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第3章

the iliad(伊利亚特)-第3章

小说: the iliad(伊利亚特) 字数: 每页4000字

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bring her hither; if he will not give her I shall come with others and
take her… which will press him harder。〃
  He charged them straightly further and dismissed them; whereon
they went their way sorrowfully by the seaside; till they came to
the tents and ships of the Myrmidons。 They found Achilles sitting by
his tent and his ships; and ill…pleased he was when he beheld them。
They stood fearfully and reverently before him; and never a word did
they speak; but he knew them and said; 〃Welcome; heralds; messengers
of gods and men; draw near; my quarrel is not with you but with
Agamemnon who has sent you for the girl Briseis。 Therefore; Patroclus;
bring her and give her to them; but let them be witnesses by the
blessed gods; by mortal men; and by the fierceness of Agamemnon's
anger; that if ever again there be need of me to save the people
from ruin; they shall seek and they shall not find。 Agamemnon is mad
with rage and knows not how to look before and after that the Achaeans
may fight by their ships in safety。〃
  Patroclus did as his dear comrade had bidden him。 He brought Briseis
from the tent and gave her over to the heralds; who took her with them
to the ships of the Achaeans… and the woman was loth to go。 Then
Achilles went all alone by the side of the hoar sea; weeping and
looking out upon the boundless waste of waters。 He raised his hands in
prayer to his immortal mother; 〃Mother;〃 he cried; 〃you bore me doomed
to live but for a little season; surely Jove; who thunders from
Olympus; might have made that little glorious。 It is not so。
Agamemnon; son of Atreus; has done me dishonour; and has robbed me
of my prize by force。〃
  As he spoke he wept aloud; and his mother heard him where she was
sitting in the depths of the sea hard by the old man her father。
Forthwith she rose as it were a grey mist out of the waves; sat down
before him as he stood weeping; caressed him with her hand; and
said; 〃My son; why are you weeping? What is it that grieves you?
Keep it not from me; but tell me; that we may know it together。〃
  Achilles drew a deep sigh and said; 〃You know it; why tell you
what you know well already? We went to Thebe the strong city of
Eetion; sacked it; and brought hither the spoil。 The sons of the
Achaeans shared it duly among themselves; and chose lovely Chryseis as
the meed of Agamemnon; but Chryses; priest of Apollo; came to the
ships of the Achaeans to free his daughter; and brought with him a
great ransom: moreover he bore in his hand the sceptre of Apollo;
wreathed with a suppliant's wreath; and he besought the Achaeans;
but most of all the two sons of Atreus who were their chiefs。
  〃On this the rest of the Achaeans with one voice were for respecting
the priest and taking the ransom that he offered; but not so
Agamemnon; who spoke fiercely to him and sent him roughly away。 So
he went back in anger; and Apollo; who loved him dearly; heard his
prayer。 Then the god sent a deadly dart upon the Argives; and the
people died thick on one another; for the arrows went everywhither
among the wide host of the Achaeans。 At last a seer in the fulness
of his knowledge declared to us the oracles of Apollo; and I was
myself first to say that we should appease him。 Whereon the son of
Atreus rose in anger; and threatened that which he has since done。 The
Achaeans are now taking the girl in a ship to Chryse; and sending
gifts of sacrifice to the god; but the heralds have just taken from my
tent the daughter of Briseus; whom the Achaeans had awarded to myself。
  〃Help your brave son; therefore; if you are able。 Go to Olympus; and
if you have ever done him service in word or deed; implore the aid
of Jove。 Ofttimes in my father's house have I heard you glory in
that you alone of the immortals saved the son of Saturn from ruin;
when the others; with Juno; Neptune; and Pallas Minerva would have put
him in bonds。 It was you; goddess; who delivered him by calling to
Olympus the hundred…handed monster whom gods call Briareus; but men
Aegaeon; for he is stronger even than his father; when therefore he
took his seat all…glorious beside the son of Saturn; the other gods
were afraid; and did not bind him。 Go; then; to him; remind him of all
this; clasp his knees; and bid him give succour to the Trojans。 Let
the Achaeans be hemmed in at the sterns of their ships; and perish
on the sea…shore; that they may reap what joy they may of their
king; and that Agamemnon may rue his blindness in offering insult to
the foremost of the Achaeans。〃
  Thetis wept and answered; 〃My son; woe is me that I should have
borne or suckled you。 Would indeed that you had lived your span free
from all sorrow at your ships; for it is all too brief; alas; that you
should be at once short of life and long of sorrow above your peers:
woe; therefore; was the hour in which I bore you; nevertheless I
will go to the snowy heights of Olympus; and tell this tale to Jove;
if he will hear our prayer: meanwhile stay where you are with your
ships; nurse your anger against the Achaeans; and hold aloof from
fight。 For Jove went yesterday to Oceanus; to a feast among the
Ethiopians; and the other gods went with him。 He will return to
Olympus twelve days hence; I will then go to his mansion paved with
bronze and will beseech him; nor do I doubt that I shall be able to
persuade him。〃
  On this she left him; still furious at the loss of her that had been
taken from him。 Meanwhile Ulysses reached Chryse with the hecatomb。
When they had come inside the harbour they furled the sails and laid
them in the ship's hold; they slackened the forestays; lowered the
mast into its place; and rowed the ship to the place where they
would have her lie; there they cast out their mooring…stones and
made fast the hawsers。 They then got out upon the sea…shore and landed
the hecatomb for Apollo; Chryseis also left the ship; and Ulysses
led her to the altar to deliver her into the hands of her father。
〃Chryses;〃 said he; 〃King Agamemnon has sent me to bring you back your
child; and to offer sacrifice to Apollo on behalf of the Danaans; that
we may propitiate the god; who has now brought sorrow upon the
Argives。〃
  So saying he gave the girl over to her father; who received her
gladly; and they ranged the holy hecatomb all orderly round the
altar of the god。 They washed their hands and took up the
barley…meal to sprinkle over the victims; while Chryses lifted up
his hands and prayed aloud on their behalf。 〃Hear me;〃 he cried; 〃O
god of the silver bow; that protectest Chryse and holy Cilla; and
rulest Tenedos with thy might。 Even as thou didst hear me aforetime
when I prayed; and didst press hardly upon the Achaeans; so hear me
yet again; and stay this fearful pestilence from the Danaans。〃
  Thus did he pray; and Apollo heard his prayer。 When they had done
praying and sprinkling the barley…meal; they drew back the heads of
the victims and killed and flayed them。 They cut out the
thigh…bones; wrapped them round in two layers of fat; set some
pieces of raw meat on the top of them; and then Chryses laid them on
the wood fire and poured wine over them; while the young men stood
near him with five…pronged spits in their hands。 When the
thigh…bones were burned and they had tasted the inward meats; they cut
the rest up small; put the pieces upon the spits; roasted them till
they were done; and drew them off: then; when they had finished
their work and the feast was ready; they ate it; and every man had his
full share; so that all were satisfied。 As soon as they had had enough
to eat and drink; pages filled the mixing…bowl with wine and water and
handed it round; after giving every man his drink…offering。
  Thus all day long the young men worshipped the god with song;
hymning him and chaunting the joyous paean; and the god took
pleasure in their voices; but when the sun went down; and it came on
dark; they laid themselves down to sleep by the stern cables of the
ship; and when the child of morning; rosy…fingered Dawn; appeared they
again set sail for the host of the Achaeans。 Apollo sent them a fair
wind; so they raised their mast and hoisted their white sails aloft。
As the sail bellied with the wind the s

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