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第2节

peace-第2节

小说: peace 字数: 每页4000字

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I brave these dangers; do ye neither fart nor crap for the space of

three days; for; if; while cleaving the air; my steed should scent

anything; he would fling me head foremost from the summit of my hopes。

                                                          (Intoning)

    Now come; my Pegasus; get a…going with up…pricked ears and make

your golden bridle resound gaily。 Eh! what are you doing? What are you

up to? Do you turn your nose towards the cesspools? Come; pluck up a

spirit; rush upwards from the earth; stretch out your speedy wings and

make straight for the palace of Zeus; for once give up foraging in

your daily food。…Hi! you down there; what are you after now? Oh! my

god! it's a man taking a crap in the Piraeus; close to the

whorehouses。 But is it my death you seek then; my death? Will you

not bury that right away and pile a great heap of earth upon it and

plant wild thyme therein and pour perfumes on it? If I were to fall

from up here and misfortune happened to me; the town of Chios would

owe a fine of five talents for my death; all because of your damned

arse。

                                                           (Speaking)

    Alas! how frightened I am! oh! I have no heart for jests。 Ah!

machinist; take great care of me。 There is already a wind whirling

round my navel; take great care or; from sheer fright; I shall form

food for my beetle。。。。 But I think I am no longer far from the gods;

aye; that is the dwelling of Zeus; I perceive。 (The beetle descends

and comes to a halt in front of the house of ZEUS。 TRYGAEUS

dismounts and knocks at the door。) Hullo! Hi! where is the doorkeeper?

Will no one open?

  HERMES (from within)

    I think I can sniff a man。 (Opening the door) Why; what plague

is this?

  TRYGAEUS

    A horse…beetle。

  HERMES

    Oh! impudent; shameless rascal! oh! scoundrel! triple scoundrel!

the greatest scoundrel in the world! how did you come here? Oh!

scoundrel of all scoundrels! your name? Reply。

  TRYGAEUS

    Triple scoundrel。

  HERMES

    Your country?

  TRYGAEUS

    Triple scoundrel。

  HERMES

    Your father?

  TRYGAEUS

    My father? Triple scoundrel。

  HERMES

    By the Earth; you shall die; unless you tell me your name。

  TRYGAEUS

    I am Trygaeus of the Athmonian deme; a good vine…dresser; little

addicted to quibbling and not at all an informer。

  HERMES

    Why do you come?

  TRYGAEUS

    I come to bring you this meat。

  HERMES (changing his tone)

    Ah! my good friend; did you have a good journey?

  TRYGAEUS

    Glutton; be off! I no longer seem a triple scoundrel to you。 Come;

call Zeus。

  HERMES

    Ah! ah! you are a long way yet from reaching the gods; for they

moved yesterday。

  TRYGAEUS

    To what part of the earth?

  HERMES

    Eh! of the earth; did you say?

  TRYGAEUS

    In short; where are they then?

  HERMES

    Very far; very far; right at the furthest end of the dome of

heaven。

  TRYGAEUS

    But why have they left you all alone here?

  HERMES

    I am watching what remains of the furniture; the little pots and

pans; the bits of chairs and tables; and odd wine…jars。

  TRYGAEUS


    And why have the gods moved away?

  HERMES

    Because of their wrath against the Greeks。 They have located War

in the house they occupied themselves and have given him full power to

do with you exactly as he pleases; then they went as high up as ever

they could; so as to see no more of your fights and to hear no more of

your prayers。

  TRYGAEUS

    What reason have they for treating us so?

  HERMES

    Because they have afforded you an opportunity for peace more

than once; but you have always preferred war。 If the Laconians got the

very slightest advantage; they would exclaim; 〃By the Twin Brethren!

the Athenians shall smart for this。〃 If; on the contrary; the latter

triumphed and the Laconians came with peace proposals; you would

say; 〃By Demeter; they want to deceive us。 No; by Zeus; we will not

hear a word; they will always be coming as long as we hold Pylos。〃

  TRYGAEUS

    Yes; that is quite the style our folk do talk in。

  HERMES

    So that I don't know whether you will ever see Peace again。

  TRYGAEUS

    Why; where has she gone to then?

  HERMES

    War has cast her into a deep pit。

  TRYGAEUS

    Where?

  HERMES

    Down there; at the very bottom。 And you see what heaps of stones

he has piled over the top; so that you should never pull her out

again。

  TRYGAEUS

    Tell me; what is War preparing against us?

  HERMES

    All I know is that last evening he brought along a huge mortar。

  TRYGAEUS

    And what is he going to do with his mortar?

  HERMES

    He wants to pound up all the cities of Greece in it。。。。 But I must

say good…bye; for I think he is coming out; what an uproar he is

making!

                                               (He departs in haste。)

  TRYGAEUS

    Ah! great gods let us seek safety; I think I already hear the

noise of this fearful war mortar。 (He hides。)

  WAR (enters; carrying a huge mortar)

    Oh! mortals; mortals; wretched mortals; how your jaws will snap!

  TRYGAEUS

    Oh! divine Apollo! what a prodigious big mortar! Oh; what misery

the very sight of War causes me! This then is the foe from whom I fly;

who is so cruel; so formidable; so stalwart; so solid on his legs!

  WAR

    Oh! Prasiae! thrice wretched; five times; aye; a thousand times

wretched! for thou shalt be destroyed this day。

                              (He throws some leeks into the mortar。)

  TRYGAEUS (to the audience)

    This; gentlemen; does not concern us over much; it's only so

much the worse for the Laconians。

  WAR

    Oh! Megara! Megara! utterly are you going to be ground up! what

fine mincemeat are you to be made into!

                                          (He throws in some garlic。)

  TRYGAEUS (aside)

    Alas! alas! what bitter tears there will be among the Megarians!

  WAR (throwing in some cheese)

    Oh; Sicily! you too must perish! Your wretched towns shall be

grated like this cheese。 Now let us pour some Attic honey into the

mortar。

    (He does so。)

  TRYGAEUS (aside)

    Oh! I beseech you! use some other honey; this kind is worth four

obols; be careful; oh! be careful of our Attic honey。

  WAR

    Hi! Tumult; you slave there!

  TUMULT

    What do you want?

  WAR

    Out upon you! Standing there with folded arms! Take this cuff on

the head for your pains。

  TUMULT

    Oh! how it stings! Master; have you got garlic in your fist; I

wonder?

  WAR

    Run and fetch me a pestle。

  TUMULT

    But we haven't got one; it was only yesterday we moved。

  WAR

    Go and fetch me one from Athens; and hurry; hurry!

  TUMULT

    I'll hurry; if I return without one; I shall have no cause for

laughing。

                                                       (He runs off。)

  TRYGAEUS (to the audience)

    Ah! what is to become of us; wretched mortals that we are? See the

danger that threatens if he returns with the pestle; for War will

quietly amuse himself with pounding all the towns of Hellas to pieces。

Ah! Bacchus! cause this herald of evil to perish on his road!

  WAR (to the returning TUMULT)

    Well?

  TUMULT

    Well; what?

  WAR

    You have brought back nothing?

  TUMULT

    Alas! the Athenians have lost their pestle…the tanner; who

ground Greece to powder。

  TRYGAEUS

    Oh! Athene; venerable mistress! it is well for our city he is

dead; and before he could serve us with this hash。

  WAR

    Then go and seek one at Sparta and have done with it!

  TUMULT

    Aye; aye; master!

                                                       (He runs off。)

  WAR (shouting after him)

    Be back as quick as ever you can。

  TRYGAEUS (to the audience)

    What is going to happen; friends? This is the critical hour。 Ah!

if there is some initiate of Samothrace among you; this is surely

the moment to wish this messenger some accident…some sprain or strain。

  TUMULT (returning)

    Alas! alas! thrice again; alas!

  WAR

    What is it? Again you come back without it?

  TUMULT

    The Spartans too have lost their pestle。

  WAR

    How; varlet?

  TUMULT

    They had lent it to their allies in Thrace; who have lost it for

them。

  TRYGAEUS

    Long life to you; Thracians! My hopes revive; pluck up courage;

mortals!

  WAR

    Take all this stuff; I am going in to make a pestle for myself。

                                    (He goes in; followed by TUMULT。)

  TRYGAEUS (coming out of his hiding…place)

    Now is the time to sing as Datis did; as he masturbated at high

noon; 〃Oh pleasure! oh enjoyment! oh delights!〃 Now; oh Greeks! is the

moment when freed of quarrels and fighting; we should rescue sweet

Peace and draw her out of this pit; before some other pest

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