第 37 节
作者:指点迷津      更新:2021-02-19 00:27      字数:9321
  of Minos; whom once Theseus forsook in the island of Dia; when she had
  followed him from Cnossus。            And when she had worked upon the heralds
  to induce her brother to come; as   soon as she reached the temple of the
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  goddess; according to the agreement; and the darkness of night surrounded
  them; that so she might devise with him a cunning plan for her to take the
  mighty fleece of gold and return to the home of Aeetes; for; she said; the
  sons of Phrixus had given her by force to the strangers to carry off; with
  such beguiling words she scattered to the air and the breezes her witching
  charms; which even from afar would have drawn down the savage beast
  from the steep mountain…height。
  (ll。  445…451)     Ruthless      Love;   great   bane;   great   curse   to  mankind;
  from thee come deadly strifes and lamentations and groans; and countless
  pains as well have their stormy birth from thee。              Arise; thou god; and arm
  thyself against the sons of our foes in such guise as when thou didst fill
  Medea's heart with accursed madness。                How then by evil doom did she
  slay Apsyrtus   when   he   came   to   meet   her?       For   that   must   our   song   tell
  next。
  (ll。 452…481)      When the heroes had left the maiden on the island of
  Artemis;   according   to   the   covenant;   both   sides   ran   their   ships   to   land
  separately。     And Jason went to the ambush to lie in wait for Apsyrtus and
  then for his comrades。          But he; beguiled by these dire promises; swiftly
  crossed the swell of the sea in his ship; and in dark night set foot on the
  sacred island; and faring all alone to meet her he made trial in speech of
  his   sister;   as   a   tender   child   tries   a   wintry   torrent   which   not   even   strong
  men can pass through; to see if she would devise some guile against the
  strangers。       And     so   they    two    agreed    together     on   everything;      and
  straightway Aeson's son leapt forth from the thick ambush; lifting his bare
  sword   in   his   hand;   and   quickly   the   maiden   turned   her   eyes   aside   and
  covered them with her veil that she might not see the blood of her brother
  when he was smitten。          And Jason marked him and struck him down; as a
  butcher   strikes   down   a   mighty   strong…horned   bull;   hard   by   the   temple
  which the Brygi on the mainland opposite had once built for Artemis。                      In
  its vestibule he fell on his knees; and at last the hero breathing out his life
  caught up in both hands the dark blood as it welled from the wound; and
  he   dyed   with   red   his   sister's   silvery   veil   and   robe   as   she   shrank   away。
  And with swift side…glance the irresistible pitiless Fury beheld the deadly
  deed they had done。 And the hero; Aeson's son; cut off the extremities of
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  the    dead    man;    and   thrice   licked    up   some    blood    and    thrice   spat   the
  pollution from his teeth; as it is right for the slayer to do; to atone for a
  treacherous murder。          And the clammy corpse he hid in the ground where
  even now those bones lie among the Apsyrtians。
  (ll。   481…494)     Now   as   soon   as   the   heroes   saw   the   blaze   of   a   torch;
  which the maiden raised for them as a sign to pursue; they laid their own
  ship   near   the   Colchian   ship;   and   they   slaughtered   the   Colchian   host;   as
  kites slay the tribes of wood…pigeons; or as lions of the wold; when they
  have leapt amid the steading; drive a great flock of sheep huddled together。
  Nor did one of them escape death; but the heroes rushed upon the whole
  crew; destroying them like a flame; and at last Jason met them; and was
  eager   to   give   aid   where   none   was   needed;   but   already  they  were   taking
  thought for him too。         Thereupon they sat to devise some) prudent counsel
  for their voyage; and the maiden came upon them as they pondered; but
  Peleus spake his word first:
  (ll。 495…502)       〃I now bid you embark while it is still night; and take
  with your oars the passage opposite to that which the enemy guards; for at
  dawn   when   they   see   their   plight   I   deem   that   no   word   urging   to   further
  pursuit of us will prevail with them; but as people bereft of their king; they
  will be scattered in grievous dissension。              And easy; when the people are
  scattered; will this path be for us on our return。〃
  (ll。 503…506)       Thus he spake; and the youths assented to the words of
  Aeacus' son。        And quickly they entered the ship; and toiled at their oars
  unceasingly   until   they   reached   the   sacred   isle   of   Electra;   the   highest   of
  them all; near the river Eridanus。
  (ll。 507…521)      But when the Colchians learnt the death of their prince;
  verily   they   were   eager   to   pursue Argo   and   the   Minyans   through   all   the
  Cronian   sea。      But   Hera   restrained   them   by   terrible   lightnings   from   the
  sky。    And   at   last   they   loathed     their   own   homes   in   the   Cytaean      land;
  quailing   before   Aeetes'   fierce   wrath;   so   they   landed   and   made   abiding
  homes there; scattered far and wide。              Some set foot on those very islands
  where   the   heroes   had   stayed;   and   they  still   dwell   there;   bearing   a   name
  derived   from Apsyrtus;   and   others   built   a   fenced   city   by   the   dark   deep
  Illyrian    river;   where    is  the  tomb     of  Harmonia      and    Cadmus;      dwelling
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  among   the   Encheleans;   and   others   live   amid   the   mountains   which   are
  called   the   Thunderers;   from   the   day   when   the   thunders   of   Zeus;   son   of
  Cronos; prevented them from crossing over to the island opposite。
  (ll。   522…551)     Now   the   heroes;   when   their   return        seemed   safe   for
  them; fared onward and made their hawsers fast to the land of the Hylleans。
  For the islands lay thick in the river and made the path dangerous for those
  who sailed thereby。         Nor; as aforetime; did the Hylleans devise their hurt;
  but   of   their   own   accord   furthered   their   passage;   winning   as   guerdon   a
  mighty tripod of Apollo。           For tripods twain had Phoebus given to Aeson's
  son to carry afar in the voyage he had to make; at the time when he went
  to sacred Pytho to enquire about this very voyage; and it was ordained by
  fate that in whatever land they should be placed; that land should never be
  ravaged by the attacks of foemen。 Therefore even now this tripod is hidden
  in that land near the pleasant city of Hyllus; far beneath the earth; that it
  may   ever   be   unseen   by   mortals。       Yet   they   found   not   King   Hyllus   still
  alive   in   the   land;   whom   fair   Melite   bare   to   Heracles   in   the   land   of   the
  Phaeacians。       For he came to the abode of Nausithous and to Macris; the
  nurse   of   Dionysus;      to   cleanse   himself     from   the   deadly   murder   of     his
  children;     here    he   loved    and   overcame       the  water    nymph      Melite;    the
  daughter of the river Aegaeus; and she bare mighty Hyllus。                      But when he
  had   grown   up   he   desired   not   to   dwell   in   that   island   under   the   rule   of
  Nausithous the king; but he collected a host of native Phaeacians and came
  to the  Cronian sea;   for  the  hero   King   Nausithous   aided   his   journey;  and
  there he settled; and the Mentores slew him as he was fighting for the oxen
  of his field。
  (ll。 552…556)      Now; goddesses; say how it is that beyond this sea; near
  the land of Ausonia and the Ligystian isles; which are called Stoechades;
  the   mighty   tracks   of   the    ship   Argo   are   clearly   sung   of?     What      great
  constraint   and   need   brought   the   heroes   so   far?        What   breezes   wafted
  them?
  (ll。   557…591)     When Apsyrtus   had   fallen   in   mighty   overthrow   Zeus
  himself; king of gods; was seized with wrath at what they had done。                        And
  he   ordained   that   by   the   counsels   of   Aeaean   Circe   they   should   cleanse
  themselves   from   the   terrible   stain   of   blood   and   suffer   countless   woes
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  before their return。