第 12 节
作者:辛苦      更新:2021-02-20 05:04      字数:9322
  Not otherwise in summer do the dogs;
  Now with the foot; now with the muzzle; when
  By fleas; or flies; or gadflies; they are bitten。
  When I had turned mine eyes upon the faces
  Of some; on whom the dolorous fire is falling;
  Not one of them I knew; but I perceived
  That from the neck of each there hung a pouch;
  Which certain colour had; and certain blazon;
  And thereupon it seems their eyes are feeding。
  And as I gazing round me come among them;
  Upon a yellow pouch I azure saw
  That had the face and posture of a lion。
  Proceeding then the current of my sight;
  Another of them saw I; red as blood;
  Display a goose more white than butter is。
  And one; who with an azure sow and gravid
  Emblazoned had his little pouch of white;
  Said unto me: 〃What dost thou in this moat?
  Now get thee gone; and since thou'rt still alive;
  Know that a neighbour of mine; Vitaliano;
  Will have his seat here on my left…hand side。
  A Paduan am I with these Florentines;
  Full many a time they thunder in mine ears;
  Exclaiming; 'Come the sovereign cavalier;
  He who shall bring the satchel with three goats;'〃
  Then twisted he his mouth; and forth he thrust
  His tongue; like to an ox that licks its nose。
  And fearing lest my longer stay might vex
  Him who had warned me not to tarry long;
  Backward I turned me from those weary souls。
  I found my Guide; who had already mounted
  Upon the back of that wild animal;
  And said to me: 〃Now be both strong and bold。
  Now we descend by stairways such as these;
  Mount thou in front; for I will be midway;
  So that the tail may have no power to harm thee。〃
  Such as he is who has so near the ague
  Of quartan that his nails are blue already;
  And trembles all; but looking at the shade;
  Even such became I at those proffered words;
  But shame in me his menaces produced;
  Which maketh servant strong before good master。
  I seated me upon those monstrous shoulders;
  I wished to say; and yet the voice came not
  As I believed; 〃Take heed that thou embrace me。〃
  But he; who other times had rescued me
  In other peril; soon as I had mounted;
  Within his arms encircled and sustained me;
  And said: 〃Now; Geryon; bestir thyself;
  The circles large; and the descent be little;
  Think of the novel burden which thou hast。〃
  Even as the little vessel shoves from shore;
  Backward; still backward; so he thence withdrew;
  And when he wholly felt himself afloat;
  There where his breast had been he turned his tail;
  And that extended like an eel he moved;
  And with his paws drew to himself the air。
  A greater fear I do not think there was
  What time abandoned Phaeton the reins;
  Whereby the heavens; as still appears; were scorched;
  Nor when the wretched Icarus his flanks
  Felt stripped of feathers by the melting wax;
  His father crying; 〃An ill way thou takest!〃
  Than was my own; when I perceived myself
  On all sides in the air; and saw extinguished
  The sight of everything but of the monster。
  Onward he goeth; swimming slowly; slowly;
  Wheels and descends; but I perceive it only
  By wind upon my face and from below。
  I heard already on the right the whirlpool
  Making a horrible crashing under us;
  Whence I thrust out my head with eyes cast downward。
  Then was I still more fearful of the abyss;
  Because I fires beheld; and heard laments;
  Whereat I; trembling; all the closer cling。
  I saw then; for before I had not seen it;
  The turning and descending; by great horrors
  That were approaching upon divers sides。
  As falcon who has long been on the wing;
  Who; without seeing either lure or bird;
  Maketh the falconer say; 〃Ah me; thou stoopest;〃
  Descendeth weary; whence he started swiftly;
  Thorough a hundred circles; and alights
  Far from his master; sullen and disdainful;
  Even thus did Geryon place us on the bottom;
  Close to the bases of the rough…hewn rock;
  And being disencumbered of our persons;
  He sped away as arrow from the string。
  Inferno: Canto XVIII
  There is a place in Hell called Malebolge;
  Wholly of stone and of an iron colour;
  As is the circle that around it turns。
  Right in the middle of the field malign
  There yawns a well exceeding wide and deep;
  Of which its place the structure will recount。
  Round; then; is that enclosure which remains
  Between the well and foot of the high; hard bank;
  And has distinct in valleys ten its bottom。
  As where for the protection of the walls
  Many and many moats surround the castles;
  The part in which they are a figure forms;
  Just such an image those presented there;
  And as about such strongholds from their gates
  Unto the outer bank are little bridges;
  So from the precipice's base did crags
  Project; which intersected dikes and moats;
  Unto the well that truncates and collects them。
  Within this place; down shaken from the back
  Of Geryon; we found us; and the Poet
  Held to the left; and I moved on behind。
  Upon my right hand I beheld new anguish;
  New torments; and new wielders of the lash;
  Wherewith the foremost Bolgia was replete。
  Down at the bottom were the sinners naked;
  This side the middle came they facing us;
  Beyond it; with us; but with greater steps;
  Even as the Romans; for the mighty host;
  The year of Jubilee; upon the bridge;
  Have chosen a mode to pass the people over;
  For all upon one side towards the Castle
  Their faces have; and go unto St。 Peter's;
  On the other side they go towards the Mountain。
  This side and that; along the livid stone
  Beheld I horned demons with great scourges;
  Who cruelly were beating them behind。
  Ah me! how they did make them lift their legs
  At the first blows! and sooth not any one
  The second waited for; nor for the third。
  While I was going on; mine eyes by one
  Encountered were; and straight I said: 〃Already
  With sight of this one I am not unfed。〃
  Therefore I stayed my feet to make him out;
  And with me the sweet Guide came to a stand;
  And to my going somewhat back assented;
  And he; the scourged one; thought to hide himself;
  Lowering his face; but little it availed him;
  For said I: 〃Thou that castest down thine eyes;
  If false are not the features which thou bearest;
  Thou art Venedico Caccianimico;
  But what doth bring thee to such pungent sauces?〃
  And he to me: 〃Unwillingly I tell it;
  But forces me thine utterance distinct;
  Which makes me recollect the ancient world。
  I was the one who the fair Ghisola
  Induced to grant the wishes of the Marquis;
  Howe'er the shameless story may be told。
  Not the sole Bolognese am I who weeps here;
  Nay; rather is this place so full of them;
  That not so many tongues to…day are taught
  'Twixt Reno and Savena to say 'sipa;'
  And if thereof thou wishest pledge or proof;
  Bring to thy mind our avaricious heart。〃
  While speaking in this manner; with his scourge
  A demon smote him; and said: 〃Get thee gone
  Pander; there are no women here for coin。〃
  I joined myself again unto mine Escort;
  Thereafterward with footsteps few we came
  To where a crag projected from the bank。
  This very easily did we ascend;
  And turning to the right along its ridge;
  From those eternal circles we departed。
  When we were there; where it is hollowed out
  Beneath; to give a passage to the scourged;
  The Guide said: 〃Wait; and see that on thee strike
  The vision of those others evil…born;
  Of whom thou hast not yet beheld the faces;
  Because together with us they have gone。〃
  From the old bridge we looked upon the train
  Which tow'rds us came upon the other border;
  And which the scourges in like manner smite。
  And the good Master; without my inquiring;
  Said to me: 〃See that tall one who is coming;
  And for his pain seems not to shed a tear;
  Still what a royal aspect he retains!
  That Jason is; who by his heart and cunning
  The Colchians of the Ram made destitute。
  He by the isle of Lemnos passed along
  After the daring women pitiless
  Had unto death devoted all their males。
  There with his tokens and with ornate words
  Did he deceive Hypsipyle; the maiden
  Who first; herself; had all the rest deceived。
  There did he leave her pregnant and forlorn;
  Such sin unto such punishment condemns him;
  And also for Medea is vengeance done。
  With him go those who in such wise deceive;
  And this sufficient be of the first valley
  To know; and those that in its jaws it holds。〃
  We were already where the narrow path
  Crosses athwart the second dike; and forms
  Of that a buttress for another arch。
  Thence we heard people; who are making moan
  In the next Bolgia; snorting with their muzzles;
  And with their palms beating upon themselves
  The margins were incrusted with a mould
  By exhalation from below; that sticks there;
  And with the eyes and nostrils wages war。
  The bottom is so deep; no place suffices
  To give us sight of it; without ascending
  The arch's back; where most the crag impends。
  Thither we came; and thence down in the moat
  I saw a people smothered in a filth
  That out of human privies seemed to flow;
  And whilst