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And this meeting between two worlds, the old and the new,
这次会议是新旧两个世界的碰撞
came down to a meeting between two men,
由两个人做代表进行会谈
Hernan Cortes and the Aztec emperor Montezuma.
埃尔南.科尔特斯和阿兹特克国王蒙特祖马二世
And these were two men who occupied positions of radically
这两人在各自社会中所处的地位
different status in their respective societies.
相差之大 可谓云泥
It's difficult to know what Montezuma, the god emperor,
我们很难知道蒙特祖马二世这位神明国王
made of Cortes, the ruthless, ambitious conquistador.
是如何看待科尔特斯这位粗鲁有野心的征服者
Was Cortes the embodiment of the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl,
科尔特斯是阿兹特克预言中
whose imminent return had been prophesied?
那位即将回归的神明羽蛇神
Or was he a dangerous enemy to be treated with caution?
还是一位需小心应付的危险敌人呢
Either way,
不论如何
Montezuma decided to lavish upon the Spaniard
蒙特祖马二世决定款待这位西班牙人
some of the most beautiful artefacts Aztec society could produce.
赐予他阿兹特克社会所创造的最精美艺术品
It's believed that this spectacular object was one of them.
我们认为这件精湛的作品就是其中之一
It is known today as the Double-Headed Serpent.
这件作品 我们现在称之为两头蛇
It's a piece of carved wood that's been covered in a mosaic
这是一段经雕琢的木头 表面镶嵌了
made up of hundreds and hundreds of tiny pieces of turquoise,
由成百上千块细小绿松石组成的马赛克图案
each of them very precisely fitted into place.
每一块都非常精准地镶嵌其中
And it's believed that it's a representation
我们认为这是阿兹特克神明
of the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl,
羽蛇神的一种形象
who was sometimes shown as a snake
该神明有时会以蛇形现身
covered in the shimmering feathers of the quetzal bird.
身披格查尔鸟那般鳞光闪闪的羽毛
What we don't know is why.
而我们不知道原因为何
Why did Montezuma perhaps give this to Cortes?
为什么蒙特祖玛二世要将此物赐予科尔特斯
It could've been as an act of tribute
这或许是一种馈赠行为
or perhaps Montezuma believed that he could,
也可能蒙特祖玛二世认为 通过送礼
with this and other gifts,
他就能够安抚西班牙人
appease the Spanish and save the Aztec Empire.
并拯救阿兹特克帝国
But the conquistadors weren't interested
但征服者们对蒙特祖马二世
in the aesthetic value of Montezuma's gifts.
所赠之礼的艺术价值并不感兴趣
They wanted only gold.
他们只想要黄金
So with horses, weapons and a great deal of help
有了马匹 武器和蒙特祖马二世
from Montezuma's enemies, they attacked.
敌人的大量帮助 他们进攻了
Yet the truth is
但事实上
it was the unexpected, devastating power
具有出人意料毁灭性力量的是来自欧洲的疾病
of European diseases that finally broke Aztec resistance
最终攻破了阿兹特克人的抵抗
