the odyssey(奥德赛)-第72章

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〃Wife；　I　am　much　displeased　at　what　you　have　just　been　saying。　Who　has
been　taking　my　bed　from　the　place　in　which　I　left　it？　He　must　have
found　it　a　hard　task；　no　matter　how　skilled　a　workman　he　was；　unless
some　god　came　and　helped　him　to　shift　it。　There　is　no　man　living；
however　strong　and　in　his　prime；　who　could　move　it　from　its　place；　for
it　is　a　marvellous　curiosity　which　I　made　with　my　very　own　hands。
There　was　a　young　olive　growing　within　the　precincts　of　the　house；
in　full　vigour；　and　about　as　thick　as　a　bearing…post。　I　built　my
room　round　this　with　strong　walls　of　stone　and　a　roof　to　cover　them；
and　I　made　the　doors　strong　and　well…fitting。　Then　I　cut　off　the　top
boughs　of　the　olive　tree　and　left　the　stump　standing。　This　I　dressed
roughly　from　the　root　upwards　and　then　worked　with　carpenter's　tools
well　and　skilfully；　straightening　my　work　by　drawing　a　line　on　the
wood；　and　making　it　into　a　bed…prop。　I　then　bored　a　hole　down　the
middle；　and　made　it　the　centre…post　of　my　bed；　at　which　I　worked
till　I　had　finished　it；　inlaying　it　with　gold　and　silver；　after　this　I
stretched　a　hide　of　crimson　leather　from　one　side　of　it　to　the
other。　So　you　see　I　know　all　about　it；　and　I　desire　to　learn　whether
it　is　still　there；　or　whether　any　one　has　been　removing　it　by
cutting　down　the　olive　tree　at　its　roots。〃
　　When　she　heard　the　sure　proofs　Ulysses　now　gave　her；　she　fairly
broke　down。　She　flew　weeping　to　his　side；　flung　her　arms　about　his
neck；　and　kissed　him。　〃Do　not　be　angry　with　me　Ulysses；〃　she　cried；
〃you；　who　are　the　wisest　of　mankind。　We　have　suffered；　both　of　us。
Heaven　has　denied　us　the　happiness　of　spending　our　youth；　and　of
growing　old；　together；　do　not　then　be　aggrieved　or　take　it　amiss
that　I　did　not　embrace　you　thus　as　soon　as　I　saw　you。　I　have　been
shuddering　all　the　time　through　fear　that　someone　might　come　here
and　deceive　me　with　a　lying　story；　for　there　are　many　very　wicked
people　going　about。　Jove's　daughter　Helen　would　never　have　yielded
herself　to　a　man　from　a　foreign　country；　if　she　had　known　that　the
sons　of　Achaeans　would　come　after　her　and　bring　her　back。　Heaven　put
it　in　her　heart　to　do　wrong；　and　she　gave　no　thought　to　that　sin；
which　has　been　the　source　of　all　our　sorrows。　Now；　however；　that　you
have　convinced　me　by　showing　that　you　know　all　about　our　bed　（which　no
human　being　has　ever　seen　but　you　and　I　and　a　single　maid　servant；　the
daughter　of　Actor；　who　was　given　me　by　my　father　on　my　marriage；　and
who　keeps　the　doors　of　our　room）　hard　of　belief　though　I　have　been　I
can　mistrust　no　longer。〃
　　Then　Ulysses　in　his　turn　melted；　and　wept　as　he　clasped　his　dear　and
faithful　wife　to　his　bosom。　As　the　sight　of　land　is　welcome　to　men　who
are　swimming　towards　the　shore；　when　Neptune　has　wrecked　their　ship
with　the　fury　of　his　winds　and　waves…　a　few　alone　reach　the　land；
and　these；　covered　with　brine；　are　thankful　when　they　find
themselves　on　firm　ground　and　out　of　danger…　even　so　was　her　husband
welcome　to　her　as　she　looked　upon　him；　and　she　could　not　tear　her
two　fair　arms　from　about　his　neck。　Indeed　they　would　have　gone　on
indulging　their　sorrow　till　rosy…fingered　morn　appeared；　had　not
Minerva　determined　otherwise；　and　held　night　back　in　the　far　west；
while　she　would　not　suffer　Dawn　to　leave　Oceanus；　nor　to　yoke　the
two　steeds　Lampus　and　Phaethon　that　bear　her　onward　to　break　the　day
upon　mankind。
　　At　last；　however；　Ulysses　said；　〃Wife；　we　have　not　yet　reached　the
end　of　our　troubles。　I　have　an　unknown　amount　of　toil　still　to
undergo。　It　is　long　and　difficult；　but　I　must　go　through　with　it；
for　thus　the　shade　of　Teiresias　prophesied　concerning　me；　on　the　day
when　I　went　down　into　Hades　to　ask　about　my　return　and　that　of　my
companions。　But　now　let　us　go　to　bed；　that　we　may　lie　down　and　enjoy
the　blessed　boon　of　sleep。〃
　　〃You　shall　go　to　bed　as　soon　as　you　please；〃　replied　Penelope；
〃now　that　the　gods　have　sent　you　home　to　your　own　good　house　and　to
your　country。　But　as　heaven　has　put　it　in　your　mind　to　speak　of　it；
tell　me　about　the　task　that　lies　before　you。　I　shall　have　to　hear
about　it　later；　so　it　is　better　that　I　should　be　told　at　once。〃
　　〃My　dear；〃　answered　Ulysses；　〃why　should　you　press　me　to　tell　you？
Still；　I　will　not　conceal　it　from　you；　though　you　will　not　like　BOOK
it。　I　do　not　like　it　myself；　for　Teiresias　bade　me　travel　far　and
wide；　carrying　an　oar；　till　I　came　to　a　country　where　the　people
have　never　heard　of　the　sea；　and　do　not　even　mix　salt　with　their　food。
They　know　nothing　about　ships；　nor　oars　that　are　as　the　wings　of　a
ship。　He　gave　me　this　certain　token　which　I　will　not　hide　from　you。　He
said　that　a　wayfarer　should　meet　me　and　ask　me　whether　it　was　a
winnowing　shovel　that　I　had　on　my　shoulder。　On　this；　I　was　to　fix　my
oar　in　the　ground　and　sacrifice　a　ram；　a　bull；　and　a　boar　to
Neptune；　after　which　I　was　to　go　home　and　offer　hecatombs　to　all　the
gods　in　heaven；　one　after　the　other。　As　for　myself；　he　said　that　death
should　come　to　me　from　the　sea；　and　that　my　life　should　ebb　away
very　gently　when　I　was　full　of　years　and　peace　of　mind；　and　my
people　should　bless　me。　All　this；　he　said；　should　surely　come　to
pass。〃
　　And　Penelope　said；　〃If　the　gods　are　going　to　vouchsafe　you　a　happier
time　in　your　old　age；　you　may　hope　then　to　have　some　respite　from
misfortune。〃
　　Thus　did　they　converse。　Meanwhile　Eurynome　and　the　nurse　took
torches　and　made　the　bed　ready　with　soft　coverlets；　as　soon　as　they
had　laid　them；　the　nurse　went　back　into　the　house　to　go　to　her　rest；
leaving　the　bed　chamber　woman　Eurynome　to　show　Ulysses　and　Penelope　to
bed　by　torch　light。　When　she　had　conducted　them　to　their　room　she　went
back；　and　they　then　came　joyfully　to　the　rites　of　their　own　old　bed。
Telemachus；　Philoetius；　and　the　swineherd　now　left　off　dancing；　and
made　the　women　leave　off　also。　They　then　laid　themselves　down　to　sleep
in　the　cloisters。
　　When　Ulysses　and　Penelope　had　had　their　fill　of　love　they　fell
talking　with　one　another。　She　told　him　how　much　she　had　had　to　bear　in
seeing　the　house　filled　with　a　crowd　of　wicked　suitors　who　had
killed　so　many　sheep　and　oxen　on　her　account；　and　had　drunk　so　many
casks　of　wine。　Ulysses　in　his　turn　told　her　what　he　had　suffered；
and　how　much　trouble　he　had　himself　given　to　other　people。　He　told　her
everything；　and　she　was　so　delighted　to　listen　that　she　never　went
to　sleep　till　he　had　ended　his　whole　story。
　　He　began　with　his　victory　over　the　Cicons；　and　how　he　thence　reached
the　fertile　land　of　the　Lotus…eaters。　He　told　her　all　about　the
Cyclops　and　how　he　had　punished　him　for　having　so　ruthlessly　eaten　his
brave　comrades；　how　he　then　went　on　to　Aeolus；　who　received　him
hospitably　and　furthered　him　on　his　way；　but　even　so　he　was　not　to
reach　home；　for　to　his　great　grief　a　hurricane　carried　him　out　to
sea　again；　how　he　went　on　to　the　Laestrygonian　city　Telepylos；　where
the　people　destroyed　all　his　ships　with　their　crews；　save　himself
and　his　own　ship　only。　Then　he　told　of　cunning　Circe　and　her　craft；
and　how　he　sailed　to　the　chill　house　of　Hades；　to　consult　the　ghost　of
the　Theban　prophet　Teiresias；　and　how　he　saw　his　old　comrades　in　arms；
and　his　mother　who　bore　him　and　brought　him　up　when　he　was　a　child；
how　he　then　heard　the　wondrous　singing　of　the　Sirens；　and　went　on　to
the　wandering　rocks　and　terrible　Charybdis　and　to　Scylla；　whom　no
man　had　ever　yet　passed　in　safety；　how　his　men　then　ate　the　cattle
of　the　sun…god；　and　how　Jove　therefore　struck　the　ship　with　his
thunderbolts；　so　that　all　his　men　perished　together；　himself　alone
being　left　alive；　how　at　last　he　reached　the　Ogygian　island　and　the
nymph　Calypso；　who　kept　him　there　in　a　cave；　and　fed　him；　and　wanted
him　to　marry　her；　in　which　case　she　intended　making　him　immortal　so
that　he　should　never　grow　old；　but　she　could　not　persuade　him　to　let
her　do　so；　and　how　after　much　suffering　he　had　found　his　way　to　the
Phaeacians；　who　had　treated　him　as　though　he　had　been　a　god；　and
sent　him　back　in　a　ship　to　his　own　country　after　having　given　him
gold；　bronze；　and　raiment　in　great　abundance。　This　was　the　last
thing　about　which　he　told　her；　for　here　a　deep　sleep　took　hold　upon
him　and　eased　the　burden