the iliad(伊利亚特)-第75章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


that　took　care　of　me　when　I　was　suffering　from　the　heavy　fall　which
I　had　through　my　cruel　mother's　anger…　for　she　would　have　got　rid　of
me　because　I　was　lame。　It　would　have　gone　hardly　with　me　had　not
Eurynome；　daughter　of　the　ever…encircling　waters　of　Oceanus；　and
Thetis；　taken　me　to　their　bosom。　Nine　years　did　I　stay　with　them；
and　many　beautiful　works　in　bronze；　brooches；　spiral　armlets；　cups；
and　chains；　did　I　make　for　them　in　their　cave；　with　the　roaring　waters
of　Oceanus　foaming　as　they　rushed　ever　past　it；　and　no　one　knew；
neither　of　gods　nor　men；　save　only　Thetis　and　Eurynome　who　took　care
of　me。　If；　then；　Thetis　has　come　to　my　house　I　must　make　her　due
requital　for　having　saved　me；　entertain　her；　therefore；　with　all
hospitality；　while　I　put　by　my　bellows　and　all　my　tools。〃
　　On　this　the　mighty　monster　hobbled　off　from　his　anvil；　his　thin　legs
plying　lustily　under　him。　He　set　the　bellows　away　from　the　fire；　and
gathered　his　tools　into　a　silver　chest。　Then　he　took　a　sponge　and
washed　his　face　and　hands；　his　shaggy　chest　and　brawny　neck；　he　donned
his　shirt；　grasped　his　strong　staff；　and　limped　towards　the　door。
There　were　golden　handmaids　also　who　worked　for　him；　and　were　like
real　young　women；　with　sense　and　reason；　voice　also　and　strength；
and　all　the　learning　of　the　immortals；　these　busied　themselves　as
the　king　bade　them；　while　he　drew　near　to　Thetis；　seated　her　upon　a
goodly　seat；　and　took　her　hand　in　his　own；　saying；　〃Why　have　you
come　to　our　house；　Thetis　honoured　and　ever　welcome…　for　you　do　not
visit　us　often？　Say　what　you　want；　and　I　will　do　it　for　you　at　once　if
I　can；　and　if　it　can　be　done　at　all。〃
　　Thetis　wept　and　answered；　〃Vulcan；　is　there　another　goddess　in
Olympus　whom　the　son　of　Saturn　has　been　pleased　to　try　with　so　much
affliction　as　he　has　me？　Me　alone　of　the　marine　goddesses　did　he
make　subject　to　a　mortal　husband；　Peleus　son　of　Aeacus；　and　sorely
against　my　will　did　I　submit　to　the　embraces　of　one　who　was　but
mortal；　and　who　now　stays　at　home　worn　out　with　age。　Neither　is　this
all。　Heaven　vouchsafed　me　a　son；　hero　among　heroes；　and　he　shot　up
as　a　sapling。　I　tended　him　as　a　plant　in　a　goodly　garden　and　sent
him　with　his　ships　to　Ilius　to　fight　the　Trojans；　but　never　shall　I
welcome　him　back　to　the　house　of　Peleus。　So　long　as　he　lives　to　look
upon　the　light　of　the　sun；　he　is　in　heaviness；　and　though　I　go　to
him　I　cannot　help　him；　King　Agamemnon　has　made　him　give　up　the
maiden　whom　the　sons　of　the　Achaeans　had　awarded　him；　and　he　wastes
with　sorrow　for　her　sake。　Then　the　Trojans　hemmed　the　Achaeans　in　at
their　ships'　sterns　and　would　not　let　them　come　forth；　the　elders；
therefore；　of　the　Argives　besought　Achilles　and　offered　him　great
treasure；　whereon　he　refused　to　bring　deliverance　to　them　himself；　but
put　his　own　armour　on　Patroclus　and　sent　him　into　the　fight　with
much　people　after　him。　All　day　long　they　fought　by　the　Scaean　gates
and　would　have　taken　the　city　there　and　then；　had　not　Apollo
vouchsafed　glory　to　Hector　and　slain　the　valiant　son　of　Menoetius
after　he　had　done　the　Trojans　much　evil。　Therefore　I　am　suppliant　at
your　knees　if　haply　you　may　be　pleased　to　provide　my　son；　whose　end　is
near　at　hand；　with　helmet　and　shield；　with　goodly　greaves　fitted
with　ancle…clasps；　and　with　a　breastplate；　for　he　lost　his　own　when
his　true　comrade　fell　at　the　hands　of　the　Trojans；　and　he　now　lies
stretched　on　earth　in　the　bitterness　of　his　soul。〃
　　And　Vulcan　answered；　〃Take　heart；　and　be　no　more　disquieted　about
this　matter；　would　that　I　could　hide　him　from　death's　sight　when　his
hour　is　come；　so　surely　as　I　can　find　him　armour　that　shall　amaze
the　eyes　of　all　who　behold　it。〃
　　When　he　had　so　said　he　left　her　and　went　to　his　bellows；　turning
them　towards　the　fire　and　bidding　them　do　their　office。　Twenty　bellows
blew　upon　the　melting…pots；　and　they　blew　blasts　of　every　kind；　some
fierce　to　help　him　when　he　had　need　of　them；　and　others　less　strong　as
Vulcan　willed　it　in　the　course　of　his　work。　He　threw　tough　copper　into
the　fire；　and　tin；　with　silver　and　gold；　he　set　his　great　anvil　on　its
block；　and　with　one　hand　grasped　his　mighty　hammer　while　he　took　the
tongs　in　the　other。
　　First　he　shaped　the　shield　so　great　and　strong；　adorning　it　all　over
and　binding　it　round　with　a　gleaming　circuit　in　three　layers；　and
the　baldric　was　made　of　silver。　He　made　the　shield　in　five
thicknesses；　and　with　many　a　wonder　did　his　cunning　hand　enrich　it。
　　He　wrought　the　earth；　the　heavens；　and　the　sea；　the　moon　also　at　her
full　and　the　untiring　sun；　with　all　the　signs　that　glorify　the　face　of
heaven…　the　Pleiads；　the　Hyads；　huge　Orion；　and　the　Bear；　which　men
also　call　the　Wain　and　which　turns　round　ever　in　one　place；　facing。
Orion；　and　alone　never　dips　into　the　stream　of　Oceanus。
　　He　wrought　also　two　cities；　fair　to　see　and　busy　with　the　hum　of
men。　In　the　one　were　weddings　and　wedding…feasts；　and　they　were
going　about　the　city　with　brides　whom　they　were　escorting　by
torchlight　from　their　chambers。　Loud　rose　the　cry　of　Hymen；　and　the
youths　danced　to　the　music　of　flute　and　lyre；　while　the　women　stood
each　at　her　house　door　to　see　them。
　　Meanwhile　the　people　were　gathered　in　assembly；　for　there　was　a
quarrel；　and　two　men　were　wrangling　about　the　blood…money　for　a　man
who　had　been　killed；　the　one　saying　before　the　people　that　he　had　paid
damages　in　full；　and　the　other　that　he　had　not　been　paid。　Each　was
trying　to　make　his　own　case　good；　and　the　people　took　sides；　each
man　backing　the　side　that　he　had　taken；　but　the　heralds　kept　them
back；　and　the　elders　sate　on　their　seats　of　stone　in　a　solemn
circle；　holding　the　staves　which　the　heralds　had　put　into　their　hands。
Then　they　rose　and　each　in　his　turn　gave　judgement；　and　there　were　two
talents　laid　down；　to　be　given　to　him　whose　judgement　should　be　deemed
the　fairest。
　　About　the　other　city　there　lay　encamped　two　hosts　in　gleaming
armour；　and　they　were　divided　whether　to　sack　it；　or　to　spare　it　and
accept　the　half　of　what　it　contained。　But　the　men　of　the　city　would
not　yet　consent；　and　armed　themselves　for　a　surprise；　their　wives
and　little　children　kept　guard　upon　the　walls；　and　with　them　were
the　men　who　were　past　fighting　through　age；　but　the　others　sallied
forth　with　Mars　and　Pallas　Minerva　at　their　head…　both　of　them　wrought
in　gold　and　clad　in　golden　raiment；　great　and　fair　with　their　armour
as　befitting　gods；　while　they　that　followed　were　smaller。　When　they
reached　the　place　where　they　would　lay　their　ambush；　it　was　on　a
riverbed　to　which　live　stock　of　all　kinds　would　come　from　far　and　near
to　water；　here；　then；　they　lay　concealed；　clad　in　full　armour。　Some
way　off　them　there　were　two　scouts　who　were　on　the　look…out　for　the
coming　of　sheep　or　cattle；　which　presently　came；　followed　by　two
shepherds　who　were　playing　on　their　pipes；　and　had　not　so　much　as　a
thought　of　danger。　When　those　who　were　in　ambush　saw　this；　they　cut
off　the　flocks　and　herds　and　killed　the　shepherds。　Meanwhile　the
besiegers；　when　they　heard　much　noise　among　the　cattle　as　they　sat
in　council；　sprang　to　their　horses；　and　made　with　all　speed　towards
them；　when　they　reached　them　they　set　battle　in　array　by　the　banks
of　the　river；　and　the　hosts　aimed　their　bronze…shod　spears　at　one
another。　With　them　were　Strife　and　Riot；　and　fell　Fate　who　was
dragging　three　men　after　her；　one　with　a　fresh　wound；　and　the　other
unwounded；　while　the　third　was　dead；　and　she　was　dragging　him　along　by
his　heel：　and　her　robe　was　bedrabbled　in　men's　blood。　They　went　in　and
out　with　one　another　and　fought　as　though　they　were　living　people
haling　away　one　another's　dead。
　　He　wrought　also　a　fair　fallow　field；　large　and　thrice　ploughed
already。　Many　men　were　working　at　the　plough　within　it；　turning
their　oxen　to　and　fro；　furrow　after　furrow。　Each　time　that　they　turned
on　reaching　the　headland　a　man　would　come　up　to　them　and　give　them　a
cup　of　wine；　and　they　would　go　back　to　their　furrows　looking　forward
to　the　time　when　they　should　again　reach　the　headland。　The　part　that
they　had　ploughed　was　dark　behind　them；　so　that　the　field；　though　it
was　of　gold；　still　looked　as　if　it　were　being　ploughed…　very　curious
to　b