第 17 节
作者:美丽心点      更新:2021-02-21 16:08      字数:9322
  who would now fight even with father Jove; and draw him out of the
  battle? He first went up to the Cyprian and wounded her in the hand
  near her wrist; and afterwards sprang upon me too; as though he were a
  god。〃
  He then took his seat on the top of Pergamus; while murderous Mars
  went about among the ranks of the Trojans; cheering them on; in the
  likeness of fleet Acamas chief of the Thracians。 〃Sons of Priam;〃 said
  he; 〃how long will you let your people be thus slaughtered by the
  Achaeans? Would you wait till they are at the walls of Troy? Aeneas
  the son of Anchises has fallen; he whom we held in as high honour as
  Hector himself。 Help me; then; to rescue our brave comrade from the
  stress of the fight。〃
  With these words he put heart and soul into them all。 Then
  Sarpedon rebuked Hector very sternly。 〃Hector;〃 said he; 〃where is
  your prowess now? You used to say that though you had neither people
  nor allies you could hold the town alone with your brothers and
  brothers…in…law。 I see not one of them here; they cower as hounds
  before a lion; it is we; your allies; who bear the brunt of the
  battle。 I have come from afar; even from Lycia and the banks of the
  river Xanthus; where I have left my wife; my infant son; and much
  wealth to tempt whoever is needy; nevertheless; I head my Lycian
  soldiers and stand my ground against any who would fight me though I
  have nothing here for the Achaeans to plunder; while you look on;
  without even bidding your men stand firm in defence of their wives。
  See that you fall not into the hands of your foes as men caught in the
  meshes of a net; and they sack your fair city forthwith。 Keep this
  before your mind night and day; and beseech the captains of your
  allies to hold on without flinching; and thus put away their
  reproaches from you。〃
  So spoke Sarpedon; and Hector smarted under his words。 He sprang
  from his chariot clad in his suit of armour; and went about among
  the host brandishing his two spears; exhorting the men to fight and
  raising the terrible cry of battle。 Then they rallied and again
  faced the Achaeans; but the Argives stood compact and firm; and were
  not driven back。 As the breezes sport with the chaff upon some
  goodly threshing…floor; when men are winnowing… while yellow Ceres
  blows with the wind to sift the chaff from the grain; and the chaff…
  heaps grow whiter and whiter… even so did the Achaeans whiten in the
  dust which the horses' hoofs raised to the firmament of heaven; as
  their drivers turned them back to battle; and they bore down with
  might upon the foe。 Fierce Mars; to help the Trojans; covered them
  in a veil of darkness; and went about everywhere among them;
  inasmuch as Phoebus Apollo had told him that when he saw Pallas;
  Minerva leave the fray he was to put courage into the hearts of the
  Trojans… for it was she who was helping the Danaans。 Then Apollo
  sent Aeneas forth from his rich sanctuary; and filled his heart with
  valour; whereon he took his place among his comrades; who were
  overjoyed at seeing him alive; sound; and of a good courage; but
  they could not ask him how it had all happened; for they were too busy
  with the turmoil raised by Mars and by Strife; who raged insatiably in
  their midst。
  The two Ajaxes; Ulysses and Diomed; cheered the Danaans on; fearless
  of the fury and onset of the Trojans。 They stood as still as clouds
  which the son of Saturn has spread upon the mountain tops when there
  is no air and fierce Boreas sleeps with the other boisterous winds
  whose shrill blasts scatter the clouds in all directions… even so
  did the Danaans stand firm and unflinching against the Trojans。 The
  son of Atreus went about among them and exhorted them。 〃My friends;〃
  said he; 〃quit yourselves like brave men; and shun dishonour in one
  another's eyes amid the stress of battle。 They that shun dishonour
  more often live than get killed; but they that fly save neither life
  nor name。〃
  As he spoke he hurled his spear and hit one of those who were in the
  front rank; the comrade of Aeneas; Deicoon son of Pergasus; whom the
  Trojans held in no less honour than the sons of Priam; for he was ever
  quick to place himself among the foremost。 The spear of King Agamemnon
  struck his shield and went right through it; for the shield stayed
  it not。 It drove through his belt into the lower part of his belly;
  and his armour rang rattling round him as he fell heavily to the
  ground。
  Then Aeneas killed two champions of the Danaans; Crethon and
  Orsilochus。 Their father was a rich man who lived in the strong city
  of Phere and was descended from the river Alpheus; whose broad
  stream flows through the land of the Pylians。 The river begat
  Orsilochus; who ruled over much people and was father to Diocles;
  who in his turn begat twin sons; Crethon and Orsilochus; well
  skilled in all the arts of war。 These; when they grew up; went to
  Ilius with the Argive fleet in the cause of Menelaus and Agamemnon
  sons of Atreus; and there they both of them fell。 As two lions whom
  their dam has reared in the depths of some mountain forest to
  plunder homesteads and carry off sheep and cattle till they get killed
  by the hand of man; so were these two vanquished by Aeneas; and fell
  like high pine…trees to the ground。
  Brave Menelaus pitied them in their fall; and made his way to the
  front; clad in gleaming bronze and brandishing his spear; for Mars
  egged him on to do so with intent that he should be killed by
  Aeneas; but Antilochus the son of Nestor saw him and sprang forward;
  fearing that the king might come to harm and thus bring all their
  labour to nothing; when; therefore Aeneas and Menelaus were setting
  their hands and spears against one another eager to do battle;
  Antilochus placed himself by the side of Menelaus。 Aeneas; bold though
  he was; drew back on seeing the two heroes side by side in front of
  him; so they drew the bodies of Crethon and Orsilochus to the ranks of
  the Achaeans and committed the two poor fellows into the hands of
  their comrades。 They then turned back and fought in the front ranks。
  They killed Pylaemenes peer of Mars; leader of the Paphlagonian
  warriors。 Menelaus struck him on the collar…bone as he was standing on
  his chariot; while Antilochus hit his charioteer and squire Mydon; the
  son of Atymnius; who was turning his horses in flight。 He hit him with
  a stone upon the elbow; and the reins; enriched with white ivory; fell
  from his hands into the dust。 Antilochus rushed towards him and struck
  him on the temples with his sword; whereon he fell head first from the
  chariot to the ground。 There he stood for a while with his head and
  shoulders buried deep in the dust… for he had fallen on sandy soil
  till his horses kicked him and laid him flat on the ground; as
  Antilochus lashed them and drove them off to the host of the Achaeans。
  But Hector marked them from across the ranks; and with a loud cry
  rushed towards them; followed by the strong battalions of the Trojans。
  Mars and dread Enyo led them on; she fraught with ruthless turmoil
  of battle; while Mars wielded a monstrous spear; and went about; now
  in front of Hector and now behind him。
  Diomed shook with passion as he saw them。 As a man crossing a wide
  plain is dismayed to find himself on the brink of some great river
  rolling swiftly to the sea… he sees its boiling waters and starts back
  in fear… even so did the son of Tydeus give ground。 Then he said to
  his men; 〃My friends; how can we wonder that Hector wields the spear
  so well? Some god is ever by his side to protect him; and now Mars
  is with him in the likeness of mortal man。 Keep your faces therefore
  towards the Trojans; but give ground backwards; for we dare not
  fight with gods。〃
  As he spoke the Trojans drew close up; and Hector killed two men;
  both in one chariot; Menesthes and Anchialus; heroes well versed in
  war。 Ajax son of Telamon pitied them in their fall; he came close up
  and hurled his spear; hitting Amphius the son of Selagus; a man of
  great wealth who lived in Paesus and owned much corn…growing land; but
  his lot had led him to come to the aid of Priam and his sons。 Ajax
  struck him in the belt; the spear pierced the lower part of his belly;
  and he fell heavily to the ground。 Then Ajax ran towards him to
  strip him of his armour; but the Trojans rained spears upon him;
  many of which fell upon his shield。 He planted his heel upon the
  body and drew out his spear; but the darts pressed so heavily upon him
  that he could not strip the goodly armour from his shoulders。 The
  Trojan chieftains; moreover; many and valiant; came about him with
  their spears; so that he dared not stay; great; brave and valiant
  though he was; they drove him from them and he was beaten back。
  Thus; then; did the battle rage between them。 Presently the strong
  hand of fate impelled Tlepolemus; the son of Hercules; a man both
  brave and of great stature; to fight Sarpedon; so the two; son and
  grandson of great Jove; drew near to one another; and Tlepolemus spoke
  first。 〃Sarpedon;〃 said he; 〃councillor of the Lycians; why should you
  come skulking here you who are a man of peace? They lie who call you
  son of aegis…bearing Jove; for you are little like those who were of
  old his children。 Far ot