the odyssey(奥德赛)-第13节

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roughing　it；　nor　to　going　about　among　gatherings　of　men。　I　am　even
more　anxious　about　him　than　about　my　husband；　I　am　all　in　a　tremble
when　I　think　of　him；　lest　something　should　happen　to　him；　either
from　the　people　among　whom　he　has　gone；　or　by　sea；　for　he　has　many
enemies　who　are　plotting　against　him；　and　are　bent　on　killing　him
before　he　can　return　home。〃
　　Then　the　vision　said；　〃Take　heart；　and　be　not　so　much　dismayed。
There　is　one　gone　with　him　whom　many　a　man　would　be　glad　enough　to
have　stand　by　his　side；　I　mean　Minerva；　it　is　she　who　has　compassion
upon　you；　and　who　has　sent　me　to　bear　you　this　message。〃
　　〃Then；〃　said　Penelope；　〃if　you　are　a　god　or　have　been　sent　here　by
divine　commission；　tell　me　also　about　that　other　unhappy　one…　is　he
still　alive；　or　is　he　already　dead　and　in　the　house　of　Hades？〃
　　And　the　vision　said；　〃I　shall　not　tell　you　for　certain　whether　he　is
alive　or　dead；　and　there　is　no　use　in　idle　conversation。〃
　　Then　it　vanished　through　the　thong…hole　of　the　door　and　was
dissipated　into　thin　air；　but　Penelope　rose　from　her　sleep　refreshed
and　comforted；　so　vivid　had　been　her　dream。
　　Meantime　the　suitors　went　on　board　and　sailed　their　ways　over　the
sea；　intent　on　murdering　Telemachus。　Now　there　is　a　rocky　islet　called
Asteris；　of　no　great　size；　in　mid　channel　between　Ithaca　and　Samos；
and　there　is　a　harbour　on　either　side　of　it　where　a　ship　can　lie。　Here
then　the　Achaeans　placed　themselves　in　ambush。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　BOOK　V。
　　AND　NOW；　as　Dawn　rose　from　her　couch　beside　Tithonus…　harbinger　of
light　alike　to　mortals　and　immortals…　the　gods　met　in　council　and　with
them；　Jove　the　lord　of　thunder；　who　is　their　king。　Thereon　Minerva
began　to　tell　them　of　the　many　sufferings　of　Ulysses；　for　she　pitied
him　away　there　in　the　house　of　the　nymph　Calypso。
　　〃Father　Jove；〃　said　she；　〃and　all　you　other　gods　that　live　in
everlasting　bliss；　I　hope　there　may　never　be　such　a　thing　as　a　kind
and　well…disposed　ruler　any　more；　nor　one　who　will　govern　equitably。　I
hope　they　will　be　all　henceforth　cruel　and　unjust；　for　there　is　not
one　of　his　subjects　but　has　forgotten　Ulysses；　who　ruled　them　as
though　he　were　their　father。　There　he　is；　lying　in　great　pain　in　an
island　where　dwells　the　nymph　Calypso；　who　will　not　let　him　go；　and　he
cannot　get　back　to　his　own　country；　for　he　can　find　neither　ships
nor　sailors　to　take　him　over　the　sea。　Furthermore；　wicked　people　are
now　trying　to　murder　his　only　son　Telemachus；　who　is　coming　home
from　Pylos　and　Lacedaemon；　where　he　has　been　to　see　if　he　can　get　news
of　his　father。〃
　　〃What；　my　dear；　are　you　talking　about？〃　replied　her　father；　〃did　you
not　send　him　there　yourself；　because　you　thought　it　would　help　Ulysses
to　get　home　and　punish　the　suitors？　Besides；　you　are　perfectly　able　to
protect　Telemachus；　and　to　see　him　safely　home　again；　while　the
suitors　have　to　come　hurry…skurrying　back　without　having　killed　him。〃
　　When　he　had　thus　spoken；　he　said　to　his　son　Mercury；　〃Mercury；　you
are　our　messenger；　go　therefore　and　tell　Calypso　we　have　decreed
that　poor　Ulysses　is　to　return　home。　He　is　to　be　convoyed　neither　by
gods　nor　men；　but　after　a　perilous　voyage　of　twenty　days　upon　a　raft
he　is　to　reach　fertile　Scheria；　the　land　of　the　Phaeacians；　who　are
near　of　kin　to　the　gods；　and　will　honour　him　as　though　he　were　one
of　ourselves。　They　will　send　him　in　a　ship　to　his　own　country；　and
will　give　him　more　bronze　and　gold　and　raiment　than　he　would　have
brought　back　from　Troy；　if　he　had　had　had　all　his　prize　money　and
had　got　home　without　disaster。　This　is　how　we　have　settled　that　he
shall　return　to　his　country　and　his　friends。〃
　　Thus　he　spoke；　and　Mercury；　guide　and　guardian；　slayer　of　Argus；　did
as　he　was　told。　Forthwith　he　bound　on　his　glittering　golden　sandals
with　which　he　could　fly　like　the　wind　over　land　and　sea。　He　took　the
wand　with　which　he　seals　men's　eyes　in　sleep　or　wakes　them　just　as
he　pleases；　and　flew　holding　it　in　his　hand　over　Pieria；　then　he
swooped　down　through　the　firmament　till　he　reached　the　level　of　the
sea；　whose　waves　he　skimmed　like　a　cormorant　that　flies　fishing
every　hole　and　corner　of　the　ocean；　and　drenching　its　thick　plumage　in
the　spray。　He　flew　and　flew　over　many　a　weary　wave；　but　when　at　last
he　got　to　the　island　which　was　his　journey's　end；　he　left　the　sea
and　went　on　by　land　till　he　came　to　the　cave　where　the　nymph　Calypso
lived。
　　He　found　her　at　home。　There　was　a　large　fire　burning　on　the
hearth；　and　one　could　smell　from　far　the　fragrant　reek　of　burning
cedar　and　sandal　wood。　As　for　herself；　she　was　busy　at　her　loom；
shooting　her　golden　shuttle　through　the　warp　and　singing
beautifully。　Round　her　cave　there　was　a　thick　wood　of　alder；　poplar；
and　sweet　smelling　cypress　trees；　wherein　all　kinds　of　great　birds　had
built　their　nests…　owls；　hawks；　and　chattering　sea…crows　that　occupy
their　business　in　the　waters。　A　vine　loaded　with　grapes　was　trained
and　grew　luxuriantly　about　the　mouth　of　the　cave；　there　were　also　four
running　rills　of　water　in　channels　cut　pretty　close　together；　and
turned　hither　and　thither　so　as　to　irrigate　the　beds　of　violets　and
luscious　herbage　over　which　they　flowed。　Even　a　god　could　not　help
being　charmed　with　such　a　lovely　spot；　so　Mercury　stood　still　and
looked　at　it；　but　when　he　had　admired　it　sufficiently　he　went　inside
the　cave。
　　Calypso　knew　him　at　once…　for　the　gods　all　know　each　other；　no
matter　how　far　they　live　from　one　another…　but　Ulysses　was　not　within；
he　was　on　the　sea…shore　as　usual；　looking　out　upon　the　barren　ocean
with　tears　in　his　eyes；　groaning　and　breaking　his　heart　for　sorrow。
Calypso　gave　Mercury　a　seat　and　said：　〃Why　have　you　come　to　see　me；
Mercury…　honoured；　and　ever　welcome…　for　you　do　not　visit　me　often？
Say　what　you　want；　I　will　do　it　for　be　you　at　once　if　I　can；　and　if　it
can　be　done　at　all；　but　come　inside；　and　let　me　set　refreshment　before
you。
　　As　she　spoke　she　drew　a　table　loaded　with　ambrosia　beside　him　and
mixed　him　some　red　nectar；　so　Mercury　ate　and　drank　till　he　had　had
enough；　and　then　said：
　　〃We　are　speaking　god　and　goddess　to　one　another；　one　another；　and
you　ask　me　why　I　have　come　here；　and　I　will　tell　you　truly　as　you
would　have　me　do。　Jove　sent　me；　it　was　no　doing　of　mine；　who　could
possibly　want　to　come　all　this　way　over　the　sea　where　there　are　no
cities　full　of　people　to　offer　me　sacrifices　or　choice　hecatombs？
Nevertheless　I　had　to　come；　for　none　of　us　other　gods　can　cross
Jove；　nor　transgress　his　orders。　He　says　that　you　have　here　the　most
ill…starred　of　alf　those　who　fought　nine　years　before　the　city　of　King
Priam　and　sailed　home　in　the　tenth　year　after　having　sacked　it。　On
their　way　home　they　sinned　against　Minerva；　who　raised　both　wind　and
waves　against　them；　so　that　all　his　brave　companions　perished；　and
he　alone　was　carried　hither　by　wind　and　tide。　Jove　says　that　you　are
to　let　this　by　man　go　at　once；　for　it　is　decreed　that　he　shall　not
perish　here；　far　from　his　own　people；　but　shall　return　to　his　house
and　country　and　see　his　friends　again。〃
　　Calypso　trembled　with　rage　when　she　heard　this；　〃You　gods；〃　she
exclaimed；　to　be　ashamed　of　yourselves。　You　are　always　jealous　and
hate　seeing　a　goddess　take　a　fancy　to　a　mortal　man；　and　live　with
him　in　open　matrimony。　So　when　rosy…fingered　Dawn　made　love　to
Orion；　you　precious　gods　were　all　of　you　furious　till　Diana　went　and
killed　him　in　Ortygia。　So　again　when　Ceres　fell　in　love　with　Iasion；
and　yielded　to　him　in　a　thrice　ploughed　fallow　field；　Jove　came　to
hear　of　it　before　so　long　and　killed　Iasion　with　his　thunder…bolts。
And　now　you　are　angry　with　me　too　because　I　have　a　man　here。　I　found
the　poor　creature　sitting　all　alone　astride　of　a　keel；　for　Jove　had
struck　his　ship　with　lightning　and　sunk　it　in　mid　ocean；　so　that　all
his　crew　were　drowned；　while　he　himself　was　driven　by　wind　and　waves
on　to　my　island。　I　got　fond　of　him　and　cherished　him；　and　had　set　my
heart　on　making　him　immortal；　so　that　he　should　never　grow　old　all　his
days；　still　I　cannot　cross　Jove；　nor　bring　his　counsels　to　nothing；
therefore；　if　he　insists　upon　it；　let　the　man　go　beyond　the　seas
again；　but　I　cannot　send　him　anywhere　myself　for　I　have　neither
ships　nor　men　who　can　take　him。　Nevertheless　I　will　readily　give　him
such　advice；　in　all　good　faith；　as　will　be　likely　to　bring　him
safely　to　his　own　country。〃
　　〃Then　send　him　away；〃　said　Mercury；　〃or　Jove　will　be　angry　with
you　and　punish　you〃'
　　On　this　he　took　his　leave；　and　Calypso　went　out　to　look　for　Ulysses；
for　she　had　heard　Jove's　message。　She　found　him　sitting　upon　the　beach
with　his　eyes　ever　filled　with　tears；　and　dying　of　sheer
home…sickness；　for　he　had　got　tired　of　Calypso；　and　though　he　was
forced　to　sleep　with　her　in　the　cave　by　night；　it　was　she；　not　he；
that　would　have　it　so。　As　for　the　day　time；　he　spent　it　on　the　rocks
and　on　the　sea…shore；　weeping；　crying　aloud　for　his　despair；　and
always　looking　out　upon　the　sea。　Calypso　then　went　close　up　to　him
said：
　　〃My　poor　fellow；　you　shall　not　stay　here　grieving　and　fretting
your　life　out　any　longer。　I　am　going　to　send　you　away　of　my　own　free
will；　so　go；　cut　some　beams　of　wood；　and　make　yourself　a　large　raft
wi