the odyssey(奥德赛)- 第1部分

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　ODYSSEY
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Homer
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　translated　by　Samuel　Butler

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　BOOK　I。
　　TELL　ME；　O　MUSE；　of　that　ingenious　hero　who　travelled　far　and　wide
after　he　had　sacked　the　famous　town　of　Troy。　Many　cities　did　he　visit；
and　many　were　the　nations　with　whose　manners　and　customs　he　was
acquainted；　moreover　he　suffered　much　by　sea　while　trying　to　save
his　own　life　and　bring　his　men　safely　home；　but　do　what　he　might　he
could　not　save　his　men；　for　they　perished　through　their　own　sheer
folly　in　eating　the　cattle　of　the　Sun…god　Hyperion；　so　the　god
prevented　them　from　ever　reaching　home。　Tell　me；　too；　about　all
these　things；　O　daughter　of　Jove；　from　whatsoever　source　you　may
know　them。
　　So　now　all　who　escaped　death　in　battle　or　by　shipwreck　had　got
safely　home　except　Ulysses；　and　he；　though　he　was　longing　to　return　to
his　wife　and　country；　was　detained　by　the　goddess　Calypso；　who　had　got
him　into　a　large　cave　and　wanted　to　marry　him。　But　as　years　went　by；
there　came　a　time　when　the　gods　settled　that　he　should　go　back　to
Ithaca；　even　then；　however；　when　he　was　among　his　own　people；　his
troubles　were　not　yet　over；　nevertheless　all　the　gods　had　now　begun　to
pity　him　except　Neptune；　who　still　persecuted　him　without　ceasing
and　would　not　let　him　get　home。
　　Now　Neptune　had　gone　off　to　the　Ethiopians；　who　are　at　the　world's
end；　and　lie　in　two　halves；　the　one　looking　West　and　the　other　East。
He　had　gone　there　to　accept　a　hecatomb　of　sheep　and　oxen；　and　was
enjoying　himself　at　his　festival；　but　the　other　gods　met　in　the
house　of　Olympian　Jove；　and　the　sire　of　gods　and　men　spoke　first。　At
that　moment　he　was　thinking　of　Aegisthus；　who　had　been　killed　by
Agamemnon's　son　Orestes；　so　he　said　to　the　other　gods：
　　〃See　now；　how　men　lay　blame　upon　us　gods　for　what　is　after　all
nothing　but　their　own　folly。　Look　at　Aegisthus；　he　must　needs　make
love　to　Agamemnon's　wife　unrighteously　and　then　kill　Agamemnon；　though
he　knew　it　would　be　the　death　of　him；　for　I　sent　Mercury　to　warn　him
not　to　do　either　of　these　things；　inasmuch　as　Orestes　would　be　sure　to
take　his　revenge　when　he　grew　up　and　wanted　to　return　home。　Mercury
told　him　this　in　all　good　will　but　he　would　not　listen；　and　now　he　has
paid　for　everything　in　full。〃
　　Then　Minerva　said；　〃Father；　son　of　Saturn；　King　of　kings；　it
served　Aegisthus　right；　and　so　it　would　any　one　else　who　does　as　he
did；　but　Aegisthus　is　neither　here　nor　there；　it　is　for　Ulysses　that
my　heart　bleeds；　when　I　think　of　his　sufferings　in　that　lonely
sea…girt　island；　far　away；　poor　man；　from　all　his　friends。　It　is　an
island　covered　with　forest；　in　the　very　middle　of　the　sea；　and　a
goddess　lives　there；　daughter　of　the　magician　Atlas；　who　looks　after
the　bottom　of　the　ocean；　and　carries　the　great　columns　that　keep
heaven　and　earth　asunder。　This　daughter　of　Atlas　has　got　hold　of
poor　unhappy　Ulysses；　and　keeps　trying　by　every　kind　of　blandishment
to　make　him　forget　his　home；　so　that　he　is　tired　of　life；　and　thinks
of　nothing　but　how　he　may　once　more　see　the　smoke　of　his　own　chimneys。
You；　sir；　take　no　heed　of　this；　and　yet　when　Ulysses　was　before　Troy
did　he　not　propitiate　you　with　many　a　burnt　sacrifice？　Why　then　should
you　keep　on　being　so　angry　with　him？〃
　　And　Jove　said；　〃My　child；　what　are　you　talking　about？　How　can　I
forget　Ulysses　than　whom　there　is　no　more　capable　man　on　earth；　nor
more　liberal　in　his　offerings　to　the　immortal　gods　that　live　in
heaven？　Bear　in　mind；　however；　that　Neptune　is　still　furious　with
Ulysses　for　having　blinded　an　eye　of　Polyphemus　king　of　the
Cyclopes。　Polyphemus　is　son　to　Neptune　by　the　nymph　Thoosa；　daughter
to　the　sea…king　Phorcys；　therefore　though　he　will　not　kill　Ulysses
outright；　he　torments　him　by　preventing　him　from　getting　home。
Still；　let　us　lay　our　heads　together　and　see　how　we　can　help　him　to
return；　Neptune　will　then　be　pacified；　for　if　we　are　all　of　a　mind
he　can　hardly　stand　out　against　us。〃
　　And　Minerva　said；　〃Father；　son　of　Saturn；　King　of　kings；　if；　then；
the　gods　now　mean　that　Ulysses　should　get　home；　we　should　first　send
Mercury　to　the　Ogygian　island　to　tell　Calypso　that　we　have　made　up　our
minds　and　that　he　is　to　return。　In　the　meantime　I　will　go　to　Ithaca；
to　put　heart　into　Ulysses'　son　Telemachus；　I　will　embolden　him　to　call
the　Achaeans　in　assembly；　and　speak　out　to　the　suitors　of　his　mother
Penelope；　who　persist　in　eating　up　any　number　of　his　sheep　and　oxen；　I
will　also　conduct　him　to　Sparta　and　to　Pylos；　to　see　if　he　can　hear
anything　about　the　return　of　his　dear　father…　for　this　will　make
people　speak　well　of　him。〃
　　So　saying　she　bound　on　her　glittering　golden　sandals；
imperishable；　with　which　she　can　fly　like　the　wind　over　land　or　sea；
she　grasped　the　redoubtable　bronze…shod　spear；　so　stout　and　sturdy　and
strong；　wherewith　she　quells　the　ranks　of　heroes　who　have　displeased
her；　and　down　she　darted　from　the　topmost　summits　of　Olympus；
whereon　forthwith　she　was　in　Ithaca；　at　the　gateway　of　Ulysses'　house；
disguised　as　a　visitor；　Mentes；　chief　of　the　Taphians；　and　she　held
a　bronze　spear　in　her　hand。　There　she　found　the　lordly　suitors
seated　on　hides　of　the　oxen　which　they　had　killed　and　eaten；　and
playing　draughts　in　front　of　the　house。　Men…servants　and　pages　were
bustling　about　to　wait　upon　them；　some　mixing　wine　with　water　in　the
mixing…bowls；　some　cleaning　down　the　tables　with　wet　sponges　and
laying　them　out　again；　and　some　cutting　up　great　quantities　of　meat。
　　Telemachus　saw　her　long　before　any　one　else　did。　He　was　sitting
moodily　among　the　suitors　thinking　about　his　brave　father；　and　how
he　would　send　them　flying　out　of　the　house；　if　he　were　to　come　to
his　own　again　and　be　honoured　as　in　days　gone　by。　Thus　brooding　as
he　sat　among　them；　he　caught　sight　of　Minerva　and　went　straight　to　the
gate；　for　he　was　vexed　that　a　stranger　should　be　kept　waiting　for
admittance。　He　took　her　right　hand　in　his　own；　and　bade　her　give　him
her　spear。　〃Welcome；〃　said　he；　〃to　our　house；　and　when　you　have
partaken　of　food　you　shall　tell　us　what　you　have　come　for。〃
　　He　led　the　way　as　he　spoke；　and　Minerva　followed　him。　When　they　were
within　he　took　her　spear　and　set　it　in　the　spear…　stand　against　a
strong　bearing…post　along　with　the　many　other　spears　of　his　unhappy
father；　and　he　conducted　her　to　a　richly　decorated　seat　under　which　he
threw　a　cloth　of　damask。　There　was　a　footstool　also　for　her　feet；
and　he　set　another　seat　near　her　for　himself；　away　from　the　suitors；
that　she　might　not　be　annoyed　while　eating　by　their　noise　and
insolence；　and　that　he　might　ask　her　more　freely　about　his　father。
　　A　maid　servant　then　brought　them　water　in　a　beautiful　golden　ewer
and　poured　it　into　a　silver　basin　for　them　to　wash　their　hands；　and
she　drew　a　clean　table　beside　them。　An　upper　servant　brought　them
bread；　and　offered　them　many　good　things　of　what　there　was　in　the
house；　the　carver　fetched　them　plates　of　all　manner　of　meats　and　set
cups　of　gold　by　their　side；　and　a　man…servant　brought　them　wine　and
poured　it　out　for　them。
　　Then　the　suitors　came　in　and　took　their　places　on　the　benches　and
seats。　Forthwith　men　servants　poured　water　over　their　hands；　maids
went　round　with　the　bread…baskets；　pages　filled　the　mixing…bowls
with　wine　and　water；　and　they　laid　their　hands　upon　the　good　things
that　were　before　them。　As　soon　as　they　had　had　enough　to　eat　and　drink
they　wanted　music　and　dancing；　which　are　the　crowning　embellishments
of　a　banquet；　so　a　servant　brought　a　lyre　to　Phemius；　whom　they
compelled　perforce　to　sing　to　them。　As　soon　as　he　touched　his　lyre　and
began　to　sing　Telemachus　spoke　low　to　Minerva；　with　his　head　close
to　hers　that　no　man　might　hear。
　　〃I　hope；　sir；〃　said　he；　〃that　you　will　not　be　offended　with　what　I
am　going　to　say。　Singing　comes　cheap　to　those　who　do　not　pay　for　it；
and　all　this　is　done　at　the　cost　of　one　whose　bones　lie　rotting　in
some　wilderness　or　grinding　to　powder　in　the　surf。　If　these　men　were
to　see　my　father　come　back　to　Ithaca　they　would　pray　for　longer　legs
rather　than　a　longer　purse；　for　money　would　not　serve　them；　but　he；
alas；　has　fallen　on　an　ill　fate；　and　even　when　people　do　sometimes　say
that　he　is　coming；　we　no　longer　heed　them；　we　shall　never　see　him
again。　And　now；　sir；　tell　me　and　tell　me　true；　who　you　are　and　where
you　come　from。　Tell　me　of　your　town　and　parents；　what　manner　of　ship
you　came　in；　how　your　crew　brought　you　to　Ithaca；　and　of　what　nation
they　declared　themselves　to　be…　for　you　cannot　have　come　by　land。　Tell
me　also　truly；　for　I　want　to　know；　are　you　a　stranger　to　this　house；
or　have　you　been　here　in　my　father's　time？　In　the　old　days　we　had　many
visitors　for　my　father　went　about　much　himself。〃
　　And　Minerva　answered；　〃I　will　tell　you　truly　and　particularly　all
about　it。　I　am　Mentes；　son　of　Anchialus；　and　I　am　King　of　the
Taphians。　I　have　come　here　with　my　ship　and　crew；　on　a　voyage　to　men
of　a　foreign　tongue　being　bound　for　Temesa　with　a　cargo　of　iron；　and　I
shall　bring　back　copper。　As　for　my　ship；　it　lies　over　yonder　off　the
open　country　away　from　the　town；　in　the　harbour　Rheithron　under　the
wooded　mountain　Neri