fate.

狄蜜特拒絕接受這種命運。

She swore that if she wasn’t reunited with Persephone,

她發誓，如果她無法和波賽芬妮重聚，

the fields would never be fertile again,

大地將永遠貧瘠，

and the distinction between the Earth and the underworld would soon dissolve.

很快就會和冥界毫無分別。

So, they made a pact.

所以，他們訂下一個協議。

For two thirds of every year, Persephone would return to the land of the living,

每年波賽芬妮可以在人間度過八個月，

But for the remainder, she would stay in the world of the dead.

但剩下的四個月，她必須留在冥界。

When Persephone ascended to Earth, she and her mother rejoiced.

在波賽芬妮重返人間時， 母女倆欣喜若狂。

Together, they showered the fields with rain and nurtured them with sun.

她們會一起以雨澆灌土壤， 以陽光照耀田地。

For mortals, Persephone’s arrival came to herald the start of spring.

對人類來說，波賽芬妮的到來， 就是春天開始的信號。

But her descent always came too soon.

但她的離去總是太快。

Each time she returned to Hades, Demeter mourned,

每當她回到冥界時， 狄蜜特便會為此悲傷，

and the earth grew cold, dark, and unyielding,

人間變得寒冷、陰暗、寸草不生，

ushering in the winter months.

因此迎來冬天。

Knowing Demeter couldn’t be roused from her grief,

人們知道狄蜜特無法走出悲傷，

the humans stored their crops, stoked their fires,

所以會儲存穀物、點燃柴火，

and awaited Persephone’s safe return.

等待波賽芬妮重返人間。

And so it was that her transit marked the gradual turning of the seasons

因此，波賽芬妮的來去 代表了季節的遞嬗，

and the bittersweet compromise between life and death.

以及生與死間苦樂參半的妥協。