the odyssey(奥德赛)-第53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！


grieving　continually。　I　shall　have　one　of　the　servants　or　even
yourself　complaining　of　me；　and　saying　that　my　eyes　swim　with　tears
because　I　am　heavy　with　wine。〃
　　Then　Penelope　answered；　〃Stranger；　heaven　robbed　me　of　all　beauty；
whether　of　face　or　figure；　when　the　Argives　set　sail　for　Troy　and　my
dear　husband　with　them。　If　he　were　to　return　and　look　after　my　affairs
I　should　be　both　more　respected　and　should　show　a　better　presence　to
the　world。　As　it　is；　I　am　oppressed　with　care；　and　with　the
afflictions　which　heaven　has　seen　fit　to　heap　upon　me。　The　chiefs　from
all　our　islands…　Dulichium；　Same；　and　Zacynthus；　as　also　from　Ithaca
itself；　are　wooing　me　against　my　will　and　are　wasting　my　estate。　I　can
therefore　show　no　attention　to　strangers；　nor　suppliants；　nor　to
people　who　say　that　they　are　skilled　artisans；　but　am　all　the　time
brokenhearted　about　Ulysses。　They　want　me　to　marry　again　at　once；
and　I　have　to　invent　stratagems　in　order　to　deceive　them。　In　the　first
place　heaven　put　it　in　my　mind　to　set　up　a　great　tambour…frame　in　my
room；　and　to　begin　working　upon　an　enormous　piece　of　fine
needlework。　Then　I　said　to　them；　'Sweethearts；　Ulysses　is　indeed　dead；
still；　do　not　press　me　to　marry　again　immediately；　wait…　for　I　would
not　have　my　skill　in　needlework　perish　unrecorded…　till　I　have
finished　making　a　pall　for　the　hero　Laertes；　to　be　ready　against　the
time　when　death　shall　take　him。　He　is　very　rich；　and　the　women　of
the　place　will　talk　if　he　is　laid　out　without　a　pall。'　This　was　what　I
said；　and　they　assented；　whereon　I　used　to　keep　working　at　my　great
web　all　day　long；　but　at　night　I　would　unpick　the　stitches　again　by
torch　light。　I　fooled　them　in　this　way　for　three　years　without　their
finding　it　out；　but　as　time　wore　on　and　I　was　now　in　my　fourth　year；
in　the　waning　of　moons；　and　many　days　had　been　accomplished；　those
good…for…nothing　hussies　my　maids　betrayed　me　to　the　suitors；　who
broke　in　upon　me　and　caught　me；　they　were　very　angry　with　me；　so　I　was
forced　to　finish　my　work　whether　I　would　or　no。　And　now　I　do　not　see
how　I　can　find　any　further　shift　for　getting　out　of　this　marriage。
My　parents　are　putting　great　pressure　upon　me；　and　my　son　chafes　at
the　ravages　the　suitors　are　making　upon　his　estate；　for　he　is　now
old　enough　to　understand　all　about　it　and　is　perfectly　able　to　look
after　his　own　affairs；　for　heaven　has　blessed　him　with　an　excellent
disposition。　Still；　notwithstanding　all　this；　tell　me　who　you　are
and　where　you　come　from…　for　you　must　have　had　father　and　mother　of
some　sort；　you　cannot　be　the　son　of　an　oak　or　of　a　rock。〃
　　Then　Ulysses　answered；　〃madam；　wife　of　Ulysses；　since　you　persist　in
asking　me　about　my　family；　I　will　answer；　no　matter　what　it　costs
me：　people　must　expect　to　be　pained　when　they　have　been　exiles　as　long
as　I　have；　and　suffered　as　much　among　as　many　peoples。　Nevertheless；
as　regards　your　question　I　will　tell　you　all　you　ask。　There　is　a
fair　and　fruitful　island　in　mid…ocean　called　Crete；　it　is　thickly
peopled　and　there　are　nine　cities　in　it：　the　people　speak　many
different　languages　which　overlap　one　another；　for　there　are　Achaeans；
brave　Eteocretans；　Dorians　of　three…fold　race；　and　noble　Pelasgi。
There　is　a　great　town　there；　Cnossus；　where　Minos　reigned　who　every
nine　years　had　a　conference　with　Jove　himself。　Minos　was　father　to
Deucalion；　whose　son　I　am；　for　Deucalion　had　two　sons　Idomeneus　and
myself。　Idomeneus　sailed　for　Troy；　and　I；　who　am　the　younger；　am
called　Aethon；　my　brother；　however；　was　at　once　the　older　and　the　more
valiant　of　the　two；　hence　it　was　in　Crete　that　I　saw　Ulysses　and
showed　him　hospitality；　for　the　winds　took　him　there　as　he　was　on
his　way　to　Troy；　carrying　him　out　of　his　course　from　cape　Malea　and
leaving　him　in　Amnisus　off　the　cave　of　Ilithuia；　where　the　harbours
are　difficult　to　enter　and　he　could　hardly　find　shelter　from　the　winds
that　were　then　xaging。　As　soon　as　he　got　there　he　went　into　the　town
and　asked　for　Idomeneus；　claiming　to　be　his　old　and　valued　friend；　but
Idomeneus　had　already　set　sail　for　Troy　some　ten　or　twelve　days
earlier；　so　I　took　him　to　my　own　house　and　showed　him　every　kind　of
hospitality；　for　I　had　abundance　of　everything。　Moreover；　I　fed　the
men　who　were　with　him　with　barley　meal　from　the　public　store；　and
got　subscriptions　of　wine　and　oxen　for　them　to　sacrifice　to　their
heart's　content。　They　stayed　with　me　twelve　days；　for　there　was　a　gale
blowing　from　the　North　so　strong　that　one　could　hardly　keep　one's　feet
on　land。　I　suppose　some　unfriendly　god　had　raised　it　for　them；　but
on　the　thirteenth　day　the　wind　dropped；　and　they　got　away。〃
　　Many　a　plausible　tale　did　Ulysses　further　tell　her；　and　Penelope
wept　as　she　listened；　for　her　heart　was　melted。　As　the　snow　wastes
upon　the　mountain　tops　when　the　winds　from　South　East　and　West　have
breathed　upon　it　and　thawed　it　till　the　rivers　run　bank　full　with
water；　even　so　did　her　cheeks　overflow　with　tears　for　the　husband
who　was　all　the　time　sitting　by　her　side。　Ulysses　felt　for　her　and　was
for　her；　but　he　kept　his　eyes　as　hard　as　or　iron　without　letting
them　so　much　as　quiver；　so　cunningly　did　he　restrain　his　tears。
Then；　when　she　had　relieved　herself　by　weeping；　she　turned　to　him
again　and　said：　〃Now；　stranger；　I　shall　put　you　to　the　test　and　see
whether　or　no　you　really　did　entertain　my　husband　and　his　men；　as
you　say　you　did。　Tell　me；　then；　how　he　was　dressed；　what　kind　of　a　man
he　was　to　look　at；　and　so　also　with　his　companions。〃
　　〃Madam；〃　answered　Ulysses；　〃it　is　such　a　long　time　ago　that　I　can
hardly　say。　Twenty　years　are　come　and　gone　since　he　left　my　home；
and　went　elsewhither；　but　I　will　tell　you　as　well　as　I　can
recollect。　Ulysses　wore　a　mantle　of　purple　wool；　double　lined；　and
it　was　fastened　by　a　gold　brooch　with　two　catches　for　the　pin。　On
the　face　of　this　there　was　a　device　that　showed　a　dog　holding　a
spotted　fawn　between　his　fore　paws；　and　watching　it　as　it　lay
panting　upon　the　ground。　Every　one　marvelled　at　the　way　in　which　these
things　had　been　done　in　gold；　the　dog　looking　at　the　fawn；　and
strangling　it；　while　the　fawn　was　struggling　convulsively　to　escape。
As　for　the　shirt　that　he　wore　next　his　skin；　it　was　so　soft　that　it
fitted　him　like　the　skin　of　an　onion；　and　glistened　in　the　sunlight　to
the　admiration　of　all　the　women　who　beheld　it。　Furthermore　I　say；
and　lay　my　saying　to　your　heart；　that　I　do　not　know　whether　Ulysses
wore　these　clothes　when　he　left　home；　or　whether　one　of　his　companions
had　given　them　to　him　while　he　was　on　his　voyage；　or　possibly　some　one
at　whose　house　he　was　staying　made　him　a　present　of　them；　for　he　was　a
man　of　many　friends　and　had　few　equals　among　the　Achaeans。　I　myself
gave　him　a　sword　of　bronze　and　a　beautiful　purple　mantle；　double
lined；　with　a　shirt　that　went　down　to　his　feet；　and　I　sent　him　on
board　his　ship　with　every　mark　of　honour。　He　had　a　servant　with　him；　a
little　older　than　himself；　and　I　can　tell　you　what　he　was　like；　his
shoulders　were　hunched；　he　was　dark；　and　he　had　thick　curly　hair。
His　name　was　Eurybates；　and　Ulysses　treated　him　with　greater
familiarity　than　he　did　any　of　the　others；　as　being　the　most
like…minded　with　himself。〃
　　Penelope　was　moved　still　more　deeply　as　she　heard　the　indisputable
proofs　that　Ulysses　laid　before　her；　and　when　she　had　again　found
relief　in　tears　she　said　to　him；　〃Stranger；　I　was　already　disposed
to　pity　you；　but　henceforth　you　shall　be　honoured　and　made　welcome
in　my　house。　It　was　I　who　gave　Ulysses　the　clothes　you　speak　of。　I
took　them　out　of　the　store　room　and　folded　them　up　myself；　and　I
gave　him　also　the　gold　brooch　to　wear　as　an　ornament。　Alas！　I　shall
never　welcome　him　home　again。　It　was　by　an　ill　fate　that　he　ever　set
out　for　that　detested　city　whose　very　name　I　cannot　bring　myself
even　to　mention。〃
　　Then　Ulysses　answered；　〃Madam；　wife　of　Ulysses；　do　not　disfigure
yourself　further　by　grieving　thus　bitterly　for　your　loss；　though　I　can
hardly　blame　you　for　doing　so。　A　woman　who　has　loved　her　husband　and
borne　him　children；　would　naturally　be　grieved　at　losing　him；　even
though　he　were　a　worse　man　than　Ulysses；　who　they　say　was　like　a
god。　Still；　cease　your　tears　and　listen　to　what　I　can　tell　I　will　hide
nothing　from　you；　and　can　say　with　perfect　truth　that　I　have　lately
heard　of　Ulysses　as　being　alive　and　on　his　way　home；　he　is　among　the
Thesprotians；　and　is　bringing　back　much　valuable　treasure　that　he
has　begged　from　one　and　another　of　them；　but　his　ship　and　all　his　crew
were　lost　as　they　were　leaving　the　Thrinacian　island；　for　Jove　and　the
sun…god　were　angry　with　him　because　his　men　had　slaughtered　the
sun…god's　cattle；　and　they　were　all　drowned　to　a　man。　But　Ulysses
stuck　to　the　keel　of　the　ship　and　was　drifted　on　to　the　land　of　the
Phaecians；　who　are　near　of　kin　to　the　immortals；　and　who　treated　him
as　though　he　had　been　a　god；　giving　him　many　presents；　and　wishing
to　escort　him　home　safe　and　sound。　In　fact　Ulysses　would　have　been
here　long　ago；　had　he　not　thought　better　to　go　from　land　to　land
gathering　wealth；　for　there　is　no　man　living　who　is　so　wily　as　he
is；　there　is　no　one　can　compare　with　him。　Pheidon　king　of　the
Thesprotians　told　me　all　this；　and　he