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第5章

hippolytus-第5章

小说: hippolytus 字数: 每页4000字

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blame?

  NURSE

    My son; this is no story to be noised abroad。

  HIPPOLYTUS

    A virtuous tale grows fairer told to many。

  NURSE

    Never dishonour thy oath; my son。

  HIPPOLYTUS

    My tongue an oath did take; but not my heart。

  NURSE

    My son; what wilt thou do? destroy thy friends?

  HIPPOLYTUS

    Friends indeed! the wicked are no friends of mine。

  NURSE

    O pardon me; to err is only human; child。

  HIPPOLYTUS

    Great Zeus; why didst thou; to man's sorrow; put woman; evil

counterfeit; to dwell where shines the sun? If thou wert minded that

the human race should multiply; it was not from women they should have

drawn their stock; but in thy temples they should have paid gold or

iron or ponderous bronze and bought a family; each man proportioned to

his offering; and so in independence dwelt; from women free。 But now

as soon as ever we would bring this plague into our home we bring

its fortune to the ground。 'Tis clear from this how great a curse a

woman is; the very father; that begot and nurtured her; to rid him

of the mischief; gives her a dower and packs her off; while the

husband; who takes the noxious weed into his home; fondly decks his

sorry idol in fine raiment and tricks her out in robes; squandering by

degrees; unhappy wight! his house's wealth。 For he is in this dilemma;

say his marriage has brought him good connections; he is glad then

to keep the wife he loathes; or; if he gets a good wife but useless

kin; he tries to stifle the bad luck with the good。 But it is

easiest for him who has settled in his house as wife mere cipher;

incapable from simplicity。 I hate a clever woman; never may she set

foot in my house who aims at knowing more than women need; for in

these clever women Cypris implants a larger store of villainy; while

the artless woman is by her shallow wit from levity debarred。 No

servant should ever have had access to a wife; but men should put to

live with them beasts; which bite; not talk; in which case they

could not speak to any one nor be answered back by them。 But; as it

is; the wicked in their chambers plot wickedness; and their servants

carry it abroad。 Even thus; vile wretch; thou cam'st to make me

partner in an outrage on my father's honour; wherefore I must wash

that stain away in running streams; dashing the water into my ears。

How could I commit so foul a crime when by the very mention of it I

feel myself polluted? Be well assured; woman; 'tis only my religious

scruple saves thee。 For had not I unawares been caught by an oath;

'fore heaven! I would not have refrained from telling all unto my

father。 But now I will from the house away; so long as Theseus is

abroad; and will maintain strict silence。 But; when my father comes; I

will return and see how thou and thy mistress face him; and so shall I

learn by experience the extent of thy audacity。 Perdition seize you

both! I can never satisfy my hate for women; no! not even though

some say this is ever my theme; for of a truth they always are evil。

So either let some one prove them chaste; or let me still trample on

them for ever。

                                       (HIPPOLYTUS departs in anger。)

  CHORUS (chanting)

    O the cruel; unhappy fate of women! What arts; what arguments have

we; once we have made a slip; to loose by craft the tight…drawn knot?

  PHAEDRA (chanting)

    I have met my deserts。 O earth; O light of day! How can I escape

the stroke of fate? How my pangs conceal; kind friends? What god

will appear to help me; what mortal to take my part or help me in

unrighteousness? The present calamity of my life admits of no

escape。 Most hapless I of all my sex!

  LEADER OF THE CHORUS

    Alas; alas! the deed is done; thy servant's schemes have gone

awry; my queen; and all is lost。

  PHAEDRA (to the NURSE)

    Accursed woman! traitress to thy friends! How hast thou ruined me!

May Zeus; my ancestor; smite thee with his fiery bolt and uproot

thee from thy place。 Did I not foresee thy purpose; did I not bid thee

keep silence on the very matter which is now my shame? But thou

wouldst not be still; wherefore my fair name will not go with me to

the tomb。 But now I must another scheme devise。 Yon youth; in the

keenness of his fury; will tell his father of my sin; and the aged

Pittheus of my state and fill the world with stories to my shame。

Perdition seize thee and every meddling fool who by dishonest means

would serve unwilling friends!

  NURSE

    Mistress; thou may'st condemn the mischief I have done; for

sorrow's sting o'ermasters thy judgment; yet can I answer thee in face

of this; if thou wilt hear。 'Twas I who nurtured thee; I love thee

still; but in my search for medicine to cure thy sickness I found what

least I sought。 Had I but succeeded; I had been counted wise; for

the credit we get for wisdom is measured by our success。

  PHAEDRA

    Is it just; is it any satisfaction to me; that thou shouldst wound

me first; then bandy words with me?

  NURSE

    We dwell on this too long; I was not wise; I own; but there are

yet ways of escape from the trouble; my child。

  PHAEDRA

    Be dumb henceforth; evil was thy first advice to me; evil too

thy attempted scheme。 Begone and leave me; look to thyself; I will

my own fortunes for the best arrange。

                                    (The NURSE goes into the palace。)

    Ye noble daughters of Troezen; grant me the only boon I crave;

in silence bury what ye here have heard。

  LEADER

    By majestic Artemis; child of Zeus; I swear I will never divulge

aught of thy sorrows。

  PHAEDRA

    'Tis well。 But I; with all my thought; can but one way discover

out of this calamity; that so I may secure my children's honour; and

find myself some help as matters stand。 For never; never will I

bring shame upon my Cretan home; nor will I; to save one poor life;

face Theseus after my disgrace。

  LEADER

    Art thou bent then on some cureless woe?

  PHAEDRA

    On death; the means thereto must I devise myself。

  LEADER

    Hush!

  PHAEDRA

    Do thou at least advise me well。 For this very day shall I gladden

Cypris; my destroyer; by yielding up my life; and shall own myself

vanquished by cruel love。 Yet shall my dying be another's curse;

that he may learn not to exult at my misfortunes; but when he comes to

share the self…same plague with me; he will take a lesson in wisdom。

                                         (PHAEDRA enters the palace。)

  CHORUS (chanting)



                                                            strophe 1



    O to be nestling 'neath some pathless cavern; there by god's

creating hand to grow into a bird amid the winged tribes! Away would I

soar to Adria's wave…beat shore and to the waters of Eridanus; where a

father's hapless daughters in their grief for Phaethon distil into the

glooming flood the amber brilliance of their tears。



                                                        antistrophe 1



    And to the apple…bearing strand of those minstrels in the west

then would come; where ocean's lord no more to sailors grants

passage o'er the deep dark main; finding there the heaven's holy

bound; upheld by Atlas; where water from ambrosial founts wells up

beside the couch of Zeus inside his halls; and holy earth; the

bounteous mother; causes joy to spring in heavenly breasts。



                                                            strophe 2



    O white…winged bark; that o'er the booming ocean…wave didst

bring my royal mistress from her happy home; to crown her queen

'mongst sorrow's brides! Surely evil omens from either port; at

least from Crete; were with that ship; what time to glorious Athens it

sped its way; and the crew made fast its twisted cable…ends upon the

beach of Munychus; and on the land stept out。



                                                        antistrophe 2



    Whence comes it that her heart is crush

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