the odyssey(奥德赛)-第30章

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always　dead　calm。　I　kept　my　own　ship　outside；　and　moored　it　to　a
rock　at　the　very　end　of　the　point；　then　I　climbed　a　high　rock　to
reconnoitre；　but　could　see　no　sign　neither　of　man　nor　cattle；　only
some　smoke　rising　from　the　ground。　So　I　sent　two　of　my　company　with　an
attendant　to　find　out　what　sort　of　people　the　inhabitants　were。
　　〃The　men　when　they　got　on　shore　followed　a　level　road　by　which　the
people　draw　their　firewood　from　the　mountains　into　the　town；　till
presently　they　met　a　young　woman　who　had　come　outside　to　fetch
water；　and　who　was　daughter　to　a　Laestrygonian　named　Antiphates。　She
was　going　to　the　fountain　Artacia　from　which　the　people　bring　in　their
water；　and　when　my　men　had　come　close　up　to　her；　they　asked　her　who
the　king　of　that　country　might　be；　and　over　what　kind　of　people　he
ruled；　so　she　directed　them　to　her　father's　house；　but　when　they　got
there　they　found　his　wife　to　be　a　giantess　as　huge　as　a　mountain；
and　they　were　horrified　at　the　sight　of　her。
　　〃She　at　once　called　her　husband　Antiphates　from　the　place　of
assembly；　and　forthwith　he　set　about　killing　my　men。　He　snatched　up
one　of　them；　and　began　to　make　his　dinner　off　him　then　and　there；
whereon　the　other　two　ran　back　to　the　ships　as　fast　as　ever　they
could。　But　Antiphates　raised　a　hue　and　cry　after　them；　and　thousands
of　sturdy　Laestrygonians　sprang　up　from　every　quarter…　ogres；　not　men。
They　threw　vast　rocks　at　us　from　the　cliffs　as　though　they　had　been
mere　stones；　and　I　heard　the　horrid　sound　of　the　ships　crunching　up
against　one　another；　and　the　death　cries　of　my　men；　as　the
Laestrygonians　speared　them　like　fishes　and　took　them　home　to　eat
them。　While　they　were　thus　killing　my　men　within　the　harbour　I　drew　my
sword；　cut　the　cable　of　my　own　ship；　and　told　my　men　to　row　with　alf
their　might　if　they　too　would　not　fare　like　the　rest；　so　they　laid　out
for　their　lives；　and　we　were　thankful　enough　when　we　got　into　open
water　out　of　reach　of　the　rocks　they　hurled　at　us。　As　for　the　others
there　was　not　one　of　them　left。
　　〃Thence　we　sailed　sadly　on；　glad　to　have　escaped　death；　though　we
had　lost　our　comrades；　and　came　to　the　Aeaean　island；　where　Circe
lives　a　great　and　cunning　goddess　who　is　own　sister　to　the　magician
Aeetes…　for　they　are　both　children　of　the　sun　by　Perse；　who　is
daughter　to　Oceanus。　We　brought　our　ship　into　a　safe　harbour　without　a
word；　for　some　god　guided　us　thither；　and　having　landed　we　there　for
two　days　and　two　nights；　worn　out　in　body　and　mind。　When　the　morning
of　the　third　day　came　I　took　my　spear　and　my　sword；　and　went　away　from
the　ship　to　reconnoitre；　and　see　if　I　could　discover　signs　of　human
handiwork；　or　hear　the　sound　of　voices。　Climbing　to　the　top　of　a
high　look…out　I　espied　the　smoke　of　Circe's　house　rising　upwards
amid　a　dense　forest　of　trees；　and　when　I　saw　this　I　doubted　whether；
having　seen　the　smoke；　I　would　not　go　on　at　once　and　find　out　more；
but　in　the　end　I　deemed　it　best　to　go　back　to　the　ship；　give　the　men
their　dinners；　and　send　some　of　them　instead　of　going　myself。
　　〃When　I　had　nearly　got　back　to　the　ship　some　god　took　pity　upon　my
solitude；　and　sent　a　fine　antlered　stag　right　into　the　middle　of　my
path。　He　was　coming　down　his　pasture　in　the　forest　to　drink　of　the
river；　for　the　heat　of　the　sun　drove　him；　and　as　he　passed　I　struck
him　in　the　middle　of　the　back；　the　bronze　point　of　the　spear　went
clean　through　him；　and　he　lay　groaning　in　the　dust　until　the　life　went
out　of　him。　Then　I　set　my　foot　upon　him；　drew　my　spear　from　the　wound；
and　laid　it　down；　I　also　gathered　rough　grass　and　rushes　and　twisted
them　into　a　fathom　or　so　of　good　stout　rope；　with　which　I　bound　the
four　feet　of　the　noble　creature　together；　having　so　done　I　hung　him
round　my　neck　and　walked　back　to　the　ship　leaning　upon　my　spear；　for
the　stag　was　much　too　big　for　me　to　be　able　to　carry　him　on　my
shoulder；　steadying　him　with　one　hand。　As　I　threw　him　down　in　front　of
the　ship；　I　called　the　men　and　spoke　cheeringly　man　by　man　to　each
of　them。　'Look　here　my　friends；'　said　I；　'we　are　not　going　to　die　so
much　before　our　time　after　all；　and　at　any　rate　we　will　not　starve
so　long　as　we　have　got　something　to　eat　and　drink　on　board。'　On　this
they　uncovered　their　heads　upon　the　sea　shore　and　admired　the　stag；
for　he　was　indeed　a　splendid　fellow。　Then；　when　they　had　feasted　their
eyes　upon　him　sufficiently；　they　washed　their　hands　and　began　to
cook　him　for　dinner。
　　〃Thus　through　the　livelong　day　to　the　going　down　of　the　sun　we
stayed　there　eating　and　drinking　our　fill；　but　when　the　sun　went
down　and　it　came　on　dark；　we　camped　upon　the　sea　shore。　When　the　child
of　morning；　fingered　Dawn；　appeared；　I　called　a　council　and　said；
'My　friends；　we　are　in　very　great　difficulties；　listen　therefore　to
me。　We　have　no　idea　where　the　sun　either　sets　or　rises；　so　that　we
do　not　even　know　East　from　West。　I　see　no　way　out　of　it；　nevertheless；
we　must　try　and　find　one。　We　are　certainly　on　an　island；　for　I　went　as
high　as　I　could　this　morning；　and　saw　the　sea　reaching　all　round　it　to
the　horizon；　it　lies　low；　but　towards　the　middle　I　saw　smoke　rising
from　out　of　a　thick　forest　of　trees。'
　　〃Their　hearts　sank　as　they　heard　me；　for　they　remembered　how　they
had　been　treated　by　the　Laestrygonian　Antiphates；　and　by　the　savage
ogre　Polyphemus。　They　wept　bitterly　in　their　dismay；　but　there　was
nothing　to　be　got　by　crying；　so　I　divided　them　into　two　companies
and　set　a　captain　over　each；　I　gave　one　company　to　Eurylochus；　while　I
took　command　of　the　other　myself。　Then　we　cast　lots　in　a　helmet；　and
the　lot　fell　upon　Eurylochus；　so　he　set　out　with　his　twenty…two　men；
and　they　wept；　as　also　did　we　who　were　left　behind。
　　〃When　they　reached　Circe's　house　they　found　it　built　of　cut
stones；　on　a　site　that　could　be　seen　from　far；　in　the　middle　of　the
forest。　There　were　wild　mountain　wolves　and　lions　prowling　all　round
it…　poor　bewitched　creatures　whom　she　had　tamed　by　her　enchantments
and　drugged　into　subjection。　They　did　not　attack　my　men；　but　wagged
their　great　tails；　fawned　upon　them；　and　rubbed　their　noses　lovingly
against　them。　As　hounds　crowd　round　their　master　when　they　see　him
coming　from　dinner…　for　they　know　he　will　bring　them　something…　even
so　did　these　wolves　and　lions　with　their　great　claws　fawn　upon　my　men；
but　the　men　were　terribly　frightened　at　seeing　such　strange　creatures。
Presently　they　reached　the　gates　of　the　goddess's　house；　and　as　they
stood　there　they　could　hear　Circe　within；　singing　most　beautifully
as　she　worked　at　her　loom；　making　a　web　so　fine；　so　soft；　and　of
such　dazzling　colours　as　no　one　but　a　goddess　could　weave。　On　this
Polites；　whom　I　valued　and　trusted　more　than　any　other　of　my　men；
said；　'There　is　some　one　inside　working　at　a　loom　and　singing　most
beautifully；　the　whole　place　resounds　with　it；　let　us　call　her　and　see
whether　she　is　woman　or　goddess。'
　　〃They　called　her　and　she　came　down；　unfastened　the　door；　and　bade
them　enter。　They；　thinking　no　evil；　followed　her；　all　except
Eurylochus；　who　suspected　mischief　and　stayed　outside。　When　she　had
got　them　into　her　house；　she　set　them　upon　benches　and　seats　and　mixed
them　a　mess　with　cheese；　honey；　meal；　and　Pramnian　but　she　drugged
it　with　wicked　poisons　to　make　them　forget　their　homes；　and　when
they　had　drunk　she　turned　them　into　pigs　by　a　stroke　of　her　wand；
and　shut　them　up　in　her　pigsties。　They　were　like　pigs…head；　hair；
and　all；　and　they　grunted　just　as　pigs　do；　but　their　senses　were　the
same　as　before；　and　they　remembered　everything。
　　〃Thus　then　were　they　shut　up　squealing；　and　Circe　threw　them　some
acorns　and　beech　masts　such　as　pigs　eat；　but　Eurylochus　hurried　back
to　tell　me　about　the　sad　fate　of　our　comrades。　He　was　so　overcome　with
dismay　that　though　he　tried　to　speak　he　could　find　no　words　to　do
so；　his　eyes　filled　with　tears　and　he　could　only　sob　and　sigh；　till　at
last　we　forced　his　story　out　of　him；　and　he　told　us　what　had
happened　to　the　others。
　　〃'We　went；'　said　he；　as　you　told　us；　through　the　forest；　and　in
the　middle　of　it　there　was　a　fine　house　built　with　cut　stones　in　a
place　that　could　be　seen　from　far。　There　we　found　a　woman；　or　else　she
was　a　goddess；　working