the iliad(伊利亚特)-第6章

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struck　him　with　his　staff　and　rebuked　him；　saying；　〃Sirrah；　hold
your　peace；　and　listen　to　better　men　than　yourself。　You　are　a　coward
and　no　soldier；　you　are　nobody　either　in　fight　or　council；　we　cannot
all　be　kings；　it　is　not　well　that　there　should　be　many　masters；　one
man　must　be　supreme…　one　king　to　whom　the　son　of　scheming　Saturn　has
given　the　sceptre　of　sovereignty　over　you　all。〃
　　Thus　masterfully　did　he　go　about　among　the　host；　and　the　people
hurried　back　to　the　council　from　their　tents　and　ships　with　a　sound　as
the　thunder　of　surf　when　it　comes　crashing　down　upon　the　shore；　and
all　the　sea　is　in　an　uproar。
　　The　rest　now　took　their　seats　and　kept　to　their　own　several
places；　but　Thersites　still　went　on　wagging　his　unbridled　tongue…　a
man　of　many　words；　and　those　unseemly；　a　monger　of　sedition；　a
railer　against　all　who　were　in　authority；　who　cared　not　what　he
said；　so　that　he　might　set　the　Achaeans　in　a　laugh。　He　was　the　ugliest
man　of　all　those　that　came　before　Troy…　bandy…legged；　lame　of　one
foot；　with　his　two　shoulders　rounded　and　hunched　over　his　chest。　His
head　ran　up　to　a　point；　but　there　was　little　hair　on　the　top　of　it。
Achilles　and　Ulysses　hated　him　worst　of　all；　for　it　was　with　them　that
he　was　most　wont　to　wrangle；　now；　however；　with　a　shrill　squeaky　voice
he　began　heaping　his　abuse　on　Agamemnon。　The　Achaeans　were　angry　and
disgusted；　yet　none　the　less　he　kept　on　brawling　and　bawling　at　the
son　of　Atreus。
　　〃Agamemnon；〃　he　cried；　〃what　ails　you　now；　and　what　more　do　you
want？　Your　tents　are　filled　with　bronze　and　with　fair　women；　for
whenever　we　take　a　town　we　give　you　the　pick　of　them。　Would　you　have
yet　more　gold；　which　some　Trojan　is　to　give　you　as　a　ransom　for　his
son；　when　I　or　another　Achaean　has　taken　him　prisoner？　or　is　it　some
young　girl　to　hide　and　lie　with？　It　is　not　well　that　you；　the　ruler　of
the　Achaeans；　should　bring　them　into　such　misery。　Weakling　cowards；
women　rather　than　men；　let　us　sail　home；　and　leave　this　fellow　here　at
Troy　to　stew　in　his　own　meeds　of　honour；　and　discover　whether　we
were　of　any　service　to　him　or　no。　Achilles　is　a　much　better　man　than
he　is；　and　see　how　he　has　treated　him…　robbing　him　of　his　prize　and
keeping　it　himself。　Achilles　takes　it　meekly　and　shows　no　fight；　if　he
did；　son　of　Atreus；　you　would　never　again　insult　him。〃
　　Thus　railed　Thersites；　but　Ulysses　at　once　went　up　to　him　and
rebuked　him　sternly。　〃Check　your　glib　tongue；　Thersites；〃　said　be；
〃and　babble　not　a　word　further。　Chide　not　with　princes　when　you　have
none　to　back　you。　There　is　no　viler　creature　come　before　Troy　with　the
sons　of　Atreus。　Drop　this　chatter　about　kings；　and　neither　revile　them
nor　keep　harping　about　going　home。　We　do　not　yet　know　how　things　are
going　to　be；　nor　whether　the　Achaeans　are　to　return　with　good
success　or　evil。　How　dare　you　gibe　at　Agamemnon　because　the　Danaans
have　awarded　him　so　many　prizes？　I　tell　you；　therefore…　and　it　shall
surely　be…　that　if　I　again　catch　you　talking　such　nonsense；　I　will
either　forfeit　my　own　head　and　be　no　more　called　father　of　Telemachus；
or　I　will　take　you；　strip　you　stark　naked；　and　whip　you　out　of　the
assembly　till　you　go　blubbering　back　to　the　ships。〃
　　On　this　he　beat　him　with　his　staff　about　the　back　and　shoulders　till
he　dropped　and　fell　a…weeping。　The　golden　sceptre　raised　a　bloody　weal
on　his　back；　so　he　sat　down　frightened　and　in　pain；　looking　foolish　as
he　wiped　the　tears　from　his　eyes。　The　people　were　sorry　for　him；　yet
they　laughed　heartily；　and　one　would　turn　to　his　neighbour　saying；
〃Ulysses　has　done　many　a　good　thing　ere　now　in　fight　and　council；
but　he　never　did　the　Argives　a　better　turn　than　when　he　stopped　this
fellow's　mouth　from　prating　further。　He　will　give　the　kings　no　more　of
his　insolence。〃
　　Thus　said　the　people。　Then　Ulysses　rose；　sceptre　in　hand；　and
Minerva　in　the　likeness　of　a　herald　bade　the　people　be　still；　that
those　who　were　far　off　might　hear　him　and　consider　his　council。　He
therefore　with　all　sincerity　and　goodwill　addressed　them　thus：…
　　〃King　Agamemnon；　the　Achaeans　are　for　making　you　a　by…word　among　all
mankind。　They　forget　the　promise　they　made　you　when　they　set　out
from　Argos；　that　you　should　not　return　till　you　had　sacked　the　town　of
Troy；　and；　like　children　or　widowed　women；　they　murmur　and　would　set
off　homeward。　True　it　is　that　they　have　had　toil　enough　to　be
disheartened。　A　man　chafes　at　having　to　stay　away　from　his　wife　even
for　a　single　month；　when　he　is　on　shipboard；　at　the　mercy　of　wind
and　sea；　but　it　is　now　nine　long　years　that　we　have　been　kept　here；
I　cannot；　therefore；　blame　the　Achaeans　if　they　turn　restive；　still　we
shall　be　shamed　if　we　go　home　empty　after　so　long　a　stay…　therefore；
my　friends；　be　patient　yet　a　little　longer　that　we　may　learn　whether
the　prophesyings　of　Calchas　were　false　or　true。
　　〃All　who　have　not　since　perished　must　remember　as　though　it　were
yesterday　or　the　day　before；　how　the　ships　of　the　Achaeans　were
detained　in　Aulis　when　we　were　on　our　way　hither　to　make　war　on
Priam　and　the　Trojans。　We　were　ranged　round　about　a　fountain
offering　hecatombs　to　the　gods　upon　their　holy　altars；　and　there　was　a
fine　plane…tree　from　beneath　which　there　welled　a　stream　of　pure
water。　Then　we　saw　a　prodigy；　for　Jove　sent　a　fearful　serpent　out　of
the　ground；　with　blood…red　stains　upon　its　back；　and　it　darted　from
under　the　altar　on　to　the　plane…tree。　Now　there　was　a　brood　of　young
sparrows；　quite　small；　upon　the　topmost　bough；　peeping　out　from
under　the　leaves；　eight　in　all；　and　their　mother　that　hatched　them
made　nine。　The　serpent　ate　the　poor　cheeping　things；　while　the　old
bird　flew　about　lamenting　her　little　ones；　but　the　serpent　threw　his
coils　about　her　and　caught　her　by　the　wing　as　she　was　screaming。　Then；
when　he　had　eaten　both　the　sparrow　and　her　young；　the　god　who　had　sent
him　made　him　become　a　sign；　for　the　son　of　scheming　Saturn　turned
him　into　stone；　and　we　stood　there　wondering　at　that　which　had　come　to
pass。　Seeing；　then；　that　such　a　fearful　portent　had　broken　in　upon　our
hecatombs；　Calchas　forthwith　declared　to　us　the　oracles　of　heaven。
'Why；　Achaeans；'　said　he；　'are　you　thus　speechless？　Jove　has　sent　us
this　sign；　long　in　coming；　and　long　ere　it　be　fulfilled；　though　its
fame　shall　last　for　ever。　As　the　serpent　ate　the　eight　fledglings
and　the　sparrow　that　hatched　them；　which　makes　nine；　so　shall　we　fight
nine　years　at　Troy；　but　in　the　tenth　shall　take　the　town。'　This　was
what　he　said；　and　now　it　is　all　coming　true。　Stay　here；　therefore；　all
of　you；　till　we　take　the　city　of　Priam。〃
　　On　this　the　Argives　raised　a　shout；　till　the　ships　rang　again　with
the　uproar。　Nestor；　knight　of　Gerene；　then　addressed　them。　〃Shame　on
you；〃　he　cried；　〃to　stay　talking　here　like　children；　when　you　should
fight　like　men。　Where　are　our　covenants　now；　and　where　the　oaths
that　we　have　taken？　Shall　our　counsels　be　flung　into　the　fire；　with
our　drink…offerings　and　the　right　hands　of　fellowship　wherein　we
have　put　our　trust？　We　waste　our　time　in　words；　and　for　all　our
talking　here　shall　be　no　further　forward。　Stand；　therefore；　son　of
Atreus；　by　your　own　steadfast　purpose；　lead　the　Argives　on　to
battle；　and　leave　this　handful　of　men　to　rot；　who　scheme；　and　scheme
in　vain；　to　get　back　to　Argos　ere　they　have　learned　whether　Jove　be
true　or　a　liar。　For　the　mighty　son　of　Saturn　surely　promised　that　we
should　succeed；　when　we　Argives　set　sail　to　bring　death　and
destruction　upon　the　Trojans。　He　showed　us　favourable　signs　by
flashing　his　lightning　on　our　right　hands；　therefore　let　none　make
haste　to　go　till　he　has　first　lain　with　the　wife　of　some　Trojan；　and
avenged　the　toil　and　sorrow　that　he　has　suffered　for　the　sake　of
Helen。　Nevertheless；　if　any　man　is　in　such　haste　to　be　at　home
again；　let　him　lay　his　hand　to　his　ship　that　he　may　meet　his　doom　in
the　sight　of　all。　But；　O　king；　consider　and　give　ear　to　my　counsel；
for　the　word　that　I　say　may　not　be　neglected　lightly。　Divide　your　men；
Agamemnon；　into　their　several　tribes　and　clans；　that　clans　and
tribes　may　stand　by　and　help　one　another。　If　you　do　this；　and　if　the
Achaeans　obey　you；　you　will　find　out　who；　both　chiefs　and　peoples；　are
brave；　and