the odyssey(奥德赛)-第62节

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of　cattle　maddened　by　the　gadfly　in　early　summer　when　the　days　are
at　their　longest。　As　eagle…beaked；　crook…taloned　vultures　from　the
mountains　swoop　down　on　the　smaller　birds　that　cower　in　flocks　upon
the　ground；　and　kill　them；　for　they　cannot　either　fight　or　fly；　and
lookers　on　enjoy　the　sport…　even　so　did　Ulysses　and　his　men　fall
upon　the　suitors　and　smite　them　on　every　side。　They　made　a　horrible
groaning　as　their　brains　were　being　battered　in；　and　the　ground
seethed　with　their　blood。
　　Leiodes　then　caught　the　knees　of　Ulysses　and　said；　〃Ulysses　I
beseech　you　have　mercy　upon　me　and　spare　me。　I　never　wronged　any　of
the　women　in　your　house　either　in　word　or　deed；　and　I　tried　to　stop
the　others。　I　saw　them；　but　they　would　not　listen；　and　now　they　are
paying　for　their　folly。　I　was　their　sacrificing　priest；　if　you　kill
me；　I　shall　die　without　having　done　anything　to　deserve　it；　and
shall　have　got　no　thanks　for　all　the　good　that　I　did。〃
　　Ulysses　looked　sternly　at　him　and　answered；　〃If　you　were　their
sacrificing　priest；　you　must　have　prayed　many　a　time　that　it　might
be　long　before　I　got　home　again；　and　that　you　might　marry　my　wife
and　have　children　by　her。　Therefore　you　shall　die。〃
　　With　these　words　he　picked　up　the　sword　that　Agelaus　had　dropped
when　he　was　being　killed；　and　which　was　lying　upon　the　ground。　Then　he
struck　Leiodes　on　the　back　of　his　neck；　so　that　his　head　fell
rolling　in　the　dust　while　he　was　yet　speaking。
　　The　minstrel　Phemius　son　of　Terpes…　he　who　had　been　forced　by　the
suitors　to　sing　to　them…　now　tried　to　save　his　life。　He　was　standing
near　towards　the　trap　door；　and　held　his　lyre　in　his　hand。　He　did
not　know　whether　to　fly　out　of　the　cloister　and　sit　down　by　the
altar　of　Jove　that　was　in　the　outer　court；　and　on　which　both　Laertes
and　Ulysses　had　offered　up　the　thigh　bones　of　many　an　ox；　or　whether
to　go　straight　up　to　Ulysses　and　embrace　his　knees；　but　in　the　end
he　deemed　it　best　to　embrace　Ulysses'　knees。　So　he　laid　his　lyre　on
the　ground　the　ground　between　the　mixing…bowl　and　the　silver…studded
seat；　then　going　up　to　Ulysses　he　caught　hold　of　his　knees　and　said；
〃Ulysses；　I　beseech　you　have　mercy　on　me　and　spare　me。　You　will　be
sorry　for　it　afterwards　if　you　kill　a　bard　who　can　sing　both　for
gods　and　men　as　I　can。　I　make　all　my　lays　myself；　and　heaven　visits　me
with　every　kind　of　inspiration。　I　would　sing　to　you　as　though　you　were
a　god；　do　not　therefore　be　in　such　a　hurry　to　cut　my　head　off。　Your
own　son　Telemachus　will　tell　you　that　I　did　not　want　to　frequent
your　house　and　sing　to　the　suitors　after　their　meals；　but　they　were
too　many　and　too　strong　for　me；　so　they　made　me。〃
　　Telemachus　heard　him；　and　at　once　went　up　to　his　father。　〃Hold！〃
he　cried；　〃the　man　is　guiltless；　do　him　no　hurt；　and　we　will　Medon
too；　who　was　always　good　to　me　when　I　was　a　boy；　unless　Philoetius
or　Eumaeus　has　already　killed　him；　or　he　has　fallen　in　your　way　when
you　were　raging　about　the　court。〃
　　Medon　caught　these　words　of　Telemachus；　for　he　was　crouching　under　a
seat　beneath　which　he　had　hidden　by　covering　himself　up　with　a　freshly
flayed　heifer's　hide；　so　he　threw　off　the　hide；　went　up　to　Telemachus；
and　laid　hold　of　his　knees。
　　〃Here　I　am；　my　dear　sir；〃　said　he；　〃stay　your　hand　therefore；　and
tell　your　father；　or　he　will　kill　me　in　his　rage　against　the　suitors
for　having　wasted　his　substance　and　been　so　foolishly　disrespectful　to
yourself。〃
　　Ulysses　smiled　at　him　and　answered；　〃Fear　not；　Telemachus　has
saved　your　life；　that　you　may　know　in　future；　and　tell　other　people；
how　greatly　better　good　deeds　prosper　than　evil　ones。　Go；　therefore；
outside　the　cloisters　into　the　outer　court；　and　be　out　of　the　way　of
the　slaughter…　you　and　the　bard…　while　I　finish　my　work　here　inside。〃
　　The　pair　went　into　the　outer　court　as　fast　as　they　could；　and　sat
down　by　Jove's　great　altar；　looking　fearfully　round；　and　still
expecting　that　they　would　be　killed。　Then　Ulysses　searched　the　whole
court　carefully　over；　to　see　if　anyone　had　managed　to　hide　himself　and
was　still　living；　but　he　found　them　all　lying　in　the　dust　and
weltering　in　their　blood。　They　were　like　fishes　which　fishermen　have
netted　out　of　the　sea；　and　thrown　upon　the　beach　to　lie　gasping　for
water　till　the　heat　of　the　sun　makes　an　end　of　them。　Even　so　were
the　suitors　lying　all　huddled　up　one　against　the　other。
　　Then　Ulysses　said　to　Telemachus；　〃Call　nurse　Euryclea；　I　have
something　to　say　to　her。〃
　　Telemachus　went　and　knocked　at　the　door　of　the　women's　room。　〃Make
haste；〃　said　he；　〃you　old　woman　who　have　been　set　over　all　the　other
women　in　the　house。　Come　outside；　my　father　wishes　to　speak　to　you。〃
　　When　Euryclea　heard　this　she　unfastened　the　door　of　the　women's　room
and　came　out；　following　Telemachus。　She　found　Ulysses　among　the
corpses　bespattered　with　blood　and　filth　like　a　lion　that　has　just
been　devouring　an　ox；　and　his　breast　and　both　his　cheeks　are　all
bloody；　so　that　he　is　a　fearful　sight；　even　so　was　Ulysses
besmirched　from　head　to　foot　with　gore。　When　she　saw　all　the　corpses
and　such　a　quantity　of　blood；　she　was　beginning　to　cry　out　for　joy；
for　she　saw　that　a　great　deed　had　been　done；　but　Ulysses　checked
her；　〃Old　woman；〃　said　he；　〃rejoice　in　silence；　restrain　yourself；　and
do　not　make　any　noise　about　it；　it　is　an　unholy　thing　to　vaunt　over
dead　men。　Heaven's　doom　and　their　own　evil　deeds　have　brought　these
men　to　destruction；　for　they　respected　no　man　in　the　whole　world；
neither　rich　nor　poor；　who　came　near　them；　and　they　have　come　to　a　bad
end　as　a　punishment　for　their　wickedness　and　folly。　Now；　however；　tell
me　which　of　the　women　in　the　house　have　misconducted　themselves；　and
who　are　innocent。〃
　　〃I　will　tell　you　the　truth；　my　son；〃　answered　Euryclea。　〃There　are
fifty　women　in　the　house　whom　we　teach　to　do　things；　such　as　carding
wool；　and　all　kinds　of　household　work。　Of　these；　twelve　in　all　have
misbehaved；　and　have　been　wanting　in　respect　to　me；　and　also　to
Penelope。　They　showed　no　disrespect　to　Telemachus；　for　he　has　only
lately　grown　and　his　mother　never　permitted　him　to　give　orders　to
the　female　servants；　but　let　me　go　upstairs　and　tell　your　wife　all
that　has　happened；　for　some　god　has　been　sending　her　to　sleep。〃
　　〃Do　not　wake　her　yet；〃　answered　Ulysses；　〃but　tell　the　women　who
have　misconducted　themselves　to　come　to　me。〃
　　Euryclea　left　the　cloister　to　tell　the　women；　and　make　them　come
to　Ulysses；　in　the　meantime　he　called　Telemachus；　the　stockman；　and
the　swineherd。　〃Begin；〃　said　he；　〃to　remove　the　dead；　and　make　the
women　help　you。　Then；　get　sponges　and　clean　water　to　swill　down　the
tables　and　seats。　When　you　have　thoroughly　cleansed　the　whole
cloisters；　take　the　women　into　the　space　between　the　domed　room　and
the　wall　of　the　outer　court；　and　run　them　through　with　your　swords
till　they　are　quite　dead；　and　have　forgotten　all　about　love　and　the
way　in　which　they　used　to　lie　in　secret　with　the　suitors。〃
　　On　this　the　women　came　down　in　a　body；　weeping　and　wailing　bitterly。
First　they　carried　the　dead　bodies　out；　and　propped　them　up　against
one　another　in　the　gatehouse。　Ulysses　ordered　them　about　and　made　them
do　their　work　quickly；　so　they　had　to　carry　the　bodies　out。　When
they　had　done　this；　they　cleaned　all　the　tables　and　seats　with　sponges
and　water；　while　Telemachus　and　the　two　others　shovelled　up　the
blood　and　dirt　from　the　ground；　and　the　women　carried　it　all　away
and　put　it　out　of　doors。　Then　when　they　had　made　the　whole　place　quite
clean　and　orderly；　they　took　the　women　out　and　hemmed　them　in　the
narrow　space　between　the　wall　of　the　domed　room　and　that　of　the
yard；　so　that　they　could　not　get　away：　and　Telemachus　said　to　the
other　two；　〃I　shall　not　let　these　women　die　a　clean　death；　for　they
were　insolent　to　me　and　my　mother；　and　used　to　sleep　with　the
suitors。〃
　　So　saying　he　made　a　ship's　cable　fast　to　one　of　the　bearing…posts
that　supported　the　roof　of　the　domed　room；　and　secured　it　all　around
the　building；　at　a　good　height；　lest　any　of　the　women's　feet　should
touch　the　ground；　and　as　thrushes　or　doves　beat　against　a　net　that　has
been　set　for　them　in　a　thicket　just　as　they　were　getting　to　their
nest；　and　a　terrible　fate　awaits　them；　even　so　did　the　women　have　to
put　their　heads　in　nooses　one　after　the　other　and　die　most
miserably。　Their　feet　moved　convulsively　for　a　while；　but　not　for　very
long。
　　As　for　Melanthius；　they　took　him　through　the　cloister　into　the　inner
court。　There　they　cut　off　his　nose　and　his　ears；　they　drew　out　his
vitals　and　gave　them　to　the　dogs　raw；　and　then　in　their　fury　they
cut　off　his　hands　and　his　feet。
　　When　they　had　done　this　they　washed　their　hands　and　feet　and　went
back　into　the　house；　for　all　was　now　over；　and　Ulysses　said　to　the
dear　old　nurse　Euryclea；　〃Bring　me　sulphur；　which　cleanses　all
pollution；　and　fetch　fire　also　that　I　may　burn　it；　and　purify　the
cloisters。　Go；　moreover；　and　tell　Penelope　to　come　here　with　her
attendants；　and　also　all　the　maid　servants　that　are　in　the　house。〃
　　〃All　that　you　have　said　is　true；〃　answered　Euryclea；　〃but　let　me
bring　you　some　clean　clothes…　a　shirt　and　cloak。　Do　not　keep　these
rags　on　your　back　any　longer。　It　is　not　right。〃
　　〃First　light