第 16 节
作者:
希望之舟 更新:2021-02-19 01:13 字数:9322
whole army of the Greeks。 Let no man blame me; or be angry with
me; for I have not sought for wealth; to enrich myself; but for
honour only; and to win a name that will be remembered among men in
times to come。〃 Then they made a great fire of wood; and burned
the body of Aias; lamenting him as they had sorrowed for Achilles。
Now it seemed that though the Greeks had won the Luck of Troy and
had defeated the Amazons and the army of Memnon; they were no
nearer taking Troy than ever。 They had slain Hector; indeed; and
many other Trojans; but they had lost the great Achilles; and Aias;
and Patroclus; and Antilochus; with the princes whom Penthesilea
and Memnon slew; and the bands of the dead chiefs were weary of
fighting; and eager to go home。 The chiefs met in council; and
Menelaus arose and said that his heart was wasted with sorrow for
the death of so many brave men who had sailed to Troy for his sake。
〃Would that death had come upon me before I gathered this host;〃 he
said; 〃but come; let the rest of us launch our swift ships; and
return each to our own country。〃
He spoke thus to try the Greeks; and see of what courage they were;
for his desire was still to burn Troy town and to slay Paris with
his own hand。 Then up rose Diomede; and swore that never would the
Greeks turn cowards。 No! he bade them sharpen their swords; and
make ready for battle。 The prophet Calchas; too; arose and
reminded the Greeks how he had always foretold that they would take
Troy in the tenth year of the siege; and how the tenth year had
come; and victory was almost in their hands。 Next Ulysses stood up
and said that; though Achilles was dead; and there was no prince to
lead his men; yet a son had been born to Achilles; while he was in
the isle of Scyros; and that son he would bring to fill his
father's place。
〃Surely he will come; and for a token I will carry to him those
unhappy arms of the great Achilles。 Unworthy am I to wear them;
and they bring back to my mind our sorrow for Aias。 But his son
will wear them; in the front of the spearmen of Greece and in the
thickest ranks of Troy shall the helmet of Achilles shine; as it
was wont to do; for always he fought among the foremost。〃 Thus
Ulysses spoke; and he and Diomede; with fifty oarsmen; went on
board a swift ship; and sitting all in order on the benches they
smote the grey sea into foam; and Ulysses held the helm and steered
them towards the isle of Scyros。
Now the Trojans had rest from war for a while; and Priam; with a
heavy heart; bade men take his chief treasure; the great golden
vine; with leaves and clusters of gold; and carry it to the mother
of Eurypylus; the king of the people who dwell where the wide
marshlands of the river Cayster clang with the cries of the cranes
and herons and wild swans。 For the mother of Eurypylus had sworn
that never would she let her son go to the war unless Priam sent
her the vine of gold; a gift of the gods to an ancient King of
Troy。
With a heavy heart; then; Priam sent the golden vine; but Eurypylus
was glad when he saw it; and bade all his men arm; and harness the
horses to the chariots; and glad were the Trojans when the long
line of the new army wound along the road and into the town。 Then
Paris welcomed Eurypylus who was his nephew; son of his sister
Astyoche; a daughter of Priam; but the grandfather of Eurypylus was
the famous Heracles; the strongest man who ever lived on earth。 So
Paris brought Eurypylus to his house; where Helen sat working at
her embroideries with her four bower maidens; and Eurypylus
marvelled when he saw her; she was so beautiful。 But the Khita;
the people of Eurypylus; feasted in the open air among the Trojans;
by the light of great fires burning; and to the music of pipes and
flutes。 The Greeks saw the fires; and heard the merry music; and
they watched all night lest the Trojans should attack the ships
before the dawn。 But in the dawn Eurypylus rose from sleep and put
on his armour; and hung from his neck by the belt the great shield
on which were fashioned; in gold of many colours and in silver; the
Twelve Adventures of Heracles; his grandfather; strange deeds that
he did; fighting with monsters and giants and with the Hound of
Hades; who guards the dwellings of the dead。 Then Eurypylus led on
his whole army; and with the brothers of Hector he charged against
the Greeks; who were led by Agamemnon。
In that battle Eurypylus first smote Nireus; who was the most
beautiful of the Greeks now that Achilles had fallen。 There lay
Nireus; like an apple tree; all covered with blossoms red and
white; that the wind has overthrown in a rich man's orchard。 Then
Eurypylus would have stripped off his armour; but Machaon rushed
in; Machaon who had been wounded and taken to the tent of Nestor;
on the day of the Valour of Hector; when he brought fire against
the ships。 Machaon drove his spear through the left shoulder of
Eurypylus; but Eurypylus struck at his shoulder with his sword; and
the blood flowed; nevertheless; Machaon stooped; and grasped a
great stone; and sent it against the helmet of Eurypylus。 He was
shaken; but he did not fall; he drove his spear through breastplate
and breast of Machaon; who fell and died。 With his last breath he
said; 〃Thou; too; shalt fall;〃 but Eurypylus made answer; 〃So let
it be! Men cannot live for ever; and such is the fortune of war。〃
Thus the battle rang; and shone; and shifted; till few of the
Greeks kept steadfast; except those with Menelaus and Agamemnon;
for Diomede and Ulysses were far away upon the sea; bringing from
Scyros the son of Achilles。 But Teucer slew Polydamas; who had
warned Hector to come within the walls of Troy; and Menelaus
wounded Deiphobus; the bravest of the sons of Priam who were still
in arms; for many had fallen; and Agamemnon slew certain spearmen
of the Trojans。 Round Eurypylus fought Paris; and Aeneas; who
wounded Teucer with a great stone; breaking in his helmet; but he
drove back in his chariot to the ships。 Menelaus and Agamemnon
stood alone and fought in the crowd of Trojans; like two wild boars
that a circle of hunters surrounds with spears; so fiercely they
stood at bay。 There they would both have fallen; but Idomeneus;
and Meriones of Crete; and Thrasymedes; Nestor's son; ran to their
rescue; and fiercer grew the fighting。 Eurypylus desired to slay
Agamemnon and Menelaus; and end the war; but; as the spears of the
Scots encompassed King James at Flodden Field till he ran forward;
and fell within a lance's length of the English general; so the men
of Crete and Pylos guarded the two princes with their spears。
There Paris was wounded in the thigh with a spear; and he retreated
a little way; and showered his arrows among the Greeks; and
Idomeneus lifted and hurled a great stone at Eurypylus which struck
his spear out of his hand; and he went back to find it; and
Menelaus and Agamemnon had a breathing space in the battle。 But
soon Eurypylus returned; crying on his men; and they drove back
foot by foot the ring of spears round Agamemnon; and Aeneas and
Paris slew men of Crete and of Mycenae till the Greeks were pushed
to the ditch round the camp; and then great stones and spears and
arrows rained down on the Trojans and the people of Eurypylus from
the battlements and towers of the Grecian wall。 Now night fell;
and Eurypylus knew that he could not win the wall in the dark; so
he withdrew his men; and they built great fires; and camped upon
the plain。
The case of the Greeks was now like that of the Trojans after the
death of Hector。 They buried Machaon and the other chiefs who had
fallen; and they remained within their ditch and their wall; for
they dared not come out into the open plain。 They knew not whether
Ulysses and Diomede had come safely to Scyros; or whether their
ship had been wrecked or driven into unknown seas。 So they sent a
herald to Eurypylus; asking for a truce; that they might gather
their dead and burn them; and the Trojans and Khita also buried
their dead。
Meanwhile the swift ship of Ulysses had swept through the sea to
Scyros; and to the palace of King Lycomedes。 There they found
Neoptolemus; the son of Achilles; in the court before the doors。
He was as tall as his father; and very like him in face and shape;
and he was practising the throwing of the spear at a mark。 Right
glad were Ulysses and Diomede to behold him; and Ulysses told
Neoptolemus who they were; and why they came; and implored him to
take pity on the Greeks and help them。
〃My friend is Diomede; Prince of Argos;〃 said Ulysses; 〃and I am
Ulysses of Ithaca。 Come with us; and we Greeks will give you
countless gifts; and I myself will present you with the armour of
your father; such as it is not lawful for any other mortal man to
wear; seeing that it is golden; and wrought by the hands of a God。
Moreover; when we have taken Troy; and gone home; Menelaus will
give you his daughter; the beautiful Hermione; to be your wife;
with gold in great plenty。〃
Then Neoptolemus answered: 〃It is enough that the Greeks need my
sword。 To…morrow we shall sail for Troy。〃 He led them into the
palace to dine; and there they foun