第 9 节
作者:
连过十一人 更新:2021-02-27 01:34 字数:9322
a single hound; the cunningest at scenting of the pack。 'If it be winter; the
hour will be sunrise; or if summer; before day…dawn; and in the other
seasons at some hour midway。' As soon as the hound has unravelled the
true line'21' he will let slip another; and then; if these carry on the line; at
rapid intervals he will slip the others one by one; and himself follow;
without too great hurry;'22' addressing each of the dogs by name every
now and then; but not too frequently; for fear of over…exciting them before
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the proper moment。
'17' {emelemenen} = neglige; plain; unpretentious。
'18' Pollux; v。 18。
'19' Al。 〃intent on the working of the pack。〃
'20' 〃To thee thy share of this chase; Lord Apollo; and thine to thee;
O Huntress Queen!〃
'21' Or; 〃carries a line straight away from the many that interlace。〃
'22' Or; 〃without forcing the pace。〃
Meanwhile the hounds are busily at work; onwards they press with
eager spirit; disentangling the line; double or treble; as the case may be。'23'
To and fro they weave a curious web;'24' now across; now parallel with
the line;'25' whose threads are interlaced; here overlapped; and here
revolving in a circle; now straight; now crooked; here close; there rare; at
one time clear enough; at another dimly owned。 Past one another the
hounds jostletails waving fast; ears dropt; and eyes flashing。
'23' 〃Discovering two or three scents; as the case may be〃;
〃unravelling her line; be it single or double。〃
'24' {prophoreisthai} = {diazesthai}; Pollux; vii。 52。 Schneid。 cf。
Aristoph。 〃Birds;〃 4; {apoloumeth' allos ten odon prophoroumeno}。
Still up and down; old sinner; must we pace; 'Twill kill us both; this
vain; long; wearing race (Kennedy)。
'25' See Arrian; xx。 2。
But when they are really close to the hare they will make the matter
plain to the huntsman by various signsthe quivering of their bodies
backwards and forwards; sterns and all; the ardour meaning business; the
rush and emulaton; the hurry…scurry to be first; the patient following…up of
the whole pack; at one moment massed together; and at another separated;
and once again the steady onward rush。 At last they have reached the
hare's form; and are in the act to spring upon her。 But she on a sudden will
start up and bring about her ears the barking clamour of the whole pack as
she makes off full speed。 Then as the chase grows hot; the view halloo! of
the huntsman may be heard: 〃So ho; good hounds! that's she! cleverly now;
good hounds! so ho; good hounds!〃'26' And so; wrapping his cloak'27'
about his left arm; and snatching up his club; he joins the hounds in the
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race after the hare; taking care not to get in their way;'28' which would
stop proceedings。'29' The hare; once off; is quickly out of sight of her
pursuers; but; as a rule; will make a circuit back to the place where she
was found。'30'
'26' Reading {io kunes; io kunes; sophos ge o kunes; kalos ge o
kunes}。 Al。 {io kunes; io kakos} = 〃To her; dogs! that won't do!〃 〃Ho;
ho; Hunde! Ho; ho; falsch! Recht so; Hunde! schon so; Hunde!〃
(Lenz)。
'27' {o ampekhetai}; 〃the shawl or plaid which he carries on his
shoulders。〃 See Pollux; v。 10。
'28' 〃Not to head the chase。〃 Sir Alex。 Grant; 〃Xen。〃 p。 167。
'29' {aporon}; 〃which would be awkward〃 (see Arrian; xxv。 8)。
'30' 〃Where the nets are set;〃 Sir A。 Grant。 See his comment; l。c。
He must shout then to the keeper; 〃Mark her; boy; mark her! hey; lad!
hey; lad!〃 and the latter will make known whether the hare is caught or not。
Supposing the hare to be caught in her first ring; the huntsman has only to
call in the hounds and beat up another。 If not; his business is to follow up
the pack full speed; and not give in; but on through thick and through thin;
for toil is sweet。 And if again they chance upon her in the chevy;'31' his
cheery shout will be heard once more; 〃Right so! right so; hounds!
forward on; good hounds!〃
'31' {apantosi diokousai auton}; al。 〃come across the huntsman
again。〃
But if the pack have got too long a start of him; and he cannot overtake
them; however eagerly he follows up the huntperhaps he has altogether
missed the chase; or even if they are ranging close and giving tongue and
sticking to the scent; he cannot see themstill as he tears along he can
interrogate the passer…by: 〃Hilloa there; have you seen my hounds?〃 he
shouts; and having at length ascertained their whereabouts; if they are on
the line; he will post himself close by; and cheer them on; repeating turn
and turn about the name of every hound; and pitching the tone of his voice
sharp or deep; soft or loud; and besides all other familiar calls; if the chase
be on a hillside;'32' he can keep up their spirits with a constant 〃Well
done; good hounds! well done; good hounds! good hounds!〃 Or if any are
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at fault; having overshot the line; he will call to them; 〃Back; hounds! back;
will you! try back!〃
'32' Or; 〃if the chase sweeps over a mountain…side。〃
As soon as the hounds have got back to (where they missed) the
line;'33' he must cast them round; making many a circle to and fro; and
where the line fails; he should plant a stake'34' as a sign…post to guide the
eye; and so cast round the dogs from that point;'35' till they have found
the right scent; with coaxing and encouragement。 As soon as the line of
scent is clear;'36' off go the dogs; throwing themselves on to it; springing
from side to side; swarming together; conjecturing; and giving signs to one
another; and taking bearings'37' they will not mistakehelter…skelter off
they go in pursuit。 Once they dart off along the line of scent thus hotly; the
huntsman should keep up but without hurrying; or out of zeal they will
overshoot the line。 As soon as they are once more in close neighbourhood
of the hare; and once again have given their master clear indications of the
fact; then let him give what heed he can; she does not move off farther in
sheer terror of the hounds。
'33' {prosstosi}; al。 〃whenever they check。〃
'34' Al。 (1) 〃take a stake or one of the poles as a sign…post;〃 (2)
〃draw a line on the ground。〃
'35' {suneirein}。 Zeune cf。 〃Cyrop。〃 VII。 v。 6; 〃draw the dogs along
by the nets。〃 Blane。
'36' 〃As the scent grows warmer;〃 the translator in 〃Macmillan's
Mag。〃 above referred to。 Aristot。 〃H。 A。〃 ix。 44。 4。
'37' Lit。 〃fixing landmarks for themselves。〃
They meanwhile; with sterns wagging; tumbling and leaping over one
another's backs;'38' at intervals loudly giving tongue; and lifting up their
heads and peering into their master's face; as much as to say; 〃There is no
mistake about it this time;〃'39' will presently of themselves start the hare
and be after her full cry; with bark and clamour。'40' Thereupon; whether
the hare falls into the toils of the funnel net or rushes past outside or inside;
whatever incident betide; the net…keeper must with a shout proclaim the
fact。 Should the hare be caught; the huntsman has only to begin looking
for another; if not; he must follow up the chase once more with like
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encouragement。
'38' Or; 〃whisking their tails and frisking wildly; and jostling
against one another; and leaping over one another at a great rate。〃 Al。
〃over one obstacle; and then another。〃
'39' Or; 〃this is the true line at last。〃
'40' Al。 〃with a crash of tongues。〃
When at length the hounds show symptoms of fatigue; and it is already
late in the day; the time has come for the huntsman to look for his hare that
lies dead…beat; nor must he wittingly leave any patch of green or clod of
eart