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As a descendant of slaves, Jay Speights had struggled to find written documentation of his family history.
作為奴隸的后代，杰伊·斯佩特斯努力地尋找著他的家庭歷史的文字記錄。
He spent years looking, as his father had before him, but he was 64 before a DNA test offered a solid lead.
他花了很多年尋找，就像他的父親在他之前做的那樣，但是直到64歲，一項DNA測試才提供了可靠的線索。
The pastor from Rockville, Maryland, learned that 30 percent of his DNA was from Benin,
這位來自馬里蘭州洛克維爾的牧師發現他30%的基因來自貝寧，
a country located to the west of Nigeria about which Jay knew next to nothing.
這是一個位于尼日利亞西部的國家，杰伊對它幾乎一無所知。
At the urging of a friend, he turned to a database called GED Match,
在一個朋友的催促下，他求助于一個名為GED Match的數據庫，
which has had success connecting African Americans and their African relatives, to learn more about his link to Benin.
它成功地幫助非裔美國人聯系到他們的非洲親戚，以獲取更多他和貝寧的聯系。
After uploading his data to the site, Jay saw a surprising DNA match. The website listed a man named Houanloko-non Deka as his distant cousin.
在把自己的數據傳到網站上后，杰伊看到了一個令人驚訝的DNA配對。該網站列出，一個叫Houanloko-non Deka的男子是他的遠房表親。
Next to the listing were the words royal DNA. Beninese royalty? Jay was stunned. He had no idea what to do next.
清單旁邊寫著“皇家DNA”。貝寧皇室？杰伊震驚了。他不知道接下來要做什么。
But fate—or maybe even divine intervention—kicked in a few months after Jay learned of his royal lineage.
但是就在杰伊發現了他的皇家血統后幾個月后，命運-或者神的介入-來臨了。
At the New Seminary in New York he met the leader of the West African religion Vodun, who had traveled from his home—in Benin.
在紐約的新神學院，他遇到了西非宗教領袖伏頓，后者從貝寧的家中旅行來到這里。
Jay told the man and his group his unusual story, and one of the Beninese men immediately replied, "I know your king.
杰伊告訴伏頓和他的團體自己不尋常的故事，其中的一個貝寧人立即回復道，“我認識你們的國王。
Here is his number." "I mean, how could that possibly happen?" Jay says.
這是他的號碼?！薄拔沂钦f，這怎么可能呢？”杰伊說。
"After all these years of going through my father's search, going through files ... it just fell in my lap. That's the hand of God."
“在我父親找了這么多年，翻閱這么多文件后...就這樣被我碰到了。這是上帝之手的幫助?！?/div>
The first time Jay called King Kpo-degbe Toyi Djigla, the traditional ruler of the kingdom of Allada in southern Benin, the king hung up.
在杰伊第一次打給國王Kpo-degbe Toyi Djigla，這位貝寧南部阿拉達王國的傳統統治者時，他掛了電話。
The second time, the king handed the phone to his English-speaking wife, Queen Djehami Kpodegbe Kwin-Epo.
第二次，國王把電話交給了他的講英語的妻子，王后Djehami Kpodegbe Kwin-Epo。
She and Jay started messaging each other online. She told him he was a descendant of King Deka, who had ruled Allada centuries earlier.
她和杰伊開始在網上互相發信息。她告訴杰伊，他是幾個世紀前統治阿拉達的國王德卡的后裔。
"We would be delighted to welcome you to your home, dear prince," she wrote. And so Jay went.
她寫道：“親愛的王子，我們很高興歡迎你回家。”所以杰伊去了。
On January 6, 2019, his late father's birthday, he landed in Benin.
2019年1月6日，也就是他已故父親的生日，他去了貝寧。
Posters written in French, the country's official language, greeted him: "Welcome to the kingdom of Allada, land of your ancestors."
歡迎海報上用貝寧的官方語言法語寫著：“歡迎來到阿拉達王國，你祖先的土地?！?/div>
At least 300 people were waiting for him outside the airport.
至少300人在機場外面等著他。
They danced, sang, and played instruments to celebrate the return of their long-lost prince.
他們載歌載舞，演奏樂器，慶祝失散多年的王子歸來。
Accompanied by a motorcade, the queen picked him up from the airport, introduced him to local dignitaries, and showed him some historical sites.
王后和隨行車隊去機場接了他，把他介紹給當地的高官，帶他游覽歷史遺跡。
When they arrived at the palace for an audience with the king, at least 1,000 people were waiting for them.
當他們到達王宮覲見國王時，至少有1000人在等著他們。
| 重點單詞 | 查看全部解釋 | |||
| immediate | [i'mi:djət] |
想一想再看 adj. 立即的，即刻的，直接的，最接近的 |
聯想記憶 | |
| seminary | ['seminəri] |
想一想再看 n. 神學院，學院，發源地 |
聯想記憶 | |
| divine | [di'vain] |
想一想再看 adj. 神的，神圣的 |
||
| traditional | [trə'diʃənəl] |
想一想再看 adj. 傳統的 |
||
| humility | [hju:'militi] |
想一想再看 n. 謙遜，謙虛，謙卑 |
聯想記憶 | |
| intervention | [.intə'venʃən] |
想一想再看 n. 插入，介入，調停 |
||
| documentation | [.dɔkjumen'teiʃən] |
想一想再看 n. 文件，證明文件，史實，[計]文件編制 |
||
| unusual | [ʌn'ju:ʒuəl] |
想一想再看 adj. 不平常的，異常的 |
聯想記憶 | |
| celebrate | ['selibreit] |
想一想再看 v. 慶祝，慶賀，頌揚 |
聯想記憶 | |
| ruler | ['ru:lə] |
想一想再看 n. 尺子，劃線板 |
