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Book 21

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Book 23

Book 24

BOOK XXI

The fight between Achilles and the river Scamander—The gods fight among themselves—Achilles drives the Trojans within their gates 门.

NOW when they came to the ford of the full-flowing river Xanthus, begotten of immortal 不朽 Jove, Achilles cut their forces in two: one half he chased 追 over the plain towards the city by the same way that the Achaeans had taken when flying panic 恐慌-stricken on the preceding 优于 day with Hector in full triumph 胜利; this way did they fly pell-mell, and Juno sent send down a thick mist 薄雾 in front of them to stay them. The other half were hemmed 下摆 in by the deep silver 银-eddying stream, and fell fall into it with a great uproar. The waters resounded 回响, and the banks rang again, as they swam 游泳:swim hither and thither with loud 响亮的 cries amid 际 the whirling 旋转 eddies. As locusts flying to a river before the blast 爆破 of a grass 草 fire—the flame 火焰 comes on and on till 到 at last it over‧take 超过 them and they huddle 乱堆 into the water—even so was the eddying stream of Xanthus filled with the uproar of men and horses, all struggling in confusion 混乱 before Achilles.

Forthwith the hero 英雄 left his spear 矛 upon the bank, leaning it against a tamarisk bush 灌木, and plunged 跳水 into the river like a god, armed with his sword 剑 only. Fell was his purpose as he hewed the Trojans down on every side. Their dying groans 呻吟 rose rise hideous 可怕 as the sword smote them, and the river ran red with blood. As when fish fly scared 惊恐 before a huge 巨大 dolphin 海豚, and fill every nook and corner of some fair haven—for he is sure to eat all he can catch—even so did the Trojans cower 奶牛 under the banks of the mighty 威武 river, and when Achilles' arms grew grow weary 厌倦 with killing them, he drew draw twelve 十二 youths alive 活的；有生命的 out of the water, to sacrifice 牺牲 in revenge 报仇 for Patroclus son of Menoetius. He drew them out like dazed 迷乱 fawns, bound 必定；跳 their hands behind them with the girdles of their own shirts 衬衫, and gave them over to his men to take back to the ships. Then he sprang into the river, thirsting for still further blood.

There he found Lycaon, son of Priam seed of Dardanus, as he was escaping out of the water; he it was whom 谁 he had once taken prisoner 犯人，囚犯 when he was in his father's vine‧yard 葡萄园, having set upon him by night, as he was cutting young shoots from a wild fig 图-tree to make the wicker sides of a chariot. Achilles then caught catch him to his sorrow 悲痛 unawares 不知道, and sent him by sea to Lemnos, where the son of Jason bought buy him. But a guest-friend, Eetion of Imbros, freed him with a great sum 和, and sent him to Arisbe, whence he had escaped and returned to his father's house. He had spent spend eleven 十一 days happily with his friends after he had come from Lemnos, but on the twelfth heaven 天 again delivered him into the hands of Achilles, who was to send him to the house of Hades sorely 疼痛的 against his will. He was unarmed when Achilles caught sight of him, and had neither helmet 头盔 nor shield 盾; nor yet had he any spear 矛, for he had thrown throw all his armour from him on to the bank, and was sweating 流汗 with his struggles to get out of the river, so that his strength was now failing him.

Then Achilles said to himself in his surprise, "What marvel 奇迹 do I see here? If this man can come back alive 活的；有生命的 after having been sold sell over into Lemnos, I shall have the Trojans also whom 谁 I have slain rising from the world below. Could not even the waters of the grey 灰色:gray sea imprison 监禁 him, as they do many another whether he will or no? This time let him taste my spear 矛, that I may know for certain whether mother earth who can keep even a strong man down, will be able to hold him, or whether thence too he will return."

Thus did he pause 暂停 and ponder 思考. But Lycaon came up to him dazed 迷乱 and trying hard to embrace 拥抱 his knees, for he would fain live, not die. Achilles thrust 推力 at him with his spear 矛, meaning to kill him, but Lycaon ran crouching 蹲伏 up to him and caught his knees, whereby 因此 the spear 矛 passed over his back, and stuck stick in the ground grind, hungering 饿 though it was for blood. With one hand he caught Achilles' knees as he besought him, and with the other he clutched 离合器 the spear 矛 and would not let it go. Then he said, "Achilles, have mercy 宽容 upon me and spare 节省；多余的；备用件 me, for I am your suppliant. It was in your tents 帐篷 that I first broke break bread 面包 on the day when you took me prisoner 犯人，囚犯 in the vine‧yard 葡萄园; after which you sold me away to Lemnos far from my father and my friends, and I brought you the price of a hundred 百 oxen. I have paid three times as much to gain my freedom; it is but twelve 十二 days that I have come to Ilius after much suffering, and now cruel 残酷的 fate 命运 has again thrown me into your hands. Surely father Jove must hate me, that he has given me over to you a second time. Short of life indeed did my mother Laothoe bear me, daughter of aged Altes—of Altes who reigns 统治 over the war‧like 战争‧喜欢；象 Lelegae and holds steep 陡峭的 Pedasus on the river Satnioeis. Priam married his daughter along with many other women and two sons were born bear of her, both of whom 谁 you will have slain. Your spear 矛 slew noble 高尚的 Polydorus as he was fighting in the front ranks 排列, and now evil will here befall me, for I fear that I shall not escape you since heaven 天 has delivered me over to you. Further‧more 此外 I say, and lay lie my saying to your heart, spare 节省；多余的；备用件 me, for I am not of the same womb 子宫 as Hector who slew your brave 勇敢的 and noble comrade 同志."

With such words did the princely 王子 son of Priam beseech Achilles; but Achilles answered him sternly 严肃. "Idiot," said he, "talk not to me of ransom 赎金. Until Patroclus fell I preferred to give the Trojans quarter, and sold beyond the sea many of those whom 谁 I had taken alive; but now not a man shall live of those whom 4 heaven delivers into my hands before the city of Ilius—and of all Trojans it shall fare 票价 hardest with the sons of Priam. Therefore, my friend, you too shall die. Why should you whine 抱怨 in this way? Patroclus fell, and he was a better man than you are. I too—see you not how I am great and goodly? I am son to a noble 高尚的 father, and have a goddess 女神 for my mother, but the hands of doom 厄运 and death over‧shadow 掩盖 me all as surely. The day will come, either at dawn 黎明 or dark, or at the noon‧tide 正午‧潮汐, when one shall take my life also in battle, either with his spear 矛, or with an arrow 箭头；矢 sped from his bow 弓."

Thus did he speak, and Lycaon's heart sank 淹没:sink within him. He loosed his hold of the spear 矛, and held out both hands before him; but Achilles drew his keen 热切的 blade 刀片, and struck strike him by the collar 衣领-bone 骨头 on his neck; he plunged 跳水 his two-edged sword 剑 into him to the very hilt, whereon he lay at full length on the ground, with the dark blood welling from him till 到 the earth was soaked 浸泡. Then Achilles caught him by the foot and flung him into the river to go down stream, vaunting over him the while, and saying, "Lie there among the fishes, who will lick 舔 the blood from your wound 创伤 and gloat over it; your mother shall not lay you on any bier to mourn 悼 you, but the eddies of Scamander shall bear you into the broad bosom of the sea. There shall the fishes feed on the fat of Lycaon as they dart 镖 under the dark ripple 波纹 of the waters—so perish 沦 all of you till we reach the citadel of strong Ilius—you in flight 飞行, and I following after to destroy you. The river with its broad silver 银 stream shall serve you in no stead, for all the bulls 公牛 you offered him and all the horses that you flung living into his waters. None the less miserably 悲惨的 shall you perish 沦 till there is not a man of you but has paid in full for the death of Patroclus and the havoc 浩劫 you wrought 锻 among the Achaeans whom 5 you have slain while I held aloof from battle."

So spoke speak Achilles, but the river grew more and more angry 生气的, and pondered 思考 within himself how he should stay the hand of Achilles and save the Trojans from disaster 灾难，大祸. Meanwhile 同时 the son of Peleus, spear 矛 in hand, sprang upon Asteropaeus son of Pelegon to kill him. He was son to the broad river Axius and Periboea eldest 最年长 daughter of Acessamenus; for the river had lain lie with her. Asteropaeus stood up out of the water to face him with a spear 矛 in either hand, and Xanthus filled him with courage 勇气, being angry 生气的 for the death of the youths whom Achilles was slaying 诛戮 ruthlessly 无情 within his waters. When they were close up with one another Achilles was first to speak. "Who and whence are you," said he, "who dare 敢 to face me? Woe to the parents whose 谁的 son stands up against me." And the son of Pelegon answered, "Great son of Peleus, why should you ask my line‧age 血统. I am from the fertile 沃 land of far Paeonia, captain of the Paeonians, and it is now eleven 十一 days that I am at Ilius. I am of the blood of the river Axius—of Axius that is the fairest of all rivers that run. He begot the famed warrior 战士 Pelegon, whose 谁的 son men call me. Let us now fight, Achilles."

Thus did he defy 违抗 him, and Achilles raised his spear 矛 of Pelian ash 灰. Asteropaeus failed with both his spears 矛, for he could use both hands alike 同样的; with the one spear 矛 he struck Achilles' shield 盾, but did not pierce 刺穿 it, for the layer of gold 金, gift 赠品 of the god, stayed the point; with the other spear 矛 he grazed 轻擦 the elbow 弯头 of Achilles' right arm drawing dark blood, but the spear 矛 itself 本身 went by him and fixed itself 本身 in the ground, foiled 挫败 of its bloody 血腥的；该死的；他妈的 banquet 宴会. Then Achilles, fain to kill him, hurled 投 his spear 矛 at Asteropaeus, but failed to hit him and struck the steep 陡峭的 bank of the river, driving the spear 矛 half its length into the earth. The son of Peleus then drew his sword 剑 and sprang furiously 疯狂 upon him. Asteropaeus vainly 徒劳的 tried to draw Achilles' spear 矛 out of the bank by main force; thrice did he tug 拖船 at it, trying with all his might to draw it out, and thrice he had to leave off trying; the fourth time he tried to bend and break it, but ere he could do so Achilles smote him with his sword 4 and killed him. He struck him in the belly 肚皮 near the navel, so that all his bowels 肠 came gushing 喷 out on to the ground, and the darkness 黑暗 of death came over him as he lay gasping 喘气. Then Achilles set his foot on his chest 胸部 and spoiled 损坏；变质 him of his armour, vaunting over him and saying, "Lie there—begotten of a river though you be, it is hard for you to strive 努力 with the off‧spring 子孙 of Saturn's son. You declare your‧self 你自己 sprung from the blood of a broad river, but I am of the seed of mighty 威武 Jove. My father is Peleus, son of Aeacus ruler over the many Myrmidons, and Aeacus was the son of Jove. Therefore as Jove is mightier 威武 than any river that flows into the sea, so are his children stronger than those of any river whatsoever 任何. Moreover you have a great river hard by if he can be of any use to you, but there is no fighting against Jove the son of Saturn, with whom not even King Achelous can compare, nor the mighty 威武 stream of deep-flowing Oceanus, from whom all rivers and seas with all springs and deep wells proceed 继续; even Oceanus fears the lightnings 闪电 of great Jove, and his thunder 雷声 that comes crashing 碰撞 out of heaven."

With this he drew his bronze 青铜 spear 矛 out of the bank, and now that he had killed Asteropaeus, he let him lie where he was on the sand 沙, with the dark water flowing over him and the eels 鳗鱼 and fishes busy nibbling and gnawing the fat that was about his kidneys 肾. Then he went in chase 追 of the Paeonians, who were flying along the bank of the river in panic 恐慌 when they saw their leader slain by the hands of the son of Peleus. Therein he slew Thersilochus, Mydon, Astypylus, Mnesus, Thrasius, Oeneus, and Ophelestes, and he would have slain yet others, had not the river in anger 生气 taken human form, and spoken speak to him from out the deep waters saying, "Achilles, if you excel 高强 all in strength, so do you also in wickedness, for the gods are ever with you to protect you: if, then, the son of Saturn has vouchsafed it to you to destroy all the Trojans, at any rate drive them out of my stream, and do your grim 严峻 work on land. My fair waters are now filled with corpses 尸体, nor can I find any channel 渠道 by which I may pour 淋；倒 myself 我 into the sea for I am choked 呛 with dead, and yet you go on mercilessly slaying 诛戮. I am in despair 绝望, therefore, O captain of your host 主人, trouble me no further."

Achilles answered, "So be it, Scamander, Jove-descended 下来; but I will never cease 停止 dealing out death among the Trojans, till I have pent them up in their city, and made trial of Hector face to face, that I may learn whether he is to vanquish me, or I him."

As he spoke he set upon the Trojans with a fury 愤怒 like that of the gods. But the river said to Apollo, "Surely, son of Jove, lord of the silver 银 bow 弓, you are not obeying 服从 the commands of Jove who charged you straitly that you should stand by the Trojans and defend them, till twilight 暮 fades 褪去, and darkness 黑暗 is over the earth."

Meanwhile 同时 Achilles sprang from the bank into mid 中-stream, whereon the river raised a high wave and attacked him. He swelled 膨胀；增强:swell his stream into a torrent 激流, and swept sweep away the many dead whom Achilles had slain and left within his waters. These he cast 投 out on to the land, bellowing 怒吼 like a bull 公牛 the while, but the living he saved alive, hiding them in his mighty 威武 eddies. The great and terrible wave gathered about Achilles, falling upon him and beating on his shield 盾, so that he could not keep his feet; he caught hold of a great elm-tree, but it came up by the roots, and tore tear away the bank, damming 坝 the stream with its thick branches and bridging it all across; whereby 因此 Achilles struggled out of the stream, and fled full speed over the plain, for he was afraid.

But the mighty 威武 god ceased 停止 not in his pursuit 追求, and sprang upon him with a dark-crested 波峰 wave, to stay his hands and save the Trojans from destruction 破坏. The son of Peleus darted 镖 away a spear 矛's throw from him; swift 迅速 as the swoop 落下 of a black hunter-eagle 鹰 which is the strongest and fleetest 舰队 of all birds, even so did he spring forward, and the armour rang loudly 响亮的 about his breast 乳房. He fled on in front, but the river with a loud 响亮的 roar 咆哮 came tearing after. As one who would water his garden leads a stream from some fountain 喷泉 over his plants, and all his ground— spade 铁锹 in hand he clears away the dams 坝 to free the channels 渠道, and the little stones run rolling round and round with the water as it goes merrily 愉快的 down the bank faster than the man can follow—even so did the river keep catching up with Achilles albeit 尽管 he was a fleet 舰队 runner, for the gods are stronger than men. As often as he would strive 努力 to stand his ground, and see whether or no all the gods in heaven were in league 联盟；联赛 against him, so often would the mighty 威武 wave come beating down upon his shoulders, and he would have to keep flying on and on in great dismay 沮丧; for the angry flood 洪水 was tiring him out as it flowed past him and ate the ground from under his feet.

Then the son of Peleus lifted up his voice to heaven saying, "Father Jove, is there none of the gods who will take pity 怜悯 upon me, and save me from the river? I do not care what may happen to me after‧ward 之后. I blame 指责 none of the other dwellers 居住者 on Olympus so severely 严峻的 as I do my dear mother, who has beguiled and tricked 哄骗；诀窍 me. She told me I was to fall under the walls of Troy by the flying arrows 箭头；矢 of Apollo; would that Hector, the best man among the Trojans, might there slay 诛戮 me; then should I fall a hero 英雄 by the hand of a hero; whereas 而 now it seems that I shall come to a most pitiable end, trapped 陷阱；诱骗 in this river as though I were some swineherd's boy, who gets carried down a torrent 激流 while trying to cross it during a storm 暴风雨."

As soon as he had spoken thus, Neptune and Minerva came up to him in the likeness 像 of two men, and took him by the hand to reassure 再保证 him. Neptune spoke first. "Son of Peleus," said he, "be not so exceeding 超过 fearful 可怕; we are two gods, come with Jove's sanction 制裁 to assist 帮助；协助；援助 you, I, and Pallas Minerva. It is not your fate 命运 to perish 沦 in this river; he will abate presently as you will see; moreover we strongly advise you, if you will be guided by us, not to stay your hand from fighting till you have pent the Trojan host 主人 within the famed walls of Ilius—as many of them as may escape. Then kill Hector and go back to the ships, for we will vouchsafe you a triumph 胜利 over him."

When they had so said they went back to the other immortals 不朽, but Achilles strove onward 向前 over the plain, encouraged by the charge the gods had laid upon him. All was now covered with the flood 洪水 of waters, and much goodly armour of the youths that had been slain was rifting 裂痕 about, as also many corpses 尸体, but he forced his way against the stream, speeding right onwards 向前, nor could the broad waters stay him, for Minerva had endowed 赋予 him with great strength. Nevertheless 虽然 Scamander did not slacken in his pursuit 追求, but was still more furious 狂怒 with the son of Peleus. He lifted his waters into a high crest 波峰 and cried aloud 高声 to Simois saying, "Dear brother, let the two of us unite to save this man, or he will sack 解雇 the mighty 威武 city of King Priam, and the Trojans will not hold out against him. Help me at once; fill your streams with water from their sources 资源, rouse 唤醒 all your torrents 激流 to a fury 愤怒; raise your wave on high, and let snags 钉子 and stones come thundering 雷声 down you that we may make an end of this savage 野蛮人 creature 动物；生物 who is now lording it as though he were a god. Nothing shall serve him longer, not strength nor comeliness, nor his fine armour, which forsooth shall soon be lying low in the deep waters covered over with mud 泥. I will wrap 包 him in sand 沙, and pour 淋；倒 tons 吨 of shingle 卵石 round him, so that the Achaeans shall not know how to gather his bones 骨头 for the silt in which I shall have hidden hide him, and when they celebrate 庆祝 his funeral 葬礼 they need build no barrow."

On this he upraised his tumultuous flood 洪水 high against Achilles, see‧thing 看见‧东西；事件 as it was with foam 泡沫 and blood and the bodies of the dead. The dark waters of the river stood upright 直立的 and would have overwhelmed 压倒 the son of Peleus, but Juno, trembling 发抖 lest 免得 Achilles should be swept away in the mighty 威武 torrent 激流, lifted her voice on high and called out to Vulcan her son. "Crook-foot," she cried, "my child, be up and doing, for I deem 认为 it is with you that Xanthus is fain to fight; help us at once, kindle a fierce 凶猛的 fire; I will then bring up the west and the white south wind in a mighty 威武 hurricane 飓风 from the sea, that shall bear the flames 火焰 against the heads and armour of the Trojans and consume 消耗 them, while you go along the banks of Xanthus burning his trees and wrapping 包 him round with fire. Let him not turn you back neither by fair words nor foul 犯规, and slacken not till I shout and tell you. Then you may stay your flames."

On this Vulcan kindled a fierce 凶猛的 fire, which broke out first upon the plain and burned burn the many dead whom Achilles had killed and whose 谁的 bodies were lying about in great numbers; by this means the plain was dried and the flood 3 stayed. As the north wind, blowing on an orchard 果园 that has been sodden with autumn 秋 rain, soon dries it, and the heart of the owner is glad 高兴的—even so the whole plain was dried and the dead bodies were consumed 消耗. Then he turned tongues 舌头 of fire on to the river. He burned the elms the willows 柳 and the tamarisks, the lotus also, with the rushes 仓促 and marshy herb‧age 草本植物‧年龄 that grew abundantly 丰富 by the banks of the river. The eels 鳗鱼 and fishes that go darting 镖 about every‧where 到处 in the water, these, too, were sorely harassed 骚扰 by the flames that cunning 狡猾 Vulcan had kindled, and the river himself was scalded, so that he spoke saying, "Vulcan, there is no god can hold his own against you. I cannot fight you when you flare 闪光 out your flames in this way; strive 努力 with me no longer. Let Achilles drive the Trojans out of their city immediately. What have I to do with quarrelling 争吵 and helping people?"

He was boiling 煮沸 as he spoke, and all his waters were see‧thing 看见‧东西；事件. As a cauldron upon a large fire boils 煮沸 when it is melting 熔化 the lard of some fatted hog 豕, and the lard keeps bubbling 泡沫 up all over when the dry faggots blaze 火焰 under it—even so were the goodly waters of Xanthus heated with the fire till they were boiling. He could flow no longer but stayed his stream, so afflicted 折磨 was he by the blasts 爆破 of fire which cunning 狡猾 Vulcan had raised. Then he prayed to Juno and besought her saying, "Juno, why should your son vex my stream with such especial fury 愤怒? I am not so much to blame 指责 as all the others are who have been helping the Trojans. I will leave off, since you so desire it, and let your son leave off also. Further‧more 此外 I swear 发誓 never again will I do anything to save the Trojans from destruction 破坏, not even when all Troy is burning in the flames which the Achaeans will kindle."

As soon as Juno heard this she said to her son Vulcan, "Son Vulcan, hold now your flames; we ought not to use such violence 暴力 against a god for the sake 缘故 of mortals 凡人."

When she had thus spoken Vulcan quenched his flames, and the river went back once more into his own fair bed.

Xanthus was now beaten beat, so these two left off fighting, for Juno stayed them though she was still angry; but a furious 狂怒 quarrel 争吵 broke out among the other gods, for they were of divided counsels 法律顾问. They fell on one another with a mighty 威武 uproar—earth groaned 呻吟, and the spacious 宽敞 firmament rang out as with a blare of trumpets 喇叭. Jove heard as he was sitting on Olympus, and laughed for joy 喜悦 when he saw the gods coming to blows among themselves. They were not long about beginning, and Mars piercer 刺穿 of shields 盾 opened the battle. Sword 5 in hand he sprang at once upon Minerva and reviled her. "Why, vixen," said he, "have you again set the gods by the ears in the pride 自尊 and haughtiness of your heart? Have you forgotten forget how you set Diomed son of Tydeus on to wound 创伤 me, and your‧self 你自己 took visible 可以看见的；可视的 spear 矛 and drove drive it into me to the hurt 损害 of my fair body? You shall now suffer for what you then did to me."

As he spoke he struck her on the terrible tasselled aegis—so terrible that not even can Jove's lightning 闪电 pierce 刺穿 it. Here did murderous 杀 Mars strike her with his great spear 矛. She drew back and with her strong hand seized 抓住 a stone that was lying on the plain—great and rugged 小块地毯 and black—which men of old had set for the boundary 分界线 of a field. With this she struck Mars on the neck, and brought him down. Nine 九 roods did he cover in his fall, and his hair was all soiled in the dust, while his armour rang rattling 霸王鞭 round him. But Minerva laughed and vaunted over him saying, "Idiot, have you not learned learn how far stronger I am than you, but you must still match your‧self 你自己 against me? Thus do your mother's curses 诅咒 now roost upon you, for she is angry and would do you mischief 恶作剧 because you have deserted 沙漠；抛弃 the Achaeans and are helping the Trojans."

She then turned her two piercing 刺穿 eyes else‧where 在别处, whereon Jove's daughter Venus took Mars by the hand and led him away groaning 呻吟 all the time, for it was only with great difficulty that he had come to himself again. When Queen 女王 Juno saw her, she said to Minerva, "Look, daughter of aegis-bearing Jove, unweariable, that vixen Venus is again taking Mars through the crowd out of the battle; go after her at once."

Thus she spoke. Minerva sped after Venus with a will, and made at her, striking her on the bosom with her strong hand so that she fell fainting 微弱的 to the ground, and there they both lay stretched at full length. Then Minerva vaunted over her saying, "May all who help the Trojans against the Argives prove just as redoubtable and stalwart as Venus did when she came across me while she was helping Mars. Had this been so, we should long since have ended the war by sacking 解雇 the strong city of Ilius."

Juno smiled as she listened. Meanwhile 同时 King Neptune turned to Apollo saying, "Phoebus, why should we keep each other at arm's length? it is not well, now that the others have begun fighting; it will be disgraceful to us if we return to Jove's bronze 青铜-floored mansion 大厦 on Olympus without having fought fight each other; therefore come on, you are the younger of the two, and I ought not to attack you, for I am older and have had more experience. Idiot, you have no sense, and forget how we two alone of all the gods fared 票价 hardly round about Ilius when we came from Jove's house and worked for Laomedon a whole year at a stated wage and he gave us his orders. I built the Trojans the wall about their city, so wide and fair that it might be impregnable, while you, Phoebus, herded 放牧 cattle for him in the dales of many valleyed Ida. When, however, the glad 高兴的 hours brought round the time of payment 付款, mighty 威武 Laomedon robbed 抢劫 us of all our hire 聘用 and sent us off with nothing but abuse 滥用. He threatened to bind us hand and foot and sell us over into some distant 遥远的 island. He tried, moreover, to cut off the ears of both of us, so we went away in a rage 愤怒, furious 狂怒 about the payment 付款 he had promised us, and yet withheld; in spite 恶意 of all this, you are now showing favour to his people, and will not join us in compassing 罗盘 the utter 说出 ruin 破坏 of the proud Trojans with their wives and children."

And King Apollo answered, "Lord of the earthquake 地震, you would have no respect for me if I were to fight you about a pack of miserable 悲惨的 mortals 凡人, who come out like leaves in summer and eat the fruit of the field, and presently fall life‧less 生活‧少 to the ground. Let us stay this fighting at once and let them settle it among themselves."

He turned away as he spoke, for he would lay no hand on the brother of his own father. But his sister 姐妹 the huntress Diana, patroness of wild beasts 野兽, was very angry with him and said, "So you would fly, Far-Darter, and hand victory over to Neptune with a cheap 便宜的 vaunt to boot 靴；鞋. Baby, why keep your bow 弓 thus idle 无意义的? Never let me again hear you bragging 吹牛 in my father's house, as you have often done in the presence of the immortals 不朽, that you would stand up and fight with Neptune."

Apollo made her no answer, but Jove's august 八月 queen 女王 was angry and upbraided her bitterly. " Bold 胆大的；醒目的 vixen," she cried, "how dare 敢 you cross me thus? For all your bow 3 you will find it hard to hold your own against me. Jove made you as a lion 狮子 among women, and lets you kill them when‧ever 随时 you choose. You will find it better to chase 追 wild beasts and deer 鹿 upon the mountains than to fight those who are stronger than you are. If you would try war, do so, and find out by pitting 坑 your‧self 你自己 against me, how far stronger I am than you are."

She caught both Diana's wrists 腕 with her left hand as she spoke, and with her right she took the bow from her shoulders, and laughed as she beat her with it about the ears while Diana wriggled 蠢动 and writhed under her blows. Her swift 迅速 arrows were shed upon the ground, and she fled weeping 哭泣 from under Juno's hand as a dove 鸽子 that flies before a falcon to the cleft of some hollow 空的 rock, when it is her good for‧tune 命运 to escape. Even so did she fly weeping 哭泣 away, leaving her bow and arrows behind her.

Then the slayer 诛戮 of Argus, guide and guardian 监护人, said to Leto, "Leto, I shall not fight you; it is ill 生病 to come to blows with any of Jove's wives. Therefore boast 自夸 as you will among the immortals 不朽 that you worsted me in fair fight."

Leto then gathered up Diana's bow and arrows that had fallen fall about amid 际 the whirling 旋转 dust, and when she had got them she made all haste 匆忙 after her daughter. Diana had now reached Jove's bronze 青铜-floored mansion 大厦 on Olympus, and sat sit her‧self 她自己 down with many tears on the knees of her father, while her ambrosial raiment was quivering 颤动 all about her. The son of Saturn drew her towards him, and laughing pleasantly the while began to question her saying, "Which of the heavenly 神圣的 beings 蜜蜂, my dear child, has been treating you in this cruel 残酷的 manner, as though you had been misconducting 处理不当 your‧self 你自己 in the face of everybody?" and the fair-crowned 王冠 goddess 女神 of the chase 追 answered, "It was your wife Juno, father, who has been beating me; it is always her doing when there is any quarrelling among the immortals 不朽."

Thus did they con‧verse 交谈, and meanwhile 3 Phoebus Apollo entered the strong city of Ilius, for he was uneasy 不安 lest 免得 the wall should not hold out and the Danaans should take the city then and there, before its hour had come; but the rest of the ever-living gods went back, some angry and some triumphant 凯 to Olympus, where they took their seats beside Jove lord of the storm 暴风雨 cloud, while Achilles still kept on dealing out death alike 同样的 on the Trojans and on their horses. As when the smoke from some burning city ascends 登 to heaven when the anger 生气 of the gods has kindled it—there is then toil 辛劳 for all, and sorrow 悲痛 for not a few—even so did Achilles bring toil 辛劳 and sorrow on the Trojans.

Old King Priam stood on a high tower 塔 of the wall looking down on huge 巨大 Achilles as the Trojans fled panic 恐慌-stricken before him, and there was none to help them. Presently he came down from off the tower and with many a groan 呻吟 went along the wall to give orders to the brave 勇敢的 warders of the gate 门. "Keep the gates," said he, "wide open till the people come flying into the city, for Achilles is hard by and is driving them in rout 大败 before him. I see we are in great peril 岌. As soon as our people are inside and in safety 安全, close the strong gates for I fear lest 免得 that terrible man should come bounding 必定；跳 inside along with the others."

As he spoke they drew back the bolts 螺栓 and opened the gates, and when these were opened there was a haven of refuge 避难所 for the Trojans. Apollo then came full speed out of the city to meet them and protect them. Right for the city and the high wall, parched with thirst and grimy with dust, still they fied on, with Achilles wielding 挥 his spear 矛 furiously 疯狂 behind them. For he was as one possessed 拥有, and was thirsting after glory 光荣.

Then had the sons of the Achaeans taken the lofty 高远 gates of Troy if Apollo had not spurred 骨刺 on Agenor, valiant and noble 3 son to Antenor. He put courage 勇气 into his heart, and stood by his side to guard him, leaning against a beech tree and shrouded 裹尸布 in thick darkness 黑暗. When Agenor saw Achilles he stood still and his heart was clouded with care. "Alas," said he to himself in his dismay 沮丧, "if I fly before mighty 威武 Achilles, and go where all the others are being driven drive in rout 大败, he will none the less catch me and kill me for a coward 胆小鬼. How would it be were I to let Achilles drive the others before him, and then fly from the wall to the plain that is behind Ilius till I reach the spurs 骨刺 of Ida and can hide in the under‧wood 在…下面‧木材；树林 that is thereon? I could then wash the sweat 流汗 from off me in the river and in the evening return to Ilius. But why commune 公社 with myself 我 in this way? Like enough he would see me as I am hurrying from the city over the plain, and would speed after me till he had caught me—I should stand no chance against him, for he is mightiest of all man‧kind 人类. What, then, if I go out and meet him in front of the city? His flesh 肉 too, I take it, can be pierced 刺穿 by pointed bronze 青铜. Life is the same in one and all, and men say that he is but mortal 凡人 despite 尽管 the triumph 胜利 that Jove son of Saturn vouchsafes him."

So saying he stood on his guard and awaited 等待 Achilles, for he was now fain to fight him. As a leopardess that bounds 必定；跳 from out a thick covert 隐蔽 to attack a hunter—she knows no fear and is not dismayed 沮丧 by the baying of the hounds 猎犬; even though the man be too quick for her and wound her either with thrust 推力 or spear 矛, still, though the spear 矛 has pierced 刺穿 her she will not give in till she has either caught him in her grip 握 or been killed out‧right 公然—even so did noble Agenor son of Antenor refuse to fly till he had made trial of Achilles, and took aim at him with his spear 矛, holding his round shield 3 before him and crying with a loud voice. "Of a truth," said he, "noble Achilles, you deem 认为 that you shall this day sack 解雇 the city of the proud Trojans. Fool, there will be trouble enough yet before it, for there is many a brave 勇敢的 man of us still inside who will stand in front of our dear parents with our wives and children, to defend Ilius. Here therefore, huge 巨大 and mighty 威武 warrior 战士 though you be, here shall you die."

As he spoke his strong hand hurled 投 his javelin from him, and the spear 矛 struck Achilles on the leg beneath 之下 the knee; the greave of newly 最近，新近 wrought 锻 tin 锡 rang loudly, but the spear 矛 recoiled from the body of him whom it had struck, and did not pierce 刺穿 it, for the god's gift 赠品 stayed it. Achilles in his turn attacked noble Agenor, but Apollo would not vouchsafe him glory 光荣, for he snatched 抢夺 Agenor away and hid hide him in a thick mist 薄雾, sending him out of the battle unmolested. Then he craftily drew the son of Peleus away from going after the host, for he put on the semblance of Agenor and stood in front of Achilles, who ran towards him to give him chase 追 and pursued 追求 him over the corn 玉米 lands of the plain, turning him towards the deep waters of the river Scamander. Apollo ran but a little way before him and beguiled Achilles by making him think all the time that he was on the point of over‧take 超过 him. Meanwhile the rabble of routed 路线 Trojans was thankful 感谢 to crowd within the city till their numbers thronged 人群 it; no longer did they dare wait for one another outside the city walls, to learn who had escaped and who were fallen in fight, but all whose 谁的 feet and knees could still carry them poured 淋；倒 pell-mell into the town.

BOOK XXII

The death of Hector.

THUS the Trojans in the city, scared like fawns, wiped 擦 the sweat 流汗 from off them and drank drink to quench their thirst, leaning against the goodly battlements, while the Achaeans with their shields laid upon their shoulders drew close up to the walls. But stern 严肃 fate 命运 bade Hector stay where he was before Ilius and the Scaean gates. Then Phoebus Apollo spoke to the son of Peleus saying, "Why, son of Peleus, do you, who are but man, give chase 追 to me who am immortal 不朽? Have you not yet found out that it is a god whom you pursue 追求 so furiously 疯狂? You did not harass 骚扰 the Trojans whom you had routed 路线, and now they are within their walls, while you have been decoyed hither away from them. Me you cannot kill, for death can take no hold upon me."

Achilles was greatly angered 生气 and said, "You have baulked me, Far-Darter, most malicious 恶毒 of all gods, and have drawn draw me away from the wall, where many another man would have bitten 咬 the dust ere he got within Ilius; you have robbed me of great glory and have saved the Trojans at no risk to your‧self 你自己, for you have nothing to fear, but I would indeed have my revenge 报仇 if it were in my power to do so."

On this, with fell intent 意图 he made towards the city, and as the winning horse in a chariot race strains 压力 every nerve 神经 when he is flying over the plain, even so fast and furiously 疯狂 did the limbs 肢 of Achilles bear him onwards 向前. King Priam was first to note him as he scoured 冲刷 the plain, all radiant 辐射的 as the star which men call Orion's Hound, and whose 4 beams 梁 blaze 火焰 forth in time of harvest 收割 more brilliantly 出色的 than those of any other that shines 发光 by night; brightest of them all though he be, he yet bodes ill 生病 for mortals 凡人, for he brings fire and fever 发热 in his train—even so did Achilles' armour gleam 闪光 on his breast 乳房 as he sped onwards 向前. Priam raised a cry and beat his head with his hands as he lifted them up and shouted out to his dear son, imploring him to return; but Hector still stayed before the gates, for his heart was set upon doing battle with Achilles. The old man reached out his arms towards him and bade him for pity 怜悯's sake 缘故 come within the walls. "Hector," he cried, "my son, stay not to face this man alone and unsupported, or you will meet death at the hands of the son of Peleus, for he is mightier 威武 than you. Monster that he is; would indeed that the gods loved him no better than I do, for so, dogs and vultures would soon devour 吞食 him as he lay stretched on earth, and a load of grief 哀思 would be lifted from my heart, for many a brave 3 son has he reft from me, either by killing them or selling them away in the islands that are beyond the sea: even now I miss two sons from among the Trojans who have thronged 人群 within the city, Lycaon and Polydorus, whom Laothoe peeress among women bore bear me. Should they be still alive and in the hands of the Achaeans, we will ransom 赎金 them with gold 金 and bronze 青铜, of which we have store, for the old man Altes endowed 赋予 his daughter richly; but if they are already dead and in the house of Hades, sorrow 悲痛 will it be to us two who were their parents; albeit 尽管 the grief 哀思 of others will be more short-lived unless you too perish 沦 at the hands of Achilles. Come, then, my son, within the city, to be the guardian 监护人 of Trojan men and Trojan women, or you will both lose your own life and afford 买得起 a mighty 威武 triumph 胜利 to the son of Peleus. Have pity 怜悯 also on your unhappy 不快乐 father while life yet remains to him—on me, whom the son of Saturn will destroy by a terrible doom 厄运 on the threshold 阈 of old age, after I have seen my sons slain and my daughters haled away as captives 俘虏, my bridal chambers 室 pillaged, little children dashed 短跑 to earth amid 际 the rage 愤怒 of battle, and my sons' wives dragged 拖拽 away by the cruel 残酷的 hands of the Achaeans; in the end fierce 凶猛的 hounds 猎犬 will tear me in pieces at my own gates after some one has beaten the life out of my body with sword or spear 矛-hounds 猎犬 that I myself 我 reared 后 and fed feed at my own table to guard my gates, but who will yet lap 膝部 my blood and then lie all distraught at my doors. When a young man falls by the sword in battle, he may lie where he is and there is nothing unseemly; let what will be seen, all is honourable in death, but when an old man is slain there is nothing in this world more pitiable than that dogs should defile his grey 灰色:gray hair and beard 胡须 and all that men hide for shame 羞愧."

The old man tore his grey 灰色:gray hair as he spoke, but he moved not the heart of Hector. His mother hard by wept weep and moaned 呻吟 aloud 高声 as she bared 光秃秃的 her bosom and pointed to the breast 乳房 which had suckled him. "Hector," she cried, weeping 哭泣 bitterly the while, "Hector, my son, spurn not this breast 乳房, but have pity 3 upon me too: if I have ever given you comfort from my own bosom, think on it now, dear son, and come within the wall to protect us from this man; stand not without to meet him. Should the wretch 不幸的人 kill you, neither I nor your richly dowered wife shall ever weep, dear off‧shoot 离开；从…落下‧射击；拍摄 of myself 我, over the bed on which you lie, for dogs will devour 吞食 you at the ships of the Achaeans."

Thus did the two with many tears implore their son, but they moved not the heart of Hector, and he stood his ground awaiting 等待 huge 巨大 Achilles as he drew nearer towards him. As a serpent in its den 巢穴 upon the mountains, full fed with deadly poisons 毒药, waits for the approach of man—he is filled with fury 愤怒 and his eyes glare 强光 terribly as he goes writhing round his den 巢穴—even so Hector leaned lean his shield against a tower 塔 that jutted 突出部分 out from the wall and stood where he was, undaunted.

"Alas," said he to himself in the heaviness of his heart, "if I go within the gates, Polydamas will be the first to heap 堆 reproach 责备 upon me, for it was he that urged me to lead the Trojans back to the city on that awful 糟糕的 night when Achilles again came forth against us. I would not listen, but it would have been indeed better if I had done so. Now that my folly 蠢事 has destroyed the host, I dare not look Trojan men and Trojan women in the face, lest 免得 a worse man should say, 'Hector has ruined 破坏 us by his self 自己-confidence 信心.' Surely it would be better for me to return after having fought Achilles and slain him, or to die gloriously 辉煌 here before the city. What, again, if I were to lay down my shield and helmet 头盔, lean my spear 矛 against the wall and go straight up to noble Achilles? What if I were to promise to give up Helen, who was the fountain‧head 喷泉‧头；上端 of all this war, and all the treasure 金银财宝 that Alexandrus brought with him in his ships to Troy, aye 赞成, and to let the Achaeans divide the half of everything that the city contains among themselves? I might make the Trojans, by the mouths of their princes 王子, take a solemn 庄严的 oath 誓言 that they would hide nothing, but would divide into two shares all that is within the city—but why argue with myself 我 in this way? Were I to go up to him he would show me no kind of mercy 宽容; he would kill me then and there as easily as though I were a woman, when I had off my armour. There is no parleying with him from some rock or oak 橡木 tree as young men and maidens 少女 prattle with one another. Better fight him at once, and learn to which of us Jove will vouchsafe victory."

Thus did he stand and ponder 思考, but Achilles came up to him as it were Mars himself, plumed 羽 lord of battle. From his right shoulder he brandished his terrible spear 矛 of Pelian ash 灰, and the bronze 青铜 gleamed 闪光 around him like flashing 使闪光 fire or the rays 光束 of the rising sun. Fear fell upon Hector as he beheld him, and he dared 敢 not stay longer where he was but fled in dismay 沮丧 from before the gates, while Achilles darted 镖 after him at his utmost 极 speed. As a mountain falcon, swiftest 迅速 of all birds, swoops 落下 down upon some cowering dove 鸽子—the dove 鸽子 flies before him but the falcon with a shrill scream 叫喊 follows close after, resolved 解决 to have her—even so did Achilles make straight for Hector with all his might, while Hector fled under the Trojan wall as fast as his limbs could take him.

On they flew fly along the waggon-road that ran hard by under the wall, past the look‧out 小心 station, and past the weather-beaten wild fig 图-tree, till they came to two fair springs which feed the river Scamander. One of these two springs is warm, and steam 蒸汽 rises from it as smoke from a burning fire, but the other even in summer is as cold as hail 冰雹 or snow, or the ice 冰 that forms on water. Here, hard by the springs, are the goodly washing-troughs 槽 of stone, where in the time of peace before the coming of the Achaeans the wives and fair daughters of the Trojans used to wash their clothes. Past these did they fly, the one in front and the other giving chase 追 behind him: good was the man that fled, but better far was he that followed after, and swiftly 如飞 indeed did they run, for the prize 奖赏 was no mere beast 野兽 for sacrifice 牺牲 or bullock's hide, as it might be for a common foot-race, but they ran for the life of Hector. As horses in a chariot race speed round the turning-posts when they are running for some great prize—a tripod or woman—at the games in honour of some dead hero 3, so did these two run full speed three times round the city of Priam. All the gods watched them, and the sire of gods and men was the first to speak.

"Alas," said he, "my eyes behold 不料 a man who is dear to me being pursued 追求 round the walls of Troy; my heart is full of pity for Hector, who has burned the thigh 大腿-bones of many a heifer in my honour, one while on the crests 波峰 of many-valleyed Ida, and again on the citadel of Troy; and now I see noble Achilles in full pursuit 追求 of him round the city of Priam. What say you? Consider among yourselves and decide whether we shall now save him or let him fall, valiant though he be, before Achilles, son of Peleus."

Then Minerva said, "Father, wielder 挥 of the lightning 闪电, lord of cloud and storm 暴风雨, what mean you? Would you pluck 采摘 this mortal 凡人 whose 5 doom 厄运 has long been decreed 法令 out of the jaws 下巴 of death? Do as you will, but we others shall not be of a mind with you."

And Jove answered, "My child, Trito-born, take heart. I did not speak in full earnest 热心的, and I will let you have your way. Do without let or hindrance 妨害 as you are minded."

Thus did he urge Minerva who was already eager 渴望的, and down she darted 镖 from the top‧most 顶‧最 summits 首脑 of Olympus.

Achilles was still in full pursuit 追求 of Hector, as a hound 猎犬 chasing 追 a fawn which he has started from its covert 隐蔽 on the mountains, and hunts through glade and thicket. The fawn may try to elude 躲避 him by crouching 蹲伏 under cover of a bush 灌木, but he will scent 香味 her out and follow her up until he gets her—even so there was no escape for Hector from the fleet 舰队 son of Peleus. Whenever 随时 he made a set to get near the Dardanian gates and under the walls, that his people might help him by showering 阵雨 down weapons from above, Achilles would gain on him and head him back towards the plain, keeping himself always on the city side. As a man in a dream who fails to lay hands upon another whom he is pursuing 追求—the one cannot escape nor the other overtake—even so neither could Achilles come up with Hector, nor Hector break away from Achilles; nevertheless 虽然 he might even yet have escaped death had not the time come when Apollo, who thus far had sustained 维持；遭受 his strength and nerved 神经 his running, was now no longer to stay by him. Achilles made signs to the Achaean host, and shook shake his head to show that no man was to aim a dart 镖 at Hector, lest 免得 another might win the glory of having hit him and he might himself come in second. Then, at last, as they were nearing the fountains 喷泉 for the fourth time, the father of all balanced his golden 金色的 scales and placed a doom 厄运 in each of them, one for Achilles and the other for Hector. As he held the scales by the middle, the doom 厄运 of Hector fell down deep into the house of Hades—and then Phoebus Apollo left him. Thereon Minerva went close up to the son of Peleus and said, "Noble Achilles, favoured of heaven, we two shall surely take back to the ships a triumph 胜利 for the Achaeans by slaying 诛戮 Hector, for all his lust 情欲 of battle. Do what Apollo may as he lies grovelling before his father, aegis-bearing Jove, Hector cannot escape us longer. Stay here and take breath, while I go up to him and persuade 说服 him to make a stand and fight you."

Thus spoke Minerva. Achilles obeyed 服从 her gladly 高兴的, and stood still, leaning on his bronze 青铜-pointed ashen spear 矛, while Minerva left him and went after Hector in the form and with the voice of Deiphobus. She came close up to him and said, "Dear brother, I see you are hard pressed by Achilles who is chasing 追 you at full speed round the city of Priam, let us await 等待 his onset 发病 and stand on our defence."

And Hector answered, "Deiphobus, you have always been dearest to me of all my brothers, children of Hecuba and Priam, but hence‧forth 今后 I shall rate you yet more highly, inasmuch as you have ventured 企业；投机活动；商业冒险 outside the wall for my sake when all the others remain inside."

Then Minerva said, "Dear brother, my father and mother went down on their knees and implored me, as did all my comrades 同志, to remain inside, so great a fear has fallen upon them all; but I was in an agony 痛苦 of grief 哀思 when I beheld you; now, therefore, let us two make a stand and fight, and let there be no keeping our spears 矛 in reserve, that we may learn whether Achilles shall kill us and bear off our spoils 损坏；变质 to the ships, or whether he shall fall before you."

Thus did Minerva inveigle him by her cunning 狡猾, and when the two were now close to one another great Hector was first to speak. "I will no longer fly you, son of Peleus," said he, "as I have been doing hitherto 迄今. Three times have I fled round the mighty 威武 city of Priam, without daring 敢 to with‧stand 经受 you, but now, let me either slay 诛戮 or be slain, for I am in the mind to face you. Let us, then, give pledges 保证 to one another by our gods, who are the fittest witnesses and guardians 监护人 of all covenants 盟约; let it be agreed between us that if Jove vouchsafes me the longer stay and I take your life, I am not to treat your dead body in any unseemly fashion, but when I have stripped you of your armour, I am to give up your body to the Achaeans. And do you like‧wise 同样."

Achilles glared 强光 at him and answered, "Fool, prate not to me about covenants 盟约. There can be no covenants 盟约 between men and lions 狮子, wolves and lambs 羊肉 can never be of one mind, but hate each other out and out all through. Therefore there can be no understanding between you and me, nor may there be any covenants 盟约 between us, till one or other shall fall and glut grim 严峻 Mars with his life's blood. Put forth all your strength; you have need now to prove your‧self 你自己 indeed a bold 胆大的；醒目的 soldier and man of war. You have no more chance, and Pallas Minerva will forth‧with 向前‧和 vanquish you by my spear 矛: you shall now pay me in full for the grief 哀思 you have caused me on account of my comrades 同志 whom you have killed in battle."

He poised 平衡 his spear 矛 as he spoke and hurled 投 it. Hector saw it coming and avoided it; he watched it and crouched 蹲伏 down so that it flew over his head and stuck in the ground beyond; Minerva then snatched 抢夺 it up and gave it back to Achilles without Hector's seeing her; Hector thereon said to the son of Peleus, "You have missed your aim, Achilles, peer 窥视 of the gods, and Jove has not yet revealed 揭示 to you the hour of my doom 厄运, though you made sure that he had done so. You were a false 虚伪的-tongued 舌头 liar 说谎者 when you deemed 认为 that I should forget my valour and quail before you. You shall not drive your spear 矛 into the back of a run‧away 逃跑—drive it, should heaven so grant 发放 you power, drive it into me as I make straight towards you; and now for your own part avoid my spear 矛 if you can—would that you might receive the whole of it into your body; if you were once dead the Trojans would find the war an easier matter, for it is you who have harmed 损害 them most."

He poised 平衡 his spear 矛 as he spoke and hurled 投 it. His aim was true for he hit the middle of Achilles' shield, but the spear 矛 rebounded 篮板球 from it, and did not pierce 刺穿 it. Hector was angry when he saw that the weapon had sped from his hand in vain 徒劳的, and stood there in dismay 沮丧 for he had no second spear 矛. With a loud cry he called Deiphobus and asked him for one, but there was no man; then he saw the truth and said to himself, "Alas! the gods have lured 饵 me on to my destruction 破坏. I deemed 认为 that the hero Deiphobus was by my side, but he is within the wall, and Minerva has inveigled me; death is now indeed exceedingly 非常 near at hand and there is no way out of it—for so Jove and his son Apollo the far-darter 镖 have willed it, though heretofore they have been ever ready to protect me. My doom 厄运 has come upon me; let me not then die ingloriously and without a struggle, but let me first do some great thing that shall be told among men here‧after 此后."

As he spoke he drew the keen 热切的 blade 刀片 that hung so great and strong by his side, and gathering himself together be sprang on Achilles like a soaring 翱翔 eagle 鹰 which swoops 落下 down from the clouds on to some lamb 羊肉 or timid 胆小 hare 野兔—even so did Hector brandish his sword and spring upon Achilles. Achilles mad 疯狂的 with rage 愤怒 darted 镖 towards him, with his wondrous shield before his breast 乳房, and his gleaming 闪光 helmet 头盔, made with four layers 层 of metal, nodding 点头 fiercely 凶猛的 forward. The thick tresses of gold with which Vulcan had crested 波峰 the helmet 头盔 floated 漂浮 round it, and as the evening star that shines brighter than all others through the stillness of night, even such was the gleam 闪光 of the spear 矛 which Achilles poised 平衡 in his right hand, fraught 误人子弟 with the death of noble Hector. He eyed his fair flesh 肉 over and over to see where he could best wound it, but all was protected by the goodly armour of which Hector had spoiled Patroclus after he had slain him, save only the throat where the collar 衣领-bones divide the neck from the shoulders, and this is a most deadly place: here then did Achilles strike him as he was coming on towards him, and the point of his spear 矛 went right through the fleshy part of the neck, but it did not sever 断绝 his wind‧pipe 风‧管子 so that he could still speak. Hector fell head‧long 头；上端‧长的, and Achilles vaunted over him saying, "Hector, you deemed 认为 that you should come off scatheless when you were spoiling 损坏；变质 Patroclus, and recked not of myself 我 who was not with him. Fool that you were: for I, his comrade 同志, mightier 威武 far than he, was still left behind him at the ships, and now I have laid you low. The Achaeans shall give him all due funeral 葬礼 rites 仪式, while dogs and vultures shall work their will upon your‧self 你自己."

Then Hector said, as the life ebbed 落潮 out of him, "I pray you by your life and knees, and by your parents, let not dogs devour 吞食 me at the ships of the Achaeans, but accept the rich treasure 金银财宝 of gold and bronze 青铜 which my father and mother will offer you, and send my body home, that the Trojans and their wives may give me my dues of fire when I am dead."

Achilles glared 强光 at him and answered, "Dog, talk not to me neither of knees nor parents; would that I could be as sure of being able to cut your flesh into pieces and eat it raw 生的, for the ill you have done me, as I am that nothing shall save you from the dogs—it shall not be, though they bring ten 十 or twenty 二十-fold 折叠 ransom 赎金 and weigh 称重 it out for me on the spot, with promise of yet more here‧after 此后. Though Priam son of Dardanus should bid 出价 them offer me your weight in gold, even so your mother shall never lay you out and make lament 哀叹 over the son she bore, but dogs and vultures shall eat you utterly 完全 up."

Hector with his dying breath then said, "I know you what you are, and was sure that I should not move you, for your heart is hard as iron 铁器; look to it that I bring not heaven's anger upon you on the day when Paris and Phoebus Apollo, valiant though you be, shall slay 诛戮 you at the Scaean gates."

When he had thus said the shrouds 裹尸布 of death enfolded him, whereon his soul went out of him and flew down to the house of Hades, lamenting 哀叹 its sad 悲哀的 fate 3 that it should enjoy youth and strength no longer. But Achilles said, speaking to the dead body, "Die; for my part I will accept my fate whensoever Jove and the other gods see fit to send it."

As he spoke he drew his spear 矛 from the body and set it on one side; then he stripped the blood-stained armour from Hector's shoulders while the other Achaeans came running up to view his wondrous strength and beauty; and no one came near him without giving him a fresh wound. Then would one turn to his neighbour and say, "It is easier to handle Hector now than when he was flinging 一扔 fire on to our ships"—and as he spoke he would thrust 推力 his spear 矛 into him anew 重新.

When Achilles had done spoiling Hector of his armour, he stood among the Argives and said, "My friends, princes 王子 and counsellors of the Argives, now that heaven has vouchsafed us to over‧come 战胜 this man, who has done us more hurt 损害 than all the others together, consider whether we should not attack the city in force, and discover in what mind the Trojans may be. We should thus learn whether they will desert 沙漠；抛弃 their city now that Hector has fallen, or will still hold out even though he is no longer living. But why argue with myself 我 in this way, while Patroclus is still lying at the ships unburied, and unmourned—he whom I can never forget so long as I am alive and my strength fails not? Though men forget their dead when once they are within the house of Hades, yet not even there will I forget the comrade 同志 whom I have lost. Now, therefore, Achaean youths, let us raise the song of victory and go back to the ships taking this man along with us; for we have achieved 实现 a mighty 威武 triumph 胜利 and have slain noble Hector to whom the Trojans prayed through‧out 始终 their city as though he were a god."

On this he treated the body of Hector with contumely: he pierced 刺穿 the sinews at the back of both his feet from heel 脚跟 to ancle and passed thongs of ox 牛-hide through the slits 裂缝 he had made: thus he made the body fast to his chariot, letting the head trail 乡间小道 upon the ground. Then when he had put the goodly armour on the chariot and had himself mounted 增加, he lashed 睫毛 his horses on and they flew forward nothing loth. The dust rose from Hector as he was being dragged along, his dark hair flew all abroad 到国外, and his head once so comely was laid low on earth, for Jove had now delivered him into the hands of his foes 敌人 to do him out‧rage 暴行 in his own land.

Thus was the head of Hector being dishonoured in the dust. His mother tore her hair, and flung her veil 面纱 from her with a loud cry as she looked upon her son. His father made piteous moan 呻吟, and through‧out 始终 the city the people fell to weeping 哭泣 and wailing 哀号. It was as though the whole of frowning 皱眉 Ilius was being smirched with fire. Hardly could the people hold Priam back in his hot haste 匆忙 to rush 仓促 without the gates of the city. He grovelled in the mire and besought them, calling each one of them by his name. "Let be, my friends," he cried, "and for all your sorrow 4, suffer me to go single-handed to the ships of the Achaeans. Let me beseech this cruel 3 and terrible man, if maybe he will respect the feeling of his fellow-men, and have compassion 同情 on my old age. His own father is even such another as myself 我—Peleus, who bred 养育；繁殖:breed him and reared 后 him to be the bane of us Trojans, and of myself 我 more than of all others. Many a son of mine has he slain in the flower of his youth, and yet, grieve 悼 for these as I may, I do so for one—Hector—more than for them all, and the bitterness 苦味 of my sorrow 5 will bring me down to the house of Hades. Would that he had died in my arms, for so both his ill-starred mother who bore him, and myself 我, should have had the comfort of weeping 哭泣 and mourning 悼 over him."

Thus did he speak with many tears, and all the people of the city joined in his lament 哀叹. Hecuba then raised the cry of wailing 哀号 among the Trojans. "Alas, my son," she cried, "what have I left to live for now that you are no more? Night and day did I glory in you through‧out 始终 the city, for you were a tower 3 of strength to all in Troy, and both men and women alike 同样的 hailed 冰雹 you as a god. So long as you lived you were their pride 自尊, but now death and destruction 3 have fallen upon you."

Hector's wife had as yet heard nothing, for no one had come to tell her that her husband had remained without the gates. She was at her loom 织布机 in an inner 里面的 part of the house, weaving 编 a double purple 紫色的 web 网, and embroidering 绣 it with many flowers. She told her maids 女佣 to set a large tripod on the fire, so as to have a warm bath 沐浴 ready for Hector when he came out of battle; poor woman, she knew not that he was now beyond the reach of baths 沐浴, and that Minerva had laid him low by the hands of Achilles. She heard the cry coming as from the wall, and trembled 发抖 in every limb 肢; the shuttle 穿梭 fell from her hands, and again she spoke to her waiting-women. "Two of you," she said, "come with me that I may learn what it is that has befallen; I heard the voice of my husband's honoured mother; my own heart beats as though it would come into my mouth and my limbs refuse to carry me; some great misfortune 不幸 for Priam's children must be at hand. May I never live to hear it, but I greatly fear that Achilles has cut off the retreat 撤退 of brave Hector and has chased 追 him on to the plain where he was singlehanded; I fear he may have put an end to the reckless 鲁莽 daring which possessed my husband, who would never remain with the body of his men, but would dash 短跑 on far in front, fore‧most 最重要的是 of them all in valour."

Her heart beat fast, and as she spoke she flew from the house like a maniac, with her waiting-women following after. When she reached the battlements and the crowd of people, she stood looking out upon the wall, and saw Hector being borne bear away in front of the city—the horses dragging 拖拽 him without heed or care over the ground towards the ships of the Achaeans. Her eyes were then shrouded 裹尸布 as with the darkness 黑暗 of night and she fell fainting backwards 向后的. She tore the attiring 服装 from her head and flung it from her, the front‧let 前面‧允许；让 and net 网 with its plaited band, and the veil 面纱 which golden 金色的 Venus had given her on the day when Hector took her with him from the house of Eetion, after having given count‧less 无数 gifts 赠品 of wooing 求爱 for her sake. Her husband's sisters 姐妹 and the wives of his brothers crowded round her and supported her, for she was fain to die in her distraction 娱乐; when she again presently breathed 呼吸 and came to her‧self 她自己, she sobbed 哭泣 and made lament 哀叹 among the Trojans saying, "Woe is me, O Hector; woe 荣辱与共, indeed, that to share a common lot we were born, you at Troy in the house of Priam, and I at Thebes under the wooded mountain of Placus in the house of Eetion who brought me up when I was a child—ill-starred sire of an ill-starred daughter—would that he had never begotten me. You are now going into the house of Hades under the secret places of the earth, and you leave me a sorrowing 悲痛 widow 寡妇 in your house. The child, of whom you and I are the unhappy 不快乐 parents, is as yet a mere infant 婴儿. Now that you are gone, O Hector, you can do nothing for him nor he for you. Even though he escape the horrors 恐怖 of this woeful war with the Achaeans, yet shall his life hence‧forth 今后 be one of labour and sorrow, for others will seize 抓住 his lands. The day that robs 抢劫 a child of his parents severs 断绝 him from his own kind; his head is bowed 弓, his cheeks 脸颊 are wet 湿的 with tears, and he will go about destitute among the friends of his father, plucking 采摘 one by the cloak 披风 and another by the shirt 衬衫. Some one or other of these may so far pity him as to hold the cup for a moment towards him and let him moisten his lips, but he must not drink enough to wet the roof of his mouth; then one whose parents are alive will drive him from the table with blows and angry words. 'Out with you,' he will say, 'you have no father here,' and the child will go crying back to his widowed 寡妇 mother—he, Astyanax, who erewhile would sit upon his father's knees, and have none but the daintiest and choicest morsels set before him. When he had played till he was tired and went to sleep, he would lie in a bed, in the arms of his nurse 护士, on a soft couch 长椅, knowing neither want nor care, whereas 而 now that he has lost his father his lot will be full of hard‧ship 苦—he, whom the Trojans name Astyanax, because you, O Hector, were the only defence of their gates and battlements. The wriggling 蠢动 writhing worms 虫 will now eat you at the ships, far from your parents, when the dogs have glutted themselves upon you. You will lie naked 裸, although in your house you have fine and goodly raiment made by hands of women. This will I now burn; it is of no use to you, for you can never again wear it, and thus you will have respect shown you by the Trojans both men and women."

In such wise 明智的；聪明的 did she cry aloud 高声 amid 际 her tears, and the women joined in her lament 哀叹.

BOOK XXIII

The funeral 葬礼 of Patroclus, and the funeral 3 games.

Thus did they make their moan 呻吟 through‧out 始终 the city, while the Achaeans when they reached the Hellespont went back every man to his own ship. But Achilles would not let the Myrmidons go, and spoke to his brave comrades 同志 saying, "Myrmidons, famed horsemen and my own trusted friends, not yet, forsooth, let us unyoke, but with horse and chariot draw near to the body and mourn 悼 Patroclus, in due honour to the dead. When we have had full comfort of lamentation we will unyoke our horses and take supper 晚饭 all of us here."

On this they all joined in a cry of wailing 哀号 and Achilles led them in their lament 哀叹. Thrice did they drive their chariots all sorrowing round the body, and Thetis stirred 搅动 within them a still deeper yearning 向往. The sands 沙 of the sea‧shore 海‧岸 and the men's armour were wet with their weeping 哭泣, so great a minister of fear was he whom they had lost. Chief in all their mourning 悼 was the son of Peleus: he laid his bloodstained hand on the breast 乳房 of his friend. "Fare well," he cried, "Patroclus, even in the house of Hades. I will now do all that I erewhile promised you; I will drag 拖拽 Hector hither and let dogs devour 吞食 him raw 生的; twelve 十二 noble sons of Trojans will I also slay 诛戮 before your pyre to avenge you."

As he spoke he treated the body of noble Hector with contumely, laying it at full length in the dust beside the bier of Patroclus. The others then put off every man his armour, took the horses from their chariots, and seated themselves in great multitude 苠 by the ship of the fleet 舰队 descendant 后代 of Aeacus, who thereon feasted 盛会 them with an abundant 丰富 funeral banquet 宴会. Many a goodly ox 牛, with many a sheep 羊 and bleating goat 山羊 did they butcher 屠夫 and cut up; many a tusked boar 公猪 moreover, fat and well-fed, did they singe and set to roast 烤 in the flames of Vulcan; and rivulets of blood flowed all round the place where the body was lying.

Then the princes 王子 of the Achaeans took the son of Peleus to Agamemnon, but hardly could they persuade 说服 him to come with them, so wroth was he for the death of his comrade 同志. As soon as they reached Agamemnon's tent 帐篷 they told the serving-men to set a large tripod over the fire in case they might persuade the son of Peleus to wash the clotted 凝块 gore from this body, but he denied 拒绝 them sternly 严肃, and swore 发誓:swear it with a solemn 庄严的 oath 誓言, saying, "Nay, by King Jove, first and mightiest of all gods, it is not meet that water should touch my body, till I have laid Patroclus on the flames, have built him a barrow, and shaved 剃须 my head—for so long as I live no such second sorrow shall ever draw nigh me. Now, therefore, let us do all that this sad 悲哀的 festival 节日；节期 demands, but at break of day, King Agamemnon, bid 出价 your men bring wood, and provide all else that the dead may duly 适时地 take into the realm 领域 of darkness 黑暗; the fire shall thus burn him out of our sight the sooner, and the people shall turn again to their own labours."

Thus did he speak, and they did even as he had said. They made haste 匆忙 to prepare the meal 餐, they ate, and every man had his full share so that all were satisfied. As soon as they had had enough to eat and drink, the others went to their rest each in his own tent 帐篷, but the son of Peleus lay grieving 悼 among his Myrmidons by the shore of the sounding sea, in an open place where the waves came surging 浪涌 in one after another. Here a very deep slumber took hold upon him and eased 轻松 the burden 负荷，重负 of his sorrows 悲痛, for his limbs were weary 厌倦 with chasing 追 Hector round windy 有风 Ilius. Presently the sad spirit of Patroclus drew near him, like what he had been in stature 身材, voice, and the light of his beaming 梁 eyes, clad 包层的, too, as he had been clad 包层的 in life. The spirit hovered 徘徊 over his head and said—

"You sleep, Achilles, and have forgotten me; you loved me living, but now that I am dead you think for me no further. Bury 埋葬 me with all speed that I may pass the gates of Hades; the ghosts 鬼, vain 徒劳的 shadows of men that can labour no more, drive me away from them; they will not yet suffer me to join those that are beyond the river, and I wander 漫步 all desolate 荒凉 by the wide gates of the house of Hades. Give me now your hand I pray you, for when you have once given me my dues of fire, never shall I again come forth out of the house of Hades. Nevermore shall we sit apart 相隔 and take sweet counsel 法律顾问 among the living; the cruel fate which was my birth-right has yawned 打哈欠 its wide jaws around me—nay, you too Achilles, peer 窥视 of gods, are doomed 厄运 to die beneath 之下 the wall of the noble Trojans.

"One prayer more will I make you, if you will grant 发放 it; let not my bones be laid apart from yours, Achilles, but with them; even as we were brought up together in your own home, what time Menoetius brought me to you as a child from Opoeis because by a sad spite 恶意 I had killed the son of Amphidamas—not of set purpose, but in childish 幼稚 quarrel 争吵 over the dice 骰子. The knight 骑士 Peleus took me into his house, entreated me kindly, and named me to be your squire; therefore let our bones lie in but a single urn, the two-handled golden vase 花瓶 given to you by your mother."

And Achilles answered, "Why, true heart, are you come hither to lay these charges upon me? I will of my own self 自己 do all as you have bidden me. Draw closer to me, let us once more throw our arms around one another, and find sad comfort in the sharing of our sorrows."

He opened his arms towards him as he spoke and would have clasped 钩 him in them, but there was nothing, and the spirit vanished 消失 as a vapour, gibbering and whining 抱怨 into the earth. Achilles sprang to his feet, smote his two hands, and made lamentation saying, "Of a truth even in the house of Hades there are ghosts 鬼 and phantoms that have no life in them; all night long the sad spirit of Patroclus has hovered 徘徊 over head making piteous moan 呻吟, telling me what I am to do for him, and looking wondrously like himself."

Thus did he speak and his words set them all weeping 哭泣 and mourning 悼 about the poor dumb 哑 dead, till rosy 红润-fingered morn appeared. Then King Agamemnon sent men and mules 马骡 from all parts of the camp, to bring wood, and Meriones, squire to Idomeneus, was in charge over them. They went out with woodmen's axes 斧头 and strong ropes 粗绳 in their hands, and before them went the mules 马骡. Up hill and down dale did they go, by straight ways and crooked 弯曲, and when they reached the heights 高度 of many-fountained 喷泉 Ida, they laid their axes 斧头 to the roots of many a tall branching oak 橡木 that came thundering down as they felled it. They split 分裂 the trees and bound 必定；跳 them behind the mules 马骡, which then wended their way as they best could through the thick brush‧wood 刷子‧木材；树林 on to the plain. All who had been cutting wood bore logs 记录, for so Meriones squire to Idomeneus had bidden them, and they threw throw them down in a line upon the sea‧shore 海‧岸 at the place where Achilles would make a mighty 威武 monument 纪念碑 for Patroclus and for himself.

When they had thrown down their great logs of wood over the whole ground, they stayed all of them where they were, but Achilles ordered his brave Myrmidons to gird on their armour, and to yoke each man his horses; they therefore rose, girded on their armour and mounted each his chariot—they and their charioteers with them. The chariots went before, and they that were on foot followed as a cloud in their tens 十 of thou‧sand 千 after. In the midst 中间 of them his comrades 同志 bore Patroclus and covered him with the locks of their hair which they cut off and threw upon his body. Last came Achilles with his head bowed for sorrow, so noble a comrade 同志 was he taking to the house of Hades.

When they came to the place of which Achilles had told them they laid the body down and built up the wood. Achilles then bethought him of another matter. He went a space away from the pyre, and cut off the yellow lock which he had let grow for the river Spercheius. He looked all sorrow‧fully 悲痛‧完全地 out upon the dark sea, and said, "Spercheius, in vain 徒劳的 did my father Peleus vow 发誓 to you that when I returned home to my loved native 本土的 land I should cut off this lock and offer you a holy 神圣的 hecatomb; fifty 五十 she-goats 山羊 was I to sacrifice to you there at your springs, where is your grove 树林 and your altar 坛 fragrant with burnt burn-offerings. Thus did my father vow 发誓, but you have not fulfilled 履行 his prayer; now, therefore, that I shall see my home no more, I give this lock as a keep‧sake 保持‧缘故 to the hero Patroclus."

As he spoke he placed the lock in the hands of his dear comrade 同志, and all who stood by were filled with yearning 向往 and lamentation. The sun would have gone down upon their mourning 悼 had not Achilles presently said to Agamemnon, "Son of Atreus, for it is to you that the people will give ear, there is a time to mourn 悼 and a time to cease 停止 from mourning 悼; bid 出价 the people now leave the pyre and set about getting their dinners: we, to whom the dead is dearest, will see to what is wanted here, and let the other princes 王子 also stay by me."

When King Agamemnon heard this he dismissed 解雇 the people to their ships, but those who were about the dead heaped 堆 up wood and built a pyre a hundred 百 feet this way and that; then they laid the dead all sorrow‧fully 悲痛‧完全地 upon the top of it. They flayed and dressed many fat sheep 羊 and oxen before the pyre, and Achilles took fat from all of them and wrapped 包 the body therein 在其中 from head to foot, heaping 堆 the flayed carcases all round it. Against the bier he leaned two-handled jars 罐 of honey 蜜糖 and unguents; four proud horses did he then cast 投 upon the pyre, groaning 呻吟 the while he did so. The dead hero had had house-dogs; two of them did Achilles slay 诛戮 and threw upon the pyre; he also put twelve 十二 brave sons of noble Trojans to the sword and laid them with the rest, for he was full of bitterness 苦味 and fury 愤怒. Then he committed 承诺 all to the resist‧less 抵抗‧少 and devouring 吞食 might of the fire; he groaned 呻吟 aloud 高声 and called on his dead comrade 同志 by name. "Fare well," he cried, "Patroclus, even in the house of Hades; I am now doing all that I have promised you. Twelve brave sons of noble Trojans shall the flames consume 消耗 along with your‧self 你自己, but dogs, not fire, shall devour 吞食 the flesh of Hector son of Priam."

Thus did he vaunt, but the dogs came not about the body of Hector, for Jove's daughter Venus kept them off him night and day, and anointed him with ambrosial oil of roses that his flesh might not be torn tear when Achilles was dragging him about. Phoebus Apollo moreover sent a dark cloud from heaven to earth, which gave shade 遮阳；阴 to the whole place where Hector lay, that the heat of the sun might not parch his body.

Now the pyre about dead Patroclus would not kindle. Achilles therefore bethought him of another matter; he went apart and prayed to the two winds Boreas and Zephyrus vowing 发誓 them goodly offerings. He made them many drink-offerings from the golden cup and besought them to come and help him that the wood might make haste 3 to kindle and the dead bodies be consumed 消耗. Fleet Iris heard him praying and started off to fetch 取 the winds. They were holding high feast 盛会 in the house of boisterous Zephyrus when Iris came running up to the stone threshold 阈 of the house and stood there, but as soon as they set eyes on her they all came towards her and each of them called her to him, but Iris would not sit down. "I cannot stay," she said, "I must go back to the streams of Oceanus and the land of the Ethiopians who are offering hecatombs to the immortals 不朽, and I would have my share; but Achilles prays that Boreas and shrill Zephyrus will come to him, and he vows 发誓 them goodly offerings; he would have you blow upon the pyre of Patroclus for whom all the Achaeans are lamenting 哀叹."

With this she left them, and the two winds rose with a cry that rent 租；租金 the air and swept the clouds before them. They blew blow on and on until they came to the sea, and the waves rose high beneath them, but when they reached Troy they fell upon the pyre till the mighty 威武 flames roared 咆哮 under the blast 爆破 that they blew. All night long did they blow hard and beat upon the fire, and all night long did Achilles grasp 把握 his double cup, drawing wine from a mixing-bowl 碗 of gold, and calling upon the spirit of dead Patroclus as he poured it upon the ground until the earth was drenched. As a father mourns 悼 when he is burning the bones of his bridegroom son whose death has wrung the hearts of his parents, even so did Achilles mourn 悼 while burning the body of his comrade 同志, pacing 步伐，速度 round the bier with piteous groaning 呻吟 and lamentation.

At length as the Morning Star was beginning to herald 先锋 the light which saffron-mantled 披风 Dawn was soon to suffuse over the sea, the flames fell and the fire began to die. The winds then went home beyond the Thracian sea, which roared and boiled 煮沸 as they swept over it. The son of Peleus now turned away from the pyre and lay down, over‧come 战胜 with toil 辛劳, till he fell into a sweet slumber. Presently they who were about the son of Atreus drew near in a body, and roused 唤醒 him with the noise 噪音 and tramp 流浪汉 of their coming. He sat upright 直立的 and said, "Son of Atreus, and all other princes 王子 of the Achaeans, first pour red wine every‧where 到处 upon the fire and quench it; let us then gather the bones of Patroclus son of Menoetius, singling them out with care; they are easily found, for they lie in the middle of the pyre, while all else, both men and horses, has been thrown in a heap 堆 and burned at the outer edge. We will lay the bones in a golden urn, in two layers 层 of fat, against the time when I shall myself 我 go down into the house of Hades. As for the barrow, labour not to raise a great one now, but such as is reasonable. Afterwards, let those Achaeans who may be left at the ships when I am gone, build it both broad and high."

Thus he spoke and they obeyed the word of the son of Peleus. First they poured red wine upon the thick layer of ashes 灰 and quenched the fire. With many tears they singled out the whitened bones of their loved comrade 同志 and laid them within a golden urn in two layers 层 of fat: they then covered the urn with a linen 麻布 cloth 布 and took it inside the tent 帐篷. They marked off the circle where the barrow should be, made a foundation 基础 for it about the pyre, and forth‧with 向前‧和 heaped up the earth. When they had thus raised a mound 冢 they were going away, but Achilles stayed the people and made them sit in assembly 部件. He brought prizes 奖赏 from the ships—cauldrons, tripods, horses and mules 马骡, noble oxen, women with fair girdles, and swart iron 铁器.

The first prize 奖赏 he offered was for the chariot races—a woman skilled in all useful 有用 arts, and a three-legged cauldron that had ears for handles, and would hold twenty 二十-two measures. This was for the man who came in first. For the second there was a six-year old mare 母马, unbroken, and in foal to a he-ass; the third was to have a goodly cauldron that had never yet been on the fire; it was still bright as when it left the maker 做；逼, and would hold four measures. The fourth prize 3 was two talents 天赋 of gold, and the fifth a two-handled urn as yet unsoiled by smoke. Then he stood up and spoke among the Argives saying—

"Son of Atreus, and all other Achaeans, these are the prizes that lie waiting the winners 优胜者 of the chariot races. At any other time I should carry off the first prize and take it to my own tent 3; you know how far my steeds excel 高强 all others—for they are immortal 不朽; Neptune gave them to my father Peleus, who in his turn gave them to myself 我; but I shall hold aloof, I and my steeds that have lost their brave and kind driver, who many a time has washed them in clear water and anointed their manes with oil. See how they stand weeping 哭泣 here, with their manes trailing 乡间小道 on the ground in the extremity of their sorrow. But do you others set yourselves in order through‧out 始终 the host, whosoever hasconfidence 信心 in his horses and in the strength of his chariot."

Thus spoke the son of Peleus and the drivers 司机 of chariots bestirred themselves. First among them all uprose Eumelus, king of men, son of Admetus, a man excellent in horsemanship. Next to him rose mighty 威武 Diomed son of Tydeus; he yoked the Trojan horses which he had taken from Aeneas, when Apollo bore him out of the fight. Next to him, yellow-haired Menelaus son of Atreus rose and yoked his fleet 舰队 horses, Agamemnon's mare 母马 Aethe, and his own horse Podargus. The mare 母马 had been given to Agamemnon by Echepolus son of Anchises, that he might not have to follow him to Ilius, but might stay at home and take his ease 轻松; for Jove had endowed 赋予 him with great wealth 财产 and he lived in spacious 宽敞 Sicyon. This mare 母马, all eager 渴望的 for the race, did Menelaus put under the yoke.

Fourth in order Antilochus, son to noble Nestor son of Neleus, made ready his horses. These were bred in Pylos, and his father came up to him to give him good advice 劝告 of which, however, he stood in but little need. "Antilochus," said Nestor, "you are young, but Jove and Neptune have loved you well, and have made you an excellent horse‧man 马‧男人. I need not therefore say much by way of instruction 指令. You are skilful at wheeling your horses round the post, but the horses themselves are very slow, and it is this that will, I fear, mar 损伤 your chances. The other drivers 司机 know less than you do, but their horses are fleeter 舰队; therefore, my dear son, see if you cannot hit upon some artifice whereby 因此 you may insure 保证 that the prize shall not slip through your fingers. The wood‧man 木材；树林‧男人 does more by skill than by brute 畜生 force; by skill the pilot 飞行员 guides his storm 3-tossed 折腾 barque over the sea, and so by skill one driver can beat another. If a man go wide in rounding this way and that, whereas 而 a man who knows what he is doing may have worse horses, but he will keep them well in hand when he sees the doubling-post; he knows the precise 精确 moment at which to pull the rein 缰绳, and keeps his eye well on the man in front of him. I will give you this certain token 代币 which cannot escape your notice. There is a stump 树墩 of a dead tree—oak 橡木 or pine 松树 as it may be—some six feet above the ground, and not yet rotted 腐烂 away by rain; it stands at the fork 叉 of the road; it has two white stones set one on each side, and there is a clear course all round it. It may have been a monument 纪念碑 to some one long since dead, or it may have been used as a doubling-post in days gone by; now, however, it has been fixed on by Achilles as the mark round which the chariots shall turn; hug 拥抱 it as close as you can, but as you stand in your chariot lean over a little to the left; urge on your right-hand horse with voice and lash 睫毛, and give him a loose rein 缰绳, but let the left-hand horse keep so close in, that the nave of your wheel shall almost graze 轻擦 the post; but mind the stone, or you will wound your horses and break your chariot in pieces, which would be sport for others but confusion 混乱 for your‧self 你自己. Therefore, my dear son, mind well what you are about, for if you can be first to round the post there is no chance of any one giving you the go-by later, not even though you had Adrestus's horse Arion behind you—a horse which is of divine 神圣 race—or those of Laomedon, which are the noblest 高尚的 in this country."

When Nestor had made an end of counselling 法律顾问 his son he sat down in his place, and fifth in order Meriones got ready his horses. They then all mounted their chariots and cast 投 lots. Achilles shook the helmet 头盔, and the lot of Antilochus son of Nestor fell out first; next came that of King Eumelus, and after his, those of Menelaus son of Atreus and of Meriones. The last place fell to the lot of Diomed son of Tydeus, who was the best man of them all. They took their places in line; Achilles showed them the doubling-post round which they were to turn, some way off upon the plain; here he stationed his father's follower Phoenix as umpire 裁判, to note the running, and report truly 真.

At the same instant 瞬间 they all of them lashed 睫毛 their horses, struck them with the reins 缰绳, and shouted at them with all their might. They flew full speed over the plain away from the ships, the dust rose from under them as it were a cloud or whirl‧wind 旋转‧风, and their manes were all flying in the wind. At one moment the chariots seemed to touch the ground, and then again they bounded 必定；跳 into the air; the drivers 司机 stood erect 直立, and their hearts beat fast and furious 狂怒 in their lust 情欲 of victory. Each kept calling on his horses, and the horses scoured 冲刷 the plain amid 际 the clouds of dust that they raised.

It was when they were doing the last part of the course on their way back towards the sea that their pace 步伐，速度 was strained 压力 to the utmost 极 and it was seen what each could do. The horses of the descendant 后代 of Pheres now took the lead, and close behind them came the Trojan stallions of Diomed. They seemed as if about to mount 增加 Eumelus's chariot, and he could feel their warm breath on his back and on his broad shoulders, for their heads were close to him as they flew over the course. Diomed would have now passed him, or there would have been a dead heat, but Phoebus Apollo to spite him made him drop his whip 鞭打. Tears of anger fell from his eyes as he saw the mares 母马 going on faster than ever, while his own horses lost ground through his having no whip. Minerva saw the trick 哄骗；诀窍 which Apollo had played the son of Tydeus, so she brought him his whip and put spirit into his horses; moreover she went after the son of Admetus in a rage 愤怒 and broke his yoke for him; the mares 母马 went one to one side of the course, and the other to the other, and the pole 极 was broken break against the ground. Eumelus was thrown from his chariot close to the wheel; his elbows 弯头, mouth, and nostrils 鼻孔 were all torn, and his fore‧head 前额 was bruised 挫伤 above his eye‧brow 眉; his eyes filled with tears and he could find no utterance 发声. But the son of Tydeus turned his horses aside and shot shoot far ahead, for Minerva put fresh strength into them and covered Diomed himself with glory.

Menelaus son of Atreus came next behind him, but Antilochus called to his father's horses. "On with you both," he cried, "and do your very utmost 极. I do not bid 出价 you try to beat the steeds of the son of Tydeus, for Minerva has put running into them, and has covered Diomed with glory; but you must overtake the horses of the son of Atreus and not be left behind, or Aethe who is so fleet 舰队 will taunt 嘲讽 you. Why, my good fellows, are you lagging 落后? I tell you, and it shall surely be—Nestor will keep neither of you, but will put both of you to the sword, if we win any the worse a prize through your carelessness. Fly after them at your utmost 极 speed; I will hit on a plan for passing them in a narrow part of the way, and it shall not fail me."

They feared the rebuke 训斥 of their master, and for a short space went quicker. Presently Antilochus saw a narrow place where the road had sunk 淹没:sink. The ground was broken, for the winter's rain had gathered and had worn wear the road so that the whole place was deepened 变深. Menelaus was making towards it so as to get there first, for fear of a foul 犯规, but Antilochus turned his horses out of the way, and followed him a little on one side. The son of Atreus was afraid and shouted out, "Antilochus, you are driving recklessly 鲁莽; rein 缰绳 in your horses; the road is too narrow here, it will be wider soon, and you can pass me then; if you foul 犯规 my chariot you may bring both of us to a mischief 恶作剧."

But Antilochus plied 股 his whip 3, and drove faster, as though he had not heard him. They went side by side for about as far as a young man can hurl 投 a disc from his shoulder when he is trying his strength, and then Menelaus's mares 母马 drew behind, for he left off driving for fear the horses should foul 犯规 one another and upset 打翻 the chariots; thus, while pressing on in quest 寻求 of victory, they might both come head‧long 头；上端‧长的 to the ground. Menelaus then upbraided Antilochus and said, "There is no greater trickster living than you are; go, and bad luck go with you; the Achaeans say not well that you have understanding, and come what may you shall not bear away the prize without sworn 发誓:swear protest 抗议 on my part."

Then he called on his horses and said to them, "Keep your pace 步伐，速度, and slacken not; the limbs of the other horses will weary 厌倦 sooner than yours, for they are neither of them young."

The horses feared the rebuke 训斥 of their master, and went faster, so that they were soon nearly up with the others.

Meanwhile the Achaeans from their seats were watching how the horses went, as they scoured 冲刷 the plain amid 际 clouds of their own dust. Idomeneus captain of the Cretans was first to make out the running, for he was not in the thick of the crowd, but stood on the most commanding part of the ground. The driver was a long way off, but Idomeneus could hear him shouting, and could see the fore‧most 最重要的是 horse quite plainly—a chest‧nut 板栗 with a round white star, like the moon, on its fore‧head 前额. He stood up and said among the Argives, "My friends, princes 王子 and counsellors of the Argives, can you see the running as well as I can? There seems to be another pair in front now, and another driver; those that led off at the start must have been disabled 禁用 out on the plain. I saw them at first making their way round the doubling-post, but now, though I search the plain of Troy, I cannot find them. Perhaps the reins 缰绳 fell from the driver's hand so that he lost command of his horses at the doubling-post, and could not turn it. I suppose he must have been thrown out there, and broken his chariot, while his mares 母马 have left the course and gone off wildly in a panic 恐慌. Come up and see for yourselves, I cannot make out for certain, but the driver seems an Aetolian by descent 下降, ruler over the Argives, brave Diomed the son of Tydeus."

Ajax the son of Oileus took him up rudely 粗鲁的 and said, "Idomeneus, why should you be in such a hurry to tell us all about it, when the mares 母马 are still so far out upon the plain? You are none of the youngest, nor your eyes none of the sharpest, but you are always laying down the law. You have no right to do so, for there are better men here than you are. Eumelus's horses are in front now, as they always have been, and he is on the chariot holding the reins 缰绳."

The captain of the Cretans was angry, and answered, "Ajax you are an excellent railer 围栏；钢轨, but you have no judgement, and are wanting in much else as well, for you have a vile temper 性情. I will wager you a tripod or cauldron, and Agamemnon son of Atreus shall decide whose horses are first. You will then know to your cost."

Ajax son of Oileus was for making him an angry answer, and there would have been yet further brawling between them, had not Achilles risen rise in his place and said, "Cease your railing 围栏；钢轨, Ajax and Idomeneus; it is not seemly; you would be scandalised if you saw any one else do the like: sit down and keep your eyes on the horses; they are speeding towards the winning-post and will be here directly. You will then both of you know whose horses are first, and whose come after."

As he was speaking, the son of Tydeus came driving in, plying 股 his whip lustily from his shoulder, and his horses stepping high as they flew over the course. The sand and grit 砂砾 rained thick on the driver, and the chariot inlaid with gold and tin 锡 ran close behind his fleet 舰队 horses. There was little trace 跟踪 of wheel-marks in the fine dust, and the horses came flying in at their utmost 极 speed. Diomed stayed them in the middle of the crowd, and the sweat 流汗 from their manes and chests 胸部 fell in streams on to the ground. Forthwith he sprang from his goodly chariot, and leaned his whip against his horses' yoke; brave Sthenelus now lost no time, but at once brought on the prize, and gave the woman and the ear-handled cauldron to his comrades 同志 to take away. Then he unyoked the horses.

Next after him came in Antilochus of the race of Neleus, who had passed Menelaus by a trick 哄骗；诀窍 and not by the fleetness of his horses; but even so Menelaus came in as close behind him as the wheel is to the horse that draws both the chariot and its master. The end hairs of a horse's tail 尾 touch the tyre of the wheel, and there is never much space between wheel and horse when the chariot is going; Menelaus was no further than this behind Antilochus, though at first he had been a full disc's throw behind him. He had soon caught him up again, for Agamemnon's mare 母马 Aethe kept pulling stronger and stronger, so that if the course had been longer he would have passed him, and there would not even have been a dead heat. Idomeneus's brave squire Meriones was about a spear 矛's cast 投 behind Menelaus. His horses were slowest of all, and he was the worst 生病:ill driver. Last of them all came the son of Admetus, dragging his chariot and driving his horses on in front. When Achilles saw him he was sorry 对不起的, and stood up among the Argives saying, "The best man is coming in last. Let us give him a prize for it is reasonable. He shall have the second, but the first must go to the son of Tydeus."

Thus did he speak and the others all of them applauded 鼓掌欢迎 his saying, and were for doing as he had said, but Nestor's son Antilochus stood up and claimed his rights from the son of Peleus. "Achilles," said he, "I shall take it much amiss if you do this thing; you would rob 抢劫 me of my prize, because you think Eumelus's chariot and horses were thrown out, and himself too, good man that he is. He should have prayed duly 适时地 to the immortals 不朽; he would not have come in last if he had done so. If you are sorry 对不起的 for him and so choose, you have much gold in your tents, with bronze 青铜, sheep 羊, cattle and horses. Take something from this store if you would have the Achaeans speak well of you, and give him a better prize even than that which you have now offered; but I will not give up the mare 母马, and he that will fight me for her, let him come on."

Achilles smiled as he heard this, and was pleased with Antilochus, who was one of his dearest comrades 同志. So he said—

"Antilochus, if you would have me find Eumelus another prize, I will give him the bronze 青铜 breast‧plate 乳房，女性‧盘子 with a rim 轮缘 of tin 锡 running all round it which I took from Asteropaeus. It will be worth much money to him."

He bade his comrade 同志 Automedon bring the breast‧plate 乳房，女性‧盘子 from his tent, and he did so. Achilles then gave it over to Eumelus, who received it gladly.

But Menelaus got up in a rage 愤怒, furiously 疯狂 angry with Antilochus. An attend‧ant 服务员 placed his staff in his hands and bade the Argives keep silence: the hero then addressed them. "Antilochus," said he, "what is this from you who have been so far blame‧less 指责‧少? You have made me cut a poor figure and baulked my horses by flinging 一扔 your own in front of them, though yours are much worse than mine are; therefore, O princes 王子 and counsellors of the Argives, judge between us and show no favour, lest 免得 one of the Achaeans say, 'Menelaus has got the mare 母马 through lying and corruption 腐败; his horses were far inferior 下 to Antilochus's, but he has greater weight and influence.' Nay, I will determine the matter myself 我, and no man will blame me, for I shall do what is just. Come here, Antilochus, and stand, as our custom 习惯 is, whip in hand before your chariot and horses; lay your hand on your steeds, and swear 发誓 by earth-encircling 包围 Neptune that you did not purposely and guilefully get in the way of my horses."

And Antilochus answered, " Forgive 原谅 me; I am much younger, King Menelaus, than you are; you stand higher than I do and are the better man of the two; you know how easily young men are betrayed 背叛 into indiscretion; their tempers 性情 are more hasty 匆 and they have less judgement; make due allowances 津贴；补贴 therefore, and bear with me; I will of my own accord give up the mare 母马 that I have won win, and if you claim any further chattel from my own possessions 所有物, I would rather yield it to you, at once, than fall from your good graces 优雅；惠赐 hence‧forth 今后, and do wrong in the sight of heaven."

The son of Nestor then took the mare 母马 and gave her over to Menelaus, whose anger was thus appeased; as when dew falls upon a field of ripening corn, and the lands are bristling 鬃 with the harvest 收割—even so, O Menelaus, was your heart made glad within you. He turned to Antilochus and said, "Now, Antilochus, angry though I have been, I can give way to you of my own free will; you have never been head‧strong 头；上端‧强的 nor ill-disposed 部署 hitherto 迄今, but this time your youth has got the better of your judgement; be careful 小心 how you outwit your betters in future; no one else could have brought me round so easily, but your good father, your brother, and your‧self 你自己 have all of you had infinite 无穷 trouble on my behalf 代表; I therefore yield to your entreaty, and will give up the mare 母马 to you, mine though it indeed be; the people will thus see that I am neither harsh 苛刻 nor vindictive."

With this he gave the mare 母马 over to Antilochus's comrade 同志 Noemon, and then took the cauldron. Meriones, who had come in fourth, carried off the two talents 天赋 of gold, and the fifth prize, the two-handled urn, being unawarded, Achilles gave it to Nestor, going up to him among the assembled 集合 Argives and saying, "Take this, my good old friend, as an heirloom and memorial 纪念馆 of the funeral of Patroclus—for you shall see him no more among the Argives. I give you this prize though you cannot win one; you can now neither wrestle 搏斗 nor fight, and cannot enter for the javelin-match nor foot-races, for the hand of age has been laid heavily 很大，沉重地 upon you."

So saying he gave the urn over to Nestor, who received it gladly and answered, "My son, all that you have said is true; there is no strength now in my legs and feet, nor can I hit out with my hands from either shoulder. Would that I were still young and strong as when the Epeans were burying 埋葬 King Amarynceus in Buprasium, and his sons offered prizes in his honour. There was then none that could vie 争夺 with me neither of the Epeans nor the Pylians themselves nor the Aetolians. In boxing I overcame Clytomedes son of Enops, and in wrestling 搏斗, Ancaeus of Pleuron who had come forward against me. Iphiclus was a good runner, but I beat him, and threw farther with my spear 矛 than either Phyleus or Polydorus. In chariot-racing alone did the two sons of Actor 演员 surpass 超过 me by crowding their horses in front of me, for they were angry at the way victory had gone, and at the greater part of the prizes remaining in the place in which they had been offered. They were twins 双胞胎之一, and the one kept on holding the reins 缰绳, and holding the reins 缰绳, while the other plied 股 the whip. Such was I then, but now I must leave these matters to younger men; I must bow before the weight of years, but in those days I was eminent 杰出 among heroes 英雄. And now, sir 先生, go on with the funeral contests 比赛 in honour of your comrade 同志: gladly do I accept this urn, and my heart rejoices 欢庆 that you do not forget me but are ever mindful 铭记 of my good‧will 善意 towards you, and of the respect due to me from the Achaeans. For all which may the grace 优雅；惠赐 of heaven be vouchsafed you in great abundance 丰富."

Thereon the son of Peleus, when he had listened to all the thanks of Nestor, went about among the con‧course CON‧课程 of the Achaeans, and presently offered prizes for skill in the painful 痛苦 art of boxing. He brought out a strong mule 马骡, and made it fast in the middle of the crowd—a she-mule 马骡 never yet broken, but six years old—when it is hardest of all to break them: this was for the victor 胜利者, and for the vanquished he offered a double cup. Then he stood up and said among the Argives, "Son of Atreus, and all other Achaeans, I invite our two champion 冠军 boxers 拳击手 to lay about them lustily and compete 竞赛 for these prizes. He to whom Apollo vouchsafes the greater endurance 耐力, and whom the Achaeans acknowledge 确认 as victor 胜利者, shall take the mule 马骡 back with him to his own tent, while he that is vanquished shall have the double cup."

As he spoke there stood up a champion 冠军 both brave and of great stature 身材, a skilful boxer, Epeus, son of Panopeus. He laid his hand on the mule 马骡 and said, "Let the man who is to have the cup come hither, for none but myself 我 will take the mule 马骡. I am the best boxer of all here present, and none can beat me. Is it not enough that I should fall short of you in actual fighting? Still, no man can be good at everything. I tell you plainly, and it shall come true; if any man will box with me I will bruise 挫伤 his body and break his bones; therefore let his friends stay here in a body and be at hand to take him away when I have done with him."

They all held their peace, and no man rose save Euryalus son of Mecisteus, who was son of Talaus. Mecisteus went once to Thebes after the fall of Oedipus, to attend his funeral, and he beat all the people of Cadmus. The son of Tydeus was Euryalus's second, cheering 欢呼 him on and hoping heartily 爽朗 that he would win. First he put a waist‧band 腰‧带 round him and then he gave him some well-cut thongs of ox 牛-hide; the two men being now girt went into the middle of the ring, and immediately fell to; heavily 很大，沉重地 indeed did they punish 处罚 one another and lay about them with their brawny fists 拳头. One could hear the horrid crashing of their jaws, and they sweated 流汗 from every pore 孔 of their skin 皮. Presently Epeus came on and gave Euryalus a blow on the jaw 下巴 as he was looking round; Euryalus could not keep his legs; they gave way under him in a moment and he sprang up with a bound 必定；跳, as a fish leaps 飞跃 into the air near some shore that is all bestrewn with sea-wrack, when Boreas furs 毛皮 the top of the waves, and then falls back into deep water. But noble Epeus caught hold of him and raised him up; his comrades 同志 also came round him and led him from the ring, unsteady in his gait, his head hanging on one side, and spitting 吐 great clots 凝块 of gore. They set him down in a swoon and then went to fetch 取 the double cup.

The son of Peleus now brought out the prizes for the third contest 比赛 and showed them to the Argives. These were for the painful 痛苦 art of wrestling 搏斗. For the winner there was a great tripod ready for setting upon the fire, and the Achaeans valued it among themselves at twelve 十二 oxen. For the loser he brought out a woman skilled in all manner of arts, and they valued her at four oxen. He rose and said among the Argives, "Stand forward, you who will essay 短文 this contest 比赛."

Forthwith uprose great Ajax the son of Telamon, and crafty Ulysses, full of wiles, rose also. The two girded themselves and went into the middle of the ring. They gripped 握 each other in their strong hands like the rafters which some master-builder frames for the roof of a high house to keep the wind out. Their back‧bone 骨干 cracked 破裂 as they tugged 拖船 at one another with their mighty 威武 arms—and sweat 3 rained from them in torrents 激流. Many a bloody 血腥的；该死的；他妈的 weal sprang up on their sides and shoulders, but they kept on striving 努力 with might and main for victory and to win the tripod. Ulysses could not throw Ajax, nor Ajax him; Ulysses was too strong for him; but when the Achaeans began to tire of watching them, Ajax said to Ulysses, "Ulysses, noble son of Laertes, you shall either lift me, or I you, and let Jove settle it between us."

He lifted him from the ground as he spoke, but Ulysses did not forget his cunning 狡猾. He hit Ajax in the hollow 空的 at back of his knee, so that he could not keep his feet, but fell on his back with Ulysses lying upon his chest 胸部, and all who saw it marvelled 奇迹. Then Ulysses in turn lifted Ajax and stirred him a little from the ground but could not lift him right off it, his knee sank under him, and the two fell side by side on the ground and were all begrimed with dust. They now sprang towards one another and were for wrestling 搏斗 yet a third time, but Achilles rose and stayed them. "Put not each other further," said he, "to such cruel suffering; the victory is with both alike 3, take each of you an equal prize, and let the other Achaeans now compete 竞赛."

Thus did he speak and they did even as he had said, and put on their shirts again after wiping 擦 the dust from off their bodies.

The son of Peleus then offered prizes for speed in running—a mixing-bowl 碗 beautifully 精美 wrought 锻, of pure silver 3. It would hold six measures, and far exceeded 超过 all others in the whole world for beauty; it was the work of cunning 狡猾 artificers in Sidon, and had been brought into port 港口 by Phoenicians from beyond the sea, who had made a present of it to Thoas. Eueneus son of Jason had given it to Patroclus in ransom 赎金 of Priam's son Lycaon, and Achilles now offered it as a prize in honour of his comrade 同志 to him who should be the swiftest 迅速 runner. For the second prize he offered a large ox 牛, well fattened, while for the last there was to be half a talent 天赋 of gold. He then rose and said among the Argives, "Stand forward, you who will essay 短文 this contest 比赛."

Forthwith uprose fleet 舰队 Ajax son of Oileus, with cunning 狡猾 Ulysses, and Nestor's son Antilochus, the fastest runner among all the youth of his time. They stood side by side and Achilles showed them the goal 目标. The course was set out for them from the starting-post, and the son of Oileus took the lead at once, with Ulysses as close behind him as the shuttle 穿梭 is to a woman's bosom when she throws the woof across the warp 经 and holds it close up to her; even so close behind him was Ulysses—treading 踏 in his foot‧print 脚印 before the dust could settle there, and Ajax could feel his breath on the back of his head as he ran swiftly 如飞 on. The Achaeans all shouted applause 热烈鼓掌 as they saw him straining 压力 his utmost 极, and cheered 欢呼 him as he shot past them; but when they were now nearing the end of the course Ulysses prayed inwardly 向内的 to Minerva. "Hear me," he cried, "and help my feet, O goddess 女神." Thus did he pray, and Pallas Minerva heard his prayer; she made his hands and his feet feel light, and when the runners 跑步者 were at the point of pouncing upon the prize, Ajax, through Minerva's spite slipped upon some offal that was lying there from the cattle which Achilles had slaughtered 屠宰 in honour of Patroclus, and his mouth and nostrils 鼻孔 were all filled with cow 奶牛 dung. Ulysses therefore carried off the mixing-bowl 碗, for he got before Ajax and came in first. But Ajax took the ox 牛 and stood with his hand on one of its horns 角；喇叭, spitting the dung out of his mouth. Then he said to the Argives, "Alas, the goddess 女神 has spoiled my running; she watches over Ulysses and stands by him as though she were his own mother." Thus did he speak and they all of them laughed heartily 爽朗.

Antilochus carried off the last prize and smiled as he said to the bystanders, "You all see, my friends, that now too the gods have shown their respect for seniority. Ajax is some‧what 有些 older than I am, and as for Ulysses, he belongs to an earlier generation 代, but he is hale in spite of his years, and no man of the Achaeans can run against him save only Achilles."

He said this to pay a compliment 赞扬 to the son of Peleus, and Achilles answered, "Antilochus, you shall not have praised 赞扬 me to no purpose; I shall give you an additional 额外 half talent 天赋 of gold." He then gave the half talent 天赋 to Antilochus, who received it gladly.

Then the son of Peleus brought out the spear 矛, helmet 头盔 and shield that had been borne by Sarpedon, and were taken from him by Patroclus. He stood up and said among the Argives, "We bid 4 two champions 冠军 put on their armour, take their keen 热切的 blades 刀片, and make trial of one another in the presence of the multitude 苠; which‧ever 任何一个 of them can first wound the flesh of the other, cut through his armour, and draw blood, to him will I give this goodly Thracian sword inlaid with silver, which I took from Asteropaeus, but the armour let both hold in partner‧ship 合伙, and I will give each of them a hearty 爽朗 meal 餐 in my own tent."

Forthwith uprose great Ajax the son of Telamon, as also mighty 威武 Diomed son of Tydeus. When they had put on their armour each on his own side of the ring, they both went into the middle eager to engage 从事, and with fire flashing from their eyes. The Achaeans marvelled 奇迹 as they beheld them, and when the two were now close up with one another, thrice did they spring forward and thrice try to strike each other in close combat 战斗. Ajax pierced 刺穿 Diomed's round shield, but did not draw blood, for the cuirass beneath the shield protected him; thereon the son of Tydeus from over his huge 巨大 shield kept aiming continually 不断 at Ajax's neck with the point of his spear 矛, and the Achaeans alarmed 警告 for his safety 安全 bade them leave off fighting and divide the prize between them. Achilles then gave the great sword to the son of Tydeus, with its scabbard, and the leathern belt 腰带 with which to hang it.

Achilles next offered the massive 大规模的 iron quoit which mighty 威武 Eetion had erewhile been used to hurl 投, until Achilles had slain him and carried it off in his ships along with other spoils. He stood up and said among the Argives, "Stand forward, you who would essay 短文 this contest 比赛. He who wins it will have a store of iron that will last him five years as they go rolling round, and if his fair fields lie far from a town his shepherd 牧羊人 or ploughman will not have to make a journey 旅行 to buy iron, for he will have a stock of it on his own premises 前提."

Then uprose the two mighty 威武 men Polypoetes and Leonteus, with Ajax son of Telamon and noble Epeus. They stood up one after the other and Epeus took the quoit, whirled 旋转 it, and flung it from him, which set all the Achaeans laughing. After him threw Leonteus of the race of Mars. Ajax son of Telamon threw third, and sent the quoit beyond any mark that had been made yet, but when mighty 威武 Polypoetes took the quoit he hurled 投 it as though it had been a stock‧man 股份‧男人's stick which he sends flying about among his cattle when he is driving them, so far did his throw out-distance those of the others. All who saw it roared applause 热烈鼓掌, and his comrades 同志 carried the prize for him and set it on board his ship.

Achilles next offered a prize of iron for archery—ten 十 double-edged axes 斧头 and ten 十 with single edges: he set up a ship's mast 桅杆, some way off upon the sands, and with a fine string 绳子 tied a pigeon 鸽子 to it by the foot; this was what they were to aim at. " Whoever 无论谁," he said, "can hit the pigeon shall have all the axes 斧头 and take them away with him; he who hits the string without hitting the bird will have taken a worse aim and shall have the single-edged axes 斧头."

Then uprose King Teucer, and Meriones the stalwart squire of Idomeneus rose also, They cast 投 lots in a bronze 青铜 helmet 头盔 and the lot of Teucer fell first. He let fly with his arrow 箭头；矢 forth‧with 向前‧和, but he did not promise hecatombs of firstling lambs 羊肉 to King Apollo, and missed his bird, for Apollo foiled 挫败 his aim; but he hit the string with which the bird was tied, near its foot; the arrow cut the string clean through so that it hung down towards the ground, while the bird flew up into the sky, and the Achaeans shouted applause 热烈鼓掌. Meriones, who had his arrow 3 ready while Teucer was aiming, snatched 抢夺 the bow out of his hand, and at once promised that he would sacrifice a hecatomb of firstling lambs 羊肉 to Apollo lord of the bow; then espying the pigeon 鸽子 high up under the clouds, he hit her in the middle of the wing 翅膀 as she was circling upwards 向上; the arrow went clean through the wing and fixed itself 本身 in the ground at Meriones' feet, but the bird perched 栖息 on the ship's mast 桅杆 hanging her head and with all her feathers 羽毛 drooping; the life went out of her, and she fell heavily 很大，沉重地 from the mast 桅杆. Meriones, therefore, took all ten 十 double-edged axes 斧头, while Teucer bore off the single-edged ones to his ships.

Then the son of Peleus brought in a spear 矛 and a cauldron that had never been on the fire; it was worth an ox 牛, and was chased 追 with a pattern of flowers; and those that throw the javelin stood up—to wit 风趣 the son of Atreus, king of men Agamemnon, and Meriones, stalwart squire of Idomeneus. But Achilles spoke saying, "Son of Atreus, we know how far you excel 高强 all others both in power and in throwing the javelin; take the cauldron back with you to your ships, but if it so please you, let us give the spear 矛 to Meriones; this at least is what I should myself 我 wish."

King Agamemnon assented 同意. So he gave the bronze 青铜 spear 矛 to Meriones, and handed the goodly cauldron to Talthybius his esquire.

BOOK XXIV

Priam ransoms 赎金 the body of Hector—Hector's funeral.

THE assembly 部件 now broke up and the people went their ways each to his own ship. There they made ready their supper 晚饭, and then bethought them of the blessed 祝福 boon of sleep; but Achilles still wept for thinking of his dear comrade 同志, and sleep, before whom all things bow, could take no hold upon him. This way and that did he turn as he yearned 向往 after the might and manfulness of Patroclus; he thought of all they had done together, and all they had gone through both on the field of battle and on the waves of the weary 厌倦 sea. As he dwelt on these things he wept bitterly and lay now on his side, now on his back, and now face down‧ward 向下, till at last he rose and went out as one distraught to wander 漫步 upon the sea‧shore 海‧岸. Then, when he saw dawn 黎明 breaking over beach 海滩 and sea, he yoked his horses to his chariot, and bound 3 the body of Hector behind it that he might drag 拖拽 it about. Thrice did he drag it round the tomb 墓 of the son of Menoetius, and then went back into his tent, leaving the body on the ground full length and with its face down‧ward 向下. But Apollo would not suffer it to be disfigured, for he pitied 怜悯 the man, dead though he now was; therefore he shielded 盾 him with his golden aegis continually 不断, that he might take no hurt while Achilles was dragging him.

Thus shamefully 可耻 did Achilles in his fury 愤怒 dishonour Hector; but the blessed gods looked down in pity from heaven, and urged Mercury, slayer 诛戮 of Argus, to steal the body. All were of this mind save only Juno, Neptune, and Jove's grey 灰色:gray-eyed daughter, who persisted 坚持 in the hate which they had ever borne towards Ilius with Priam and his people; for they forgave 原谅:forgive not the wrong done them by Alexandrus in disdaining 蔑视 the goddesses 女神 who came to him when he was in his sheepyards, and preferring her who had offered him a wanton to his ruin 破坏.

When, therefore, the morning of the twelfth day had now come, Phoebus Apollo spoke among the immortals 不朽 saying, "You gods ought to be ashamed 惭愧的 of yourselves; you are cruel and hard-hearted. Did not Hector burn you thigh 大腿-bones of heifers and of unblemished goats? And now dare you not rescue 营救 even his dead body, for his wife to look upon, with his mother and child, his father Priam, and his people, who would forth‧with 向前‧和 commit 承诺 him to the flames, and give him his due funeral rites 仪式? So, then, you would all be on the side of mad Achilles, who knows neither right nor ruth? He is like some savage 野蛮人 lion 狮子 that in the pride of his great strength and daring springs upon men's flocks 群 and gorges 峡谷 on them. Even so has Achilles flung aside all pity, and all that conscience 良心 which at once so greatly banes 禁止 yet greatly boons him that will heed it. A man may lose one far dearer than Achilles has lost—a son, it may be, or a brother born from his own mother's womb 子宫; yet when he has mourned 悼 him and wept over him he will let him bide, for it takes much sorrow to kill a man; whereas 而 Achilles, now that he has slain noble Hector, drags 拖拽 him behind his chariot round the tomb 墓 of his comrade 同志. It were better of him, and for him, that he should not do so, for brave though he be we gods may take it ill that he should vent 发泄 his fury 愤怒 upon dead clay."

Juno spoke up in a rage 愤怒. "This were well," she cried, "O lord of the silver bow, if you would give like honour to Hector and to Achilles; but Hector was mortal 凡人 and suckled at a woman's breast 乳房, whereas 而 Achilles is the off‧spring 子孙 of a goddess 女神 whom I myself 我 reared 后 and brought up. I married her to Peleus, who is above measure dear to the immortals 不朽; you gods came all of you to her wedding 结婚; you feasted along with them your‧self 你自己 and brought your lyre— false 虚伪的, and fond 喜欢的 of low company, that you have ever been."

Then said Jove, "Juno, be not so bitter. Their honour shall not be equal, but of all that dwell 住 in Ilius, Hector was dearest to the gods, as also to myself 我, for his offerings never failed me. Never was my altar 坛 stinted 限制 of its dues, nor of the drink-offerings and savour of sacrifice which we claim of right. I shall therefore permit the body of mighty 威武 Hector to be stolen; and yet this may hardly be without Achilles coming to know it, for his mother keeps night and day beside him. Let some one of you, therefore, send Thetis to me, and I will impart 传授 my counsel 法律顾问 to her, namely that Achilles is to accept a ransom 赎金 from Priam, and give up the body."

On this Iris fleet 舰队 as the wind went forth to carry his message. Down she plunged 跳水 into the dark sea midway 中途 between Samos and rocky 岩石 Imbrus; the waters hissed 嘶 as they closed over her, and she sank into the bottom as the lead at the end of an ox 牛-horn 角；喇叭, that is sped to carry death to fishes. She found Thetis sitting in a great cave 洞穴 with the other sea-goddesses 女神 gathered round her; there she sat in the midst 中间 of them weeping 哭泣 for her noble son who was to fall far from his own land, on the rich plains of Troy. Iris went up to her and said, "Rise Thetis; Jove, whose counsels 法律顾问 fail not, bids 出价 you come to him." And Thetis answered, "Why does the mighty 威武 god so bid 5 me? I am in great grief 哀思, and shrink from going in and out among the immortals 不朽. Still, I will go, and the word that he may speak shall not be spoken in vain 徒劳的."

The goddess 女神 took her dark veil 面纱, than which there can be no robe 长袍 more sombre, and went forth with fleet 舰队 Iris leading the way before her. The waves of the sea opened them a path 小路, and when they reached the shore they flew up into the heavens 天, where they found the all-seeing son of Saturn with the blessed gods that live for ever assembled 集合 near him. Minerva gave up her seat to her, and she sat down by the side of father Jove. Juno then placed a fair golden cup in her hand, and spoke to her in words of comfort, whereon Thetis drank and gave her back the cup; and the sire of gods and men was the first to speak.

"So, goddess 女神," said he, "for all your sorrow, and the grief 哀思 that I well know reigns 统治 ever in your heart, you have come hither to Olympus, and I will tell you why I have sent for you. This nine 九 days past the immortals 不朽 have been quarrelling about Achilles waster of cities and the body of Hector. The gods would have Mercury slayer 诛戮 of Argus steal the body, but in furtherance of our peace and amity hence‧forward 因此‧前进地, I will concede 承认 such honour to your son as I will now tell you. Go, then, to the host and lay these commands upon him; say that the gods are angry with him, and that I am myself 我 more angry than them all, in that he keeps Hector at the ships and will not give him up. He may thus fear me and let the body go. At the same time I will send Iris to great Priam to bid him go to the ships of the Achaeans, and ransom 赎金 his son, taking with him such gifts for Achilles as may give him satisfaction 满足."

Silver-footed Thetis did as the god had told her, and forth‧with 向前‧和 down she darted 镖 from the top‧most 顶‧最 summits 首脑 of Olympus. She went to her son's tents where she found him grieving 悼 bitterly, while his trusty comrades 同志 round him were busy preparing their morning meal, for which they had killed a great woolly 羊毛 sheep 3. His mother sat down beside him and caressed 抚摸 him with her hand saying, "My son, how long will you keep on thus grieving 悼 and making moan 呻吟? You are gnawing at your own heart, and think neither of food nor of woman's embraces 拥抱; and yet these too were well, for you have no long time to live, and death with the strong hand of fate are already close beside you. Now, therefore, heed what I say, for I come as a messenger 信使 from Jove; he says that the gods are angry with you, and himself more angry than them all, in that you keep Hector at the ships and will not give him up. Therefore let him go, and accept a ransom 赎金 for his body."

And Achilles answered, "So be it. If Olympian Jove of his own motion thus commands me, let him that brings the ransom 赎金 bear the body away."

Thus did mother and son talk together at the ships in long discourse 演讲 with one another. Meanwhile the son of Saturn sent Iris to the strong city of Ilius. "Go," said he, "fleet 舰队 Iris, from the mansions 大厦 of Olympus, and tell King Priam in Ilius, that he is to go to the ships of the Achaeans and free the body of his dear son. He is to take such gifts with him as shall give satisfaction 满足 to Achilles, and he is to go alone, with no other Trojan, save only some honoured servant 仆人 who may drive his mules 马骡 and waggon, and bring back the body of him whom noble Achilles has slain. Let him have no thought nor fear of death in his heart, for we will send the slayer 诛戮 of Argus to escort 护送 him, and bring him within the tent of Achilles. Achilles will not kill him nor let another do so, for he will take heed to his ways and sin 罪 not, and he will entreat a suppliant with all honourable courtesy 礼貌."

On this Iris, fleet 舰队 as the wind, sped forth to deliver her message. She went to Priam's house, and found weeping 哭泣 and lamentation therein 在其中. His sons were seated round their father in the outer court‧yard 庭院, and their raiment was wet with tears: the old man sat in the midst 中间 of them with his mantle 披风 wrapped close about his body, and his head and neck all covered with the filth which he had clutched 离合器 as he lay grovelling in the mire. His daughters and his sons' wives went wailing 哀号 about the house, as they thought of the many and brave men who lay dead, slain by the Argives. The messenger 信使 of Jove stood by Priam and spoke softly to him, but fear fell upon him as she did so. "Take heart," she said, "Priam off‧spring 子孙 of Dardanus, take heart and fear not. I bring no evil tidings 潮汐, but am minded well towards you. I come as a messenger from Jove, who though he be not near, takes thought for you and pities 怜悯 you. The lord of Olympus bids you go and ransom 赎金 noble Hector, and take with you such gifts as shall give satisfaction 满足 to Achilles. You are to go alone, with no Trojan, save only some honoured servant 仆人 who may drive your mules 马骡 and waggon, and bring back to the city the body of him whom noble Achilles has slain. You are to have no thought, nor fear of death, for Jove will send the slayer 诛戮 of Argus to escort 护送 you. When he has brought you within Achilles' tent, Achilles will not kill you nor let another do so, for he will take heed to his ways and sin 罪 not, and he will entreat a suppliant with all honourable courtesy 礼貌."

Iris went her way when she had thus spoken, and Priam told his sons to get a mule 马骡-waggon ready, and to make the body of the waggon fast upon the top of its bed. Then he went down into his fragrant store-room, high-vaulted 拱顶, and made of cedar-wood, where his many treasures 金银财宝 were kept, and he called Hecuba his wife. "Wife," said he, "a messenger 信使 has come to me from Olympus, and has told me to go to the ships of the Achaeans to ransom 赎金 my dear son, taking with me such gifts as shall give satisfaction 3 to Achilles. What think you of this matter? for my own part I am greatly moved to pass through the camps of the Achaeans and go to their ships."

His wife cried aloud 4 as she heard him, and said, "Alas, what has become of that judgement for which you have been ever famous 著名 both among strangers 陌生人 and your own people? How can you venture 企业；投机活动；商业冒险 alone to the ships of the Achaeans, and look into the face of him who has slain so many of your brave sons? You must have iron courage 勇气, for if the cruel savage 野蛮人 sees you and lays hold on you, he will know neither respect nor pity. Let us then weep Hector from afar here in our own house, for when I gave him birth the threads 线 of overruling fate were spun for him that dogs should eat his flesh far from his parents, in the house of that terrible man on whose liver I would fain fasten 系牢 and devour 吞食 it. Thus would I avenge my son, who showed no coward‧ice 懦弱 when Achilles slew him, and thought neither of flight 飞行 nor of avoiding battle as he stood in defence of Trojan men and Trojan women."

Then Priam said, "I would go, do not therefore stay me nor be as a bird of ill omen in my house, for you will not move me. Had it been some mortal 凡人 man who had sent me some prophet 预言家 or priest 神父 who divines 神圣 from sacrifice—I should have deemed 认为 him false 虚伪的 and have given him no heed; but now I have heard the goddess 女神 and seen her face to face, therefore I will go and her saying shall not be in vain 4. If it be my fate to die at the ships of the Achaeans even so would I have it; let Achilles slay 诛戮 me, if I may but first have taken my son in my arms and mourned 悼 him to my heart's comforting."

So saying he lifted the lids 盖子 of his chests, and took out twelve 十二 goodly vestments. He took also twelve 十二 cloaks 披风 of singlefold 折叠, twelve 十二 rugs 小块地毯, twelve 十二 fair mantles 披风, and an equal number of shirts. He weighed 称重 out ten 十 talents 天赋 of gold, and brought moreover two burnished tripods, four cauldrons, and a very beautiful 美丽 cup which the Thracians had given him when he had gone to them on an embassy 大使馆; it was very precious 宝贵的, but he grudged 怨恨 not even this, so eager was he to ransom 赎金 the body of his son. Then he chased 追 all the Trojans from the court and rebuked 训斥 them with words of anger. "Out," he cried, " shame 羞愧 and disgrace 耻辱 to me that you are. Have you no grief 哀思 in your own homes that you are come to plague 鼠疫 me here? Is it a small thing, think you, that the son of Saturn has sent this sorrow upon me, to lose the bravest 勇敢的 of my sons? Nay, you shall prove it in person, for now he is gone the Achaeans will have easier work in killing you. As for me, let me go down within the house of Hades, ere mine eyes behold 不料 the sacking 解雇 and wasting of the city."

He drove the men away with his staff, and they went forth as the old man sped them. Then he called to his sons, upbraiding Helenus, Paris, noble Agathon, Pammon, Antiphonus, Polites of the loud battle-cry, Deiphobus, Hippothous, and Dius. These nine 九 did the old man call near him. "Come to me at once," he cried, "worth‧less 无用 sons who do me shame 羞愧; would that you had all been killed at the ships rather than Hector. Miserable 悲惨的 man that I am, I have had the bravest sons in all Troy—noble Nestor, Troilus the daunt‧less 吓住‧少 charioteer, and Hector who was a god among men, so that one would have thought he was son to an immortal 不朽—yet there is not one of them left. Mars has slain them and those of whom I am ashamed 惭愧的 are alone left me. Liars, and light of foot, heroes of the dance, robbers 强盗 of lambs 羊肉 and kids 孩子 from your own people, why do you not get a waggon ready for me at once, and put all these things upon it that I may set out on my way?"

Thus did he speak, and they feared the rebuke 训斥 of their father. They brought out a strong mule 马骡-waggon, newly 最近，新近 made, and set the body of the waggon fast on its bed. They took the mule 马骡-yoke from the peg 衣夹 on which it hung, a yoke of box‧wood 盒；耳光‧木材；树林 with a knob 把手 on the top of it and rings for the reins 缰绳 to go through. Then they brought a yoke-band eleven 十一 cubits long, to bind the yoke to the pole 极; they bound it on at the far end of the pole 极, and put the ring over the upright 直立的 pin 钉 making it fast with three turns of the band on either side the knob 把手, and bending the thong of the yoke beneath it. This done, they brought from the store-chamber 室 the rich ransom 赎金 that was to purchase 采购 the body of Hector, and they set it all orderly on the waggon; then they yoked the strong harness 马具-mules 马骡 which the Mysians had on a time given as a goodly present to Priam; but for Priam himself they yoked horses which the old king had bred, and kept for his own use.

Thus heed‧fully 注意‧完全地 did Priam and his servant 仆人 see to the yolking 蛋黄 of their cars at the palace 宫. Then Hecuba came to them all sorrowful, with a golden goblet of wine in her right hand, that they might make a drink-offering before they set out. She stood in front of the horses and said, "Take this, make a drink-offering to father Jove, and since you are minded to go to the ships in spite of me, pray that you may come safely back from the hands of your enemies. Pray to the son of Saturn lord of the whirl‧wind 旋转‧风, who sits on Ida and looks down over all Troy, pray him to send his swift 迅速 messenger 4 on your right hand, the bird of omen which is strongest and most dear to him of all birds, that you may see it with your own eyes and trust it as you go forth to the ships of the Danaans. If all-seeing Jove will not send you this messenger 5, however set upon it you may be, I would not have you go to the ships of the Argives."

And Priam answered, "Wife, I will do as you desire me; it is well to lift hands in prayer to Jove, if so be he may have mercy 宽容 upon me."

With this the old man bade the serving-woman pour pure water over his hands, and the woman came, bearing the water in a bowl 3. He washed his hands and took the cup from his wife; then he made the drink-offering and prayed, standing in the middle of the court‧yard 庭院 and turning his eyes to heaven. "Father Jove," he said, "that rulest from Ida, most glorious 辉煌 and most great, grant 发放 that I may be received kindly and compassionately 富于同情心的 in the tents of Achilles; and send your swift 迅速 messenger upon my right hand, the bird of omen which is strongest and most dear to you of all birds, that I may see it with my own eyes and trust it as I go forth to the ships of the Danaans."

So did he pray, and Jove the lord of counsel 法律顾问 heard his prayer. Forthwith he sent an eagle 鹰, the most unerring portent of all birds that fly, the dusky hunter that men also call the Black Eagle. His wings 翅膀 were spread abroad 到国外 on either side as wide as the well-made and well-bolted 螺栓 door of a rich man's chamber 室. He came to them flying over the city upon their right hands, and when they saw him they were glad and their hearts took comfort within them. The old man made haste to mount his chariot, and drove out through the inner 里面的 gate‧way 网关 and under the echoing 回声 gate‧house 门‧房屋 of the outer court. Before him went the mules 马骡 drawing the four-wheeled waggon, and driven by wise 明智的；聪明的 Idaeus; behind these were the horses, which the old man lashed 睫毛 with his whip and drove swiftly 如飞 through the city, while his friends followed after, wailing 哀号 and lamenting 哀叹 for him as though he were on his road to death. As soon as they had come down from the city and had reached the plain, his sons and sons-in-law who had followed him went back to Ilius.

But Priam and Idaeus as they showed out upon the plain did not escape the ken of all-seeing Jove, who looked down upon the old man and pitied him; then he spoke to his son Mercury and said, "Mercury, for it is you who are the most disposed 部署 to escort 护送 men on their way, and to hear those whom you will hear, go, and so conduct 进行 Priam to the ships of the Achaeans that no other of the Danaans shall see him nor take note of him until he reach the son of Peleus."

Thus he spoke and Mercury, guide and guardian 监护人, slayer 诛戮 of Argus, did as he was told. Forthwith he bound on his glittering 闪光 golden sandals 檀香 with which he could fly like the wind over land and sea; he took the wand 苍白 with which he seals 封上，海豹 men's eyes in sleep, or wakes 醒 them just as he pleases, and flew holding it in his hand till he came to Troy and to the Hellespont. To look at, he was like a young man of noble birth in the hey 嘿-day of his youth and beauty with the down just coming upon his face.

Now when Priam and Idaeus had driven past the great tomb 墓 of Ilius, they stayed their mules 马骡 and horses that they might drink in the river, for the shades 遮阳；阴 of night were falling, when, therefore, Idaeus saw Mercury standing near them he said to Priam, "Take heed, descendant 后代 of Dardanus; here is matter which demands consideration 考虑. I see a man who I think will presently fall upon us; let us fly with our horses, or at least embrace 拥抱 his knees and implore him to take compassion 同情 upon us?"

When he heard this the old man's heart failed him, and he was in great fear; he stayed where he was as one dazed 迷乱, and the hair stood on end over his whole body; but the bringer of good luck came up to him and took him by the hand, saying, "Whither, father, are you thus driving your mules 马骡 and horses in the dead of night when other men are asleep 睡着的? Are you not afraid of the fierce 凶猛的 Achaeans who are hard by you, so cruel and relentless 狠? Should some one of them see you bearing so much treasure 金银财宝 through the darkness 黑暗 of the flying night, what would not your state then be? You are no longer young, and he who is with you is too old to protect you from those who would attack you. For myself 我, I will do you no harm 损害, and I will defend you from any one else, for you remind me of my own father."

And Priam answered, "It is indeed as you say, my dear son; nevertheless 虽然 some god has held his hand over me, in that he has sent such a wayfarer as your‧self 你自己 to meet me so opportunely; you are so comely in mien and figure, and your judgement is so excellent that you must come of blessed parents."

Then said the slayer 诛戮 of Argus, guide and guardian 监护人, " Sir 先生, all that you have said is right; but tell me and tell me true, are you taking this rich treasure 3 to send it to a foreign people where it may be safe, or are you all leaving strong Ilius in dismay 沮丧 now that your son has fallen who was the bravest man among you and was never lacking in battle with the Achaeans?"

And Priam said, "Who are you, my friend, and who are your parents, that you speak so truly 真 about the fate of my unhappy 不快乐 son?"

The slayer 诛戮 of Argus, guide and guardian 监护人, answered him, " Sir 先生, you would prove me, that you question me about noble Hector. Many a time have I set eyes upon him in battle when he was driving the Argives to their ships and putting them to the sword. We stood still and marvelled 奇迹, for Achilles in his anger with the son of Atreus suffered us not to fight. I am his squire, and came with him in the same ship. I am a Myrmidon, and my father's name is Polyctor: he is a rich man and about as old as you are; he has six sons besides myself 我, and I am the seventh. We cast 投 lots, and it fell upon me to sail 航行；帆 hither with Achilles. I am now come from the ships on to the plain, for with day‧break 一天‧破；断 the Achaeans will set battle in array 排列 about the city. They chafe at doing nothing, and are so eager that their princes 王子 cannot hold them back."

Then answered Priam, "If you are indeed the squire of Achilles son of Peleus, tell me now the whole truth. Is my son still at the ships, or has Achilles hewn him limb 肢 from limb, and given him to his hounds 猎犬?"

"Sir 3," replied the slayer 诛戮 of Argus, guide and guardian 监护人, "neither hounds 猎犬 nor vultures have yet devoured 吞食 him; he is still just lying at the tents by the ship of Achilles, and though it is now twelve 十二 days that he has lain there, his flesh is not wasted nor have the worms eaten him although they feed on warriors 战士. At day‧break 一天‧破；断 Achilles drags him cruelly 残酷的 round the sepulchre of his dear comrade 同志, but it does him no hurt. You should come your‧self 你自己 and see how he lies fresh as dew, with the blood all washed away, and his wounds 创伤 every one of them closed though many pierced 刺穿 him with their spears 矛. Such care have the blessed gods taken of your brave son, for he was dear to them beyond all measure."

The old man was comforted as he heard him and said, "My son, see what a good thing it is to have made due offerings to the immortals 不朽; for as sure as that he was born my son never forgot forget the gods that hold Olympus, and now they requite it to him even in death. Accept therefore at my hands this goodly chalice; guard me and with heaven's help guide me till I come to the tent of the son of Peleus."

Then answered the slayer 诛戮 of Argus, guide and guardian 监护人, "Sir, you are tempting 引诱 me and playing upon my youth, but you shall not move me, for you are offering me presents without the knowledge of Achilles whom I fear and hold it great guilt to defraud, lest 免得 some evil presently befall me; but as your guide I would go with you even to Argos itself 本身, and would guard you so carefully 小心 whether by sea or land, that no one should attack you through making light of him who was with you."

The bringer of good luck then sprang on to the chariot, and seizing 抓住 the whip and reins 缰绳 he breathed fresh spirit into the mules 马骡 and horses. When they reached the trench 沟 and the wall that was before the ships, those who were on guard had just been getting their suppers 晚饭, and the slayer 诛戮 of Argus threw them all into a deep sleep. Then he drew back the bolts 螺栓 to open the gates, and took Priam inside with the treasure he had upon his waggon. Ere long they came to the lofty 高远 dwelling 住 of the son of Peleus for which the Myrmidons had cut pine 松树 and which they had built for their king; when they had built it they thatched 苫 it with coarse 粗鄙的 tussock- grass 草 which they had mown out on the plain, and all round it they made a large court‧yard 庭院, which was fenced 栅栏 with stakes 赌注 set close together. The gate 门 was barred with a single bolt 螺栓 of pine 松树 which it took three men to force into its place, and three to draw back so as to open the gate, but Achilles could draw it by himself. Mercury opened the gate for the old man, and brought in the treasure that he was taking with him for the son of Peleus. Then he sprang from the chariot on to the ground and said, "Sir, it is I, immortal 不朽 Mercury, that am come with you, for my father sent me to escort 护送 you. I will now leave you, and will not enter into the presence of Achilles, for it might anger him that a god should befriend mortal 凡人 men thus openly. Go you within, and embrace 拥抱 the knees of the son of Peleus: beseech him by his father, his lovely 可爱的 mother, and his son; thus you may move him."

With these words Mercury went back to high Olympus. Priam sprang from his chariot to the ground, leaving Idaeus where he was, in charge of the mules 马骡 and horses. The old man went straight into the house where Achilles, loved of the gods, was sitting. There he found him with his men seated at a distance from him: only two, the hero Automedon, and Alcimus of the race of Mars, were busy in attendance 勤 about his person, for he had but just done eating and drinking, and the table was still there. King Priam entered without their seeing him, and going right up to Achilles he clasped 钩 his knees and kissed 接吻 the dread 恐惧 murderous 杀 hands that had slain so many of his sons.

As when some cruel spite has befallen a man that he should have killed some one in his own country, and must fly to a great man's protection in a land of strangers 陌生人, and all marvel 奇迹 who see him, even so did Achilles marvel 奇迹 as he beheld Priam. The others looked one to another and marvelled 奇迹 also, but Priam besought Achilles saying, "Think of your father, O Achilles like unto 对 the gods, who is such even as I am, on the sad threshold 阈 of old age. It may be that those who dwell 住 near him harass 骚扰 him, and there is none to keep war and ruin 破坏 from him. Yet when he hears of you being still alive, he is glad, and his days are full of hope that he shall see his dear son come home to him from Troy; but I, wretched 不幸的人 man that I am, had the bravest in all Troy for my sons, and there is not one of them left. I had fifty 五十 sons when the Achaeans came here; nine‧teen 十九 of them were from a single womb 子宫, and the others were borne to me by the women of my house‧hold 家庭. The greater part of them has fierce 4 Mars laid low, and Hector, him who was alone left, him who was the guardian 监护人 of the city and ourselves 我们自己, him have you lately 近来 slain; therefore I am now come to the ships of the Achaeans to ransom 赎金 his body from you with a great ransom 赎金. Fear, O Achilles, the wrath 愤怒 of heaven; think on your own father and have compassion 同情 upon me, who am the more pitiable, for I have steeled 钢 myself 我 as no man yet has ever steeled himself before me, and have raised to my lips the hand of him who slew my son."

Thus spoke Priam, and the heart of Achilles yearned 向往 as he bethought him of his father. He took the old man's hand and moved him gently away. The two wept bitterly—Priam, as he lay at Achilles' feet, weeping 哭泣 for Hector, and Achilles now for his father and now for Patroclus, till the house was filled with their lamentation. But when Achilles was now sated with grief 哀思 and had unburthened the bitterness 苦味 of his sorrow, he left his seat and raised the old man by the hand, in pity for his white hair and beard 胡须; then he said, "Unhappy man, you have indeed been greatly daring; how could you venture 企业；投机活动；商业冒险 to come alone to the ships of the Achaeans, and enter the presence of him who has slain so many of your brave sons? You must have iron courage 3: sit now upon this seat, and for all our grief 哀思 we will hide our sorrows in our hearts, for weeping 哭泣 will not avail 果 us. The immortals 不朽 know no care, yet the lot they spin 旋转；纺纱 for man is full of sorrow; on the floor of Jove's palace 宫 there stand two urns, the one filled with evil gifts, and the other with good ones. He for whom Jove the lord of thunder 雷声 mixes the gifts he sends, will meet now with good and now with evil for‧tune 命运; but he to whom Jove sends none but evil gifts will be pointed at by the finger of scorn 鄙视, the hand of famine 饥荒 will pursue 追求 him to the ends of the world, and he will go up and down the face of the earth, respected neither by gods nor men. Even so did it befall Peleus; the gods endowed 赋予 him with all good things from his birth upwards 向上, for he reigned 统治 over the Myrmidons excelling 高强 all men in prosperity 繁荣 and wealth 财产, and mortal 凡人 though he was they gave him a goddess 女神 for his bride 新娘. But even on him too did heaven send misfortune 不幸, for there is no race of royal 王国的 children born to him in his house, save one son who is doomed 厄运 to die all untimely; nor may I take care of him now that he is growing old, for I must stay here at Troy to be the bane of you and your children. And you too, O Priam, I have heard that you were aforetime happy. They say that in wealth 财产 and plenitude of off‧spring 子孙 you surpassed 超过 all that is in Lesbos, the realm 领域 of Makar to the north‧ward 北方, Phrygia that is more inland 内陆, and those that dwell 住 upon the great Hellespont; but from the day when the dwellers 居住者 in heaven sent this evil upon you, war and slaughter 屠宰 have been about your city continually 不断. Bear up against it, and let there be some intervals 间隔 in your sorrow. Mourn as you may for your brave son, you will take nothing by it. You cannot raise him from the dead, ere you do so yet another sorrow shall befall you."

And Priam answered, "O king, bid me not be seated, while Hector is still lying uncared for in your tents, but accept the great ransom 赎金 which I have brought you, and give him to me at once that I may look upon him. May you prosper 繁荣 with the ransom 赎金 and reach your own land in safety, seeing that you have suffered me to live and to look upon the light of the sun."

Achilles looked at him sternly 严肃 and said, "Vex me, sir, no longer; I am of myself 我 minded to give up the body of Hector. My mother, daughter of the old man of the sea, came to me from Jove to bid me deliver it to you. Moreover I know well, O Priam, and you cannot hide it, that some god has brought you to the ships of the Achaeans, for else, no man however strong and in his prime 主要 would dare to come to our host; he could neither pass our guard unseen 看不见, nor draw the bolt 螺栓 of my gates thus easily; therefore, provoke 惹 me no further, lest 免得 I sin 罪 against the word of Jove, and suffer you not, suppliant though you are, within my tents."

The old man feared him and obeyed. Then the son of Peleus sprang like a lion 狮子 through the door of his house, not alone, but with him went his two squires Automedon and Alcimus who were closer to him than any others of his comrades 同志 now that Patroclus was no more. These unyoked the horses and mules 马骡, and bade Priam's herald 先锋 and attend‧ant 服务员 be seated within the house. They lifted the ransom 赎金 for Hector's body from the waggon, but they left two mantles 披风 and a goodly shirt 衬衫, that Achilles might wrap 包 the body in them when he gave it to be taken home. Then he called to his servants 仆人 and ordered them to wash the body and anoint it, but he first took it to a place where Priam should not see it, lest 免得 if he did so, he should break out in the bitterness 苦味 of his grief 哀思, and enrage Achilles, who might then kill him and sin 罪 against the word of Jove. When the servants had washed the body and anointed it, and had wrapped it in a fair shirt 衬衫 and mantle 披风, Achilles himself lifted it on to a bier, and he and his men then laid it on the waggon. He cried aloud 5 as he did so and called on the name of his dear comrade 同志, "Be not angry with me, Patroclus," he said, "if you hear even in the house of Hades that I have given Hector to his father for a ransom 赎金. It has been no unworthy one, and I will share it equitably 公平 with you."

Achilles then went back into the tent and took his place on the richly inlaid seat from which he had risen, by the wall that was at right angles to the one against which Priam was sitting. "Sir," he said, "your son is now laid upon his bier and is ransomed 赎金 according to desire; you shall look upon him when you take him away at day‧break 一天‧破；断; for the present let us prepare our supper 晚饭. Even lovely 可爱的 Niobe had to think about eating, though her twelve 十二 children—six daughters and six lusty sons—had been all slain in her house. Apollo killed the sons with arrows from his silver bow, to punish 处罚 Niobe, and Diana slew the daughters, because Niobe had vaunted her‧self 她自己 against Leto; she said Leto had borne two children only, whereas 而 she had her‧self 她自己 borne many—whereon the two killed the many. Nine 九 days did they lie weltering, and there was none to bury 埋葬 them, for the son of Saturn turned the people into stone; but on the tenth day the gods in heaven themselves buried 埋葬 them, and Niobe then took food, being worn out with weeping 哭泣. They say that somewhere among the rocks on the mountain pastures 牧场 of Sipylus, where the nymphs live that haunt 出没 the river Achelous, there, they say, she lives in stone and still nurses 护士 the sorrows sent upon her by the hand of heaven. Therefore, noble sir, let us two now take food; you can weep for your dear son here‧after 此后 as you are bearing him back to Ilius—and many a tear will he cost you."

With this Achilles sprang from his seat and killed a sheep of silvery whiteness, which his followers 信徒 skinned 皮 and made ready all in due order. They cut the meat 肉 carefully 小心 up into smaller pieces, spitted 吐 them, and drew them off again when they were well roasted 烤. Automedon brought bread 面包 in fair baskets 篮 and served it round the table, while Achilles dealt deal out the meat, and they laid their hands on the good things that were before them. As soon as they had had enough to eat and drink, Priam, descendant 后代 of Dardanus, marvelled 奇迹 at the strength and beauty of Achilles for he was as a god to see, and Achilles marvelled 奇迹 at Priam as he listened to him and looked upon his noble presence. When they had gazed 凝视 their fill Priam spoke first. "And now, O king," he said, "take me to my couch 长椅 that we may lie down and enjoy the blessed boon of sleep. Never once have my eyes been closed from the day your hands took the life of my son; I have grovelled without ceasing 停止 in the mire of my stable 稳定-yard, making moan 呻吟 and brooding 窝 over my count‧less 无数 sorrows. Now, moreover, I have eaten bread 面包 and drunk drink wine; hitherto 迄今 I have tasted nothing."

As he spoke Achilles told his men and the women-servants to set beds in the room that was in the gate‧house 门‧房屋, and make them with good red rugs, and spread coverlets on the top of them with woollen cloaks 披风 for Priam and Idaeus to wear. So the maids 女佣 went out carrying a torch 火炬 and got the two beds ready in all haste. Then Achilles said laughingly to Priam, "Dear sir, you shall lie outside, lest 免得 some counsellor of those who in due course keep coming to advise with me should see you here in the darkness 黑暗 of the flying night, and tell it to Agamemnon. This might cause delay 延迟 in the delivery 传送 of the body. And now tell me and tell me true, for how many days would you celebrate 庆祝 the funeral rites 仪式 of noble Hector? Tell me, that I may hold aloof from war and rest‧rain 抑制 the host."

And Priam answered, "Since, then, you suffer me to bury 埋葬 my noble son with all due rites 仪式, do thus, Achilles, and I shall be grateful 感激的. You know how we are pent up within our city; it is far for us to fetch 取 wood from the mountain, and the people live in fear. Nine 九 days, therefore, will we mourn 悼 Hector in my house; on the tenth day we will bury 3 him and there shall be a public feast 盛会 in his honour; on the eleventh we will build a mound 冢 over his ashes, and on the twelfth, if there be need, we will fight."

And Achilles answered, "All, King Priam, shall be as you have said. I will stay our fighting for as long a time as you have named."

As he spoke he laid his hand on the old man's right wrist 腕, in token 代币 that he should have no fear; thus then did Priam and his attend‧ant 服务员 sleep there in the fore‧court 前面‧法院, full of thought, while Achilles lay in an inner 里面的 room of the house, with fair Briseis by his side.

And now both gods and mortals 凡人 were fast asleep 睡着的 through the live‧long 生活；住；有生命的‧长的 night, but upon Mercury alone, the bringer of good luck, sleep could take no hold for he was thinking all the time how to get King Priam away from the ships without his being seen by the strong force of sentinels. He hovered 徘徊 therefore over Priam's head and said, "Sir, now that Achilles has spared 节省；多余的；备用件 your life, you seem to have no fear about sleeping in the thick of your foes 敌人. You have paid a great ransom 赎金, and have received the body of your son; were you still alive and a prisoner 犯人，囚犯 the sons whom you have left at home would have to give three times as much to free you; and so it would be if Agamemnon and the other Achaeans were to know of your being here."

When he heard this the old man was afraid and roused 唤醒 his servant 3. Mercury then yoked their horses and mules 马骡, and drove them quickly through the host so that no man perceived 认为 them. When they came to the ford of eddying Xanthus, begotten of immortal 不朽 Jove, Mercury went back to high Olympus, and dawn 黎明 in robe 长袍 of saffron began to break over all the land. Priam and Idaeus then drove on toward the city lamenting 哀叹 and making moan 呻吟, and the mules 马骡 drew the body of Hector. No one neither man nor woman saw them, till Cassandra, fair as golden Venus standing on Pergamus, caught sight of her dear father in his chariot, and his servant that was the city's herald 先锋 with him. Then she saw him that was lying upon the bier, drawn by the mules 马骡, and with a loud cry she went about the city saying, "Come hither Trojans, men and women, and look on Hector; if ever you rejoiced 欢庆 to see him coming from battle when he was alive, look now on him that was the glory of our city and all our people."

At this there was not man nor woman left in the city, so great a sorrow had possessed them. Hard by the gates they met Priam as he was bringing in the body. Hector's wife and his mother were the first to mourn 悼 him: they flew towards the waggon and laid their hands upon his head, while the crowd stood weeping 哭泣 round them. They would have stayed before the gates, weeping 哭泣 and lamenting 哀叹 the live‧long 生活；住；有生命的‧长的 day to the going down of the sun, had not Priam spoken to them from the chariot and said, "Make way for the mules 马骡 to pass you. Afterwards when I have taken the body home you shall have your fill of weeping 哭泣."

On this the people stood asunder, and made a way for the waggon. When they had borne the body within the house they laid it upon a bed and seated minstrels round it to lead the dirge, whereon the women joined in the sad music of their lament 哀叹. Foremost among them all Andromache led their wailing 哀号 as she clasped 钩 the head of mighty 威武 Hector in her embrace 拥抱. "Husband," she cried, "you have died young, and leave me in your house a widow 寡妇; he of whom we are the ill-starred parents is still a mere child, and I fear he may not reach man‧hood 男人‧引擎罩. Ere he can do so our city will be razed and overthrown, for you who watched over it are no more—you who were its saviour, the guardian 监护人 of our wives and children. Our women will be carried away captives 俘虏 to the ships, and I among them; while you, my child, who will be with me will be put to some unseemly tasks 任务, working for a cruel master. Or, may be, some Achaean will hurl 投 you (O miserable 悲惨的 death) from our walls, to avenge some brother, son, or father whom Hector slew; many of them have indeed bitten 咬 the dust at his hands, for your father's hand in battle was no light one. Therefore do the people mourn 悼 him. You have left, O Hector, sorrow unutterable to your parents, and my own grief 哀思 is greatest of all, for you did not stretch forth your arms and embrace 拥抱 me as you lay dying, nor say to me any words that might have lived with me in my tears night and day for ever‧more 永远；曾经‧更."

Bitterly did she weep the while, and the women joined in her lament 哀叹. Hecuba in her turn took up the strains of woe 荣辱与共. "Hector," she cried, "dearest to me of all my children. So long as you were alive the gods loved you well, and even in death they have not been utterly 完全 unmindful of you; for when Achilles took any other of my sons, he would sell him beyond the seas, to Samos Imbrus or rugged Lemnos; and when he had slain you too with his sword, many a time did he drag you round the sepulchre of his comrade 同志—though this could not give him life—yet here you lie all fresh as dew, and comely as one whom Apollo has slain with his pain‧less 痛苦‧少 shafts 轴."

Thus did she too speak through her tears with bitter moan 呻吟, and then Helen for a third time took up the strain 压力 of lamentation. "Hector," said she, "dearest of all my brothers-in-law—for I am wife to Alexandrus who brought me hither to Troy—would that I had died ere he did so—twenty 二十 years are come and gone since I left my home and came from over the sea, but I have never heard one word of insult 侮辱 or unkindness from you. When another would chide with me, as it might be one of your brothers or sisters or of your brothers' wives, or my mother-in-law—for Priam was as kind to me as though he were my own father—you would rebuke 训斥 and check them with words of gentleness and good‧will 善意. Therefore my tears flow both for you and for my unhappy 不快乐 self, for there is no one else in Troy who is kind to me, but all shrink and shudder 不寒而栗 as they go by me."

She wept as she spoke and the vast 广大 crowd that was gathered round her joined in her lament 哀叹. Then King Priam spoke to them saying, "Bring wood, O Trojans, to the city, and fear no cunning 狡猾 ambush 伏击 of the Argives, for Achilles when he dismissed me from the ships gave me his word that they should not attack us until the morning of the twelfth day."

Forthwith they yoked their oxen and mules 马骡 and gathered together before the city. Nine 九 days long did they bring in great heaps 堆 of wood, and on the morning of the tenth day with many tears they took brave Hector forth, laid his dead body upon the summit 首脑 of the pile 堆, and set the fire thereto. Then when the child of morning, rosy 红润-fingered dawn 黎明, appeared on the eleventh day, the people again assembled 集合, round the pyre of mighty 威武 Hector. When they were got together, they first quenched the fire with wine wherever 随地 it was burning, and then his brothers and comrades 同志 with many a bitter tear gathered his white bones, wrapped them in soft robes 长袍 of purple 紫色的, and laid them in a golden urn, which they placed in a grave 坟墓；严重的 and covered over with large stones set close together. Then they built a barrow hurriedly over it keeping guard on every side lest 免得 the Achaeans should attack them before they had finished. When they had heaped up the barrow they went back again into the city, and being well assembled 集合 they held high feast 盛会 in the house of Priam their king.

Thus, then, did they celebrate 庆祝 the funeral of Hector tamer 驯服的 of horses.