尼卡多利情史辨析 Analysis of Nikador's Romantic Histories

对尼卡多利相关神话的内容辨析，解读了民间为纷争泰坦编撰爱情故事的背景原因。 An analysis of myths related to Nikador, expounding on the background and reasons why the common folk made up tales of love for the Strife Titan.

黄金之茧赋予了人类求爱的心，使我们热衷于聆听那些坎坷的泰坦恋情。而在一众泰坦中，被蔑称为蛮神的尼卡多利却颇受诗人和剧作家的青睐。本作旨在对民间流传的诸多爱情故事进行简要解析，以解读人们对于这位泰坦，以及悬锋城的复杂感情。

The Chrysalis of Gold bestowed upon humanity the heart to pursue love, allowing us to passionately listen to those romantic tribulations of the Titans. Among the Titans, Nikador, scorned as the savage god, is highly favored among poets and dramatists. This piece focuses on the brief analysis of the many love stories circulating among folklore — it dissects the complex emotions that humans have on this Titan and Castrum Kremnos.

尼卡多利与柏尔庇西斯

Nikador and Bepsis

据说，柏尔庇西斯降生于墨涅塔的神庙中，黄金之茧亲自为她赐福，使她拥有黄金色的头发与眸子，就连怀抱着她的乳母都险些因她的美貌晕厥。成年后，柏尔庇西斯的美貌更是出众，为了阻拦络绎不绝的求婚者，她身为僭主的父亲宣称，只有战胜他的三个儿子，才能赢得柏尔庇西斯的爱情。身披铠甲的三位少年在赛场上所向披靡，前来求婚的，不是被打得落花流水，就是在他们拔出利剑时逃之夭夭。

It is said that Bepsis was born in Mnestia's temple, and personally blessed by the Chrysalis of Gold, giving her golden hair and eyes. Even her nursemaid, who carried her, almost swooned at her sheer beauty. Bepsis's beauty only became even more outstanding as she matured. To stem her endless stream of suitors, Bepsis's tyrant father declared that only those who dueled his three sons and emerged victorious would win her hand. Her three armor-clad brothers were unmatched in the arena — those who came forth to court her were either beaten to a pulp or fled before they even unsheathed their blades.

柏尔庇西斯的美貌也引来了尼卡多利的注视，它化身一位年轻的男子，叫嚣着向她的兄弟挑战。不知真相的三人败下阵来，只得应允了他与少女的婚约。男人与柏尔庇西斯约定，三日后的夜晚，到城外最高的山峰边缘，他会来接走自己的爱人。当夜幕降临，柏尔庇西斯来到约定的地点，却看见一个高大的巨人。少女误以为恋人已被杀死，害怕被巨人羞辱的她，在悲伤之际跳下山崖，结束了尚未开始的爱情。

Bepsis's beauty also attracted Nikador's attention. They transformed into a young man and boldly issued a challenge to her brothers. The trio, unwitting to the truth, were defeated thoroughly, and had no choice but to betroth her to Nikador. The man arranged for Bepsis to meet at the edge of the highest peak outside the city on the night of the third day, where he would take away his lover. When that night came, Bepsis came to the appointed spot, but only saw a towering giant. Thinking her lover had been slain and fearing her purity ruined by this giant, she leaped off the cliff in a fit of sorrow, thus ending this love that had not even begun.

注：和神话不同，现实中的柏尔庇西斯，她的父亲和三位兄弟，皆在与悬锋城的交战中战死。不愿在城破后受辱死去的柏尔庇西斯，最终选择结束自己的生命。尼卡多利战胜了她的兄弟，又露出骇人的身形，迫使少女自杀，无疑是对这一故事的隐喻。

Note: Unlike the myths, Bepsis's father and three brothers met their deaths in battle against Castrum Kremnos in real life. Bepsis, refusing to be humiliated after her city was conquered, chose to take her own life in the end. Nikador triumphing over her brothers, revealing their terrifying visage, and forcing the maiden to end her own life are indubitably metaphors in this tale.

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追求塔兰顿

Courting Talanton

这则故事的诞生时期无从考证，却在黄金战争时期，因圣城奥赫玛上演的剧目《泥土的重量》而广为人知。公正之秤，塔兰顿，尼卡多利敬佩它的强大，吉奥里亚则痴情于它的公正。塔兰顿让两位追求者寻找足以代表自己爱意的秘宝，作为交换，它会回应以等价的情感。

While the origin of this story is impossible to verify, it gained popularity from a play called The Weight of Soil in the holy city of Okhema during the Chrysos War. The Scale of Justice, Talanton, was revered by Nikador for their power, and Georios was smitten by them for their fairness. Talanton bade the two suitors seek out the treasure that best represented their love, and in return, would reciprocate the worth in kind.

愚笨的尼卡多利向它的挚友求问，什么能与律法之泰坦的爱相平衡？冥河中的塞纳托斯告诉它，唯有公平地带走一切的死亡，才称得上真正公正之物。

The foolish Nikador sought advice from their bosom friend, asking what was equivalent to the love of the Law Titan? Thanatos of the River of Souls told them that only death, which takes away all things fairly, would be truly fair.

沉稳的吉奥里亚向森林中的墨涅塔与瑟希斯求问，如何解开塔兰顿的谜题？墨涅塔怂恿它交出自己的火种，但如此一来，大地便无法再滋养芸芸的生灵。而瑟希斯则劝告它遵从本心，找出自己最珍贵的秘藏。

The composed Georios sought advice from Mnestia and Cerces in the forest: How should they respond to Talanton's riddle? Mnestia instigated Georios to give up their own Coreflame, though that would mean the earth would never blossom with vibrant life ever again. Cerces persuaded them to follow their heart, to seek out their most precious treasure.

于是，尼卡多利投出它的长矛，将破灭的城邦作为礼物带给塔兰顿。塔兰顿将自己的火种放在天平的一端，倘若这座城邦的尸骸能使它平衡，尼卡多利便赢得它的爱——但天平纹丝不动。

And so, Nikador hurled their lance, presenting an obliterated city to Talanton as a gift. Talanton placed their own Coreflame on one side of the scale — if the corpses in the city could balance it out, Nikador would have won their love. Alas, the scale did not budge.

吉奥里亚将人类献祭给它的一抔麦田放上天平。可这简陋的礼物却将天平压下，变得比公正之秤的火种更沉重，因它承载着历史，人类的生活、生命与未来。最终，塔兰顿因无法付出比这更多的爱意，只能拒绝吉奥里亚的追求。但后来的诗人们仍常常戏言，公正之秤不能让心中的爱恋动摇了翁法罗斯的平衡，故而只能以此为借口。

Georios placed a handful of wheat offered by the humans on the scale. This seemingly shoddy gift pressed the scale down, becoming even heavier than the Coreflame on the Scale of Justice, for it bore with it history and humanity's lives, existence, and future. Finally, because Talanton could not offer more love than this, they were forced to decline Georios's pursuit. However, later poets would often jest that the Scale of Justice prohibited the love in their heart from moving Amphoreus's balance, and that this was just an excuse.

注：这则故事中蠢笨、暴戾的尼卡多利形象，明显带有对泰坦的丑化倾向。其中蕴含的教化与政治色彩，也从侧面体现出战争对奥赫玛剧本创作的影响。与其说人们乐于杜撰尼卡多利的情史，不如说，人们乐于见到它在爱情中的失利。某种意义上，这也是黄金战争时期，诸城邦对悬锋城歧视和敌意的体现。

Note: In this story, the portrayal of the foolish, brutal Nikador clearly vilifies the Titans. The educational and political undertones contained within also indirectly portray war's influence on Okhema's theatrical creativity. Rather than saying people enjoyed making up Nikador's romantic history, one could as well say that they reveled in seeing the failures of the Titan in love. In a certain sense, this reflects the discrimination and animosity the various city-states held for Castrum Kremnos during the Chrysos War.