the odyssey(奥德赛)-第59部分

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nymphs　from　out　of　the　sea；　and　the　sound　of　a　great　wailing　went
forth　over　the　waters　so　that　the　Achaeans　quaked　for　fear。　They　would
have　fled　panic…stricken　to　their　ships　had　not　wise　old　Nestor
whose　counsel　was　ever　truest　checked　them　saying；　'Hold；　Argives；　fly
not　sons　of　the　Achaeans；　this　is　his　mother　coming　from　the　sea
with　her　immortal　nymphs　to　view　the　body　of　her　son。'
　　〃Thus　he　spoke；　and　the　Achaeans　feared　no　more。　The　daughters　of
the　old　man　of　the　sea　stood　round　you　weeping　bitterly；　and　clothed
you　in　immortal　raiment。　The　nine　muses　also　came　and　lifted　up
their　sweet　voices　in　lament…　calling　and　answering　one　another；　there
was　not　an　Argive　but　wept　for　pity　of　the　dirge　they　chaunted。　Days
and　nights　seven　and　ten　we　mourned　you；　mortals　and　immortals；　but　on
the　eighteenth　day　we　gave　you　to　the　flames；　and　many　a　fat　sheep
with　many　an　ox　did　we　slay　in　sacrifice　around　you。　You　were　burnt　in
raiment　of　the　gods；　with　rich　resins　and　with　honey；　while　heroes；
horse　and　foot；　clashed　their　armour　round　the　pile　as　you　were
burning；　with　the　tramp　as　of　a　great　multitude。　But　when　the　flames
of　heaven　had　done　their　work；　we　gathered　your　white　bones　at
daybreak　and　laid　them　in　ointments　and　in　pure　wine。　Your　mother
brought　us　a　golden　vase　to　hold　them…　gift　of　Bacchus；　and　work　of
Vulcan　himself；　in　this　we　mingled　your　bleached　bones　with　those　of
Patroclus　who　had　gone　before　you；　and　separate　we　enclosed　also　those
of　Antilochus；　who　had　been　closer　to　you　than　any　other　of　your
comrades　now　that　Patroclus　was　no　more。
　　〃Over　these　the　host　of　the　Argives　built　a　noble　tomb；　on　a　point
jutting　out　over　the　open　Hellespont；　that　it　might　be　seen　from　far
out　upon　the　sea　by　those　now　living　and　by　them　that　shall　be　born
hereafter。　Your　mother　begged　prizes　from　the　gods；　and　offered　them
to　be　contended　for　by　the　noblest　of　the　Achaeans。　You　must　have　been
present　at　the　funeral　of　many　a　hero；　when　the　young　men　gird
themselves　and　make　ready　to　contend　for　prizes　on　the　death　of　some
great　chieftain；　but　you　never　saw　such　prizes　as　silver…footed　Thetis
offered　in　your　honour；　for　the　gods　loved　you　well。　Thus　even　in
death　your　fame；　Achilles；　has　not　been　lost；　and　your　name　lives
evermore　among　all　mankind。　But　as　for　me；　what　solace　had　I　when
the　days　of　my　fighting　were　done？　For　Jove　willed　my　destruction　on
my　return；　by　the　hands　of　Aegisthus　and　those　of　my　wicked　wife。〃
　　Thus　did　they　converse；　and　presently　Mercury　came　up　to　them　with
the　ghosts　of　the　suitors　who　had　been　killed　by　Ulysses。　The　ghosts
of　Agamemnon　and　Achilles　were　astonished　at　seeing　them；　and　went
up　to　them　at　once。　The　ghost　of　Agamemnon　recognized　Amphimedon　son
of　Melaneus；　who　lived　in　Ithaca　and　had　been　his　host；　so　it　began　to
talk　to　him。
　　〃Amphimedon；〃　it　said；　〃what　has　happened　to　all　you　fine　young　men…
all　of　an　age　too…　that　you　are　come　down　here　under　the　ground？　One
could　pick　no　finer　body　of　men　from　any　city。　Did　Neptune　raise　his
winds　and　waves　against　you　when　you　were　at　sea；　or　did　your
enemies　make　an　end　of　you　on　the　mainland　when　you　were
cattle…lifting　or　sheep…stealing；　or　while　fighting　in　defence　of
their　wives　and　city？　Answer　my　question；　for　I　have　been　your
guest。　Do　you　not　remember　how　I　came　to　your　house　with　Menelaus；
to　persuade　Ulysses　to　join　us　with　his　ships　against　Troy？　It　was　a
whole　month　ere　we　could　resume　our　voyage；　for　we　had　hard　work　to
persuade　Ulysses　to　come　with　us。〃
　　And　the　ghost　of　Amphimedon　answered；　〃Agamemnon；　son　of　Atreus；
king　of　men；　I　remember　everything　that　you　have　said；　and　will　tell
you　fully　and　accurately　about　the　way　in　which　our　end　was　brought
about。　Ulysses　had　been　long　gone；　and　we　were　courting　his　wife；
who　did　not　say　point　blank　that　she　would　not　marry；　nor　yet　bring
matters　to　an　end；　for　she　meant　to　compass　our　destruction：　this；
then；　was　the　trick　she　played　us。　She　set　up　a　great　tambour　frame　in
her　room　and　began　to　work　on　an　enormous　piece　of　fine　needlework。
'Sweethearts；'　said　she；　'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　completed　a　pall
for　the　hero　Laertes；　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　is　what　she　said；　and　we　assented；　whereupon
we　could　see　her　working　upon　her　great　web　all　day　long；　but　at　night
she　would　unpick　the　stitches　again　by　torchlight。　She　fooled　us　in
this　way　for　three　years　without　our　finding　it　out；　but　as　time
wore　on　and　she　was　now　in　her　fourth　year；　in　the　waning　of　moons　and
many　days　had　been　accomplished；　one　of　her　maids　who　knew　what　she
was　doing　told　us；　and　we　caught　her　in　the　act　of　undoing　her　work；
so　she　had　to　finish　it　whether　she　would　or　no；　and　when　she　showed
us　the　robe　she　had　made；　after　she　had　had　it　washed；　its　splendour
was　as　that　of　the　sun　or　moon。
　　〃Then　some　malicious　god　conveyed　Ulysses　to　the　upland　farm　where
his　swineherd　lives。　Thither　presently　came　also　his　son；　returning
from　a　voyage　to　Pylos；　and　the　two　came　to　the　town　when　they　had
hatched　their　plot　for　our　destruction。　Telemachus　came　first；　and
then　after　him；　accompanied　by　the　swineherd；　came　Ulysses；　clad　in
rags　and　leaning　on　a　staff　as　though　he　were　some　miserable　old
beggar。　He　came　so　unexpectedly　that　none　of　us　knew　him；　not　even　the
older　ones　among　us；　and　we　reviled　him　and　threw　things　at　him。　He
endured　both　being　struck　and　insulted　without　a　word；　though　he　was
in　his　own　house；　but　when　the　will　of　Aegis…bearing　Jove　inspired
him；　he　and　Telemachus　took　the　armour　and　hid　it　in　an　inner　chamber；
bolting　the　doors　behind　them。　Then　he　cunningly　made　his　wife　offer
his　bow　and　a　quantity　of　iron　to　be　contended　for　by　us　ill…fated
suitors；　and　this　was　the　beginning　of　our　end；　for　not　one　of　us
could　string　the　bow…　nor　nearly　do　so。　When　it　was　about　to　reach　the
hands　of　Ulysses；　we　all　of　us　shouted　out　that　it　should　not　be　given
him；　no　matter　what　he　might　say；　but　Telemachus　insisted　on　his
having　it。　When　he　had　got　it　in　his　hands　he　strung　it　with　ease
and　sent　his　arrow　through　the　iron。　Then　he　stood　on　the　floor　of　the
cloister　and　poured　his　arrows　on　the　ground；　glaring　fiercely　about
him。　First　he　killed　Antinous；　and　then；　aiming　straight　before　him；
he　let　fly　his　deadly　darts　and　they　fell　thick　on　one　another。　It　was
plain　that　some　one　of　the　gods　was　helping　them；　for　they　fell　upon
us　with　might　and　main　throughout　the　cloisters；　and　there　was　a
hideous　sound　of　groaning　as　our　brains　were　being　battered　in；　and
the　ground　seethed　with　our　blood。　This；　Agamemnon；　is　how　we　came
by　our　end；　and　our　bodies　are　lying　still　un…cared　for　in　the　house
of　Ulysses；　for　our　friends　at　home　do　not　yet　know　what　has　happened；
so　that　they　cannot　lay　us　out　and　wash　the　black　blood　from　our
wounds；　making　moan　over　us　according　to　the　offices　due　to　the
departed。〃
　　〃Happy　Ulysses；　son　of　Laertes；〃　replied　the　ghost　of　Agamemnon；
〃you　are　indeed　blessed　in　the　possession　of　a　wife　endowed　with
such　rare　excellence　of　understanding；　and　so　faithful　to　her　wedded
lord　as　Penelope　the　daughter　of　Icarius。　The　fame；　therefore；　of
her　virtue　shall　never　die；　and　the　immortals　shall　compose　a　song
that　shall　be　welcome　to　all　mankind　in　honour　of　the　constancy　of
Penelope。　How　far　otherwise　was　the　wickedness　of　the　daughter　of
Tyndareus　who　killed　her　lawful　husband；　her　song　shall　be　hateful
among　men；　for　she　has　brought　disgrace　on　all　womankind　even　on　the
good　ones。〃
　　Thus　did　they　converse　in　the　house　of　Hades　deep　down　within　the
bowels　of　the　earth。　Meanwhile　Ulysses　and　the　others　passed　out　of
the　town　and　soon　reached　the　fair　and　well…tilled　farm　of　Laertes；
which　he　had　reclaimed　with　infinite　labour。　Here　was　his　house；
with　a　lean…to　running　all　round　it；　where　the　slaves　who　worked　for
him　slept　and　sat　and　ate；　while　inside　the　house　there　was　an　old
Sicel　woman；　who　looked　after　him　in　this　his　country…farm。　When
Ulysses　got　there；　he　said　to　his　son　and　to　the　other　two：
　　〃Go　to　the　house；　and　kill　the　best　pig　that　you　can　find　for
dinner。　Meanwhile　I　want　to　see　whether　my　father　will　know　me；　or
fail　to　recognize　me　after　so　long　an　absence。〃
　　He　then　took　off　his　armour　and　gave　it　to　Eumaeus　and　Philoetius；
who　went　straight　on　to　the　house；　while　he　turned　off　into　the
vineyard　to　make　trial　of　his　father。　As　he　went　down　into　the　great
orchard；　he　did　not　see　Dolius；　nor　any　of　his　sons　nor　of　the　other
bondsmen；　for　they　were　all　gathering　thorns　to　make　a　fence　for　the
vineyard；　at　the　place　where　the　old　man　had　told　them；　he　therefore
found　his　father　alone；　hoeing　a　vine。　He　had　on　a　dirty　old　shirt；
patched　and　very　shabby；　his　legs　were　bound　round　with　thongs　of
oxhide　to　save　him　from　the　brambles；　and　he　also　wore　sleeves　of
leather；　he　had　a　goat　skin　cap　on　his　head；　and　was　looking　very
woe…begone。　When　Ulysses　saw　him　so　worn；　so　old　and　full　of　sorrow；
he　stood　still　under　a　tall　pear　tree　and　began　to　weep。　He　doubted
whether　to　embrace　him；　kiss　him；　and　tell　him　all　about　his　having
come　home；　or　whether　he　should　first　question　him　and　see　what　he
would　say。　In　the　end　he　deemed　it　best　to　be　crafty　with　him；　so　in
this　mind　he　went　up　to　his　father；　who　was　bending　down　and　digging
about　a　plant。
　　〃I　see；　sir；〃　said　Ulysses；　〃that　you　are　an　excellent　gardener…
what　pains　you　take　with　it；　to　be　sure。　There　is　not　a　single
plant；　not　a　fig　tree；　vine；　olive；　pear；　nor　flower　bed；　but　bears
the　trace　of　your　attention。　I　trust；　however；　that　you　will　not　be
offended　if　I　say　that　you　take　better　care　of　your　garden　than　of
yourself。　You　are　old；　unsavoury；　and　very　meanly　clad。　It　cannot　be
because　you　are　idle　that　your　master　takes　such　poor　care　of　you；
indeed　your　face　and　figure　have　nothing　of　the　slave　about　them；
and　proclaim　you　of　noble　birth。　I　should　have　said　that　you　were
one　of　those　who　should　wash　well；　eat　well；　and　lie