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Nanahuatl, weakest of the Aztec gods, sickly and covered in pimples, had been chosen to form a new world.
阿兹特克众神中最弱的纳纳华特，体弱多病并且全身长满了丘疹，被选中去创造一个新的世界。
There had already been four worlds, each set in motion by its own "Lord Sun," and each, in turn, destroyed:
过去已存在过四个世界，每个都由自己的“太阳神”启动，并且依次被毁灭。
the first by jaguars, the next by winds, the next by rains of fire, and the fourth by floods.
第一个世界被美洲豹毁灭，第二个世界被风毁灭，第三个被火雨毁灭，第四个被洪水摧毁。
To establish the Fifth Sun, Lord Quetzalcoatl, the "Feathered Serpent,"
为了建立第五个太阳，魁札尔科亚特尔神，即“羽蛇神”，
had gone to the underworld and returned with the bones of earlier people, nourishing them with his own blood to create new life.
前往地下世界并带回了先民骨头，用自己的鲜血滋养骨头造出新生命。
But for them to have a world to live in, another god had to leap into the great bonfire and become the fifth sun.
为了让他们有一个可以生活的世界，另一个神必须跳入篝火，成为第五个太阳。
The Lord of Sustenance and the Lord of Fire had chosen Nanahuatl for this task,
创造神和火神选择纳纳华特来完成这项任务，
while the Lord of Rain and the Lord of the Four Quarters had picked their own offering: the proud, rich Tecciztecatl.
而雨神和四方位神则推举了骄傲而富有的特库希斯特卡特。
First, the chosen ones had to complete a four-day fasting and bloodletting ritual.
首先，被选中的人必须经历禁食四天和放血的仪式。
Nanahuatl had nothing but cactus thorns with which to bleed himself,
纳纳华特只有用仙人掌刺扎破自己流血，
and fir branches to paint with his red offering, but he resolved to try his best.
用冷杉枝蘸着自己的鲜血作画去献祭，但是他决心竭尽所能。
Meanwhile, Tecciztecatl flaunted his riches,
与此同时，特库希斯特卡特在炫耀着他的财富，
using magnificent jade spines and branches adorned with iridescent quetzal feathers for his own blood offering.
用华丽玉脊和彩虹色咬鹃羽毛所装饰的树枝来代替自己的血液祭献。
When four days had passed, the fire was roaring high.
四天过去了，火焰熊熊燃烧。
Four times proud Tecciztecatl approached the flames, and four times he pulled back in fear.
骄傲的特库希斯特卡特四次靠近火焰，又四次害怕地退回来。
Humble Nanahuatl stepped forward. The other gods painted him chalky white and glued feathers to him.
谦虚的纳纳华特走上前，其余众神将他涂成雪白并沾上羽毛。
Without hesitation, he threw himself into the flames.
他没有任何犹豫，扑进了火焰里。
A fire-blackened eagle swooped over the fire, grabbed Nanahuatl and carried him into the sky.
一只被火烧黑的老鹰，俯冲到火堆上方，抓住纳纳华特并带他上了天。
There, Lord and Lady Sustenance bathed him, sat him on a feathered throne, and wrapped a red band around his head.
在那里，创造神和创造女神为他洗礼，让他登上羽毛宝座，并头系红带。
Inspired by Nanahuatl, Tecciztecatl threw himself into what was left of the fire: cooled ashes.
被纳纳华特所激励，特库希斯特卡特跳进了烧剩下的火堆：冷却的灰烬。
A jaguar jumped over the fire pit, but couldn't carry Tecciztecatl into the sky.
一只美洲豹越过火坑，却无法把特库希斯特卡特带向天空。
When Tecciztecatl reached the horizon, a band of goddesses dressed him in rags.
当特库希斯特卡特到达地平线时，一群女神给他穿上破衣服。
Still, he shined just as brightly as Nanahuatl.
他的光芒仍像纳纳华特一样闪亮。
But since he had shown far less bravery and much more pride, one of the gods picked up a rabbit and tossed it in his face, dimming his light.
但因他表现得不够勇敢且太骄傲，其中一位神捡起一只兔子并扔到了他的脸上，调暗了他的光芒。
But the fifth world still wasn't truly established.
但第五个世界并没真正建立起来。
Nanahuatl, Lord Sun, shined for four days straight without moving through the sky like all the previous suns had moved.
太阳神纳纳华特持续照耀了四天，不像以前的太阳那样在天空移动。
Back in their home, Teotihuacan, the gods began to worry.
众神回到特奥蒂瓦坎城的家，开始担忧起来。
They sent Obsidian Hawk up to ask what was wrong.
他们派黑鹰上天，询问事由。
Nanahuatl replied that just as he had sacrificed himself to become Lord Sun,
纳纳华特回复说，就像他牺牲自己成为太阳神，
he now needed the nourishing blood of the other gods in order to move through the sky.
现在需要其他众神用血来滋养他，这样才能在天空中运转。
Enraged at this suggestion, Lord Dawn stepped up and shot an arrow at Lord Sun.
黎明之神被这个提议所激怒，站出来并向太阳神射了一箭。
Lord Sun shot back, and his quetzal-feathered arrows struck Lord Dawn in the face, turning him to frost.
太阳神射箭反击，其咬鹃羽毛箭射中黎明之神的脸，把他变成了冰霜。
Before anyone else could act rashly, the other gods turned to each other to discuss what to do.
在任何人冲动行动之前，其他的神开始互相讨论该怎么做。
Of course, no one wanted to sacrifice themselves, but nor did anyone want to act like Lord Dawn.
当然，没有人想牺牲自己，但也没人想效仿黎明之神。
Besides, Nanahuatl had held up his end of the bargain to nourish the earth -- how could they refuse to nourish him in return?
此外，纳纳华特信守承诺滋养地球，其他神怎可拒绝用滋养回报他呢？
They remembered how even the wimpy Tecciztecatl had eventually managed to emulate Nanahuatl's bravery.
众神记起懦弱如特库希斯特卡特，最终也效仿纳纳华特勇敢的举动。
At long last, five other gods agreed to sacrifice themselves.
终于，其他五个神同意牺牲自己。
One by one, Lord Death stabbed them in the heart with an obsidian knife, offering their bodies to their new Lord Sun.
死神依次用黑石刀捅进他们的心脏，把他们的身体祭献给新太阳神。
As the last god made the sacrifice, Lord Quetzalcoatl blew the embers of the great fire back to life,
当最后一位神作出牺牲时，生命之神重燃大火的余烬，
and the sun began to move through the sky at last, ushering in the fifth age.
太阳终于在天空中开始运转，引领第五太阳纪。
Thanks to a pimply weakling whose fortitude inspired all the other gods,
多亏一个长满肿泡的弱者，他的坚毅激发了所有其他的神，
the sun moves along its daily path, the rabbit-faced moon following in its wake.
太阳沿着它每天的路径运行，兔子脸的月亮紧随着它的轨迹。
