the odyssey(奥德赛)-第70章

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seat　beneath　which　he　had　hidden　by　covering　himself　up　with　a　freshly
flayed　heifer's　hide；　so　he　threw　off　the　hide；　went　up　to　Telemachus；
and　laid　hold　of　his　knees。
　　〃Here　I　am；　my　dear　sir；〃　said　he；　〃stay　your　hand　therefore；　and
tell　your　father；　or　he　will　kill　me　in　his　rage　against　the　suitors
for　having　wasted　his　substance　and　been　so　foolishly　disrespectful　to
yourself。〃
　　Ulysses　smiled　at　him　and　answered；　〃Fear　not；　Telemachus　has
saved　your　life；　that　you　may　know　in　future；　and　tell　other　people；
how　greatly　better　good　deeds　prosper　than　evil　ones。　Go；　therefore；
outside　the　cloisters　into　the　outer　court；　and　be　out　of　the　way　of
the　slaughter…　you　and　the　bard…　while　I　finish　my　work　here　inside。〃
　　The　pair　went　into　the　outer　court　as　fast　as　they　could；　and　sat
down　by　Jove's　great　altar；　looking　fearfully　round；　and　still
expecting　that　they　would　be　killed。　Then　Ulysses　searched　the　whole
court　carefully　over；　to　see　if　anyone　had　managed　to　hide　himself　and
was　still　living；　but　he　found　them　all　lying　in　the　dust　and
weltering　in　their　blood。　They　were　like　fishes　which　fishermen　have
netted　out　of　the　sea；　and　thrown　upon　the　beach　to　lie　gasping　for
water　till　the　heat　of　the　sun　makes　an　end　of　them。　Even　so　were
the　suitors　lying　all　huddled　up　one　against　the　other。
　　Then　Ulysses　said　to　Telemachus；　〃Call　nurse　Euryclea；　I　have
something　to　say　to　her。〃
　　Telemachus　went　and　knocked　at　the　door　of　the　women's　room。　〃Make
haste；〃　said　he；　〃you　old　woman　who　have　been　set　over　all　the　other
women　in　the　house。　Come　outside；　my　father　wishes　to　speak　to　you。〃
　　When　Euryclea　heard　this　she　unfastened　the　door　of　the　women's　room
and　came　out；　following　Telemachus。　She　found　Ulysses　among　the
corpses　bespattered　with　blood　and　filth　like　a　lion　that　has　just
been　devouring　an　ox；　and　his　breast　and　both　his　cheeks　are　all
bloody；　so　that　he　is　a　fearful　sight；　even　so　was　Ulysses
besmirched　from　head　to　foot　with　gore。　When　she　saw　all　the　corpses
and　such　a　quantity　of　blood；　she　was　beginning　to　cry　out　for　joy；
for　she　saw　that　a　great　deed　had　been　done；　but　Ulysses　checked
her；　〃Old　woman；〃　said　he；　〃rejoice　in　silence；　restrain　yourself；　and
do　not　make　any　noise　about　it；　it　is　an　unholy　thing　to　vaunt　over
dead　men。　Heaven's　doom　and　their　own　evil　deeds　have　brought　these
men　to　destruction；　for　they　respected　no　man　in　the　whole　world；
neither　rich　nor　poor；　who　came　near　them；　and　they　have　come　to　a　bad
end　as　a　punishment　for　their　wickedness　and　folly。　Now；　however；　tell
me　which　of　the　women　in　the　house　have　misconducted　themselves；　and
who　are　innocent。〃
　　〃I　will　tell　you　the　truth；　my　son；〃　answered　Euryclea。　〃There　are
fifty　women　in　the　house　whom　we　teach　to　do　things；　such　as　carding
wool；　and　all　kinds　of　household　work。　Of　these；　twelve　in　all　have
misbehaved；　and　have　been　wanting　in　respect　to　me；　and　also　to
Penelope。　They　showed　no　disrespect　to　Telemachus；　for　he　has　only
lately　grown　and　his　mother　never　permitted　him　to　give　orders　to
the　female　servants；　but　let　me　go　upstairs　and　tell　your　wife　all
that　has　happened；　for　some　god　has　been　sending　her　to　sleep。〃
　　〃Do　not　wake　her　yet；〃　answered　Ulysses；　〃but　tell　the　women　who
have　misconducted　themselves　to　come　to　me。〃
　　Euryclea　left　the　cloister　to　tell　the　women；　and　make　them　come
to　Ulysses；　in　the　meantime　he　called　Telemachus；　the　stockman；　and
the　swineherd。　〃Begin；〃　said　he；　〃to　remove　the　dead；　and　make　the
women　help　you。　Then；　get　sponges　and　clean　water　to　swill　down　the
tables　and　seats。　When　you　have　thoroughly　cleansed　the　whole
cloisters；　take　the　women　into　the　space　between　the　domed　room　and
the　wall　of　the　outer　court；　and　run　them　through　with　your　swords
till　they　are　quite　dead；　and　have　forgotten　all　about　love　and　the
way　in　which　they　used　to　lie　in　secret　with　the　suitors。〃
　　On　this　the　women　came　down　in　a　body；　weeping　and　wailing　bitterly。
First　they　carried　the　dead　bodies　out；　and　propped　them　up　against
one　another　in　the　gatehouse。　Ulysses　ordered　them　about　and　made　them
do　their　work　quickly；　so　they　had　to　carry　the　bodies　out。　When
they　had　done　this；　they　cleaned　all　the　tables　and　seats　with　sponges
and　water；　while　Telemachus　and　the　two　others　shovelled　up　the
blood　and　dirt　from　the　ground；　and　the　women　carried　it　all　away
and　put　it　out　of　doors。　Then　when　they　had　made　the　whole　place　quite
clean　and　orderly；　they　took　the　women　out　and　hemmed　them　in　the
narrow　space　between　the　wall　of　the　domed　room　and　that　of　the
yard；　so　that　they　could　not　get　away：　and　Telemachus　said　to　the
other　two；　〃I　shall　not　let　these　women　die　a　clean　death；　for　they
were　insolent　to　me　and　my　mother；　and　used　to　sleep　with　the
suitors。〃
　　So　saying　he　made　a　ship's　cable　fast　to　one　of　the　bearing…posts
that　supported　the　roof　of　the　domed　room；　and　secured　it　all　around
the　building；　at　a　good　height；　lest　any　of　the　women's　feet　should
touch　the　ground；　and　as　thrushes　or　doves　beat　against　a　net　that　has
been　set　for　them　in　a　thicket　just　as　they　were　getting　to　their
nest；　and　a　terrible　fate　awaits　them；　even　so　did　the　women　have　to
put　their　heads　in　nooses　one　after　the　other　and　die　most
miserably。　Their　feet　moved　convulsively　for　a　while；　but　not　for　very
long。
　　As　for　Melanthius；　they　took　him　through　the　cloister　into　the　inner
court。　There　they　cut　off　his　nose　and　his　ears；　they　drew　out　his
vitals　and　gave　them　to　the　dogs　raw；　and　then　in　their　fury　they
cut　off　his　hands　and　his　feet。
　　When　they　had　done　this　they　washed　their　hands　and　feet　and　went
back　into　the　house；　for　all　was　now　over；　and　Ulysses　said　to　the
dear　old　nurse　Euryclea；　〃Bring　me　sulphur；　which　cleanses　all
pollution；　and　fetch　fire　also　that　I　may　burn　it；　and　purify　the
cloisters。　Go；　moreover；　and　tell　Penelope　to　come　here　with　her
attendants；　and　also　all　the　maid　servants　that　are　in　the　house。〃
　　〃All　that　you　have　said　is　true；〃　answered　Euryclea；　〃but　let　me
bring　you　some　clean　clothes…　a　shirt　and　cloak。　Do　not　keep　these
rags　on　your　back　any　longer。　It　is　not　right。〃
　　〃First　light　me　a　fire；〃　replied　Ulysses。
　　She　brought　the　fire　and　sulphur；　as　he　had　bidden　her；　and
Ulysses　thoroughly　purified　the　cloisters　and　both　the　inner　and　outer
courts。　Then　she　went　inside　to　call　the　women　and　tell　them　what
had　happened；　whereon　they　came　from　their　apartment　with　torches　in
their　hands；　and　pressed　round　Ulysses　to　embrace　him；　kissing　his
head　and　shoulders　and　taking　hold　of　his　hands。　It　made　him　feel　as
if　he　should　like　to　weep；　for　he　remembered　every　one　of　them。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　BOOK　XXIII。
　　EURYCLEA　now　went　upstairs　laughing　to　tell　her　mistress　that　her
dear　husband　had　come　home。　Her　aged　knees　became　young　again　and
her　feet　were　nimble　for　joy　as　she　went　up　to　her　mistress　and　bent
over　her　head　to　speak　to　her。　〃Wake　up　Penelope；　my　dear　child；〃
she　exclaimed；　〃and　see　with　your　own　eyes　something　that　you　have
been　wanting　this　long　time　past。　Ulysses　has　at　last　indeed　come　home
again；　and　has　killed　the　suitors　who　were　giving　so　much　trouble　in
his　house；　eating　up　his　estate　and　ill…treating　his　son。〃
　　〃My　good　nurse；〃　answered　Penelope；　〃you　must　be　mad。　The　gods
sometimes　send　some　very　sensible　people　out　of　their　minds；　and
make　foolish　people　become　sensible。　This　is　what　they　must　have
been　doing　to　you；　for　you　always　used　to　be　a　reasonable　person。
Why　should　you　thus　mock　me　when　I　have　trouble　enough　already…
talking　such　nonsense；　and　waking　me　up　out　of　a　sweet　sleep　that
had　taken　possession　of　my　eyes　and　closed　them？　I　have　never　slept　so
soundly　from　the　day　my　poor　husband　went　to　that　city　with　the
ill…omened　name。　Go　back　again　into　the　women's　room；　if　it　had　been
any　one　else；　who　had　woke　me　up　to　bring　me　such　absurd　news　I　should
have　sent　her　away　with　a　severe　scolding。　As　it　is；　your　age　shall
protect　you。〃
　　〃My　dear　child；〃　answered　Euryclea；　〃I　am　not　mocking　you。　It　is
quite　true　as　I　tell　you　that　Ulysses　is　come　home　again。　He　was　the
stranger　whom　they　all　kept　on　treating　so　badly　in　the　cloist