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