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第16章

the divine comedy(神曲)-第16章

小说: the divine comedy(神曲) 字数: 每页4000字

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Eryphylus his name was; and so sings
  My lofty Tragedy in some part or other;
  That knowest thou well; who knowest the whole of it。

The next; who is so slender in the flanks;
  Was Michael Scott; who of a verity
  Of magical illusions knew the game。

Behold Guido Bonatti; behold Asdente;
  Who now unto his leather and his thread
  Would fain have stuck; but he too late repents。

Behold the wretched ones; who left the needle;
  The spool and rock; and made them fortune…tellers;
  They wrought their magic spells with herb and image。

But come now; for already holds the confines
  Of both the hemispheres; and under Seville
  Touches the ocean…wave; Cain and the thorns;

And yesternight the moon was round already;
  Thou shouldst remember well it did not harm thee
  From time to time within the forest deep。〃

Thus spake he to me; and we walked the while。



Inferno: Canto XXI


From bridge to bridge thus; speaking other things
  Of which my Comedy cares not to sing;
  We came along; and held the summit; when

We halted to behold another fissure
  Of Malebolge and other vain laments;
  And I beheld it marvellously dark。

As in the Arsenal of the Venetians
  Boils in the winter the tenacious pitch
  To smear their unsound vessels o'er again;

For sail they cannot; and instead thereof
  One makes his vessel new; and one recaulks
  The ribs of that which many a voyage has made;

One hammers at the prow; one at the stern;
  This one makes oars; and that one cordage twists;
  Another mends the mainsail and the mizzen;

Thus; not by fire; but by the art divine;
  Was boiling down below there a dense pitch
  Which upon every side the bank belimed。

I saw it; but I did not see within it
  Aught but the bubbles that the boiling raised;
  And all swell up and resubside compressed。

The while below there fixedly I gazed;
  My Leader; crying out: 〃Beware; beware!〃
  Drew me unto himself from where I stood。

Then I turned round; as one who is impatient
  To see what it behoves him to escape;
  And whom a sudden terror doth unman;

Who; while he looks; delays not his departure;
  And I beheld behind us a black devil;
  Running along upon the crag; approach。

Ah; how ferocious was he in his aspect!
  And how he seemed to me in action ruthless;
  With open wings and light upon his feet!

His shoulders; which sharp…pointed were and high;
  A sinner did encumber with both haunches;
  And he held clutched the sinews of the feet。

From off our bridge; he said: 〃O Malebranche;
  Behold one of the elders of Saint Zita;
  Plunge him beneath; for I return for others

Unto that town; which is well furnished with them。
  All there are barrators; except Bonturo;
  No into Yes for money there is changed。〃

He hurled him down; and over the hard crag
  Turned round; and never was a mastiff loosened
  In so much hurry to pursue a thief。

The other sank; and rose again face downward;
  But the demons; under cover of the bridge;
  Cried: 〃Here the Santo Volto has no place!

Here swims one otherwise than in the Serchio;
  Therefore; if for our gaffs thou wishest not;
  Do not uplift thyself above the pitch。〃

They seized him then with more than a hundred rakes;
  They said: 〃It here behoves thee to dance covered;
  That; if thou canst; thou secretly mayest pilfer。〃

Not otherwise the cooks their scullions make
  Immerse into the middle of the caldron
  The meat with hooks; so that it may not float。

Said the good Master to me: 〃That it be not
  Apparent thou art here; crouch thyself down
  Behind a jag; that thou mayest have some screen;

And for no outrage that is done to me
  Be thou afraid; because these things I know;
  For once before was I in such a scuffle。〃

Then he passed on beyond the bridge's head;
  And as upon the sixth bank he arrived;
  Need was for him to have a steadfast front。

With the same fury; and the same uproar;
  As dogs leap out upon a mendicant;
  Who on a sudden begs; where'er he stops;

They issued from beneath the little bridge;
  And turned against him all their grappling…irons;
  But he cried out: 〃Be none of you malignant!

Before those hooks of yours lay hold of me;
  Let one of you step forward; who may hear me;
  And then take counsel as to grappling me。〃

They all cried out: 〃Let Malacoda go;〃
  Whereat one started; and the rest stood still;
  And he came to him; saying: 〃What avails it?〃

〃Thinkest thou; Malacoda; to behold me
  Advanced into this place;〃 my Master said;
  〃Safe hitherto from all your skill of fence;

Without the will divine; and fate auspicious?
  Let me go on; for it in Heaven is willed
  That I another show this savage road。〃

Then was his arrogance so humbled in him;
  That he let fall his grapnel at his feet;
  And to the others said: 〃Now strike him not。〃

And unto me my Guide: 〃O thou; who sittest
  Among the splinters of the bridge crouched down;
  Securely now return to me again。〃

Wherefore I started and came swiftly to him;
  And all the devils forward thrust themselves;
  So that I feared they would not keep their compact。

And thus beheld I once afraid the soldiers
  Who issued under safeguard from Caprona;
  Seeing themselves among so many foes。

Close did I press myself with all my person
  Beside my Leader; and turned not mine eyes
  From off their countenance; which was not good。

They lowered their rakes; and 〃Wilt thou have me hit him;〃
  They said to one another; 〃on the rump?〃
  And answered: 〃Yes; see that thou nick him with it。〃

But the same demon who was holding parley
  With my Conductor turned him very quickly;
  And said: 〃Be quiet; be quiet; Scarmiglione;〃

Then said to us: 〃You can no farther go
  Forward upon this crag; because is lying
  All shattered; at the bottom; the sixth arch。

And if it still doth please you to go onward;
  Pursue your way along upon this rock;
  Near is another crag that yields a path。

Yesterday; five hours later than this hour;
  One thousand and two hundred sixty…six
  Years were complete; that here the way was broken。

I send in that direction some of mine
  To see if any one doth air himself;
  Go ye with them; for they will not be vicious。

Step forward; Alichino and Calcabrina;〃
  Began he to cry out; 〃and thou; Cagnazzo;
  And Barbariccia; do thou guide the ten。

Come forward; Libicocco and Draghignazzo;
  And tusked Ciriatto and Graffiacane;
  And Farfarello and mad Rubicante;

Search ye all round about the boiling pitch;
  Let these be safe as far as the next crag;
  That all unbroken passes o'er the dens。〃

〃O me! what is it; Master; that I see?
  Pray let us go;〃 I said; 〃without an escort;
  If thou knowest how; since for myself I ask none。

If thou art as observant as thy wont is;
  Dost thou not see that they do gnash their teeth;
  And with their brows are threatening woe to us?〃

And he to me: 〃I will not have thee fear;
  Let them gnash on; according to their fancy;
  Because they do it for those boiling wretches。〃

Along the left…hand dike they wheeled about;
  But first had each one thrust his tongue between
  His teeth towards their leader for a signal;

And he had made a trumpet of his rump。



Inferno: Canto XXII


I have erewhile seen horsemen moving camp;
  Begin the storming; and their muster make;
  And sometimes starting off for their escape;

Vaunt…couriers have I seen upon your land;
  O Aretines; and foragers go forth;
  Tournaments stricken; and the joustings run;

Sometimes with trumpets and sometimes with bells;
  With kettle…drums; and signals of the castles;
  And with our own; and with outlandish things;

But never yet with bagpipe so uncouth
  Did I see horsemen move; nor infantry;
  Nor ship by any sign of land or star。

We went upon our way with the ten demons;
  Ah; savage company! but in the church
  With saints; and in the tavern with the gluttons!

Ever upon the pitch was my intent;
  To see the whole condition of that Bolgia;
  And of the people who therein were burned。

Even as the dolphins; when they make a sign
  To mariners by arching of the back;
  That they should 

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