The powerful gods usually changed their own forms at will, but for mortals, the mutations were often unwanted.

強大的天神經常隨心意任意變身，但對於凡人而言，這種變異通常非他們所願。

One such unnerving transformation befell the spinner Arachne.

降臨在織女阿瑞荷妮身上的悲催命運也是如此。

Arachne was the daughter of a tradesman who spent his days dying cloth the deepest shades of purple.

阿瑞荷妮是一位商人之女，她的爸爸終日忙於將布料染成深紫色。

She had a flair for spinning the finest threads, weaving them into flowing fabric, and creating magnificent tapestries.

她擁有絕佳的才能，能夠將最上乘的絲線織成隨風飄逸的織布，創作出華美的掛毯。

People flocked to watch her hands flying across her loom, as if thread sprung directly from her fingertips.

人群聚集就為了一睹她的雙手是如何在織布機之間穿梭飛舞，好似絲線是直接從她的指尖噴射而出。

But as praise for her work grew, so did her pride.

然而，隨著讚美日益增加，她的傲氣也日益高漲。

Arachne could often be heard boasting about her skills, declaring that her talent surpassed anyone else's—mortal or divine.

阿瑞荷妮常常四處吹噓她的手藝，她聲稱她的天分遠超過任何一位——不論是凡人還是天神。

She refused to see weaving as a gift from the gods.

她並不認為這樣的才能來自於神祇的賞賜。

Rather, she flaunted it as her own personal genius.

取而代之地，她揚言那是她自己的個人才賦。

Unfortunately, the goddess of wisdom and crafts, Athena, overheard Arachne making these claims.

不幸的是智慧和工藝女神雅典娜，聽到了阿瑞荷妮的這些言論。

Planning to teach the ungrateful girl a lesson, Athena disguised herself as an old woman and stole amongst the mortals.

雅典娜決定給這個不知感恩的女孩一點教訓，於是偽裝成一位老婦，下凡遊走在人群之間。

She berated Arachne in public, "how dare the weaver claim herself greater than the gods?".

她公開指責阿瑞荷妮：「怎膽敢聲稱自己的技能比天神厲害？」

But Arachne only laughed, barely looking up from her loom.

但阿瑞荷妮就只是笑個幾聲，甚至不抬一眼。

Provoked, the old woman threw off her cloak to reveal her true form.

老婦這下被激怒了，她把斗篷揭掉，顯示自己的真實樣貌。

If Arachne insisted on defaming the gods, Athena would challenge her to a contest directly.

若是阿瑞荷妮還是堅持詆毀眾神名譽，雅典娜就會直接向她下戰帖。

Masking her shock at the appearance of the grey-eyed goddess, Arachne accepted the challenge.

阿瑞荷妮掩飾住自己看到這位灰眼女神時所感到的驚訝並接受了挑戰。

Athena drew up her own glittering loom as a great crowd gathered to watch.

當眾人前來圍觀時，雅典娜召出她閃亮的織布機。

The weavers began, eyes fixed and shuttles blurring.

她們開始織了，緊盯著織布機，梭子來回的身影顯得模糊不清。

Athena conjured wisps of cloud from above and slender threads of grass from below in a spectacle of strength.

雅典娜展示她的神力，將上頭朵朵的雲和地上的草都召喚到手邊。

She wove tremendous scenes that showed the power of the gods.

她編織出驚人的場景，展示了天神的威力。

Poseidon riding the waves, Zeus firing thunderbolts and Apollo hurtling across the sky.

波塞頓騎於浪頭上，宙斯發動閃電火，以及阿波羅馳騁於天際間。

In Athena's splendid tapestry, the glory of the gods dwarfed mortal life.

在雅典娜絢麗的掛毯中，凡人生活因天神的榮耀而顯得微不足道。

But Arachne had no interest in boosting godly egos.

但是阿瑞荷妮可沒興趣讚頌天神。

Her tapestry showed the gods abusing their power, squabbling amongst themselves, drinking and bragging, and meddling in the lives of mortals.

她的掛毯描繪出天神是如何濫用祂們的能力、彼此之間爭吵不休、飲酒、吹噓，並和凡人糾纏不清。

She represented Zeus as a philanderer, transfiguring himself to ensnare women: a swan for Leda, a bull for Europa, a shower of gold for Danae.

她把宙斯描繪成一位風流男子，為了誘惑女性改變形態：為了 Leda 變身成天鵝，為了 Europa 變為一隻公牛，為 Danae 下一場金子雨。

Arachne then turned to the misdemeanors of other gods, from Pluto's abduction of Persephone to Bacchus's wild pursuit of Erigone.

阿瑞荷妮接著細數其他天神的罪行，包括普拉托誘拐泊瑟芬以及巴克斯對 Erigone 的窮追不捨。

Even though she cast the gods in the most unflattering light, Arachne's work shone with her dazzling skill.

縱使阿瑞荷妮描繪的是眾神最不堪的一面，她的作品因她耀人的手藝而奪目亮眼。

Her tapestry was almost alive, filled with movement and lustrous colors that winked triumphantly.

她的掛毯栩栩如生，充滿了動感和光輝的顏色，發出了勝利的爍光。

When Athena saw Arachne's undeniably better and flagrantly subversive work, she flew into a rage and turned on the human weaver.

當雅典娜看到阿瑞荷妮那毋庸置疑更勝一籌並且具有顛覆性的作品時，她勃然大怒地對這位人類下咒。

Arachne's glee dimmed as she felt her body shrinking and contorting.

感受到身體開始縮小扭曲變形，阿瑞荷妮的歡笑蒙上了一層陰影。

Her fingers waved wildly as her arms stuck to her sides, and black hair sprouted all over her body.

她的手指瘋狂擺動，手臂移動到了身側，黑色的毛髮從她的全身上下長出。

The goddess left Arachne with a single spool of thread unfurling from her belly, a slim reminder of her human talent.

女神留給阿瑞荷妮一根從她的肚皮拉出的絲線，使她想起曾有過的人類才能。

For challenging the assumption that the gods were untouchable, Athena had shrunk her adversary into the first spider.

因為她試圖將自己抬高到與天神齊名，雅典娜將她縮小成為第一隻蜘蛛。

To this day, Arachne and her children spin out her penance.

時至今日，阿瑞荷妮和她的子子孫孫在悔過中編織不懈。

Or is it undaunted persistence in the shadows of giants?

又或者這是他們勇敢無畏的堅持，終日在巨人的陰影中度日？

If you enjoy the myth of Arachne, check out this playlist for more epic tales.

如果你喜歡阿瑞荷妮的神話故事，點進這個播放清單看更多史詩故事。