the iliad(伊利亚特)-第26节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


husband。　Haste　in　pursuit；　that　we　may　take　the　shield　of　Nestor；
the　fame　of　which　ascends　to　heaven；　for　it　is　of　solid　gold；　arm…rods
and　all；　and　that　we　may　strip　from　the　shoulders　of　Diomed。　the
cuirass　which　Vulcan　made　him。　Could　we　take　these　two　things；　the
Achaeans　would　set　sail　in　their　ships　this　self…same　night。〃
　　Thus　did　he　vaunt；　but　Queen　Juno　made　high　Olympus　quake　as　she
shook　with　rage　upon　her　throne。　Then　said　she　to　the　mighty　god　of
Neptune；　〃What　now；　wide　ruling　lord　of　the　earthquake？　Can　you　find
no　compassion　in　your　heart　for　the　dying　Danaans；　who　bring　you
many　a　welcome　offering　to　Helice　and　to　Aegae？　Wish　them　well　then。
If　all　of　us　who　are　with　the　Danaans　were　to　drive　the　Trojans　back
and　keep　Jove　from　helping　them；　he　would　have　to　sit　there　sulking
alone　on　Ida。〃
　　King　Neptune　was　greatly　troubled　and　answered；　〃Juno；　rash　of
tongue；　what　are　you　talking　about？　We　other　gods　must　not　set
ourselves　against　Jove；　for　he　is　far　stronger　than　we　are。〃
　　Thus　did　they　converse；　but　the　whole　space　enclosed　by　the　ditch；
from　the　ships　even　to　the　wall；　was　filled　with　horses　and
warriors；　who　were　pent　up　there　by　Hector　son　of　Priam；　now　that
the　hand　of　Jove　was　with　him。　He　would　even　have　set　fire　to　the
ships　and　burned　them；　had　not　Queen　Juno　put　it　into　the　mind　of
Agamemnon；　to　bestir　himself　and　to　encourage　the　Achaeans。　To　this
end　he　went　round　the　ships　and　tents　carrying　a　great　purple　cloak；
and　took　his　stand　by　the　huge　black　hull　of　Ulysses'　ship；　which
was　middlemost　of　all；　it　was　from　this　place　that　his　voice　would
carry　farthest；　on　the　one　hand　towards　the　tents　of　Ajax　son　of
Telamon；　and　on　the　other　towards　those　of　Achilles…　for　these　two
heroes；　well　assured　of　their　own　strength；　had　valorously　drawn　up
their　ships　at　the　two　ends　of　the　line。　From　this　spot　then；　with　a
voice　that　could　be　heard　afar；　he　shouted　to　the　Danaans；　saying；
〃Argives；　shame　on　you　cowardly　creatures；　brave　in　semblance　only；
where　are　now　our　vaunts　that　we　should　prove　victorious…　the　vaunts
we　made　so　vaingloriously　in　Lemnos；　when　we　ate　the　flesh　of　horned
cattle　and　filled　our　mixing…bowls　to　the　brim？　You　vowed　that　you
would　each　of　you　stand　against　a　hundred　or　two　hundred　men；　and
now　you　prove　no　match　even　for　one…　for　Hector；　who　will　be　ere
long　setting　our　ships　in　a　blaze。　Father　Jove；　did　you　ever　so　ruin　a
great　king　and　rob　him　so　utterly　of　his　greatness？　yet；　when　to　my
sorrow　I　was　coming　hither；　I　never　let　my　ship　pass　your　altars
without　offering　the　fat　and　thigh…bones　of　heifers　upon　every　one
of　them；　so　eager　was　I　to　sack　the　city　of　Troy。　Vouchsafe　me　then
this　prayer…　suffer　us　to　escape　at　any　rate　with　our　lives；　and　let
not　the　Achaeans　be　so　utterly　vanquished　by　the　Trojans。〃
　　Thus　did　he　pray；　and　father　Jove　pitying　his　tears　vouchsafed　him
that　his　people　should　live；　not　die；　forthwith　he　sent　them　an　eagle；
most　unfailingly　portentous　of　all　birds；　with　a　young　fawn　in　its
talons；　the　eagle　dropped　the　fawn　by　the　altar　on　which　the
Achaeans　sacrificed　to　Jove　the　lord　of　omens；　When；　therefore；　the
people　saw　that　the　bird　had　come　from　Jove；　they　sprang　more　fiercely
upon　the　Trojans　and　fought　more　boldly。
　　There　was　no　man　of　all　the　many　Danaans　who　could　then　boast　that
he　had　driven　his　horses　over　the　trench　and　gone　forth　to　fight
sooner　than　the　son　of　Tydeus；　long　before　any　one　else　could　do　so　he
slew　an　armed　warrior　of　the　Trojans；　Agelaus　the　son　of　Phradmon。
He　had　turned　his　horses　in　flight；　but　the　spear　struck　him　in　the
back　midway　between　his　shoulders　and　went　right　through　his　chest；
and　his　armour　rang　rattling　round　him　as　he　fell　forward　from　his
chariot。
　　After　him　came　Agamemnon　and　Menelaus；　sons　of　Atreus；　the　two
Ajaxes　clothed　in　valour　as　with　a　garment；　Idomeneus　and　his
companion　in　arms　Meriones；　peer　of　murderous　Mars；　and　Eurypylus
the　brave　son　of　Euaemon。　Ninth　came　Teucer　with　his　bow；　and　took　his
place　under　cover　of　the　shield　of　Ajax　son　of　Telamon。　When　Ajax
lifted　his　shield　Teucer　would　peer　round；　and　when　he　had　hit　any　one
in　the　throng；　the　man　would　fall　dead；　then　Teucer　would　hie　back
to　Ajax　as　a　child　to　its　mother；　and　again　duck　down　under　his
shield。
　　Which　of　the　Trojans　did　brave　Teucer　first　kill？　Orsilochus；　and
then　Ormenus　and　Ophelestes；　Daetor；　Chromius；　and　godlike
Lycophontes；　Amopaon　son　of　Polyaemon；　and　Melanippus。　these　in　turn
did　he　lay　low　upon　the　earth；　and　King　Agamemnon　was　glad　when　he　saw
him　making　havoc　of　the　Trojans　with　his　mighty　bow。　He　went　up　to　him
and　said；　〃Teucer；　man　after　my　own　heart；　son　of　Telamon；　captain
among　the　host；　shoot　on；　and　be　at　once　the　saving　of　the　Danaans　and
the　glory　of　your　father　Telamon；　who　brought　you　up　and　took　care
of　you　in　his　own　house　when　you　were　a　child；　bastard　though　you
were。　Cover　him　with　glory　though　he　is　far　off；　I　will　promise　and
I　will　assuredly　perform；　if　aegis…bearing　Jove　and　Minerva　grant　me
to　sack　the　city　of　Ilius；　you　shall　have　the　next　best　meed　of　honour
after　my　own…　a　tripod；　or　two　horses　with　their　chariot；　or　a　woman
who　shall　go　up　into　your　bed。〃
　　And　Teucer　answered；　〃Most　noble　son　of　Atreus；　you　need　not　urge
me；　from　the　moment　we　began　to　drive　them　back　to　Ilius；　I　have　never
ceased　so　far　as　in　me　lies　to　look　out　for　men　whom　I　can　shoot　and
kill；　I　have　shot　eight　barbed　shafts；　and　all　of　them　have　been
buried　in　the　flesh　of　warlike　youths；　but　this　mad　dog　I　cannot　hit。〃
　　As　he　spoke　he　aimed　another　arrow　straight　at　Hector；　for　he　was
bent　on　hitting　him；　nevertheless　he　missed　him；　and　the　arrow　hit
Priam's　brave　son　Gorgythion　in　the　breast。　His　mother；　fair
Castianeira；　lovely　as　a　goddess；　had　been　married　from　Aesyme；　and
now　he　bowed　his　head　as　a　garden　poppy　in　full　bloom　when　it　is
weighed　down　by　showers　in　spring…　even　thus　heavy　bowed　his　head
beneath　the　weight　of　his　helmet。
　　Again　he　aimed　at　Hector；　for　he　was　longing　to　hit　him；　and　again
his　arrow　missed；　for　Apollo　turned　it　aside；　but　he　hit　Hector's
brave　charioteer　Archeptolemus　in　the　breast；　by　the　nipple；　as　he　was
driving　furiously　into　the　fight。　The　horses　swerved　aside　as　he
fell　headlong　from　the　chariot；　and　there　was　no　life　left　in　him。
Hector　was　greatly　grieved　at　the　loss　of　his　charioteer；　but　for
all　his　sorrow　he　let　him　lie　where　he　fell；　and　bade　his　brother
Cebriones；　who　was　hard　by；　take　the　reins。　Cebriones　did　as　he　had
said。　Hector　thereon　with　a　loud　cry　sprang　from　his　chariot　to　the
ground；　and　seizing　a　great　stone　made　straight　for　Teucer　with　intent
kill　him。　Teucer　had　just　taken　an　arrow　from　his　quiver　and　had
laid　it　upon　the　bow…string；　but　Hector　struck　him　with　the　jagged
stone　as　he　was　taking　aim　and　drawing　the　string　to　his　shoulder；
he　hit　him　just　where　the　collar…bone　divides　the　neck　from　the　chest；
a　very　deadly　place；　and　broke　the　sinew　of　his　arm　so　that　his
wrist　was　less；　and　the　bow　dropped　from　his　hand　as　he　fell　forward
on　his　knees。　Ajax　saw　that　his　brother　had　fallen；　and　running
towards　him　bestrode　him　and　sheltered　him　with　his　shield。
Meanwhile　his　two　trusty　squires；　Mecisteus　son　of　Echius；　and
Alastor；　came　up　and　bore　him　to　the　ships　groaning　in　his　great　pain。
glad　when　he　saw
　　Jove　now　again　put　heart　into　the　Trojans；　and　they　drove　the
Achaeans　to　their　deep　trench　with　Hector　in　all　his　glory　at　their
head。　As　a　hound　grips　a　wild　boar　or　lion　in　flank　or　buttock　when　he
gives　him　chase；　and　watches　warily　for　his　wheeling；　even　so　did
Hector　follow　close　upon　the　Achaeans；　ever　killing　the　hindmost　as
they　rushed　panic…stricken　onwards。　When　they　had　fled　through　the　set
stakes　and　trench　and　many　Achaeans　had　been　laid　low　at　the　hands
of　the　Trojans；　they　halted　at　their　ships；　calling　upon　one　another
and　praying　every　man　instantly　as　they　lifted　up　their　hands　to　the
gods；　but　Hector　wheeled　his　horses　this　way　and　that；　his　eyes
glaring　like　those　of　Gorgo　or　murderous　Mars。
　　Juno　when　she　saw　them　had　pity　upon　them；　and　at　once　said　to
Minerva；　〃Alas；　child　of　aegis…bearing　Jove；　shall　you　and　I　take　no
more　thought　for　the　dying　Danaans；　though　it　be　the　last　time　we　ever
do　so？　See　how　they　perish　and　come　to　a　bad　end　before　the　onset　of
but　a　single　man。　Hector　the　son　of　Priam　rages　with　intolerable　fury；
and　has　already　done　great　mischief。〃
　　Minerva　answered；　〃Would；　indeed；　this　fellow　might　die　in　his　own
land；　and　fall　by　the　hands　of　the　Achaeans；　but　my　father　Jove　is　mad
with　spleen；　ever　foiling　me；　ever　headstrong　and　unjust。　He　forgets
how　often　I　saved　his　son　when　he　was　worn　out　by　the　labours
Eurystheus　had　laid　on　him。　He　would　weep　till　his　cry　came　up　to
heaven；　and　then　Jove　would　send　me　down　to　help　him；　if　I　had　had　the
sense　to　foresee　all　this；　when　Eurystheus　sent　him　to　the　house　of
Hades；　to　fetch　the　hell…hound　from　Erebus；　he　would　never　have　come
back　alive　out　of　the　deep　waters　of　the　river　Styx。　And　now　Jove
hates　me；　while　he　lets　Thetis　have　her　way　because　she　kissed　his
knees　and　took　hold　of　his　beard；　when　she　was　begging　him