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SorayaFiorio_EpicofGilgamesh_2020E-_吉尔迦美什史诗:一位君王试图战胜死亡的故事_-
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In 1849, in the ancient city of Nineveh in northern Iraq, archaeologists sifted through dusty remains, hoping to find records to prove that Bible stories were true. |
1849 年,在北伊拉克的尼尼微古城, 考古学家们在沙尘弥漫的遗迹中筛土, 希望能找到可以证实圣经故事的记录。 |
What they found instead was one of the oldest libraries in the world. |
而他们发现的却是 世界上最古老的图书馆之一。 |
Inscribed on crumbling clay tablets was a 4,000-year-old story so riveting the first person to translate it started stripping from excitement . |
在碎裂的泥板上刻着 一个四千年前的故事, 如此引人入胜,第一位翻译的人 甚至激动得脱起了衣服。 |
archaeologists:n.[古]考古学家(archaeologist的复数); sifted:v.细查;详审;区分;挑选;精选;(sift的过去分词和过去式) dusty:adj.落满灰尘的; Bible:n.有权威的书; Inscribed:v.在…上写(词语、名字等);题;刻;(inscribe的过去分词和过去式) crumbling:v.(使)破碎,成碎屑;坍塌;损坏;崩裂;(crumble的现在分词) clay:n.黏土;陶土; tablets:n.药片;片剂;(固定于墙上作纪念的)牌,碑,匾;(tablet的第三人称单数和复数) riveting:v.铆接;吸引住;(用铆钉)固定;(rivet的现在分词)adj.引人入胜的;吸引人的 translate:v.翻译;被翻译;被译成;(使)转变; stripping:v.脱光衣服;表演脱衣舞;除去;(尤指)剥光;(strip的现在分词) excitement:n.兴奋;刺激;令人兴奋的事物;
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Called the epic of Gilgamesh, the story starts with Gilgamesh, king of the city of Uruk, crashing every wedding and sleeping with the bride before she has a chance to sleep with her husband. |
这个故事叫做《吉尔伽美什史诗》, 开篇讲述了乌鲁克国王吉尔伽美什 擅闯每一个婚礼, |
To tame Gilgamesh, the goddess Aruru created a rival called Enkidu. |
为了降服吉尔伽美什,女神阿鲁鲁 为他创造了一位对手,名叫恩奇都。 |
Enkidu lived beyond the walls of the city, where chaos reigned and wild animals, invaders , and evil spirits prowled . |
恩奇都生活在城墙之外, 以蛮荒为伴,野兽、侵略者 和恶灵在周围徘徊。 |
epic:adj.史诗的,叙事诗的;n.史诗;叙事诗;史诗般的作品; bride:n.新娘; tame:adj.养驯的;驯服的;平淡无奇的;枯燥乏味的;v.驯化;驯服;使易于控制; rival:v.与…相匹敌;比得上;adj.竞争的;n.竞争对手; chaos:n.混沌,混乱; reigned:v.统治;当政;为王;成为最佳;盛行;(reign的过去分词和过去式) invaders:n.侵略者(invader的复数);侵入种; evil:adj.邪恶的;不幸的;有害的;讨厌的;n.罪恶,邪恶;不幸; prowled:vi.徘徊,潜行;vt.在…搜寻;潜行于;n.徘徊,潜行;悄悄踱步;
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After a priestess of the goddess Ishtar seduced Enkidu, the wild animals beyond the wall rejected him and he ventured into the city. |
女神伊什塔尔的女祭司 引诱了恩奇都之后, 城外的野兽们开始排斥他, 于是他便向城里进发。 |
There, he encountered Gilgamesh up to his usual tricks. |
在那里,他遇到了 恣意妄为的吉尔伽美什, |
Enkidu stepped in to stop him. |
恩奇都便上前制止。 |
Almost perfectly matched, the two men wrestled all through the city streets until Gilgamesh won the fight by a hair. |
两人势均力敌、不分伯仲, 在乌鲁克街上扭打得难解难分, 直到吉尔伽美什险胜毫厘。 |
priestess:n.女祭司;神职人员; seduced:v.诱奸;诱骗;唆使;(seduce的过去分词和过去式) rejected:adj.被拒的;不合格的;v.拒绝,驳回;(reject的过去式和过去分词) ventured:v.敢于冒险;小心地说,谨慎地做;(venture的过去分词和过去式) encountered:v.遭遇,遇到;偶然碰到;意外地遇见;(encounter的过去分词和过去式) wrestled:v.摔跤;奋力对付;全力解决;(wrestle的过去分词和过去式)
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Afterwards, they were inseparable . |
两人从此形影不离。 |
With his new friend, Gilgamesh turned his attention from the brides of Uruk to proving his strength in combat . |
结识新朋友后, 吉尔伽美什不再滥抢民女, 而是决意在战斗中证明力量。 |
They set out to slay Humbaba, a creature with a thousand faces who guarded the trees of the Forest of Cedar . |
他们出发去讨伐芬巴巴, 一只守卫雪松之林的千面怪物。 |
inseparable:adj.[数]不可分割的;不能分离的;n.不可分离的事物;形影不离的朋友; brides:n.新娘;(bride的复数) combat:v.战斗;防止;减轻;与…搏斗;n.战斗;搏斗;打仗; slay:v.杀害,杀死;使禁不住大笑; creature:n.生物;动物;(具有某种特征的)人; Cedar:n.雪松;香柏;西洋杉木;
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They tracked Humbaba and ambushed him. |
他们追踪芬巴巴,发起伏击。 |
Cornered, he begged for his life, then cursed them as Gilgamesh dealt the final blow. |
芬巴巴进退维谷,乞求饶命, 在吉尔伽美什砍下最后一击时 诅咒他们。 |
Back home in Uruk, the goddess Ishtar took a romantic interest in Gilgamesh. |
回到乌鲁克后,女神伊什塔尔 对吉尔伽美什动了芳心。 |
tracked:v.跟踪;追踪;(track的过去分词和过去式) ambushed:v.伏击;(ambush的过去分词和过去式) cursed:adj.被诅咒的;讨厌的;v.诅咒;咒骂;(curse的过去分词和过去式) romantic:adj.浪漫的;爱情的;n.浪漫的人;耽于幻想的人;
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Knowing she tended to lose interest and curse her former flames, |
吉尔伽美什知道她常常 对旧爱始乱终弃、降下诅咒, |
Gilgamesh refused her advances. |
因此拒绝了她的求爱。 |
So Ishtar unleashed the Bull of Heaven on Uruk to destroy crops and kill people. |
于是伊什塔尔在乌鲁克降下天之公牛, 践踏庄稼、屠戮人民。 |
When Gilgamesh and Enkidu slayed the creature defending the city, the gods killed Enkidu. |
在吉尔伽美什和恩奇都 杀死公牛、守护城市之后, 众神杀死了恩奇都。 |
He entered the House of Dust, the shadowy Mesopotamian underworld where the spirits of the dead knelt eternally on the ground, eating dirt and drinking stone. |
他来到了尘土之家, 美索不达米亚阴暗的冥界, 在那里的亡魂永世跪地, 以泥土为食、以石砾为饮。 |
unleashed:v.发泄;突然释放;使爆发(unleash的过去分词和过去式) Bull:n.废话;公牛;彪形大汉;v.大量买进以期抬高价格;吓唬; slayed:vt.杀害,杀死;使禁不住大笑;vi.杀死,杀害;残杀; shadowy:adj.朦胧的;有阴影的;虚无的;暗黑的; underworld:n.黑社会;地狱;下层社会;尘世; knelt:v.跪下(kneel的过去式); eternally:adv.永恒地;不朽地; dirt:n.污垢;尘土;下流话;
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Grieving for Enkidu and terrified of meeting this fate himself, |
吉尔伽美什为恩奇都悲痛不已, 也对命定的死亡感到惶恐, |
Gilgamesh set off beyond the cosmic mountains to seek immortality . |
于是便翻越宇宙之山, 踏上了寻求永生的旅程。 |
He passed scorpion people and groves of gemstone trees, travelled beneath the mountains and outran the rising sun, until he finally came to the end of the world, where he found a bar. |
他经过蝎子人守卫,穿过宝石树林, 在山底之路跋涉,与初升旭日赛跑, 终于抵达了世界的尽头, 在那里发现了一家酒馆。 |
Grieving:v.悲伤,悲痛,伤心;使悲伤;使伤心;(grieve的现在分词) cosmic:adj.宇宙的; seek:v.寻求;寻找;谋求; immortality:n.不朽;不朽的声名;不灭; scorpion:n.蝎子;蝎尾鞭;心黑的人; gemstone:n.(经雕琢的)宝石; beneath:prep.在…之下;adv.在下方; outran:v.超过;比…跑得快(outrun的过去式); finally:adv.终于;最终;(用于列举)最后;彻底地;
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The bartender was a goddess named Shiduri, who urged Gilgamesh to give up his quest . |
老板娘是一位名叫西杜丽的女神, 她试图劝阻吉尔伽美什对永生的追求。 |
She told him all mortals must die, but until death comes, he should enjoy his life. |
她告诉他,所有凡人必将死亡, 但在死亡来临之前, 应当学会享受人生。 |
But Gilgamesh refused to give up. |
但吉尔伽美什不愿放弃。 |
Reluctantly , Shiduri gave him directions to cross the Waters of Death and meet the immortal man Utanapishti. |
西杜丽只能勉为其难地指点他 渡过死亡之海, 去见永生者乌特纳庇什提。 |
bartender:n.酒保,酒吧间销售酒精饮料的人;酒吧侍者; quest:n.追求;寻找;vi.追求;寻找;vt.探索; mortals:n.人;凡人;普通人;(mortal的复数) Reluctantly:adv.不情愿地;嫌恶地;
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The gods had granted Utanapishti immortality following a great flood, during which he built a boat, loaded two of every animal onto it, and landed on a mountain peak . |
众神在大洪水之后 赐予了乌特纳庇什提永生; 在大洪水前,他造了一艘船, 载上每种动物中的一对, 最后停靠在了山顶。 |
Utanapishti also encouraged Gilgamesh to accept that death comes for everyone. |
乌特纳庇什提同样告诫吉尔伽美什, 接受人人必将死亡的命运。 |
But Gilgamesh still would not budge . |
但吉尔伽美什依然不依不饶。 |
So Utanapishti told him that if he could conquer sleep, the gods might grant him immortality. |
于是乌特纳庇什提告诉他, 如果他能战胜睡眠, 众神或许就会赐予他永生。 |
granted:v.不错,的确; conj.因为; v.同意,准予,允许; (grant的过去分词和过去式) peak:n.高峰; v.达到高峰; adj.最高度的; budge:vi.挪动; vt.使让步; n.羔羊皮; conquer:v.占领;攻克;征服;击败,战胜;对付,克服,控制;很受欢迎
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Gilgamesh intended to stay awake for seven days, but fell asleep immediately. |
吉尔伽美什本想六天七夜保持清醒, 但他立刻睡着了。 |
Utanapishti then told him about a magical plant that grew at the bottom of the ocean and granted eternal youth. |
乌特纳庇什提又告诉他, 在海底生长着一种仙草, 能够让人长生不老。 |
Though Gilgamesh successfully retrieved the plant, a snake stole it on his way home. |
虽然吉尔伽美什成功摘得了仙草, 但在回家路上却不幸被蛇偷吃。 |
intended:adj.预定的;计划的;v.打算;计划;想要;(intend的过去分词和过去式) retrieved:v.取回;找回;检索数据;扭转颓势;(retrieve的过去式和过去分词)
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But when Gilgamesh laid eyes on his beautiful city again, he made peace with his mortality and vowed to spend his lifetime doing great deeds . |
但当吉尔伽美什 再度看见自己美丽的城市, 他便接受了人固有一死的宿命, 并发誓要用余生建功立业。 |
He wrote his story on a lapis lazuli tablet and buried it under the city walls for future generations to find and learn from. |
他把自己的故事写在青金石板上, 埋在城墙下,供后人发现学习。 |
The tablets uncovered in Nineveh were part of the library of the Assyrian king, Ashurbanipal. |
在尼尼微出土的泥板 是亚述国王亚述巴尼拔 图书馆的藏品。 |
vowed:v.起誓;立誓;发誓;(vow的过去分词和过去式) deeds:n.行为;行动;(尤指房产)契约,证书;(deed的复数) lapis lazuli:n.杂青金石(用于制作珠宝饰物); uncovered:adj.裸露的; v.揭开盖子; (uncover的过去式和过去分词)
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Though the story is mythical , Gilgamesh was probably a real king of Uruk. |
尽管史诗是神话传说,乌鲁克国王 吉尔伽美什可能确有其人。 |
Versions of his tale date to 2000 BCE and perhaps even longer ago, and still echo through literature today. |
他的故事有诸多版本,可以追溯到 公元前 2000 年,甚至更早, 时至今日仍在文学之中回响。 |
mythical:adj.神话的;虚构的; echo:vt.反射;重复;vi.随声附和;发出回声;n.回音;效仿; literature:n.文学;文献;文艺;著作;
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