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第8章

iphigenia in tauris-第8章

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    Preserve me too; for me destruction waits;

    And all the race of Pelops; if we bear not

    This heaven…descended image from the shrine。

  LEADER

    The anger of the gods hath raged severe;

    And plunged the race of Tantalus in woes。

  IPHIGENIA

    Ere thy arrival here; a fond desire

    To be again at Argos; and to see

    Thee; my loved brother; fill'd my soul。 Thy wish

    Is my warm wish; to free thee from thy toils;

    And from its ruins raise my father's house;

    Nor harbour I 'gainst him; that slew me; thought

    Of harsh resentment: from thy blood my hands

    Would I keep pure; thy house I would preserve。

    But from the goddess how may this be hid?

    The tyrant too I fear; when he shall find

    The statue on its marble base no more。

    What then from death will save me? What excuse

    Shall I devise? Yet by one daring deed

    Might these things be achieved: couldst thou bear hence

    The image; me too in thy gallant bark

    Placing secure; how glorious were the attempt!

    Me if thou join not with thee; I am lost

    Indeed; but thou; with prudent measures form'd;

    Return。 I fly no danger; not ev'n death;

    Be death required; to save thee: no: the man

    Dying is mourn'd; as to his house a loss;

    But woman's weakness is of light esteem。

  ORESTES

    I would not be the murderer of my mother;

    And of thee too; sufficient is her blood。

    No; I will share thy fortune; live with thee;

    Or with thee die: to Argos I will lead thee;

    If here I perish not; or dying; here

    Remain with thee。 But what my mind suggests;

    Hear: if Diana were averse to this;

    How could the voice of Phoebus from his shrine

    Declare that to the state of Pallas hence

    The statue of the goddess I should bear;

    And see thy face? All this; together weigh'd;

    Gives hope of fair success; and our return。

  IPHIGENIA

    But how effect it; that we neither die;

    And what we wish achieve? For our return

    On this depends: this claims deliberate thought。

  ORESTES

    Have we not means to work the tyrant's death?

  IPHIGENIA

    For strangers full of peril were the attempt。

  ORESTES

    Thee would it save and me; it must be dared。

  IPHIGENIA

    I could not: yet thy promptness I approve。

  ORESTES

    What if thou lodge me in the shrine conceal'd?

  IPHIGENIA

    That in the shades of night we may escape?

  ORESTES

    Night is a friend to frauds; the light to truth。

  IPHIGENIA

    Within are sacred guards; we 'scape not them。

  ORESTES

    Ruin then waits us: how can we be saved?

  IPHIGENIA

    I think I have some new and safe device。

  ORESTES

    What is it? Let me know: impart thy thought;

  IPHIGENIA

    Thy sufferings for my purpose I will use;…

  ORESTES

    To form devices quick is woman's wit。

  IPHIGENIA

    And say; thy mother slain; thou fledd'st from Argos。

  ORESTES

    If to aught good; avail thee of my ills。

  IPHIGENIA

    Unmeet then at this shrine to offer thee。

  ORESTES

    What cause alleged? I reach not thine intent。

  IPHIGENIA

    As now impure: when hallow'd; I will slay thee。

  ORESTES

    How is the image thus more promptly gain'd?

  IPHIGENIA

    Thee I will hallow in the ocean waves。

  ORESTES

    The statue we would gain is in the temple。

  IPHIGENIA

    That; by thy touch polluted; I would cleanse。

  ORESTES

    Where? On the watery margin of the main?

  IPHIGENIA

    Where thy tall bark secured with cables rides。

  ORESTES

    And who shall bear the image in his hands?

  IPHIGENIA

    Myself; profaned by any touch; but mine。

  ORESTES

    What of this blood shall on my friend be charged?

  IPHIGENIA

    His hands; it shall be said; like thine are stain'd。

  ORESTES

    In secret this; or to the king disclosed?

  IPHIGENIA

    With his assent; I cannot hide it from him。

  ORESTES

    My bark with ready oars attends thee near。

  IPHIGENIA

    That all be well appointed; be thy charge。

  ORESTES

    One thing alone remains; that these conceal

    Our purpose: but address them; teach thy tongue

    Persuasive words: a woman hath the power

    To melt the heart to pity: thus perchance

    All things may to our warmest wish succeed。

  IPHIGENIA

    Ye train of females; to my soul most dear;

    On you mine eyes are turn'd; on you depends

    My fate; with prosperous fortune to be bless'd;

    Or to be nothing; to my country lost;

    Of a dear kinsman and a much…loved brother

    Deprived。 This plea I first would urge; that we

    Are women; and have hearts by nature form'd

    To love each other; of our mutual trusts

    Most firm preservers。 Touching our design;

    Be silent; and assist our flight: naught claims

    More honour than the faithful tongue。 You see

    How the same fortune links us three; most dear

    Each to the other; to revisit safe

    Our country; or to die。 If I am saved;

    That thou mayst share my fortune; I to Greece

    Will bring thee safe: but thee by this right hand;

    Thee I conjure; and thee; by this loved cheek

    Thee; by thy knees; by all that in your house

    Is dearest to you; father; mother; child;

    If you have children。 What do you reply?

    Which of you speaks assent? Or which dissents?

    But be you all assenting: for my plea

    If you approve not; ruin falls on me;

    And my unhappy brother too must die。

  LEADER

    Be confident; loved lady and consult

    Only thy safety: all thou givest in charge;

    Be witness; mighty Jove; I will conceal。

  IPHIGENIA

    O; for this generous promise be you bless'd。

                                             (To ORESTES and PYLADES)

    To enter now the temple be thy part;

    And thine: for soon the monarch of the land

    Will come; inquiring if the strangers yet

    Have bow'd their necks as victims at the shrine。

    Goddess revered; who in the dreadful bay

    Of Aulis from my father's slaughtering hand

    Didst save me; save me now; and these: through thee;

    Else will the voice of Phoebus be no more

    Held true by mortals。 From this barbarous land

    To Athens go propitious: here to dwell

    Beseems thee not; thine be a polish'd state!

                  (ORESTES; PYLADES; and IPHIGENIA enter the temple。)

  CHORUS (singing)



                                                            strophe 1



    O bird; that round each craggy height

      Projecting o'er the sea below;

    Wheelest thy melancholy flight;

      Thy song attuned to notes of woe;

    The wise thy tender sorrows own;

    Which thy lost lord unceasing moan;

    Like thine; sad halcyon; be my strain;

      A bird; that have no wings to fly:

      With fond desire for Greece I sigh;

    And for my much…loved social train;

    Sigh for Diana; pitying maid;

      Who joys to rove o'er Cynthus' heights。

    Or in the branching laurel's shade;

      Or in the soft…hair'd palm delights;

    Or the hoar olive's sacred boughs;

    Lenient of sad Latona's woes;

    Or in the lake; that rolls its wave

    Where swans their plumage love to lave;

    Then; to the Muses soaring high;

    The homage pay of melody。



                                                        antistrophe 1



    Ye tears; what frequent…falling showers

      Roll'd down these cheeks in streams of woe;

    When in the dust my country's towers

      Lay levell'd by the conquering foe;

    And; to their spears a prey; their oars

    Brought me to these barbaric shores!

    For gold exchanged; a traffic base;

      No vulgar slave; the task is mine;

      Here at Diana's awful shrine;

    Who loves the woodland hind to chase;

    The virgin priestess to attend;

      Daughter of rich Mycenae's lord;

    At other shrines her wish to bend;

      Where b

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