第 18 节
作者:
希望之舟 更新:2021-02-19 01:13 字数:9322
Take me to OEnone; the nymph of Mount Ida!〃
〃Then his friends laid Paris on a litter; and bore him up the steep
path to Mount Ida。 Often had he climbed it swiftly; when he was
young; and went to see the nymph who loved him; but for many a day
he had not trod the path where he was now carried in great pain and
fear; for the poison turned his blood to fire。 Little hope he had;
for he knew how cruelly he had deserted OEnone; and he saw that all
the birds which were disturbed in the wood flew away to the left
hand; an omen of evil。
At last the bearers reached the cave where the nymph OEnone lived;
and they smelled the sweet fragrance of the cedar fire that burned
on the floor of the cave; and they heard the nymph singing a
melancholy song。 Then Paris called to her in the voice which she
had once loved to hear; and she grew very pale; and rose up; saying
to herself; 〃The day has come for which I have prayed。 He is sore
hurt; and has come to bid me heal his wound。〃 So she came and
stood in the doorway of the dark cave; white against the darkness;
and the bearers laid Paris on the litter at the feet of OEnone; and
he stretched forth his hands to touch her knees; as was the manner
of suppliants。 But she drew back and gathered her robe about her;
that he might not touch it with his hands。
Then he said: 〃Lady; despise me not; and hate me not; for my pain
is more than I can bear。 Truly it was by no will of mine that I
left you lonely here; for the Fates that no man may escape led me
to Helen。 Would that I had died in your arms before I saw her
face! But now I beseech you in the name of the Gods; and for the
memory of our love; that you will have pity on me and heal my hurt;
and not refuse your grace and let me die here at your feet。〃
Then OEnone answered scornfully: 〃Why have you come here to me?
Surely for years you have not come this way; where the path was
once worn with your feet。 But long ago you left me lonely and
lamenting; for the love of Helen of the fair hands。 Surely she is
much more beautiful than the love of your youth; and far more able
to help you; for men say that she can never know old age and death。
Go home to Helen and let her take away your pain。〃
Thus OEnone spoke; and went within the cave; where she threw
herself down among the ashes of the hearth and sobbed for anger and
sorrow。 In a little while she rose and went to the door of the
cave; thinking that Paris had not been borne away back to Troy; but
she found him not; for his bearers had carried him by another path;
till he died beneath the boughs of the oak trees。 Then his bearers
carried him swiftly down to Troy; where his mother bewailed him;
and Helen sang over him as she had sung over Hector; remembering
many things; and fearing to think of what her own end might be。
But the Trojans hastily built a great pile of dry wood; and thereon
laid the body of Paris and set fire to it; and the flame went up
through the darkness; for now night had fallen。
But OEnone was roaming in the dark woods; crying and calling after
Paris; like a lioness whose cubs the hunters have carried away。
The moon rose to give her light; and the flame of the funeral fire
shone against the sky; and then OEnone knew that Paris had died
beautiful Parisand that the Trojans were burning his body on the
plain at the foot of Mount Ida。 Then she cried that now Paris was
all her own; and that Helen had no more hold on him: 〃And though
when he was living he left me; in death we shall not be divided;〃
she said; and she sped down the hill; and through the thickets
where the wood nymphs were wailing for Paris; and she reached the
plain; and; covering her head with her veil like a bride; she
rushed through the throng of Trojans。 She leaped upon the burning
pile of wood; she clasped the body of Paris in her arms; and the
flame of fire consumed the bridegroom and the bride; and their
ashes mingled。 No man could divide them any more; and the ashes
were placed in a golden cup; within a chamber of stone; and the
earth was mounded above them。 On that grave the wood nymphs
planted two rose trees; and their branches met and plaited
together。
This was the end of Paris and OEnone。
HOW ULYSSES INVENTED THE DEVICE OF THE HORSE OF TREE
After Paris died; Helen was not given back to Menelaus。 We are
often told that only fear of the anger of Paris had prevented the
Trojans from surrendering Helen and making peace。 Now Paris could
not terrify them; yet for all that the men of the town would not
part with Helen; whether because she was so beautiful; or because
they thought it dishonourable to yield her to the Greeks; who might
put her to a cruel death。 So Helen was taken by Deiphobus; the
brother of Paris; to live in his own house; and Deiphobus was at
this time the best warrior and the chief captain of the men of
Troy。
Meanwhile; the Greeks made an assault against the Trojan walls and
fought long and hardily; but; being safe behind the battlements;
and shooting through loopholes; the Trojans drove them back with
loss of many of their men。 It was in vain that Philoctetes shot
his poisoned arrows; they fell back from the stone walls; or stuck
in the palisades of wood above the walls; and the Greeks who tried
to climb over were speared; or crushed with heavy stones。 When
night fell; they retreated to the ships and held a council; and; as
usual; they asked the advice of the prophet Calchas。 It was the
business of Calchas to go about looking at birds; and taking omens
from what he saw them doing; a way of prophesying which the Romans
also used; and some savages do the same to this day。 Calchas said
that yesterday he had seen a hawk pursuing a dove; which hid
herself in a hole in a rocky cliff。 For a long while the hawk
tried to find the hole; and follow the dove into it; but he could
not reach her。 So he flew away for a short distance and hid
himself; then the dove fluttered out into the sunlight; and the
hawk swooped on her and killed her。
The Greeks; said Calchas; ought to learn a lesson from the hawk;
and take Troy by cunning; as by force they could do nothing。 Then
Ulysses stood up and described a trick which it is not easy to
understand。 The Greeks; he said; ought to make an enormous hollow
horse of wood; and place the bravest men in the horse。 Then all
the rest of the Greeks should embark in their ships and sail to the
Isle of Tenedos; and lie hidden behind the island。 The Trojans
would then come out of the city; like the dove out of her hole in
the rock; and would wander about the Greek camp; and wonder why the
great horse of tree had been made; and why it had been left behind。
Lest they should set fire to the horse; when they would soon have
found out the warriors hidden in it; a cunning Greek; whom the
Trojans did not know by sight; should be left in the camp or near
it。 He would tell the Trojans that the Greeks had given up all
hope and gone home; and he was to say that they feared the Goddess
Pallas was angry with them; because they had stolen her image that
fell from heaven; and was called the Luck of Troy。 To soothe
Pallas and prevent her from sending great storms against the ships;
the Trojans (so the man was to say) had built this wooden horse as
an offering to the Goddess。 The Trojans; believing this story;
would drag the horse into Troy; and; in the night; the princes
would come out; set fire to the city; and open the gates to the
army; which would return from Tenedos as soon as darkness came on。
The prophet was much pleased with the plan of Ulysses; and; as two
birds happened to fly away on the right hand; he declared that the
stratagem would certainly be lucky。 Neoptolemus; on the other
hand; voted for taking Troy; without any trick; by sheer hard
fighting。 Ulysses replied that if Achilles could not do that; it
could not be done at all; and that Epeius; a famous carpenter; had
better set about making the horse at once。
Next day half the army; with axes in their hands; were sent to cut
down trees on Mount Ida; and thousands of planks were cut from the
trees by Epeius and his workmen; and in three days he had finished
the horse。 Ulysses then asked the best of the Greeks to come
forward and go inside the machine; while one; whom the Greeks did
not know by sight; should volunteer to stay behind in the camp and
deceive the Trojans。 Then a young man called Sinon stood up and
said that he would risk himself and take the chance that the
Trojans might disbelieve him; and burn him alive。 Certainly; none
of the Greeks did anything more courageous; yet Sinon had not been
considered brave。
Had he fought in the front ranks; the Trojans would have known him;
but there were many brave fighters who would not have dared to do
what Sinon undertook。
Then old Nestor was the first that volunteered to go into the
horse; but Neoptolemus said that; brave as he was; he was too old;
and that he must depart with the army to Tenedos。 Neoptolemus
himself would go into the horse; for he would rather die than turn
his back on Troy。 So Neoptolemus armed himself and climbed into
the horse; as did Menelaus; Ulysses; Diomede; Thrasyme