评论
打印
As a descendant of slaves, Jay Speights had struggled to find written documentation of his family history.
作为奴隶的后代，杰伊·斯佩特斯努力地寻找着他的家庭历史的文字记录。
He spent years looking, as his father had before him, but he was 64 before a DNA test offered a solid lead.
他花了很多年寻找，就像他的父亲在他之前做的那样，但是直到64岁，一项DNA测试才提供了可靠的线索。
The pastor from Rockville, Maryland, learned that 30 percent of his DNA was from Benin,
这位来自马里兰州洛克维尔的牧师发现他30%的基因来自贝宁，
a country located to the west of Nigeria about which Jay knew next to nothing.
这是一个位于尼日利亚西部的国家，杰伊对它几乎一无所知。
At the urging of a friend, he turned to a database called GED Match,
在一个朋友的催促下，他求助于一个名为GED Match的数据库，
which has had success connecting African Americans and their African relatives, to learn more about his link to Benin.
它成功地帮助非裔美国人联系到他们的非洲亲戚，以获取更多他和贝宁的联系。
After uploading his data to the site, Jay saw a surprising DNA match. The website listed a man named Houanloko-non Deka as his distant cousin.
在把自己的数据传到网站上后，杰伊看到了一个令人惊讶的DNA配对。该网站列出，一个叫Houanloko-non Deka的男子是他的远房表亲。
Next to the listing were the words royal DNA. Beninese royalty? Jay was stunned. He had no idea what to do next.
清单旁边写着“皇家DNA”。贝宁皇室？杰伊震惊了。他不知道接下来要做什么。
But fate—or maybe even divine intervention—kicked in a few months after Jay learned of his royal lineage.
但是就在杰伊发现了他的皇家血统后几个月后，命运-或者神的介入-来临了。
At the New Seminary in New York he met the leader of the West African religion Vodun, who had traveled from his home—in Benin.
在纽约的新神学院，他遇到了西非宗教领袖伏顿，后者从贝宁的家中旅行来到这里。
Jay told the man and his group his unusual story, and one of the Beninese men immediately replied, "I know your king.
杰伊告诉伏顿和他的团体自己不寻常的故事，其中的一个贝宁人立即回复道，“我认识你们的国王。
Here is his number." "I mean, how could that possibly happen?" Jay says.
这是他的号码。”“我是说，这怎么可能呢？”杰伊说。
"After all these years of going through my father's search, going through files ... it just fell in my lap. That's the hand of God."
“在我父亲找了这么多年，翻阅这么多文件后...就这样被我碰到了。这是上帝之手的帮助。”
The first time Jay called King Kpo-degbe Toyi Djigla, the traditional ruler of the kingdom of Allada in southern Benin, the king hung up.
在杰伊第一次打给国王Kpo-degbe Toyi Djigla，这位贝宁南部阿拉达王国的传统统治者时，他挂了电话。
The second time, the king handed the phone to his English-speaking wife, Queen Djehami Kpodegbe Kwin-Epo.
第二次，国王把电话交给了他的讲英语的妻子，王后Djehami Kpodegbe Kwin-Epo。
She and Jay started messaging each other online. She told him he was a descendant of King Deka, who had ruled Allada centuries earlier.
她和杰伊开始在网上互相发信息。她告诉杰伊，他是几个世纪前统治阿拉达的国王德卡的后裔。
"We would be delighted to welcome you to your home, dear prince," she wrote. And so Jay went.
她写道：“亲爱的王子，我们很高兴欢迎你回家。”所以杰伊去了。
On January 6, 2019, his late father's birthday, he landed in Benin.
2019年1月6日，也就是他已故父亲的生日，他去了贝宁。
Posters written in French, the country's official language, greeted him: "Welcome to the kingdom of Allada, land of your ancestors."
欢迎海报上用贝宁的官方语言法语写着：“欢迎来到阿拉达王国，你祖先的土地。”
At least 300 people were waiting for him outside the airport.
至少300人在机场外面等着他。
They danced, sang, and played instruments to celebrate the return of their long-lost prince.
他们载歌载舞，演奏乐器，庆祝失散多年的王子归来。
Accompanied by a motorcade, the queen picked him up from the airport, introduced him to local dignitaries, and showed him some historical sites.
王后和随行车队去机场接了他，把他介绍给当地的高官，带他游览历史遗迹。
When they arrived at the palace for an audience with the king, at least 1,000 people were waiting for them.
当他们到达王宫觐见国王时，至少有1000人在等着他们。
