評(píng)論
打印
And this meeting between two worlds, the old and the new,
這次會(huì)議是新舊兩個(gè)世界的碰撞
came down to a meeting between two men,
由兩個(gè)人做代表進(jìn)行會(huì)談
Hernan Cortes and the Aztec emperor Montezuma.
埃爾南.科爾特斯和阿茲特克國(guó)王蒙特祖馬二世
And these were two men who occupied positions of radically
這兩人在各自社會(huì)中所處的地位
different status in their respective societies.
相差之大 可謂云泥
It's difficult to know what Montezuma, the god emperor,
我們很難知道蒙特祖馬二世這位神明國(guó)王
made of Cortes, the ruthless, ambitious conquistador.
是如何看待科爾特斯這位粗魯有野心的征服者
Was Cortes the embodiment of the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl,
科爾特斯是阿茲特克預(yù)言中
whose imminent return had been prophesied?
那位即將回歸的神明羽蛇神
Or was he a dangerous enemy to be treated with caution?
還是一位需小心應(yīng)付的危險(xiǎn)敵人呢
Either way,
不論如何
Montezuma decided to lavish upon the Spaniard
蒙特祖馬二世決定款待這位西班牙人
some of the most beautiful artefacts Aztec society could produce.
賜予他阿茲特克社會(huì)所創(chuàng)造的最精美藝術(shù)品
It's believed that this spectacular object was one of them.
我們認(rèn)為這件精湛的作品就是其中之一
It is known today as the Double-Headed Serpent.
這件作品 我們現(xiàn)在稱之為兩頭蛇
It's a piece of carved wood that's been covered in a mosaic
這是一段經(jīng)雕琢的木頭 表面鑲嵌了
made up of hundreds and hundreds of tiny pieces of turquoise,
由成百上千塊細(xì)小綠松石組成的馬賽克圖案
each of them very precisely fitted into place.
每一塊都非常精準(zhǔn)地鑲嵌其中
And it's believed that it's a representation
我們認(rèn)為這是阿茲特克神明
of the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl,
羽蛇神的一種形象
who was sometimes shown as a snake
該神明有時(shí)會(huì)以蛇形現(xiàn)身
covered in the shimmering feathers of the quetzal bird.
身披格查爾鳥(niǎo)那般鱗光閃閃的羽毛
What we don't know is why.
而我們不知道原因?yàn)楹?/div>
Why did Montezuma perhaps give this to Cortes?
為什么蒙特祖瑪二世要將此物賜予科爾特斯
It could've been as an act of tribute
這或許是一種饋贈(zèng)行為
or perhaps Montezuma believed that he could,
也可能蒙特祖瑪二世認(rèn)為 通過(guò)送禮
with this and other gifts,
他就能夠安撫西班牙人
appease the Spanish and save the Aztec Empire.
并拯救阿茲特克帝國(guó)
But the conquistadors weren't interested
但征服者們對(duì)蒙特祖馬二世
in the aesthetic value of Montezuma's gifts.
所贈(zèng)之禮的藝術(shù)價(jià)值并不感興趣
They wanted only gold.
他們只想要黃金
So with horses, weapons and a great deal of help
有了馬匹 武器和蒙特祖馬二世
from Montezuma's enemies, they attacked.
敵人的大量幫助 他們進(jìn)攻了
Yet the truth is
但事實(shí)上
it was the unexpected, devastating power
具有出人意料毀滅性力量的是來(lái)自歐洲的疾病
of European diseases that finally broke Aztec resistance
最終攻破了阿茲特克人的抵抗
