the odyssey(奥德赛)-第51章

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have　power　over　both　gods　and　men。〃
　　〃These　two；〃　continued　Ulysses；　〃will　not　keep　long　out　of　the　fray；
when　the　suitors　and　we　join　fight　in　my　house。　Now；　therefore；　return
home　early　to…morrow　morning；　and　go　about　among　the　suitors　as
before。　Later　on　the　swineherd　will　bring　me　to　the　city　disguised
as　a　miserable　old　beggar。　If　you　see　them　ill…treating　me；　steel　your
heart　against　my　sufferings；　even　though　they　drag　me　feet　foremost
out　of　the　house；　or　throw　things　at　me；　look　on　and　do　nothing　beyond
gently　trying　to　make　them　behave　more　reasonably；　but　they　will　not
listen　to　you；　for　the　day　of　their　reckoning　is　at　hand。
Furthermore　I　say；　and　lay　my　saying　to　your　heart；　when　Minerva　shall
put　it　in　my　mind；　I　will　nod　my　head　to　you；　and　on　seeing　me　do　this
you　must　collect　all　the　armour　that　is　in　the　house　and　hide　it　in
the　strong　store　room。　Make　some　excuse　when　the　suitors　ask　you　why
you　are　removing　it；　say　that　you　have　taken　it　to　be　out　of　the　way
of　the　smoke；　inasmuch　as　it　is　no　longer　what　it　was　when　Ulysses
went　away；　but　has　become　soiled　and　begrimed　with　soot。　Add　to　this
more　particularly　that　you　are　afraid　Jove　may　set　them　on　to
quarrel　over　their　wine；　and　that　they　may　do　each　other　some　harm
which　may　disgrace　both　banquet　and　wooing；　for　the　sight　of　arms
sometimes　tempts　people　to　use　them。　But　leave　a　sword　and　a　spear
apiece　for　yourself　and　me；　and　a　couple　oxhide　shields　so　that　we　can
snatch　them　up　at　any　moment；　Jove　and　Minerva　will　then　soon　quiet
these　people。　There　is　also　another　matter；　if　you　are　indeed　my　son
and　my　blood　runs　in　your　veins；　let　no　one　know　that　Ulysses　is
within　the　house…　neither　Laertes；　nor　yet　the　swineherd；　nor　any　of
the　servants；　nor　even　Penelope　herself。　Let　you　and　me　exploit　the
women　alone；　and　let　us　also　make　trial　of　some　other　of　the　men
servants；　to　see　who　is　on　our　side　and　whose　hand　is　against　us。〃
　　〃Father；〃　replied　Telemachus；　〃you　will　come　to　know　me　by　and　by；
and　when　you　do　you　will　find　that　I　can　keep　your　counsel。　I　do　not
think；　however；　the　plan　you　propose　will　turn　out　well　for　either
of　us。　Think　it　over。　It　will　take　us　a　long　time　to　go　the　round　of
the　farms　and　exploit　the　men；　and　all　the　time　the　suitors　will　be
wasting　your　estate　with　impunity　and　without　compunction。　Prove　the
women　by　all　means；　to　see　who　are　disloyal　and　who　guiltless；　but　I
am　not　in　favour　of　going　round　and　trying　the　men。　We　can　attend　to
that　later　on；　if　you　really　have　some　sign　from　Jove　that　he　will
support　you。〃
　　Thus　did　they　converse；　and　meanwhile　the　ship　which　had　brought
Telemachus　and　his　crew　from　Pylos　had　reached　the　town　of　Ithaca。
When　they　had　come　inside　the　harbour　they　drew　the　ship　on　to　the
land；　their　servants　came　and　took　their　armour　from　them；　and　they
left　all　the　presents　at　the　house　of　Clytius。　Then　they　sent　a
servant　to　tell　Penelope　that　Telemachus　had　gone　into　the　country；
but　had　sent　the　ship　to　the　town　to　prevent　her　from　being　alarmed
and　made　unhappy。　This　servant　and　Eumaeus　happened　to　meet　when
they　were　both　on　the　same　errand　of　going　to　tell　Penelope。　When　they
reached　the　House；　the　servant　stood　up　and　said　to　the　queen　in　the
presence　of　the　waiting　women；　〃Your　son；　Madam；　is　now　returned
from　Pylos〃；　but　Eumaeus　went　close　up　to　Penelope；　and　said　privately
that　her　son　had　given　bidden　him　tell　her。　When　he　had　given　his
message　he　left　the　house　with　its　outbuildings　and　went　back　to　his
pigs　again。
　　The　suitors　were　surprised　and　angry　at　what　had　happened；　so　they
went　outside　the　great　wall　that　ran　round　the　outer　court；　and　held　a
council　near　the　main　entrance。　Eurymachus；　son　of　Polybus；　was　the
first　to　speak。
　　〃My　friends；〃　said　he；　〃this　voyage　of　Telemachus's　is　a　very
serious　matter；　we　had　made　sure　that　it　would　come　to　nothing。　Now；
however；　let　us　draw　a　ship　into　the　water；　and　get　a　crew　together　to
send　after　the　others　and　tell　them　to　come　back　as　fast　as　they　can。〃
　　He　had　hardly　done　speaking　when　Amphinomus　turned　in　his　place
and　saw　the　ship　inside　the　harbour；　with　the　crew　lowering　her　sails；
and　putting　by　their　oars；　so　he　laughed；　and　said　to　the　others；
〃We　need　not　send　them　any　message；　for　they　are　here。　Some　god　must
have　told　them；　or　else　they　saw　the　ship　go　by；　and　could　not
overtake　her。
　　On　this　they　rose　and　went　to　the　water　side。　The　crew　then　drew　the
ship　on　shore；　their　servants　took　their　armour　from　them；　and　they
went　up　in　a　body　to　the　place　of　assembly；　but　they　would　not　let　any
one　old　or　young　sit　along　with　them；　and　Antinous；　son　of
Eupeithes；　spoke　first。
　　〃Good　heavens；〃　said　he；　〃see　how　the　gods　have　saved　this　man
from　destruction。　We　kept　a　succession　of　scouts　upon　the　headlands
all　day　long；　and　when　the　sun　was　down　we　never　went　on　shore　to
sleep；　but　waited　in　the　ship　all　night　till　morning　in　the　hope　of
capturing　and　killing　him；　but　some　god　has　conveyed　him　home　in　spite
of　us。　Let　us　consider　how　we　can　make　an　end　of　him。　He　must　not
escape　us；　our　affair　is　never　likely　to　come　off　while　is　alive；
for　he　is　very　shrewd；　and　public　feeling　is　by　no　means　all　on　our
side。　We　must　make　haste　before　he　can　call　the　Achaeans　in
assembly；　he　will　lose　no　time　in　doing　so；　for　he　will　be　furious
with　us；　and　will　tell　all　the　world　how　we　plotted　to　kill　him；　but
failed　to　take　him。　The　people　will　not　like　this　when　they　come　to
know　of　it；　we　must　see　that　they　do　us　no　hurt；　nor　drive　us　from　our
own　country　into　exile。　Let　us　try　and　lay　hold　of　him　either　on　his
farm　away　from　the　town；　or　on　the　road　hither。　Then　we　can　divide
up　his　property　amongst　us；　and　let　his　mother　and　the　man　who　marries
her　have　the　house。　If　this　does　not　please　you；　and　you　wish
Telemachus　to　live　on　and　hold　his　father's　property；　then　we　must　not
gather　here　and　eat　up　his　goods　in　this　way；　but　must　make　our　offers
to　Penelope　each　from　his　own　house；　and　she　can　marry　the　man　who
will　give　the　most　for　her；　and　whose　lot　it　is　to　win　her。〃
　　They　all　held　their　peace　until　Amphinomus　rose　to　speak。　He　was　the
son　of　Nisus；　who　was　son　to　king　Aretias；　and　he　was　foremost　among
all　the　suitors　from　the　wheat…growing　and　well　grassed　island　of
Dulichium；　his　conversation；　moreover；　was　more　agreeable　to
Penelope　than　that　of　any　of　the　other　for　he　was　a　man　of　good
natural　disposition。　〃My　friends；〃　said　he；　speaking　to　them　plainly
and　in　all　honestly；　〃I　am　not　in　favour　of　killing　Telemachus。　It
is　a　heinous　thing　to　kill　one　who　is　of　noble　blood。　Let　us　first
take　counsel　of　the　gods；　and　if　the　oracles　of　Jove　advise　it；　I　will
both　help　to　kill　him　myself；　and　will　urge　everyone　else　to　do　so；
but　if　they　dissuade　us；　I　would　have　you　hold　your　hands。〃
　　Thus　did　he　speak；　and　his　words　pleased　them　well；　so　they　rose
forthwith　and　went　to　the　house　of　Ulysses　where　they　took　their
accustomed　seats。
　　Then　Penelope　resolved　that　she　would　show　herself　to　the　suitors。
She　knew　of　the　plot　against　Telemachus；　for　the　servant　Medon　had
overheard　their　counsels　and　had　told　her；　she　went　down　therefore
to　the　court　attended　by　her　maidens；　and　when　she　reached　the　suitors
she　stood　by　one　of　the　bearing…posts　supporting　the　roof　of　the
cloister　holding　a　veil　before　her　face；　and　rebuked　Antinous　saying：
　　〃Antinous；　insolent　and　wicked　schemer；　they　say　you　are　the　best
speaker　and　counsellor　of　any　man　your　own　age　in　Ithaca；　but　you
are　nothing　of　the　kind。　Madman；　why　should　you　try　to　compass　the
death　of　Telemachus；　and　take　no　heed　of　suppliants；　whose　witness
is　Jove　himself？　It　is　not　right　for　you　to　plot　thus　against　one
another。　Do　you　not　remember　how　your　father　fled　to　this　house　in
fear　of　the　people；　who　were　enraged　against　him　for　having　gone
with　some　Taphian　pirates　and　plundered　the　Thesprotians　who　were　at
peace　with　us？　They　wanted　to　tear　him　in　pieces　and　eat　up　everything
he　had；　but　Ulysses　stayed　their　hands　although　they　were
infuriated；　and　now　you　devour　his　property　without　paying　for　it；　and
break　my　heart　by　his　wooing　his　wife　and　trying　to　kill　his　son。