with a population of nearly 10 million subjects.

它的人口數曾經達到將近一千萬個子民

Over an area of more than 900,000 square kilometers,

他的領土面積超過九十萬平方公里

its people built massive administrative centers,

它的人民建蓋了龐大的行政中心

temples, and extensive road and canal systems.

廟宇、四通八達的道路與運河系統

They did so in an inhospitable, extreme terrain,

他們在個不宜居住且險峻的極端地形上蓋了這些建築

all without the use of wheels, horses, iron, or even written language.

沒有輪子、馬匹、鐵器甚至文字的幫助

Yet within 100 years of its rise in the fifteenth century,

然而，於 15 世紀，在崛起後的百年內

the Inca Empire would be no more.

印加文明已不復存在

According to legend,

根據傳說

the ancestors of the Inca rulers were created by the sun god Inti,

印加文明的統治者的先祖是被太陽神因蒂所創造的

and they emerged from a cave called Tambo Toco.

他們從一個叫做 Tambo Toco 的洞穴中出現

Leading four brothers and four sisters was Ayar Manco,

Ayar Manco 帶領著四個兄弟與四個姊妹

who carried a golden staff with instructions

他帶著黃金權杖遵循著指示

to find the place where it would sink into the ground,

去尋找一片土地能把權杖插入地裡

showing fertile soil.

以證明富饒的土壤

After many adventures and extensive searching,

經過許多的探險與大範圍的探索

Ayar Manco and his siblings reached the Cuzco Valley,

Ayar Manco 與他的手足們抵達了庫斯科山谷

where the staff pierced the ground.

在那裡權杖刺穿了土地

After fighting off the fierce local native population,

在打敗了兇猛的當地原住民之後

they founded their capital,

他們建立了他們的首都

and Ayar Manco became Manco Capac, the first Sapa Inca, or king of the Incas.

Ayar Manco 成為了曼科·卡帕克，第一位薩帕·印卡，印加帝國的國王

Archaeological evidence suggests

考古的證據顯示

that the Incas first settled in this valley around 1200 CE.

公元 1200 年的時候，印加帝國第一次定居於庫斯科山谷

They remained a small kingdom until 1438,

一直到 1438 年他們都仍是一個小國度

when they were nearly overrun by the neighboring Chanka tribe.

他們幾乎差點被鄰邦的昌卡部落推翻

The Inca king at this time, Viracocha, and his designated heir fled in fear,

當時的印加國王，維拉科查與他的繼承人因害怕而逃跑

but one of his other sons remained

但是他另一個兒子留了下來

and successfully rallied the city's defenses.

並成功地組織了城市的防衛軍隊

For his military skill, he became the ninth Inca ruler,

因為他的軍事能力，他成為了印加的第九任統治者

assuming the name of Pachacuti, or "Cataclysm."

名號帕查庫帝，或者是「大地震」

Pachacuti expanded Inca rule throughout the Andes mountains,

帕查庫帝將領土擴張到安第斯山脈

transforming the kingdom into an empire through extensive reforms.

通過大量的改革，他將國度轉變成一個帝國

The empire's territory was reorganized as Tahuantinsuyu, or "four quarters,"

帝國的領土重整為 Tahuantinsuyu，或是「四方之地」

with four divisions ruled by governors reporting to the king.

四個分區由四個執行官掌控並回報給國王

Although the Inca had no writing,

雖然印加並沒有文字系統

they used a complex system of knotted strings called quipu

但是他們使用一種複雜的結繩系統叫做奇普

to record numbers and perhaps other information.

去記錄數字和其他訊息

A decimal-based bureaucracy enabled systematic

印加政府使用十進制系統

and efficient taxation of the empire's subjects.

去有效率的向帝國的子民們徵稅

In return, the empire provided security, infrastructure, and sustenance,

作為回報，帝國保證人民的安全`基礎建設與基本物資

with great storehouses containing necessities to be used when needed.

他們有巨大的倉庫去儲存應急時的物資

Great terraces and irrigation works were built

印加文明建造了龐大的梯田與灌溉系統

and various crops were grown in at different altitudes

好耕種多種作物在不同的高度上

to be transported all over the empire.

並把這些莊稼運送到帝國全境

And it was during Pachacuti's reign

在帕查庫帝執政的時候

that the famous estate of Machu Picchu was constructed.

他建造了出名的馬丘比丘

Pachacuti's son Topa Inca continued the empire's military expansion,

帕查庫帝的兒子 Topa 接續了帝國的軍事擴張

and he eventually became ruler in 1471 CE.

而在公元 1471 年，他成為了統治者

By the end of his reign, the empire covered much of western South America.

在他的統治末期，帝國涵蓋了整個南美洲西半部

Topa's son Huayna Capac succeeded him in 1493.

Topa 的兒子瓦伊納·卡帕克在 1493 年繼任

But the new ruler's distant military campaigns strained the social fabric.

但是，新政權對於偏遠地區的軍事入侵增加了社會負擔

And in 1524, Huayna Capac was stricken by fever.

然而，在 1524 年瓦伊納．卡帕克發高燒病倒了

Spanish conquistadors had arrived in the Caribbean some time before,

不久以前，西班牙的征服者抵達加勒比海地區

bringing diseases to which the native peoples had no resistance.

帶來了當地人沒有免疫力的疾病

Millions died in the outbreak,

幾百萬人死於瘟疫的蔓延

including Huayna Capac and his designated heir.

包刮瓦伊納．卡帕克和他指定的繼承者

The vacant throne ignited a civil war between two of the surviving brothers,

空缺的王位點燃了兩位僅存的兄弟間的內戰

Atahualpa and Huascar,

他們是阿塔瓦爾帕和 Huascar

greatly weakening the empire.

他們的鬥爭使帝國急遽衰弱

In 1532, after finally winning the Inca civil war,

阿塔瓦爾帕終於在 1532 年取得印加內戰的勝利

Atahualpa and his army encountered the European invaders.

他和他的軍隊卻碰上了來自歐洲的侵略者

Although greatly outnumbered,

雖然侵略者數量不及印加人民

Francisco Pizarro and his small group of conquistadors

但是法蘭西斯克·皮澤洛與他的侵略小隊

stunned the king's much larger force with guns and horses,

運用了槍枝與馬匹而震驚了印加國王的龐大軍隊

neither of which they had seen before.

這兩樣是他們前所未見的東西

Atahualpa was taken captive and killed about a year later.

阿塔瓦爾帕被俘虜，而在約一年後被殺害

The Spanish conquerors were awed by the capital of Cuzco.

西班牙的征服者被庫斯科的首都而震懾

Pizarro described it as so beautiful that “it would be remarkable even in Spain.”

皮澤洛形容他的美是「若它在西班牙也將會是超群的」

Though the capital had fallen

雖然首都已淪陷

and the native population had been destroyed by civil war and disease,

而當地的人口又因為內戰與疾病而消逝

some Incas fell back to a new capital at Vilcabamba

一些印加人退守到 Vilcabamba 並將此地立為新成都

and resisted for the next 40 years.

繼續抵抗西班牙人，長達 40 年

But by 1572, the Spaniards had destroyed all remaining resistance

但是在 1572 年，西班牙殲滅掉了剩餘的反抗勢力

along with much of the Incas' physical and cultural legacy.

並同時摧毀了許多印加實質上的建築與文化遺產

Thus, the great Inca empire fell even faster than it had risen.

因此，強大的印加帝國比崛起時更快速的殞落