第 9 节
作者:水王      更新:2021-12-07 09:35      字数:9322
  suffers any thing evil to get into his nature; or to remain there; is a kind of
  Minotaur; an enemy of his fellow…creatures; and separated from all good
  companionship; as this poor monster was。
  Was Theseus afraid? By no means; my dear auditors。 What! a hero like
  Theseus afraid; Not had the Minotaur had twenty bull…heads instead of one。
  Bold   as   he   was;   however;   I   rather   fancy   that   it   strengthened   his   valiant
  heart; just at this crisis; to feel a tremulous twitch at the silken cord; which
  he was still holding in his left hand。 It was as if Ariadne were giving him
  all her might and courage; and much as he already had; and little as she
  had   to   give;   it   made   his   own   seem   twice   as   much。  And   to   confess   the
  honest truth; he needed the whole; for now the Minotaur; turning suddenly
  about;   caught   sight   of   Theseus;   and   instantly   lowered   his   horribly   sharp
  horns; exactly as a mad bull does when he means to rush against an enemy。
  At the same time; he belched forth a tremendous roar; in which there was
  something like the words of human language; but all disjointed and shaken
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  to pieces by passing through the gullet of a miserably enraged brute。
  Theseus could only guess what the creature intended to say; and that
  rather    by  his   gestures   than   his  words;    for  the   Minotaur's    horns    were
  sharper   than   his   wits;   and   of   a   great   deal   more   service   to   him   than   his
  tongue。 But probably this was the sense of what he uttered:
  〃Ah;  wretch of   a   human   being!   I'll   stick   my  horns   through   you;   and
  toss you fifty feet high; and eat you up the moment you come down。〃
  〃Come on; then; and try it!〃 was all that Theseus deigned to reply; for
  he was far too magnanimous to assault his enemy with insolent language。
  Without more words on either side; there ensued the most awful fight
  between Theseus and the Minotaur that ever happened beneath the sun or
  moon。 I really know not how it might have turned out; if the monster; in
  his   first   headlong   rush  against Theseus;   had   not   missed   him;  by   a   hair's
  breadth; and broken one of his horns short off against the stone wall。 On
  this mishap; he bellowed so intolerably that a part of the labyrinth tumbled
  down;      and   all   the   inhabitants    of   Crete    mistook     the   noise   for   an
  uncommonly   heavy   thunder   storm。   Smarting   with   the   pain;   he   galloped
  around the open space in so ridiculous a way that Theseus laughed at it;
  long afterwards;  though not precisely  at the  moment。 After this; the two
  antagonists stood valiantly up to one another; and fought; sword to horn;
  for a long while。 At last; the Minotaur made a run at Theseus; grazed his
  left   side   with   his   horn;   and   flung   him   down;   and   thinking   that   he   had
  stabbed him to the heart; he cut a great caper in the air; opened his bull
  mouth from ear to ear; and prepared to snap his head off。 But Theseus by
  this time had leaped up; and caught the monster off his guard。 Fetching a
  sword stroke at him with all his force; he hit him fair upon the neck; and
  made his bull head skip six yards from his human body; which fell down
  flat upon the ground。
  So   now   the   battle   was   ended。   Immediately   the   moon   shone   out   as
  brightly as if all the troubles of the world; and all the wickedness and the
  ugliness that infest human life; were past and gone forever。 And Theseus;
  as he leaned on his sword; taking breath; felt another twitch of the silken
  cord; for all through the terrible encounter; he had held it fast in his left
  hand。 Eager to let Ariadne know of his success; he followed the guidance
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  of the thread; and soon found himself at the entrance of the labyrinth。
  〃Thou hast slain the monster;〃 cried Ariadne; clasping her hands。
  〃Thanks       to   thee;   dear    Ariadne;〃     answered      Theseus;      〃I   return
  victorious。〃
  〃Then;〃 said Ariadne; 〃we must quickly summon thy friends; and get
  them and thyself on board the vessel before dawn。 If morning finds thee
  here; my father will avenge the Minotaur。〃
  To make my story short; the poor captives were awakened; and; hardly
  knowing whether it was not a joyful dream; were told of what Theseus had
  done;  and   that they   must   set   sail   for Athens   before   daybreak。   Hastening
  down to the vessel; they all clambered on board; except Prince Theseus;
  who lingered behind them on the strand; holding Ariadne's hand clasped in
  his own。
  〃Dear   maiden;〃   said   he;   〃thou   wilt   surely   go   with   us。   Thou   art   too
  gentle and sweet a child for such an iron…hearted father as King Minos。 He
  cares no more for thee than a granite rock cares for the little flower that
  grows   in   one   of   its   crevices。   But   my   father;   King Aegeus;   and   my   dear
  mother; Aethra; and all the fathers and mothers in Athens; and all the sons
  and   daughters   too;  will love and   honor thee   as   their   benefactress。   Come
  with   us;   then;   for   King   Minos   will   be   very   angry   when   he   knows   what
  thou hast done。〃
  Now;     some    low…minded       people;    who    pretend    to  tell  the  story   of
  Theseus and Ariadne; have   the   face   to say  that   this   royal   and   honorable
  maiden   did   really   flee   away;   under   cover   of   the   night;   with   the   young
  stranger whose life she had preserved。 They say; too; that Prince Theseus
  (who   would   have   died   sooner   than   wrong   the   meanest   creature   in   the
  world) ungratefully deserted Ariadne; on a solitary island; where the vessel
  touched on its voyage to Athens。 But; had the noble Theseus heard these
  falsehoods; he would have served their slanderous authors as he served the
  Minotaur!      Here    is  what   Ariadne     answered;     when    the  brave    prince   of
  Athens besought her to accompany him:
  〃No; Theseus;〃 the maiden said; pressing his hand; and then drawing
  back   a   step   or   two;   〃I   cannot   go   with   you。   My   father   is   old;   and   has
  nobody but myself to love him。 Hard as you think his heart is; it would
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  break   to   lose   me。 At   first;   King   Minos   will   be   angry;   but   he   will   soon
  forgive his only child; and; by and by; he will rejoice; I know; that no more
  youths     and    maidens     must    come    from    Athens     to  be   devoured     by   the
  Minotaur。 I have saved you; Theseus; as much for my father's sake as for
  your own。 Farewell! Heaven bless you!〃
  All this was so true; and so maiden…like; and was spoken with so sweet
  a   dignity;    that  Theseus     would     have    blushed     to  urge   her   any    longer。
  Nothing   remained   for   him;   therefore;   but   to   bid Ariadne   an   affectionate
  farewell; and to go on board the vessel; and set sail。
  In a few moments the white foam was boiling up before their prow; as
  Prince     Theseus     and   his   companions       sailed   out   of  the   harbor;   with    a
  whistling      breeze    behind    them。    Talus;   the   brazen    giant;   on   his  never…
  ceasing sentinel's march; happened to be approaching that part of the coast;
  and they saw him; by the glimmering of the moonbeams on his polished
  surface;   while   he   was      yet   a   great  way   off。   As  the   figure   moved     like
  clockwork;   however;   and   could   neither   hasten   his   enormous   strides   nor
  retard them; he arrived at the port when they were just beyond the reach of
  his    club。   Nevertheless;      straddling    from    headland      to  headland;     as   his
  custom      was;    Talus    attempted      to   strike   a  blow     at  the   vessel;    and;
  overreaching himself; tumbled at full length into the sea; which splashed
  high over his gigantic shape; as when an iceberg turns a somerset。 There
  he lies yet; and whoever desires to enrich himself by means of brass had
  better go thither with a diving bell; and fish up Talus。
  On   the   homeward   voyage;   the   fourteen   youths   and   damsels   were   in
  excellent spirits; as you will easily suppose。 They spent most of their time
  in dancing; unless when the sidelong breeze made the deck slope too much。
  In due season; they  came   within sight   of the   coast   of Attica;   which   was
  their  native   country。   But   here;   I   am   grieved   to   tell   yo