奎伊露和乌库库的故事 The Tale of Qoyllor and Ukuku

曾以口述的形式在纳塔流传已久的民间故事，最初的作者已不可考。

A long-standing Natlan folk tale that was originally told orally. As such, there is now no way of knowing who the original author was.

在很久很久以前，那颗黯淡的星星也和你们现在看到的其他星星一样明亮，那时部族的人们也过着和现在差不太多的生活。对你们来说，这样的生活太过熟悉了，或许觉得没什么大不了的，甚至可以说少了些新鲜劲，但对住在星星上的奎伊露来说可并非如此…奎伊露住在离部族最近的那颗星星上，距她的兄弟姐妹却很遥远。她和你们一样，总是对自己不了解的事物充满好奇，就像我们这些在地上生活的人会仰望星空，她过去也常在星星上饶有兴趣地俯瞰地上的部族。

Long, long ago, that dim star was as bright as all the other stars you now see, yet the lives of the tribespeople were much the same as they are in the present day. To you, this way of life may seem overly familiar, perhaps nothing special, even lacking in excitement; but for Qoyllor, who lived on that star, it was anything but ordinary... Though the star that Qoyllor lived on was the one that was closest to the tribes, yet still she was inestimably far away from her brothers and sisters. Like you, she was always full of curiosity for things she didn't understand. Just as we who live on the ground gaze up in awe at the starry sky, she too would often look down with great interest upon the tribes on the ground.

可是有一天，奎伊露将身子俯得太低，竟不小心从天上掉了下来。坠落地面的星星失去了原本的光彩，她的力量也化作碎片，分散在不同的地方。太阳父亲分给她这份力量时让她小心保管，可如今失去了这份力量，她再也回不到天上去了！奎伊露想到，当自己还在星星上旁观时，地上的生活看起来是那么有趣，而一旦要让她放弃原本的生活加入其中，一切就变得不那么令人满意了…

But one day, Qoyllor leaned too far forward and accidentally fell from the sky. Falling to the ground, the star lost its former brilliance, and her power shattered into fragments that were scattered across the land. Her father, the Sun, had entrusted her with this power, exhorting her to guard it carefully — but now, without that power, she could never again return to the sky! Qoyllor reflected upon how, when she was simply observing it from the star, life on the ground had seemed so fascinating to her; yet now that she had to give up her original life and became a part of it, it all seemed far less satisfying...

奎伊露孤独地在荒野彷徨了很久，经历了许多惊险的场面——那时的荒野显然比现在更加危险——却仍一无所获。后来，一次偶然的机会，她遇到了部族的猎手乌库库，事情才出现了转机。乌库库是个熊一般的战士，像熊一样强壮，也像熊那样寡默。了解了奎伊露的遭遇，乌库库答应和她一同寻找失散在各处的星星碎片，之后送她回家。他自诩是个好猎手，懂得如何狩猎，当然也熟稔搜寻的技巧。

For a long time, Qoyllor wandered alone, facing many dangers, for the wilderness back then was far more perilous than it is now. Yet despite her tribulations, she found nothing. Later, by utter chance, she met Ukuku, a hunter from the tribe, and things began to change. Ukuku was a fierce warrior, as strong and silent as a bear. Upon learning of Qoyllor's plight, he agreed to help her search for the scattered shards of her star, then send her back home. He prided himself on his skills as a hunter — both his prowess in the chase, and of course, his mastery of the art of tracking too.

于是他们便结伴漫游。攀登过高山险峰，也深入过裂谷岩窟；击败了许多敌人，也交上了不少朋友。在乌库库细心的关照下，奎伊露习惯了地上的生活。她像你我一样——或许比我们之中的某些人做得更好呢——和龙一起狩猎、战斗、休憩，给部族的孩子们讲述那些她从叙事人那里听来的神奇故事，吃塔塔可，追逐幻写灵…只是偶尔，在那些没有被荧光涂鸦点亮的夜晚，夜空中闪烁的群星会让她蓦地想起，那是她遥远的故乡。而今她和她的兄弟姐妹们离得更远了，不知道他们是否也会想念她？

So side by side, they set off on their roamings. They climbed high mountains and scaled great peaks, ventured into deep ravines and gloomy caverns; and in the process, defeated hordes of enemies and made scores of friends. Under Ukuku's watchful guidance, Qoyllor grew accustomed to life on the ground. Just like you and me — perhaps even better than some of us — she hunted, fought, and rested with Saurians, recounted the incredible stories she had heard from the mouths of the storytellers to the children of the tribe, ate Tatacos, and chased after the Monetoo... Yet occasionally, on those nights back then unlit by glowing graffiti, the stars in the night sky would suddenly remind her of her distant home. Now, she was even further from her brothers and sisters... Did they miss her too?

……

...

在无果的搜寻持续了数年后，奎伊露不禁这样想：没准就像她融入了地上的部族，她所失散的力量或许也早已被鸟兽虫蛇觅得、占有了？当她询问乌库库是否厌倦了追逐如迷雾中的幻影般缥缈的目标，他只是以「抱歉」作答。「真是个嘴拙的猎手！但却是个热心肠。」且不论这场搜寻一开始就毫无头绪，只能说是件难事，要较起真来，这件难事原本也和乌库库并无半分干系，可以说他的道歉毫无道理。奎伊露只道是这寡言的猎手太过善良，又想起他对自己无微不至的照顾…

After years of fruitless searching, Qoyllor began to wonder — perhaps, in the same way that she had become a part of the tribe, her lost power had long since been found. Perhaps the birds, beasts, insects, and snakes had claimed it for their own? When she asked Ukuku if he had grown tired of chasing such an elusive goal, the only answer he gave was an short "Sorry." "What a tongue-tied hunter!" she thought to herself. "Yet his heart is kind." Besides, they had been searching blindly from the very start, and it was by any reckoning a difficult task — and besides, it really had nothing to do with Ukuku from the first, so his apology was utterly misplaced. Thinking back on how this quiet hunter had taken such good care of her, Qoyllor could only marvel at his kindness...

再后来，奎伊露和乌库库结成了家族，在部族的一隅定居下来。部族里新生的孩子甚至不知道，原来邻居里竟有一位是从星星上掉下来的！奎伊露天生就是快活的性格，对于无可奈何的事情她也就任其自然。故乡虽然遥不可及，但闪烁的明星看起来倒也像是兄弟姐妹们在向她问好，于是她便知足了。而该说是得偿所愿的乌库库却比过去更加寡默，更加阴沉了。有人说他秉性如此，也有人猜测是他始终对无法实现和奎伊露的约定一事心怀愧疚…这些说法各有各的道理，不过你们知道，当一个人心中怀着不可告人的秘密时，他难免会形容忧郁，乌库库正是这种情况。

Later on, Qoyllor and Ukuku were to form a family together, settling down in a corner of the tribe. And to think, the young children of the tribe had not the slightest inkling that one of their neighbors had fallen from the stars! Qoyllor had always been of a cheerful disposition, and when things happened that could not be helped, she simply let them be. Though her homeland was now far out of reach, the twinkling stars seemed to greet her as if they were her brothers and sisters themselves, and so she was content. But Ukuku, whose wish had seemingly come true, became even more silent and gloomy than before. Some said it was just his nature, while others speculated that he was haunted by guilt as a result of having failed to fulfill his promise to Qoyllor... Such theories each have their merits, but as you know, when someone harbors an unspeakable secret, they tend to appear melancholy, and this was certainly the case with Ukuku.

乌库库的秘密究竟是什么，就容我卖个关子，先说回邻居。都说远亲不如近邻，我们在部族里生活总也少不了邻居朋友的帮衬。好巧不巧，他们二人的邻居普契卡是个促狭鬼，向来和乌库库不对付。他给乌库库使绊子，对方只要不理会，这事也就过去了，于是在奎伊露来到部族以前，还能相安无事。而奎伊露的到来点燃了普契卡心中妒忌的火种，这火种一旦点燃，要熄灭就没那么容易了。「乌库库是个善良的人，而善良的人总会把别人看得比自己更重。」普契卡当然知道部族里其他人对乌库库的评价，但他显然有自己的看法，「无聊，真是无聊！不过可以利用，倒是少了麻烦。」

But what exactly was this secret that Ukuku was hiding? Forgive me, I must keep you in suspense for now, and instead return to the matter of neighbors. It is said that a relative far off is less helpful than a neighbor close by, and in the tribe, we always rely on the support of our neighbors and friends. As bad luck would have it, their neighbor Pochica was a troublemaker who had never gotten along with Ukuku. He had always tried to make things difficult for Ukuku, but as long as Ukuku ignored him, things never escalated — so before Qoyllor's arrival, they managed to coexist. But Qoyllor's presence ignited a spark of jealousy in Pochica, and once that spark was lit, it could not be so easily extinguished. "Ukuku is a kind person, and kind people always put the needs of others above their own." Of course, Pochica was well aware of what the other tribespeople thought of Ukuku, but he clearly saw things differently. "What a bore he is, a complete and utter bore! But I can use his 'kindness' against him, and in the end, it will save me much trouble."

普契卡的坏主意很简单，就是三不时在奎伊露面前添枝加叶说些乌库库的坏话。你们一定会想，这么拙劣的把戏怎么能成功呢？但别忘了，奎伊露的出身这么特别，而乌库库近来也不光是寡言少语…「唉，瞧瞧你，活像是被剪了羽的飞鸟。」和奎伊露说话时，普契卡总是摆出一副体己的样子，「他从前就是这样，遇到喜欢的鸟儿，为了不让它们飞走，就剪掉它们的一部分羽毛，关在笼子里。可怜，真是可怜！」

Pochica's plan was very simple: he would, from time to time, speak badly of Ukuku in front of Qoyllor, adding a bit of "color" here and there, embellishing his stories with malicious barbs. You might wonder how such a clumsy trick could work, but do not forget — the extreme reticence, even gloominess, that Ukuku had shown of late could be hard to bear for someone whose origins were as special as Qoyllor's... "Ah, look at you, like a bird that has had its wings clipped." When he was talking to Qoyllor, Pochica always took on an air of intimacy. "He's always been like this. Whenever he found a bird he liked, he'd clip its wings to stop it from flying away, then lock it in a cage. Pitiful, truly pitiful!"

起初，奎伊露对这位坏心眼邻居的闲言碎语不以为意，可经年累月听得多了，久而久之也难免心存芥蒂。她想了解乌库库心底的想法，又担心小题大做，于是便用玩笑话旁敲侧击了几回。没承想，乌库库像是不敢接她的话茬，只是一味躲闪回避，或是干脆摆出他惯有的样子：阴沉忧郁，一言不发。

At first, Qoyllor paid no attention to her vindictive neighbor's gossip, but after years of hearing it time and time again, she could not help but begin to have doubts. She longed to know what was in Ukuku's heart, but neither did she want to make a big deal out of nothing, so she tried probing with a few comments disguised as playful remarks. Yet always Ukuku seemed unwilling to engage, either dodging her questions or simply adopting his usual gloomy demeanor and answering only with heavy silence.

现在可以说回到乌库库藏在心底的秘密了，所有这些举动都只让奎伊露的疑心倍增，而她又是凡事都要弄个清楚的性情——若不是这样，一开始也不会从星星上掉下来了——在她的盘问之下，乌库库很快便坦白了秘密：原来在过去的旅途中，他曾找到几块星星碎片，所以这在奎伊露看来虚无缥缈的目标其实也并非全无踪迹可寻。可那时乌库库已经对她心生倾慕，想到失散碎片全都寻回的那一天，奎伊露就要回到星星上去，从此再也不能相见…

Now, let us return to the secret that Ukuku had kept hidden within his heart. Everything he did only served to deepen Qoyllor's suspicions, and she was the type that liked to get to the bottom of things — after all, if it wasn't for that, she would never have fallen from her star in the first place. Under the pressure of her questioning, Ukuku soon confessed his secret. It turned out that in the course of their past travels together, he had indeed found some star shards. In other words, the goal that had always seemed so elusive to Qoyllor was not entirely without its clues. But by that time, Ukuku had already developed feelings for her, and he knew that when the day came when all the shards had been found, Qoyllor would return to the stars, and they would never see one another again...

在我看来，一个人要做违背自己天性的事总是难以为继的，乌库库也是如此。所以当他倾吐完内心的隐秘，仿佛放下了重负，就连脸上忧郁的神情都减少了几分。而听了他的这番告白，奎伊露的心里却只觉得悲哀和愤怒，欺瞒和背叛是她过去不曾了解的，但现在她知晓其中的滋味了。

As I see it, it is hard for anyone to persist in something that goes against their nature for long, and Ukuku was no exception to this rule. When he finally revealed his innermost secret, it was as if a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and even the gloom on his face seemed to lessen. Yet having heard his confession, Qoyllor felt only sadness and anger — deceit and betrayal were things she had never before known, but now she understood their bitter pang.

她的确是被剪了羽的飞鸟！想到这一层，奎伊露就愈发觉得不能原谅。而我们都知道，深厚的信赖绝非一朝一夕就能建立，毁坏却可以在弹指之间。奎伊露要求乌库库交出被他掩藏的星星碎片，乌库库拒绝了。他只想着不愿和她分开，以为只要留住她，事情总还能有转圜的余地。但这无疑是一种自以为是的想法，就像我们每个人都有最不能原谅的事，这些事也未必尽然相同，对奎伊露来说，欺瞒和背叛就是所有事情里她所最不能原谅的。

She really was a bird whose wings had been clipped! Thinking such a thought only served to convince Qoyllor that Ukuku's actions could not be forgiven. And as we all know, though it takes great time to build, deep trust can be destroyed in an instant. Qoyllor demanded that Ukuku hand over the star shards he had hidden, but Ukuku refused. He could not bear the thought of parting with her, still believing that as long as he kept her close, there was always a chance that he might turn things around. But this was a vain idea — for as we all have our limits when it comes to forgiveness, and these vary from person to person, so for Qoyllor did the buck stop at deceit and betrayal.

奎伊露不顾挽留，离开了部族那个一度被她当作是家的地方，重返初到地上时彷徨的荒野。但这次不同的是，她知道自己能做什么，就像一个真正的纳塔人一样，她在广阔的地上留下了巨大的涂鸦。要说这涂鸦究竟有多大，现在虽然看不到了，但据当时见过的人说，搞不好比火山更大！这么大的涂鸦，就算是在太阳上，恐怕也能看得清楚。没错，这就是她的打算。失去的力量就随它们去吧，被乌库库掩藏也好，被鸟兽虫蛇占有了也罢，她总还有分给她这份力量的父亲可以依靠，之后要接受怎样的惩罚她都心甘。

Ignoring his pleas, Qoyllor left the tribe she had once considered home, returning to the same wilderness she had wandered when she first fell down to the ground. But this time it was different — she knew what she had to do. Like a true person of Natlan, she left a huge work of graffiti on the vast expanse of land. How big was it? Though it can now be seen no longer, it is said that those who witnessed it at the time remarked that it might well have been bigger than a volcano! You could not have missed such a gigantic piece of graffiti, even if you were gazing down from the Sun itself. And indeed, that was her intention. Let her lost power be, she thought to herself. Whether hidden by Ukuku, or claimed by the birds, beasts, insects, and snakes, it mattered not — for she could always turn to her father, the one who had bestowed this power upon her in the first place, and was willing to accept any punishment that might come her way.

奎伊露的太阳父亲的确看到了她的请求，很快便将她带回到天上。失去了力量的星星从此变得黯淡，如果不是非常仔细地看，几乎发现不了。奎伊露还会像从前那样俯瞰大地，观察地上人们的生活吗？我也不知道这个问题的答案，不过可以肯定的是，她重新回到了她许许多多的兄弟姐妹中间，回到了哪怕最厉害的暝视龙也抵达不了的地方。

And lo! Qoyllor's Sun-father saw her plea, quickly bringing her back to the sky. That star that had lost its power became dim, and was now almost invisible unless you looked very closely. Would Qoyllor still look down at the land, observing the lives of the people below as she once did? I do not know the answer to that, but what is certain is that she was reunited with her many brothers and sisters, returned to a place that even the mightiest Iktomisaurus could not reach.

至于被留下的乌库库，因为他的欺瞒和背叛触怒了太阳，作为惩罚，他的双眼都被太阳的金箭刺瞎，从此只要是他出现的地方，太阳都会退到云层之后，不留给他一丝阳光。就连他们的孩子，当时年纪尚幼的昆图尔也受到了波及，并且因此直到他长到少年的岁数，也没能与任何一只龙建立友谊…而至于昆图尔在那之后又经历了怎样的冒险，就是另一个故事了。

As for Ukuku, who had been left behind, his deceit and betrayal angered the Sun. As punishment, he was blinded by the Sun's golden arrows. From then on, wherever he went, the Sun would retreat behind the clouds, leaving him without a trace of sunlight. Even their child Kuntur, who was still very young at the time, was affected by this. As a result, he was unable to form a single friendship with any Saurian until he had grown up to be a young man. But as for Kuntur's adventures thereafter... Well, that is another story entirely.