the odyssey(奥德赛)-第23节

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　BOOK　IX。
　　AND　ULYSSES　answered；　〃King　Alcinous；　it　is　a　good　thing　to　hear　a
bard　with　such　a　divine　voice　as　this　man　has。　There　is　nothing　better
or　more　delightful　than　when　a　whole　people　make　merry　together；
with　the　guests　sitting　orderly　to　listen；　while　the　table　is　loaded
with　bread　and　meats；　and　the　cup…bearer　draws　wine　and　fills　his
cup　for　every　man。　This　is　indeed　as　fair　a　sight　as　a　man　can　see。
Now；　however；　since　you　are　inclined　to　ask　the　story　of　my　sorrows；
and　rekindle　my　own　sad　memories　in　respect　of　them；　I　do　not　know　how
to　begin；　nor　yet　how　to　continue　and　conclude　my　tale；　for　the　hand
of　heaven　has　been　laid　heavily　upon　me。
　　〃Firstly；　then；　I　will　tell　you　my　name　that　you　too　may　know　it；
and　one　day；　if　I　outlive　this　time　of　sorrow；　may　become　my　there
guests　though　I　live　so　far　away　from　all　of　you。　I　am　Ulysses　son
of　Laertes；　reknowned　among　mankind　for　all　manner　of　subtlety；　so
that　my　fame　ascends　to　heaven。　I　live　in　Ithaca；　where　there　is　a
high　mountain　called　Neritum；　covered　with　forests；　and　not　far　from
it　there　is　a　group　of　islands　very　near　to　one　another…　Dulichium；
Same；　and　the　wooded　island　of　Zacynthus。　It　lies　squat　on　the
horizon；　all　highest　up　in　the　sea　towards　the　sunset；　while　the
others　lie　away　from　it　towards　dawn。　It　is　a　rugged　island；　but　it
breeds　brave　men；　and　my　eyes　know　none　that　they　better　love　to
look　upon。　The　goddess　Calypso　kept　me　with　her　in　her　cave；　and
wanted　me　to　marry　her；　as　did　also　the　cunning　Aeaean　goddess
Circe；　but　they　could　neither　of　them　persuade　me；　for　there　is
nothing　dearer　to　a　man　than　his　own　country　and　his　parents；　and
however　splendid　a　home　he　may　have　in　a　foreign　country；　if　it　be　far
from　father　or　mother；　he　does　not　care　about　it。　Now；　however；　I　will
tell　you　of　the　many　hazardous　adventures　which　by　Jove's　will　I　met
with　on　my　return　from　Troy。
　　〃When　I　had　set　sail　thence　the　wind　took　me　first　to　Ismarus；　which
is　the　city　of　the　Cicons。　There　I　sacked　the　town　and　put　the
people　to　the　sword。　We　took　their　wives　and　also　much　booty；　which　we
divided　equitably　amongst　us；　so　that　none　might　have　reason　to
complain。　I　then　said　that　we　had　better　make　off　at　once；　but　my
men　very　foolishly　would　not　obey　me；　so　they　stayed　there　drinking
much　wine　and　killing　great　numbers　of　sheep　and　oxen　on　the　sea
shore。　Meanwhile　the　Cicons　cried　out　for　help　to　other　Cicons　who
lived　inland。　These　were　more　in　number；　and　stronger；　and　they　were
more　skilled　in　the　art　of　war；　for　they　could　fight；　either　from
chariots　or　on　foot　as　the　occasion　served；　in　the　morning；　therefore；
they　came　as　thick　as　leaves　and　bloom　in　summer；　and　the　hand　of
heaven　was　against　us；　so　that　we　were　hard　pressed。　They　set　the
battle　in　array　near　the　ships；　and　the　hosts　aimed　their
bronze…shod　spears　at　one　another。　So　long　as　the　day　waxed　and　it　was
still　morning；　we　held　our　own　against　them；　though　they　were　more
in　number　than　we；　but　as　the　sun　went　down；　towards　the　time　when　men
loose　their　oxen；　the　Cicons　got　the　better　of　us；　and　we　lost　half
a　dozen　men　from　every　ship　we　had；　so　we　got　away　with　those　that
were　left。
　　〃Thence　we　sailed　onward　with　sorrow　in　our　hearts；　but　glad　to　have
escaped　death　though　we　had　lost　our　comrades；　nor　did　we　leave　till
we　had　thrice　invoked　each　one　of　the　poor　fellows　who　had　perished　by
the　hands　of　the　Cicons。　Then　Jove　raised　the　North　wind　against　us
till　it　blew　a　hurricane；　so　that　land　and　sky　were　hidden　in　thick
clouds；　and　night　sprang　forth　out　of　the　heavens。　We　let　the　ships
run　before　the　gale；　but　the　force　of　the　wind　tore　our　sails　to
tatters；　so　we　took　them　down　for　fear　of　shipwreck；　and　rowed　our
hardest　towards　the　land。　There　we　lay　two　days　and　two　nights
suffering　much　alike　from　toil　and　distress　of　mind；　but　on　the
morning　of　the　third　day　we　again　raised　our　masts；　set　sail；　and　took
our　places；　letting　the　wind　and　steersmen　direct　our　ship。　I　should
have　got　home　at　that　time　unharmed　had　not　the　North　wind　and　the
currents　been　against　me　as　I　was　doubling　Cape　Malea；　and　set　me
off　my　course　hard　by　the　island　of　Cythera。
　　〃I　was　driven　thence　by　foul　winds　for　a　space　of　nine　days　upon　the
sea；　but　on　the　tenth　day　we　reached　the　land　of　the　Lotus…eater；
who　live　on　a　food　that　comes　from　a　kind　of　flower。　Here　we　landed　to
take　in　fresh　water；　and　our　crews　got　their　mid…day　meal　on　the　shore
near　the　ships。　When　they　had　eaten　and　drunk　I　sent　two　of　my　company
to　see　what　manner　of　men　the　people　of　the　place　might　be；　and　they
had　a　third　man　under　them。　They　started　at　once；　and　went　about　among
the　Lotus…eaters；　who　did　them　no　hurt；　but　gave　them　to　eat　of　the
lotus；　which　was　so　delicious　that　those　who　ate　of　it　left　off　caring
about　home；　and　did　not　even　want　to　go　back　and　say　what　had　happened
to　them；　but　were　for　staying　and　munching　lotus　with　the
Lotus…eater　without　thinking　further　of　their　return；　nevertheless；
though　they　wept　bitterly　I　forced　them　back　to　the　ships　and　made
them　fast　under　the　benches。　Then　I　told　the　rest　to　go　on　board　at
once；　lest　any　of　them　should　taste　of　the　lotus　and　leave　off　wanting
to　get　home；　so　they　took　their　places　and　smote　the　grey　sea　with
their　oars。
　　〃We　sailed　hence；　always　in　much　distress；　till　we　came　to　the
land　of　the　lawless　and　inhuman　Cyclopes。　Now　the　Cyclopes　neither
plant　nor　plough；　but　trust　in　providence；　and　live　on　such　wheat；
barley；　and　grapes　as　grow　wild　without　any　kind　of　tillage；　and　their
wild　grapes　yield　them　wine　as　the　sun　and　the　rain　may　grow　them。
They　have　no　laws　nor　assemblies　of　the　people；　but　live　in　caves　on
the　tops　of　high　mountains；　each　is　lord　and　master　in　his　family；　and
they　take　no　account　of　their　neighbours。
　　〃Now　off　their　harbour　there　lies　a　wooded　and　fertile　island　not
quite　close　to　the　land　of　the　Cyclopes；　but　still　not　far。　It　is
overrun　with　wild　goats；　that　breed　there　in　great　numbers　and　are
never　disturbed　by　foot　of　man；　for　sportsmen…　who　as　a　rule　will
suffer　so　much　hardship　in　forest　or　among　mountain　precipices…　do　not
go　there；　nor　yet　again　is　it　ever　ploughed　or　fed　down；　but　it　lies　a
wilderness　untilled　and　unsown　from　year　to　year；　and　has　no　living
thing　upon　it　but　only　goats。　For　the　Cyclopes　have　no　ships；　nor
yet　shipwrights　who　could　make　ships　for　them；　they　cannot　therefore
go　from　city　to　city；　or　sail　over　the　sea　to　one　another's　country　as
people　who　have　ships　can　do；　if　they　had　had　these　they　would　have
colonized　the　island；　for　it　is　a　very　good　one；　and　would　yield
everything　in　due　season。　There　are　meadows　that　in　some　places　come
right　down　to　the　sea　shore；　well　watered　and　full　of　luscious
grass；　grapes　would　do　there　excellently；　there　is　level　land　for
ploughing；　and　it　would　always　yield　heavily　at　harvest　time；　for
the　soil　is　deep。　There　is　a　good　harbour　where　no　cables　are
wanted；　nor　yet　anchors；　nor　need　a　ship　be　moored；　but　all　one　has　to
do　is　to　beach　one's　vessel　and　stay　there　till　the　wind　becomes
fair　for　putting　out　to　sea　again。　At　the　head　of　the　harbour　there　is
a　spring　of　clear　water　coming　out　of　a　cave；　and　there　are　poplars
growing　all　round　it。
　　〃Here　we　entered；　but　so　dark　was　the　night　that　some　god　must
have　brought　us　in；　for　there　was　nothing　whatever　to　be　seen。　A　thick
mist　hung　all　round　our　ships；　the　moon　was　hidden　behind　a　mass　of
clouds　so　that　no　one　could　have　seen　the　island　if　he　had　looked
for　it；　nor　were　there　any　breakers　to　tell　us　we　were　close　in
shore　before　we　found　ourselves　upon　the　land　itself；　when；　however；
we　had　beached　the　ships；　we　took　down　the　sails；　went　ashore　and
camped　upon　the　beach　till　daybreak。
　　〃When　the　child　of　morning；　rosy…fingered　Dawn；　appeared；　we　admired
the　island　and　wandered　all　over　it；　while　the　nymphs　Jove's　daughters
roused　the　wild　goats　that　we　might　get　some　meat　for　our　dinner。　On
this　we　fetched　our　spears　and　bows　and　arrows　from　the　ships；　and
dividing　ourselves　into　three　bands　began　to　shoot　the　goats。　Heaven
sent　us　excellent　sport；　I　had　twelve　ships　with　me；　and　each　ship　got
nine　goats；　while　my　own　ship　had　ten；　thus　through　the　livelong　day
to　the　going　down　of　the　sun　we　ate　and　drank　our　fill；…　and　we　had
plenty　of　wine　left；　for　each　one　of　us　had　taken　many　jars　full
when　we　sacked　the　city　of　the　Cicons；　and　this　had　not　yet　run　out。
While　we　were　feasting　we　kept　turning　our　eyes　towards　the　land　of
the　Cyclopes；　which　was　hard　by；　and　saw　the　smoke　of　their　stubble
fires。　We　could　almost　fancy　we　heard　their　voices　and　the　bleating　of
their　sheep　and　goats；　but　when　the　sun　went　down　and　it　came　on　dark；
we　camped　down　upon　the　beach；　and　next　morning　I　called　a　council。
　　〃'Stay　here；　my　brave　fellows；'　said　I；　'all　the　rest　of　you；
while　I　go　with　my　ship　and　exploit　these　people　myself：　I　want　to　see
if　they　are　uncivilized　savages；　or　a　hospitable　and　humane　race。'
　　〃I　went　on　board；　bidding　my　men　to　do　so　also　and　loose　the
hawsers；　so　they　took　their　places　and　smote　the　grey　sea　with　their
oars。　When　we　got　to　the　land