As the sun rises on a fall morning in 55 BCE, Camma lays two pigeons on the altar at the center of her village. She offers a prayer to Matrona mother goddess of the Earth, and Lugus chief of the gods. Then, she wrings the birds’ necks and cuts them open to examine their entrails for divine messages.
公元前 55 年,晨曦初露的秋日 在村中央的祭壇,金瑪奉上兩只鴿 祭禱地母神馬特羅納 (Matrona) 及眾神之神魯格斯 (Lugus) 然後掐了鴿脖子 剖開內臟解讀呈現的讖記
Camma is a druid. This means she conducts religious rites, but she also serves as a judge, healer, and scholar, teaching children and mediating conflict between Celtic tribes. She began her studies as a child, memorizing the countless details necessary to perform her many roles, since the druids’ knowledge is considered too sacred to record in writing.
金瑪是個德魯伊 (druid) 即是說,她掌管祭祀 同時是法官、醫者、學者 教導幼小,在凱爾特部族之間解紛 她自幼開始研習 記住各個角色所需數之不盡的細節 德魯伊的知識神聖,只口傳不筆錄
Like many druids, she spent years studying in Britain. Now, she is a resident Druid of the Veneti tribe in a small farming village near the western coast of Gaul, in what is now France. Since returning to Gaul, she has received many offers of marriage– but she has decided to devote herself to her work, at least for now.
如許多德魯伊般在不列顛研習多年 學成歸來留駐威尼蒂 (Veneti) 部族 近高盧 (Gaul) 西岸的一個小農村 即今日的法國 回到高盧後,她收到許多人求婚 但她仍潛心工作,至少目前如是
This morning, the omens are troubling. They tell of war and strife, as they often have in recent months. A neighboring tribe, the Redones, have raided their village and stolen cattle in broad daylight twice this fall.
今早,眼前的朕兆令人不安 預示紛爭戰亂,數月來都預兆如此 鄰近的部族雷東尼族 (Redones) 入秋以來已兩次光天化日掠村奪牛
The children have gathered around to watch her work. Camma plays her lyre and sings to them. She weaves stories of the powerful kings who once ruled their land – brave warriors who were slain naked in combat but who will be reborn, as will all the Celts.
村中小孩聚在一旁看她工作 金瑪彈著里拉琴為他們唱歌 故事編捏許多曾治領土的強大君王 英勇義士赤膊上陣戰死沙場後重生 正如凱爾特人絕處逢生
When the children go off to help in the fields, Camma heads across the village to visit an old woman with an eye infection. On the way to the old woman’s hut, she passes men salting pigs for the winter food supply and women weaving clothing from dyed wool. She delivers a remedy for the injured eye– it’s made from mistletoe, a sacred healing plant, but deadly if used incorrectly.
小孩到田野幫忙活兒去 金瑪走過村莊,造訪患眼疾的老婦 到老婦家一路上 經過醃豬肉備糧過冬的男子 用染上色的羊毛織衣的女子 金瑪為眼疾帶來草藥 草藥用了槲寄生這神聖的療治植物 誤用卻可致命
From there, Camma visits the chieftain to discuss the omens. She convinces him to go and talk through their problems with their neighbors. Accompanied by several warriors, they head through the forest and demand a meeting outside the Redones’ village walls. The Redones’ representatives bring their own druid, who Camma recognizes from the annual gathering in central Gaul where head druids are elected. The chieftains immediately begin to argue and threaten each other. Camma steps between the opposing sides to stop them from fighting— they must honor her authority. Finally, the Redones agree to pay Camma’s tribe several cattle. In spite of this resolution, Camma still feels uneasy on the long walk home. As they approach the village walls, a bright streak shoots across the sky— another omen, but of what?
之後,她拜會酋長商討不祥之兆 說服他與鄰族會面商討問題 在數名戰士護送下 他們穿過叢林,來到雷東尼族村外 隔著圍牆要求會面 雷東尼族代表帶來其駐村德魯伊 金瑪似曾相識,高盧中部年度聚會 推選德魯伊首領時大家曾碰過面 酋長甫見面便惡言相向、語帶威嚇 金瑪站到雙方中間阻止動武 德魯伊的權威必須聽從 雷東尼族最終同意付給部族數隻牛 儘管言和,漫長歸途上金瑪依然不安 回到村口圍牆,天空掠過一道長光 是另一個凶兆,有何含意?
Back home, Camma sits among the elders for her evening meal of porridge, a bit of meat, and a cup of wine. While they were out during the day, an intercepted parchment arrived. Camma recognizes the writing immediately. Although the druids are forbidden from recording their knowledge, she and many other young druids can read Latin. From the message, she learns that the Romans are drawing closer to their lands. Some of the elders say that the tribe should flee to the nearby hills and hide, but Camma counsels them to trust in the gods and remain in their home.
回到家,金瑪與長老共進晚餐 有餬、一點肉和一杯酒 早上不在時,曾截獲一份羊皮紙信 信中的字,金瑪頓時看得明白 雖然德魯伊的知識禁止記錄 她和許多年輕德魯伊看得懂拉丁文 從信中她得悉羅馬軍正迫近這土地 好些長老認為部族應逃進附近山中 金瑪安撫他們託賴神祇,留在家中
Privately, she has her doubts. Should the Romans reach them, her power to help might be limited. Unlike the other Celtic tribes, Roman legions have no regard for the druids’ sacred role as peacemakers. Before going to bed, she observes the course of the planets and consults her charts, trying to make sense of the meteor she saw earlier. The signs are converging on a larger threat than their neighbors.
骨子裡,金瑪卻難掩憂心 羅馬軍一旦壓境,她襄助也有心無力 羅馬軍團不是其他凱爾特部族 不屑一顧德魯伊神聖的睦鄰角色 睡覺前 她觀察天文軌跡,查閱星圖 嘗試理解早前見到的流星 種種徵象,遙指比鄰族更甚的威脅