the odyssey(奥德赛)-第34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！


　　〃'Mother；'　said　I；　'I　was　forced　to　come　here　to　consult　the　ghost
of　the　Theban　prophet　Teiresias。　I　have　never　yet　been　near　the
Achaean　land　nor　set　foot　on　my　native　country；　and　I　have　had　nothing
but　one　long　series　of　misfortunes　from　the　very　first　day　that　I
set　out　with　Agamemnon　for　Ilius；　the　land　of　noble　steeds；　to　fight
the　Trojans。　But　tell　me；　and　tell　me　true；　in　what　way　did　you　die？
Did　you　have　a　long　illness；　or　did　heaven　vouchsafe　you　a　gentle　easy
passage　to　eternity？　Tell　me　also　about　my　father；　and　the　son　whom
I　left　behind　me；　is　my　property　still　in　their　hands；　or　has　some　one
else　got　hold　of　it；　who　thinks　that　I　shall　not　return　to　claim　it？
Tell　me　again　what　my　wife　intends　doing；　and　in　what　mind　she　is；
does　she　live　with　my　son　and　guard　my　estate　securely；　or　has　she
made　the　best　match　she　could　and　married　again？'
　　〃My　mother　answered；　'Your　wife　still　remains　in　your　house；　but　she
is　in　great　distress　of　mind　and　spends　her　whole　time　in　tears　both
night　and　day。　No　one　as　yet　has　got　possession　of　your　fine　property；
and　Telemachus　still　holds　your　lands　undisturbed。　He　has　to　entertain
largely；　as　of　course　he　must；　considering　his　position　as　a
magistrate；　and　how　every　one　invites　him；　your　father　remains　at
his　old　place　in　the　country　and　never　goes　near　the　town。　He　has　no
comfortable　bed　nor　bedding；　in　the　winter　he　sleeps　on　the　floor　in
front　of　the　fire　with　the　men　and　goes　about　all　in　rags；　but　in
summer；　when　the　warm　weather　comes　on　again；　he　lies　out　in　the
vineyard　on　a　bed　of　vine　leaves　thrown　anyhow　upon　the　ground。　He
grieves　continually　about　your　never　having　come　home；　and　suffers
more　and　more　as　he　grows　older。　As　for　my　own　end　it　was　in　this
wise：　heaven　did　not　take　me　swiftly　and　painlessly　in　my　own　house；
nor　was　I　attacked　by　any　illness　such　as　those　that　generally　wear
people　out　and　kill　them；　but　my　longing　to　know　what　you　were　doing
and　the　force　of　my　affection　for　you…　this　it　was　that　was　the
death　of　me。'
　　〃Then　I　tried　to　find　some　way　of　embracing　my　mother's　ghost。
Thrice　I　sprang　towards　her　and　tried　to　clasp　her　in　my　arms；　but
each　time　she　flitted　from　my　embrace　as　it　were　a　dream　or　phantom；
and　being　touched　to　the　quick　I　said　to　her；　'Mother；　why　do　you
not　stay　still　when　I　would　embrace　you？　If　we　could　throw　our　arms
around　one　another　we　might　find　sad　comfort　in　the　sharing　of　our
sorrows　even　in　the　house　of　Hades；　does　Proserpine　want　to　lay　a
still　further　load　of　grief　upon　me　by　mocking　me　with　a　phantom
only？'
　　〃'My　son；'　she　answered；　'most　ill…fated　of　all　mankind；　it　is　not
Proserpine　that　is　beguiling　you；　but　all　people　are　like　this　when
they　are　dead。　The　sinews　no　longer　hold　the　flesh　and　bones　together；
these　perish　in　the　fierceness　of　consuming　fire　as　soon　as　life　has
left　the　body；　and　the　soul　flits　away　as　though　it　were　a　dream。　Now；
however；　go　back　to　the　light　of　day　as　soon　as　you　can；　and　note
all　these　things　that　you　may　tell　them　to　your　wife　hereafter。'
　　〃Thus　did　we　converse；　and　anon　Proserpine　sent　up　the　ghosts　of　the
wives　and　daughters　of　all　the　most　famous　men。　They　gathered　in
crowds　about　the　blood；　and　I　considered　how　I　might　question　them
severally。　In　the　end　I　deemed　that　it　would　be　best　to　draw　the
keen　blade　that　hung　by　my　sturdy　thigh；　and　keep　them　from　all
drinking　the　blood　at　once。　So　they　came　up　one　after　the　other；　and
each　one　as　I　questioned　her　told　me　her　race　and　lineage。
　　〃The　first　I　saw　was　Tyro。　She　was　daughter　of　Salmoneus　and　wife　of
Cretheus　the　son　of　Aeolus。　She　fell　in　love　with　the　river　Enipeus
who　is　much　the　most　beautiful　river　in　the　whole　world。　Once　when　she
was　taking　a　walk　by　his　side　as　usual；　Neptune；　disguised　as　her
lover；　lay　with　her　at　the　mouth　of　the　river；　and　a　huge　blue　wave
arched　itself　like　a　mountain　over　them　to　hide　both　woman　and　god；
whereon　he　loosed　her　virgin　girdle　and　laid　her　in　a　deep　slumber。
When　the　god　had　accomplished　the　deed　of　love；　he　took　her　hand　in
his　own　and　said；　'Tyro；　rejoice　in　all　good　will；　the　embraces　of　the
gods　are　not　fruitless；　and　you　will　have　fine　twins　about　this　time
twelve　months。　Take　great　care　of　them。　I　am　Neptune；　so　now　go
home；　but　hold　your　tongue　and　do　not　tell　any　one。'
　　〃Then　he　dived　under　the　sea；　and　she　in　due　course　bore　Pelias
and　Neleus；　who　both　of　them　served　Jove　with　all　their　might。
Pelias　was　a　great　breeder　of　sheep　and　lived　in　Iolcus；　but　the　other
lived　in　Pylos。　The　rest　of　her　children　were　by　Cretheus；　namely；
Aeson；　Pheres；　and　Amythaon；　who　was　a　mighty　warrior　and　charioteer。
　　〃Next　to　her　I　saw　Antiope；　daughter　to　Asopus；　who　could　boast　of
having　slept　in　the　arms　of　even　Jove　himself；　and　who　bore　him　two
sons　Amphion　and　Zethus。　These　founded　Thebes　with　its　seven　gates；
and　built　a　wall　all　round　it；　for　strong　though　they　were　they
could　not　hold　Thebes　till　they　had　walled　it。
　　〃Then　I　saw　Alcmena；　the　wife　of　Amphitryon；　who　also　bore　to　Jove
indomitable　Hercules；　and　Megara　who　was　daughter　to　great　King　Creon；
and　married　the　redoubtable　son　of　Amphitryon。
　　〃I　also　saw　fair　Epicaste　mother　of　king　OEdipodes　whose　awful　lot
it　was　to　marry　her　own　son　without　suspecting　it。　He　married　her
after　having　killed　his　father；　but　the　gods　proclaimed　the　whole
story　to　the　world；　whereon　he　remained　king　of　Thebes；　in　great　grief
for　the　spite　the　gods　had　borne　him；　but　Epicaste　went　to　the　house
of　the　mighty　jailor　Hades；　having　hanged　herself　for　grief；　and　the
avenging　spirits　haunted　him　as　for　an　outraged　mother…　to　his　ruing
bitterly　thereafter。
　　〃Then　I　saw　Chloris；　whom　Neleus　married　for　her　beauty；　having
given　priceless　presents　for　her。　She　was　youngest　daughter　to　Amphion
son　of　Iasus　and　king　of　Minyan　Orchomenus；　and　was　Queen　in　Pylos。
She　bore　Nestor；　Chromius；　and　Periclymenus；　and　she　also　bore　that
marvellously　lovely　woman　Pero；　who　was　wooed　by　all　the　country
round；　but　Neleus　would　only　give　her　to　him　who　should　raid　the
cattle　of　Iphicles　from　the　grazing　grounds　of　Phylace；　and　this　was　a
hard　task。　The　only　man　who　would　undertake　to　raid　them　was　a　certain
excellent　seer；　but　the　will　of　heaven　was　against　him；　for　the
rangers　of　the　cattle　caught　him　and　put　him　in　prison；　nevertheless
when　a　full　year　had　passed　and　the　same　season　came　round　again；
Iphicles　set　him　at　liberty；　after　he　had　expounded　all　the　oracles　of
heaven。　Thus；　then；　was　the　will　of　Jove　accomplished。
　　〃And　I　saw　Leda　the　wife　of　Tyndarus；　who　bore　him　two　famous
sons；　Castor　breaker　of　horses；　and　Pollux　the　mighty　boxer。　Both
these　heroes　are　lying　under　the　earth；　though　they　are　still　alive；
for　by　a　special　dispensation　of　Jove；　they　die　and　come　to　life
again；　each　one　of　them　every　other　day　throughout　all　time；　and
they　have　the　rank　of　gods。
　　〃After　her　I　saw　Iphimedeia　wife　of　Aloeus　who　boasted　the　embrace
of　Neptune。　She　bore　two　sons　Otus　and　Ephialtes；　but　both　were
short　lived。　They　were　the　finest　children　that　were　ever　born　in　this
world；　and　the　best　looking；　Orion　only　excepted；　for　at　nine　years
old　they　were　nine　fathoms　high；　and　measured　nine　cubits　round　the
chest。　They　threatened　to　make　war　with　the　gods　in　Olympus；　and　tried
to　set　Mount　Ossa　on　the　top　of　Mount　Olympus；　and　Mount　Pelion　on　the
top　of　Ossa；　that　they　might　scale　heaven　itself；　and　they　would
have　done　it　too　if　they　had　been　grown　up；　but　Apollo；　son　of　Leto；
killed　both　of　them；　before　they　had　got　so　much　as　a　sign　of　hair
upon　their　cheeks　or　chin。
　　〃Then　I　saw　Phaedra；　and　Procris；　and　fair　Ariadne　daughter　of　the
magician　Minos；　whom　Theseus　was　carrying　off　from　Crete　to　Athens；
but　he　did　not　enjoy　her；　for　before　he　could　do　so　Diana　killed　her
in　the　island　of　Dia　on　account　of　what　Bacchus　had　said　against　her。
　　〃I　also　saw　Maera　and　Clymene　and　hateful　Eriphyle；　who　sold　her　own
husband　for　gold。　But　it　would　take　me　all　night　if　I　were　to　name
every　single　one　of　the　wives　and　daughters　of　heroes　whom　I　saw；
and　it　is　time　for　me　to　go　to　bed；　either　on　board　ship　with　my　crew；
or　here。　As　for　my　esc