鳄与法老之乡 06

As the sun rises from the water, the villagers of Djeme wake to the calls of Hamadryas baboons. After enduring the cold desert night baboons climb to the top of the temples to bathe in the first rays of the sun. Egyptians believe they are greeting Re, and that baboons are the children of the sun god, worshipping their father as he rises above the horizon. They squabble for the warmest spots. Despite their unruly behaviour their relationship to the sun god makes them cult animals even given sacred burials. The labours of the day begin under the gaze of the sun god. As Re sails higher through the sky a creature appears from his heart. A powerful predator, the peregrine falcon. Falcon is an ally of the farmers, preying on crop-raiding pigeons. The peregrine's commanding eye scours the fields below. Dark patches below the bird's eyes help reduce the glare from the sun. The falcon bursts out of the sun, taking his prey by surprise. The sun-riding falcon is the manifestation of one of the most important of all Egyptian gods, the all-seeing Horus.

太阳在水面上升起之际，吉美村的村民们在阿拉伯狒狒的啼声中苏醒。熬过寒冷的沙漠之夜后，狒狒们爬上神庙的屋顶接受第一道晨光的洗礼。埃及人认为狒狒们是在迎接太阳神，它们就是太阳神的孩子，在父亲从地平线升起时敬拜著它。它们会为争抢最暖和的地点大打出手。虽然狒狒粗暴任性，但是它们和太阳神的关系使它们成为圣兽。埃及人甚至会予以它们厚葬。一天的工作在太阳神的注视之下展开。拉航向更高的天际时，有种生物出现在空中，凶猛的掠食动物——游隼。游隼是农人们的好友，它专门猎食偷吃谷物的鸽子。游隼锐利的眼神居高临下地扫视一切。其眼部下方的黑斑有助消抵眩目的阳光。游隼从阳光中闪现出来，出其不意的狙杀猎物。驾驭阳光翱翔天际的游隼代表着埃及众神中最重要的一位——全能的荷鲁斯。