the odyssey(奥德赛)-第26节

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my　drink；　come　here；　then；　Ulysses；　that　I　may　make　you　presents　to
show　my　hospitality；　and　urge　Neptune　to　help　you　forward　on　your
journey…　for　Neptune　and　I　are　father　and　son。　He；　if　he　so　will；
shall　heal　me；　which　no　one　else　neither　god　nor　man　can　do。'
　　〃Then　I　said；　'I　wish　I　could　be　as　sure　of　killing　you　outright　and
sending　you　down　to　the　house　of　Hades；　as　I　am　that　it　will　take　more
than　Neptune　to　cure　that　eye　of　yours。'
　　〃On　this　he　lifted　up　his　hands　to　the　firmament　of　heaven　and
prayed；　saying；　'Hear　me；　great　Neptune；　if　I　am　indeed　your　own
true…begotten　son；　grant　that　Ulysses　may　never　reach　his　home
alive；　or　if　he　must　get　back　to　his　friends　at　last；　let　him　do　so
late　and　in　sore　plight　after　losing　all　his　men　＇let　him　reach　his
home　in　another　man's　ship　and　find　trouble　in　his　house。'＇
　　〃Thus　did　he　pray；　and　Neptune　heard　his　prayer。　Then　he　picked　up　a
rock　much　larger　than　the　first；　swung　it　aloft　and　hurled　it　with
prodigious　force。　It　fell　just　short　of　the　ship；　but　was　within　a
little　of　hitting　the　end　of　the　rudder。　The　sea　quaked　as　the　rock
fell　into　it；　and　the　wash　of　the　wave　it　raised　drove　us　onwards　on
our　way　towards　the　shore　of　the　island。
　　〃When　at　last　we　got　to　the　island　where　we　had　left　the　rest　of　our
ships；　we　found　our　comrades　lamenting　us；　and　anxiously　awaiting
our　return。　We　ran　our　vessel　upon　the　sands　and　got　out　of　her　on
to　the　sea　shore；　we　also　landed　the　Cyclops'　sheep；　and　divided
them　equitably　amongst　us　so　that　none　might　have　reason　to
complain。　As　for　the　ram；　my　companions　agreed　that　I　should　have　it
as　an　extra　share；　so　I　sacrificed　it　on　the　sea　shore；　and　burned　its
thigh　bones　to　Jove；　who　is　the　lord　of　all。　But　he　heeded　not　my
sacrifice；　and　only　thought　how　he　might　destroy　my　ships　and　my
comrades。
　　〃Thus　through　the　livelong　day　to　the　going　down　of　the　sun　we
feasted　our　fill　on　meat　and　drink；　but　when　the　sun　went　down　and
it　came　on　dark；　we　camped　upon　the　beach。　When　the　child　of
morning；　rosy…fingered　Dawn；　appeared；　I　bade　my　men　on　board　and
loose　the　hawsers。　Then　they　took　their　places　and　smote　the　grey
sea　with　their　oars；　so　we　sailed　on　with　sorrow　in　our　hearts；　but
glad　to　have　escaped　death　though　we　had　lost　our　comrades。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　BOOK　X。
　　THENCE　we　went　on　to　the　Aeoli　island　where　lives　Aeolus　son　of
Hippotas；　dear　to　the　immortal　gods。　It　is　an　island　that　floats　（as
it　were）　upon　the　sea；　iron　bound　with　a　wall　that　girds　it。　Now；
Aeolus　has　six　daughters　and　six　lusty　sons；　so　he　made　the　sons　marry
the　daughters；　and　they　all　live　with　their　dear　father　and　mother；
feasting　and　enjoying　every　conceivable　kind　of　luxury。　All　day　long
the　atmosphere　of　the　house　is　loaded　with　the　savour　of　roasting
meats　till　it　groans　again；　yard　and　all；　but　by　night　they　sleep　on
their　well…made　bedsteads；　each　with　his　own　wife　between　the
blankets。　These　were　the　people　among　whom　we　had　now　come。
　　〃Aeolus　entertained　me　for　a　whole　month　asking　me　questions　all　the
time　about　Troy；　the　Argive　fleet；　and　the　return　of　the　Achaeans。　I
told　him　exactly　how　everything　had　happened；　and　when　I　said　I　must
go；　and　asked　him　to　further　me　on　my　way；　he　made　no　sort　of
difficulty；　but　set　about　doing　so　at　once。　Moreover；　he　flayed　me　a
prime　ox…hide　to　hold　the　ways　of　the　roaring　winds；　which　he　shut
up　in　the　hide　as　in　a　sack…　for　Jove　had　made　him　captain　over　the
winds；　and　he　could　stir　or　still　each　one　of　them　according　to　his
own　pleasure。　He　put　the　sack　in　the　ship　and　bound　the　mouth　so
tightly　with　a　silver　thread　that　not　even　a　breath　of　a　side…wind
could　blow　from　any　quarter。　The　West　wind　which　was　fair　for　us　did
he　alone　let　blow　as　it　chose；　but　it　all　came　to　nothing；　for　we　were
lost　through　our　own　folly。
　　〃Nine　days　and　nine　nights　did　we　sail；　and　on　the　tenth　day　our
native　land　showed　on　the　horizon。　We　got　so　close　in　that　we　could
see　the　stubble　fires　burning；　and　I；　being　then　dead　beat；　fell
into　a　light　sleep；　for　I　had　never　let　the　rudder　out　of　my　own
hands；　that　we　might　get　home　the　faster。　On　this　the　men　fell　to
talking　among　themselves；　and　said　I　was　bringing　back　gold　and　silver
in　the　sack　that　Aeolus　had　given　me。　'Bless　my　heart；'　would　one　turn
to　his　neighbour；　saying；　'how　this　man　gets　honoured　and　makes
friends　to　whatever　city　or　country　he　may　go。　See　what　fine　prizes　he
is　taking　home　from　Troy；　while　we；　who　have　travelled　just　as　far
as　he　has；　come　back　with　hands　as　empty　as　we　set　out　with…　and　now
Aeolus　has　given　him　ever　so　much　more。　Quick…　let　us　see　what　it
all　is；　and　how　much　gold　and　silver　there　is　in　the　sack　he　gave
him。'
　　〃Thus　they　talked　and　evil　counsels　prevailed。　They　loosed　the　sack；
whereupon　the　wind　flew　howling　forth　and　raised　a　storm　that
carried　us　weeping　out　to　sea　and　away　from　our　own　country。　Then　I
awoke；　and　knew　not　whether　to　throw　myself　into　the　sea　or　to　live　on
and　make　the　best　of　it；　but　I　bore　it；　covered　myself　up；　and　lay
down　in　the　ship；　while　the　men　lamented　bitterly　as　the　fierce
winds　bore　our　fleet　back　to　the　Aeolian　island。
　　〃When　we　reached　it　we　went　ashore　to　take　in　water；　and　dined
hard　by　the　ships。　Immediately　after　dinner　I　took　a　herald　and　one　of
my　men　and　went　straight　to　the　house　of　Aeolus；　where　I　found　him
feasting　with　his　wife　and　family；　so　we　sat　down　as　suppliants　on　the
threshold。　They　were　astounded　when　they　saw　us　and　said；　'Ulysses；
what　brings　you　here？　What　god　has　been　ill…treating　you？　We　took
great　pains　to　further　you　on　your　way　home　to　Ithaca；　or　wherever
it　was　that　you　wanted　to　go　to。'
　　〃Thus　did　they　speak；　but　I　answered　sorrowfully；　'My　men　have
undone　me；　they；　and　cruel　sleep；　have　ruined　me。　My　friends；　mend
me　this　mischief；　for　you　can　if　you　will。'
　　〃I　spoke　as　movingly　as　I　could；　but　they　said　nothing；　till　their
father　answered；　'Vilest　of　mankind；　get　you　gone　at　once　out　of　the
island；　him　whom　heaven　hates　will　I　in　no　wise　help。　Be　off；　for
you　come　here　as　one　abhorred　of　heaven。　〃And　with　these　words　he　sent
me　sorrowing　from　his　door。
　　〃Thence　we　sailed　sadly　on　till　the　men　were　worn　out　with　long
and　fruitless　rowing；　for　there　was　no　longer　any　wind　to　help　them。
Six　days；　night　and　day　did　we　toil；　and　on　the　seventh　day　we　reached
the　rocky　stronghold　of　Lamus…　Telepylus；　the　city　of　the
Laestrygonians；　where　the　shepherd　who　is　driving　in　his　sheep　and
goats　＇to　be　milked＇　salutes　him　who　is　driving　out　his　flock　＇to
feed＇　and　this　last　answers　the　salute。　In　that　country　a　man　who
could　do　without　sleep　might　earn　double　wages；　one　as　a　herdsman　of
cattle；　and　another　as　a　shepherd；　for　they　work　much　the　same　by
night　as　they　do　by　day。
　　〃When　we　reached　the　harbour　we　found　it　land…locked　under　steep
cliffs；　with　a　narrow　entrance　between　two　headlands。　My　captains　took
all　their　ships　inside；　and　made　them　fast　close　to　one　another；　for
there　was　never　so　much　as　a　breath　of　wind　inside；　but　it　was
always　dead　calm。　I　kept　my　own　ship　outside；　and　moored　it　to　a
rock　at　the　very　end　of　the　point；　then　I　climbed　a　high　rock　to
reconnoitre；　but　could　see　no　sign　neither　of　man　nor　cattle；　only
some　smoke　rising　from　the　ground。　So　I　sent　two　of　my　company　with　an
attendant　to　find　out　what　sort　of　people　the　inhabitants　were。
　　〃The　men　when　they　got　on　shore　followed　a　level　road　by　which　the
people　draw　their　firewood　from　the　mountains　into　the　town；　till
presently　they　met　a　young　woman　who　had　come　outside　to　fetch
water；　and　who　was　daughter　to　a　Laestrygonian　named　Antiphates。　She
was　going　to　the　fountain　Artacia　from　which　the　people　bring　in　their
water；　and　when　my　men　had　come　close　up　to　her；　they　asked　her　who
the　king　of　that　country　might　be；　and　over　what　kind　of　people　he
ruled；　so　she　directed　them　to　her　father's　house；　but　when　they　got
there　they　found　his　wife　to　be　a　giantess　as　huge　as　a　mountain；
and　they　were　horrified　at　the　sight　of　her。
　　〃She　at　once　called　her　husband　Antiphates　from　the　place　of
assembly；　and　forthwith　he　set　about　killing　my　men。　He　snatched　up
one　of　them；　and　began　to　make　his　dinner　off　him　then　and　there；
whereon　the　other　two　ran　back　to　the　ships　as　fast　as　ever　they
could。　But　Antiphates　raised　a　hue　and　cry　after　them；　and　thousands
of　sturdy　Laestrygonians　sprang　up　from　every　quarter…　ogres；　not　men。
They　threw　vast　rocks　at　us　from　the　cliffs　as　though　they　had　been
mere　stones；　and　I　heard　the　horrid　sound　of　the　ships　crunching　up
against　one　another；　and　the　death　cries　of　my　men；　as　the
Laestrygonians　speared　them　like　fishes　and　took　them　home　to　eat
them。　While　they　were　thus　killing　my　men　within　the　harbour　I　drew　my
sword；　cut　the　cable　of　my　own　ship；　and　told　my　men　to　row　with　alf
their　might　if　they　too　would　not　fare　like　the　rest；　so　they　laid　out
for　their　lives；　and　we　were　thankful　enough　when　we　got　into　open
water　out　of　reach　of　the　rocks　they　hurled　at　us。　As　for　the　others
there　was　not　one　of　them　left。
　　〃Thence　we　sailed　sadly　on；　glad　to　have　escaped　death；　though　we
had　lost　our　comrades；　and　came　to　the　A