the odyssey(奥德赛)-第36节

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line　of　the　sea　and　shut　the　harbour　in。　These　shelter　it　from　the
storms　of　wind　and　sea　that　rage　outside；　so　that；　when　once　within
it；　a　ship　may　lie　without　being　even　moored。　At　the　head　of　this
harbour　there　is　a　large　olive　tree；　and　at　no　distance　a　fine
overarching　cavern　sacred　to　the　nymphs　who　are　called　Naiads。　There
are　mixing…bowls　within　it　and　wine…jars　of　stone；　and　the　bees　hive
there。　Moreover；　there　are　great　looms　of　stone　on　which　the　nymphs
weave　their　robes　of　sea　purple…　very　curious　to　see…　and　at　all　times
there　is　water　within　it。　It　has　two　entrances；　one　facing　North　by
which　mortals　can　go　down　into　the　cave；　while　the　other　comes　from
the　South　and　is　more　mysterious；　mortals　cannot　possibly　get　in　by
it；　it　is　the　way　taken　by　the　gods。
　　Into　this　harbour；　then；　they　took　their　ship；　for　they　knew　the
place；　She　had　so　much　way　upon　her　that　she　ran　half　her　own　length
on　to　the　shore；　when；　however；　they　had　landed；　the　first　thing
they　did　was　to　lift　Ulysses　with　his　rug　and　linen　sheet　out　of　the
ship；　and　lay　him　down　upon　the　sand　still　fast　asleep。　Then　they　took
out　the　presents　which　Minerva　had　persuaded　the　Phaeacians　to　give
him　when　he　was　setting　out　on　his　voyage　homewards。　They　put　these
all　together　by　the　root　of　the　olive　tree；　away　from　the　road；　for
fear　some　passer　by　might　come　and　steal　them　before　Ulysses　awoke；
and　then　they　made　the　best　of　their　way　home　again。
　　But　Neptune　did　not　forget　the　threats　with　which　he　had　already
threatened　Ulysses；　so　he　took　counsel　with　Jove。　〃Father　Jove；〃
said　he；　〃I　shall　no　longer　be　held　in　any　sort　of　respect　among　you
gods；　if　mortals　like　the　Phaeacians；　who　are　my　own　flesh　and
blood；　show　such　small　regard　for　me。　I　said　I　would　Ulysses　get
home　when　he　had　suffered　sufficiently。　I　did　not　say　that　he　should
never　get　home　at　all；　for　I　knew　you　had　already　nodded　your　head
about　it；　and　promised　that　he　should　do　so；　but　now　they　have　brought
him　in　a　ship　fast　asleep　and　have　landed　him　in　Ithaca　after
loading　him　with　more　magnificent　presents　of　bronze；　gold；　and
raiment　than　he　would　ever　have　brought　back　from　Troy；　if　he　had
had　his　share　of　the　spoil　and　got　home　without　misadventure。〃
　　And　Jove　answered；　〃What；　O　Lord　of　the　Earthquake；　are　you
talking　about？　The　gods　are　by　no　means　wanting　in　respect　for　you。　It
would　be　monstrous　were　they　to　insult　one　so　old　and　honoured　as
you　are。　As　regards　mortals；　however；　if　any　of　them　is　indulging　in
insolence　and　treating　you　disrespectfully；　it　will　always　rest　with
yourself　to　deal　with　him　as　you　may　think　proper；　so　do　just　as　you
please。〃
　　〃I　should　have　done　so　at　once；〃　replied　Neptune；　〃if　I　were　not
anxious　to　avoid　anything　that　might　displease　you；　now；　therefore；
I　should　like　to　wreck　the　Phaecian　ship　as　it　is　returning　from　its
escort。　This　will　stop　them　from　escorting　people　in　future；　and　I
should　also　like　to　bury　their　city　under　a　huge　mountain。〃
　　〃My　good　friend；〃　answered　Jove；　〃I　should　recommend　you　at　the　very
moment　when　the　people　from　the　city　are　watching　the　ship　on　her　way；
to　turn　it　into　a　rock　near　the　land　and　looking　like　a　ship。　This
will　astonish　everybody；　and　you　can　then　bury　their　city　under　the
mountain。〃
　　When　earth…encircling　Neptune　heard　this　he　went　to　Scheria　where
the　Phaecians　live；　and　stayed　there　till　the　ship；　which　was　making
rapid　way；　had　got　close…in。　Then　he　went　up　to　it；　turned　it　into
stone；　and　drove　it　down　with　the　flat　of　his　hand　so　as　to　root　it　in
the　ground。　After　this　he　went　away。
　　The　Phaeacians　then　began　talking　among　themselves；　and　one　would
turn　towards　his　neighbour；　saying；　〃Bless　my　heart；　who　is　it　that
can　have　rooted　the　ship　in　the　sea　just　as　she　was　getting　into　port？
We　could　see　the　whole　of　her　only　moment　ago。〃
　　This　was　how　they　talked；　but　they　knew　nothing　about　it；　and
Alcinous　said；　〃I　remember　now　the　old　prophecy　of　my　father。　He
said　that　Neptune　would　be　angry　with　us　for　taking　every　one　so
safely　over　the　sea；　and　would　one　day　wreck　a　Phaeacian　ship　as　it
was　returning　from　an　escort；　and　bury　our　city　under　a　high　mountain。
This　was　what　my　old　father　used　to　say；　and　now　it　is　all　coming
true。　Now　therefore　let　us　all　do　as　I　say；　in　the　first　place　we　must
leave　off　giving　people　escorts　when　they　come　here；　and　in　the　next
let　us　sacrifice　twelve　picked　bulls　to　Neptune　that　he　may　have　mercy
upon　us；　and　not　bury　our　city　under　the　high　mountain。〃　When　the
people　heard　this　they　were　afraid　and　got　ready　the　bulls。
　　Thus　did　the　chiefs　and　rulers　of　the　Phaecians　to　king　Neptune；
standing　round　his　altar；　and　at　the　same　time　Ulysses　woke　up　once
more　upon　his　own　soil。　He　had　been　so　long　away　that　he　did　not
know　it　again；　moreover；　Jove's　daughter　Minerva　had　made　it　a　foggy
day；　so　that　people　might　not　know　of　his　having　come；　and　that　she
might　tell　him　everything　without　either　his　wife　or　his　fellow
citizens　and　friends　recognizing　him　until　he　had　taken　his　revenge
upon　the　wicked　suitors。　Everything；　therefore；　seemed　quite　different
to　him…　the　long　straight　tracks；　the　harbours；　the　precipices；　and
the　goodly　trees；　appeared　all　changed　as　he　started　up　and　looked
upon　his　native　land。　So　he　smote　his　thighs　with　the　flat　of　his
hands　and　cried　aloud　despairingly。
　　〃Alas；〃　he　exclaimed；　〃among　what　manner　of　people　am　I　fallen？
Are　they　savage　and　uncivilized　or　hospitable　and　humane？　Where
shall　I　put　all　this　treasure；　and　which　way　shall　I　go？　I　wish　I
had　stayed　over　there　with　the　Phaeacians；　or　I　could　have　gone　to
some　other　great　chief　who　would　have　been　good　to　me　and　given　me
an　escort。　As　it　is　I　do　not　know　where　to　put　my　treasure；　and　I
cannot　leave　it　here　for　fear　somebody　else　should　get　hold　of　it。
In　good　truth　the　chiefs　and　rulers　of　the　Phaeacians　have　not　been
dealing　fairly　by　me；　and　have　left　me　in　the　wrong　country；　they　said
they　would　take　me　back　to　Ithaca　and　they　have　not　done　so：　may
Jove　the　protector　of　suppliants　chastise　them；　for　he　watches　over
everybody　and　punishes　those　who　do　wrong。　Still；　I　suppose　I　must
count　my　goods　and　see　if　the　crew　have　gone　off　with　any　of　them。〃
　　He　counted　his　goodly　coppers　and　cauldrons；　his　gold　and　all　his
clothes；　but　there　was　nothing　missing；　still　he　kept　grieving　about
not　being　in　his　own　country；　and　wandered　up　and　down　by　the　shore　of
the　sounding　sea　bewailing　his　hard　fate。　Then　Minerva　came　up　to
him　disguised　as　a　young　shepherd　of　delicate　and　princely　mien；
with　a　good　cloak　folded　double　about　her　shoulders；　she　had　sandals
on　her　comely　feet　and　held　a　javelin　in　her　hand。　Ulysses　was　glad
when　he　saw　her；　and　went　straight　up　to　her。
　　〃My　friend；〃　said　he；　〃you　are　the　first　person　whom　I　have　met　with
in　this　country；　I　salute　you；　therefore；　and　beg　you　to　be　will
disposed　towards　me。　Protect　these　my　goods；　and　myself　too；　for　I
embrace　your　knees　and　pray　to　you　as　though　you　were　a　god。　Tell
me；　then；　and　tell　me　truly；　what　land　and　country　is　this？　Who　are
its　inhabitants？　Am　I　on　an　island；　or　is　this　the　sea　board　of　some
continent？〃
　　Minerva　answered；　〃Stranger；　you　must　be　very　simple；　or　must　have
come　from　somewhere　a　long　way　off；　not　to　know　what　country　this
is。　It　is　a　very　celebrated　place；　and　everybody　knows　it　East　and
West。　It　is　rugged　and　not　a　good　driving　country；　but　it　is　by　no
means　a　bid　island　for　what　there　is　of　it。　It　grows　any　quantity　of
corn　and　also　wine；　for　it　is　watered　both　by　rain　and　dew；　it
breeds　cattle　also　and　goats；　all　kinds　of　timber　grow　here；　and　there
are　watering　places　where　the　water　never　runs　dry；　so；　sir；　the
name　of　Ithaca　is　known　even　as　far　as　Troy；　which　I　understand　to
be　a　long　way　off　from　this　Achaean　country。〃
　　Ulysses　was　glad　at　finding　himself；　as　Minerva　told　him；　in　his　own
country；　and　he　began　to　answer；　but　he　did　not　speak　the　truth；　and
made　up　a　lying　story　in　the　instinctive　wiliness　of　his　heart。
　　〃I　heard　of　Ithaca；〃　said　he；　〃when　I　was　in　Crete　beyond　the
seas；　and　now　it　seems　I　have　reached　it　with　all　these　treasures。　I
have　left　as　much　more　behind　me　for　my　children；　but　am　flying
because　I　killed　Orsilochus　son　of　Idomeneus；　the　fleetest　runner　in
Crete。　I　killed　him　because　he　wanted　to　rob　me　of　the　spoils　I　had
got　from　Troy　with　so　much　trouble　and　danger　both　on　the　field　of
battle　and　by　the　waves　of　the　weary　sea；　he　said　I　had　not　served　his
father　loyally　at　Troy　as　vassal；　but　had　set　myself　up　as　an
independent　ruler；　so　I　lay　in　wait　for　him　and　with　one　of　my
followers　by　the　road　side；　and　speared　him　as　he　was　coming　into　town
from　the　country。　my　It　was　a　very　dark　night　and　nobody　saw　us；　it
was　not　known；　therefore；　that　I　had　killed　him；　but　as　soon　as　I
had　done　so　I　went　to　a　ship　and　besought　the　owners；　who　were
Phoenicians；　to　take　me　on　board　and　set　me　in　Pylos　or　in　Elis
where　the　Epeans　rule；　giving　them　as　much　spoil　as　satisfied　them。
They　meant　no　guile；　but　the　wind　drove　them　off　their　course；　and
we　sailed　on　till　we　came　hither　by　night。　It　was　all　we　could　do　to
get　inside　the　harbour；　a