the odyssey(奥德赛)-第37章

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meat；　and　wine。　Then　she　stood　in　the　midst　of　us　and　said；　'You
have　done　a　bold　thing　in　going　down　alive　to　the　house　of　Hades；
and　you　will　have　died　twice；　to　other　people's　once；　now；　then；
stay　here　for　the　rest　of　the　day；　feast　your　fill；　and　go　on　with
your　voyage　at　daybreak　tomorrow　morning。　In　the　meantime　I　will
tell　Ulysses　about　your　course；　and　will　explain　everything　to　him
so　as　to　prevent　your　suffering　from　misadventure　either　by　land　or
sea。'
　　〃We　agreed　to　do　as　she　had　said；　and　feasted　through　the　livelong
day　to　the　going　down　of　the　sun；　but　when　the　sun　had　set　and　it　came
on　dark；　the　men　laid　themselves　down　to　sleep　by　the　stern　cables
of　the　ship。　Then　Circe　took　me　by　the　hand　and　bade　me　be　seated　away
from　the　others；　while　she　reclined　by　my　side　and　asked　me　all
about　our　adventures。
　　〃'So　far　so　good；'　said　she；　when　I　had　ended　my　story；　'and　now　pay
attention　to　what　I　am　about　to　tell　you…　heaven　itself；　indeed；
will　recall　it　to　your　recollection。　First　you　will　come　to　the　Sirens
who　enchant　all　who　come　near　them。　If　any　one　unwarily　draws　in　too
close　and　hears　the　singing　of　the　Sirens；　his　wife　and　children
will　never　welcome　him　home　again；　for　they　sit　in　a　green　field　and
warble　him　to　death　with　the　sweetness　of　their　song。　There　is　a　great
heap　of　dead　men's　bones　lying　all　around；　with　the　flesh　still
rotting　off　them。　Therefore　pass　these　Sirens　by；　and　stop　your
men's　ears　with　wax　that　none　of　them　may　hear；　but　if　you　like　you
can　listen　yourself；　for　you　may　get　the　men　to　bind　you　as　you
stand　upright　on　a　cross…piece　half　way　up　the　mast；　and　they　must
lash　the　rope's　ends　to　the　mast　itself；　that　you　may　have　the
pleasure　of　listening。　If　you　beg　and　pray　the　men　to　unloose　you；
then　they　must　bind　you　faster。
　　〃'When　your　crew　have　taken　you　past　these　Sirens；　I　cannot　give　you
coherent　directions　as　to　which　of　two　courses　you　are　to　take；　I　will
lay　the　two　alternatives　before　you；　and　you　must　consider　them　for
yourself。　On　the　one　hand　there　are　some　overhanging　rocks　against
which　the　deep　blue　waves　of　Amphitrite　beat　with　terrific　fury；　the
blessed　gods　call　these　rocks　the　Wanderers。　Here　not　even　a　bird
may　pass；　no；　not　even　the　timid　doves　that　bring　ambrosia　to　Father
Jove；　but　the　sheer　rock　always　carries　off　one　of　them；　and　Father
Jove　has　to　send　another　to　make　up　their　number；　no　ship　that　ever
yet　came　to　these　rocks　has　got　away　again；　but　the　waves　and
whirlwinds　of　fire　are　freighted　with　wreckage　and　with　the　bodies
of　dead　men。　The　only　vessel　that　ever　sailed　and　got　through；　was　the
famous　Argo　on　her　way　from　the　house　of　Aetes；　and　she　too　would　have
gone　against　these　great　rocks；　only　that　Juno　piloted　her　past　them
for　the　love　she　bore　to　Jason。
　　〃'Of　these　two　rocks　the　one　reaches　heaven　and　its　peak　is　lost
in　a　dark　cloud。　This　never　leaves　it；　so　that　the　top　is　never
clear　not　even　in　summer　and　early　autumn。　No　man　though　he　had　twenty
hands　and　twenty　feet　could　get　a　foothold　on　it　and　climb　it；　for
it　runs　sheer　up；　as　smooth　as　though　it　had　been　polished。　In　the
middle　of　it　there　is　a　large　cavern；　looking　West　and　turned
towards　Erebus；　you　must　take　your　ship　this　way；　but　the　cave　is　so
high　up　that　not　even　the　stoutest　archer　could　send　an　arrow　into　it。
Inside　it　Scylla　sits　and　yelps　with　a　voice　that　you　might　take　to　be
that　of　a　young　hound；　but　in　truth　she　is　a　dreadful　monster　and　no
one…　not　even　a　god…　could　face　her　without　being　terror…struck。　She
has　twelve　mis…shapen　feet；　and　six　necks　of　the　most　prodigious
length；　and　at　the　end　of　each　neck　she　has　a　frightful　head　with
three　rows　of　teeth　in　each；　all　set　very　close　together；　so　that　they
would　crunch　any　one　to　death　in　a　moment；　and　she　sits　deep　within
her　shady　cell　thrusting　out　her　heads　and　peering　all　round　the　rock；
fishing　for　dolphins　or　dogfish　or　any　larger　monster　that　she　can
catch；　of　the　thousands　with　which　Amphitrite　teems。　No　ship　ever
yet　got　past　her　without　losing　some　men；　for　she　shoots　out　all　her
heads　at　once；　and　carries　off　a　man　in　each　mouth。
　　〃'You　will　find　the　other　rocks　lie　lower；　but　they　are　so　close
together　that　there　is　not　more　than　a　bowshot　between　them。　＇A
large　fig　tree　in　full　leaf　grows　upon　it＇；　and　under　it　lies　the
sucking　whirlpool　of　Charybdis。　Three　times　in　the　day　does　she
vomit　forth　her　waters；　and　three　times　she　sucks　them　down　again；　see
that　you　be　not　there　when　she　is　sucking；　for　if　you　are；　Neptune
himself　could　not　save　you；　you　must　hug　the　Scylla　side　and　drive
ship　by　as　fast　as　you　can；　for　you　had　better　lose　six　men　than
your　whole　crew。'
　　〃'Is　there　no　way；'　said　I；　'of　escaping　Charybdis；　and　at　the
same　time　keeping　Scylla　off　when　she　is　trying　to　harm　my　men？'
　　〃'You　dare…devil；'　replied　the　goddess；　you　are　always　wanting　to
fight　somebody　or　something；　you　will　not　let　yourself　be　beaten
even　by　the　immortals。　For　Scylla　is　not　mortal；　moreover　she　is
savage；　extreme；　rude；　cruel　and　invincible。　There　is　no　help　for
it；　your　best　chance　will　be　to　get　by　her　as　fast　as　ever　you　can；
for　if　you　dawdle　about　her　rock　while　you　are　putting　on　your　armour；
she　may　catch　you　with　a　second　cast　of　her　six　heads；　and　snap　up
another　half　dozen　of　your　men；　so　drive　your　ship　past　her　at　full
speed；　and　roar　out　lustily　to　Crataiis　who　is　Scylla's　dam；　bad
luck　to　her；　she　will　then　stop　her　from　making　a　second　raid　upon
you。
　　〃'You　will　now　come　to　the　Thrinacian　island；　and　here　you　will
see　many　herds　of　cattle　and　flocks　of　sheep　belonging　to　the　sun…god…
seven　herds　of　cattle　and　seven　flocks　of　sheep；　with　fifty　head　in
each　flock。　They　do　not　breed；　nor　do　they　become　fewer　in　number；　and
they　are　tended　by　the　goddesses　Phaethusa　and　Lampetie；　who　are
children　of　the　sun…god　Hyperion　by　Neaera。　Their　mother　when　she
had　borne　them　and　had　done　suckling　them　sent　them　to　the
Thrinacian　island；　which　was　a　long　way　off；　to　live　there　and　look
after　their　father's　flocks　and　herds。　If　you　leave　these　flocks
unharmed；　and　think　of　nothing　but　getting　home；　you　may　yet　after
much　hardship　reach　Ithaca；　but　if　you　harm　them；　then　I　forewarn
you　of　the　destruction　both　of　your　ship　and　of　your　comrades；　and
even　though　you　may　yourself　escape；　you　will　return　late；　in　bad
plight；　after　losing　all　your　men。'
　　〃Here　she　ended；　and　dawn　enthroned　in　gold　began　to　show　in　heaven；
whereon　she　returned　inland。　I　then　went　on　board　and　told　my　men　to
loose　the　ship　from　her　moorings；　so　they　at　once　got　into　her；　took
their　places；　and　began　to　smite　the　grey　sea　with　their　oars。
Presently　the　great　and　cunning　goddess　Circe　befriended　us　with　a
fair　wind　that　blew　dead　aft；　and　stayed　steadily　with　us；　keeping　our
sails　well　filled；　so　we　did　whatever　wanted　doing　to　the　ship's　gear；
and　let　her　go　as　wind　and　helmsman　headed　her。
　　〃Then；　being　much　troubled　in　mind；　I　said　to　my　men；　'My　friends；
it　is　not　right　that　one　or　two　of　us　alone　should　know　the　prophecies
that　Circe　has　made　me；　I　will　therefore　tell　you　about　them；　so
that　whether　we　live　or　die　we　may　do　so　with　our　eyes　open。　First　she
said　we　were　to　keep　clear　of　the　Sirens；　who　sit　and　sing　most
beautifully　in　a　field　of　flowers；　but　she　said　I　might　hear　them
myself　so　long　as　no　one　else　did。　Therefore；　take　me　and　bind　me　to
the　crosspiece　half　way　up　the　mast；　bind　me　as　I　stand　upright；
with　a　bond　so　fast　that　I　cannot　possibly　break　away；　and　lash　the
rope's　ends　to　the　mast　itself。　If　I　beg　and　pray　you　to　set　me
free；　then　bind　me　more　tightly　still。'
　　〃I　had　hardly　finished　telling　everything　to　the　men　before　we
reached　the　island　of　the　two　Sirens；　for　the　wind　had　been　very
favourable。　Then　all　of　a　sudden　it　fell　dead　calm；　there　was　not　a
breath　of　wind　nor　a　ripple　upon　the　water；　so　the　men　furled　the
sails　and　stowed　them；　then　taking　to　their　oars　they　whitened　the
water　with　the　foam　they　raised　in　rowing。　Meanwhile　I　look　a　large
wheel　of　wax　and　cut　it　up　small　with　my　sword。　Then　I　kneaded　the　wax
in　my　strong　hands　till　it　became　soft；　which　it　soon　did　between