第 34 节
作者:美丽心点      更新:2021-02-21 16:08      字数:9322
  I shall soon make an end of you。〃
  He threw as he spoke; but missed his aim on purpose。 The dart flew
  over the man's right shoulder; and then stuck in the ground。 He
  stood stock still; trembling and in great fear; his teeth chattered;
  and he turned pale with fear。 The two came breathless up to him and
  seized his hands; whereon he began to weep and said; 〃Take me alive; I
  will ransom myself; we have great store of gold; bronze; and wrought
  iron; and from this my father will satisfy you with a very large
  ransom; should he hear of my being alive at the ships of the
  Achaeans。〃
  〃Fear not;〃 replied Ulysses; 〃let no thought of death be in your
  mind; but tell me; and tell me true; why are you thus going about
  alone in the dead of night away from your camp and towards the
  ships; while other men are sleeping? Is it to plunder the bodies of
  the slain; or did Hector send you to spy out what was going on at
  the ships? Or did you come here of your own mere notion?〃
  Dolon answered; his limbs trembling beneath him: 〃Hector; with his
  vain flattering promises; lured me from my better judgement。 He said
  he would give me the horses of the noble son of Peleus and his
  bronze…bedizened chariot; he bade me go through the darkness of the
  flying night; get close to the enemy; and find out whether the ships
  are still guarded as heretofore; or whether; now that we have beaten
  them; the Achaeans design to fly; and through sheer exhaustion are
  neglecting to keep their watches。〃
  Ulysses smiled at him and answered; 〃You had indeed set your heart
  upon a great reward; but the horses of the descendant of Aeacus are
  hardly to be kept in hand or driven by any other mortal man than
  Achilles himself; whose mother was an immortal。 But tell me; and
  tell me true; where did you leave Hector when you started? Where
  lies his armour and his horses? How; too; are the watches and
  sleeping…ground of the Trojans ordered? What are their plans? Will
  they stay here by the ships and away from the city; or now that they
  have worsted the Achaeans; will they retire within their walls?〃
  And Dolon answered; 〃I will tell you truly all。 Hector and the other
  councillors are now holding conference by the monument of great
  Ilus; away from the general tumult; as for the guards about which
  you ask me; there is no chosen watch to keep guard over the host。
  The Trojans have their watchfires; for they are bound to have them;
  they; therefore; are awake and keep each other to their duty as
  sentinels; but the allies who have come from other places are asleep
  and leave it to the Trojans to keep guard; for their wives and
  children are not here。〃
  Ulysses then said; 〃Now tell me; are they sleeping among the
  Trojan troops; or do they lie apart? Explain this that I may
  understand it。〃
  〃I will tell you truly all;〃 replied Dolon。 〃To the seaward lie
  the Carians; the Paeonian bowmen; the Leleges; the Cauconians; and the
  noble Pelasgi。 The Lysians and proud Mysians; with the Phrygians and
  Meonians; have their place on the side towards Thymbra; but why ask
  about an this? If you want to find your way into the host of the
  Trojans; there are the Thracians; who have lately come here and lie
  apart from the others at the far end of the camp; and they have Rhesus
  son of Eioneus for their king。 His horses are the finest and strongest
  that I have ever seen; they are whiter than snow and fleeter than
  any wind that blows。 His chariot is bedight with silver and gold;
  and he has brought his marvellous golden armour; of the rarest
  workmanship… too splendid for any mortal man to carry; and meet only
  for the gods。 Now; therefore; take me to the ships or bind me securely
  here; until you come back and have proved my words whether they be
  false or true。〃
  Diomed looked sternly at him and answered; 〃Think not; Dolon; for
  all the good information you have given us; that you shall escape
  now you are in our hands; for if we ransom you or let you go; you will
  come some second time to the ships of the Achaeans either as a spy
  or as an open enemy; but if I kill you and an end of you; you will
  give no more trouble。〃
  On this Dolon would have caught him by the beard to beseech him
  further; but Diomed struck him in the middle of his neck with his
  sword and cut through both sinews so that his head fell rolling in the
  dust while he was yet speaking。 They took the ferret…skin cap from his
  head; and also the wolf…skin; the bow; and his long spear。 Ulysses
  hung them up aloft in honour of Minerva the goddess of plunder; and
  prayed saying; 〃Accept these; goddess; for we give them to you in
  preference to all the gods in Olympus: therefore speed us still
  further towards the horses and sleeping…ground of the Thracians。〃
  With these words he took the spoils and set them upon a tamarisk
  tree; and they marked the place by pulling up reeds and gathering
  boughs of tamarisk that they might not miss it as they came back
  through the' flying hours of darkness。 The two then went onwards
  amid the fallen armour and the blood; and came presently to the
  company of Thracian soldiers; who were sleeping; tired out with
  their day's toil; their goodly armour was lying on the ground beside
  them all orderly in three rows; and each man had his yoke of horses
  beside him。 Rhesus was sleeping in the middle; and hard by him his
  horses were made fast to the topmost rim of his chariot。 Ulysses
  from some way off saw him and said; 〃This; Diomed; is the man; and
  these are the horses about which Dolon whom we killed told us。 Do your
  very utmost; dally not about your armour; but loose the horses at
  once… or else kill the men yourself; while I see to the horses。〃
  Thereon Minerva put courage into the heart of Diomed; and he smote
  them right and left。 They made a hideous groaning as they were being
  hacked about; and the earth was red with their blood。 As a lion
  springs furiously upon a flock of sheep or goats when he finds without
  their shepherd; so did the son of Tydeus set upon the Thracian
  soldiers till he had killed twelve。 As he killed them Ulysses came and
  drew them aside by their feet one by one; that the horses might go
  forward freely without being frightened as they passed over the dead
  bodies; for they were not yet used to them。 When the son of Tydeus
  came to the king; he killed him too (which made thirteen); as he was
  breathing hard; for by the counsel of Minerva an evil dream; the
  seed of Oeneus; hovered that night over his head。 Meanwhile Ulysses
  untied the horses; made them fast one to another and drove them off;
  striking them with his bow; for he had forgotten to take the whip from
  the chariot。 Then he whistled as a sign to Diomed。
  But Diomed stayed where he was; thinking what other daring deed he
  might accomplish。 He was doubting whether to take the chariot in which
  the king's armour was lying; and draw it out by the pole; or to lift
  the armour out and carry it off; or whether again; he should not
  kill some more Thracians。 While he was thus hesitating Minerva came up
  to him and said; 〃Get back; Diomed; to the ships or you may be
  driven thither; should some other god rouse the Trojans。〃
  Diomed knew that it was the goddess; and at once sprang upon the
  horses。 Ulysses beat them with his bow and they flew onward to the
  ships of the Achaeans。
  But Apollo kept no blind look…out when he saw Minerva with the son
  of Tydeus。 He was angry with her; and coming to the host of the
  Trojans he roused Hippocoon; a counsellor of the Thracians and a noble
  kinsman of Rhesus。 He started up out of his sleep and saw that the
  horses were no longer in their place; and that the men were gasping in
  their death…agony; on this he groaned aloud; and called upon his
  friend by name。 Then the whole Trojan camp was in an uproar as the
  people kept hurrying together; and they marvelled at the deeds of
  the heroes who had now got away towards the ships。
  When they reached the place where they had killed Hector's scout;
  Ulysses stayed his horses; and the son of Tydeus; leaping to the
  ground; placed the blood…stained spoils in the hands of Ulysses and
  remounted: then he lashed the horses onwards; and they flew forward
  nothing loth towards the ships as though of their own free will。
  Nestor was first to hear the tramp of their feet。 〃My friends;〃 said
  he; 〃princes and counsellors of the Argives; shall I guess right or
  wrong?… but I must say what I think: there is a sound in my ears as of
  the tramp of horses。 I hope it may Diomed and Ulysses driving in
  horses from the Trojans; but I much fear that the bravest of the
  Argives may have come to some harm at their hands。〃
  He had hardly done speaking when the two men came in and dismounted;
  whereon the others shook hands right gladly with them and
  congratulated them。 Nestor knight of Gerene was first to question
  them。 〃Tell me;〃 said he; 〃renowned Ulysses; how did you two come by
  these horses? Did you steal in among the Trojan forces; or did some
  god meet you and give them to you? They are like sunbeams。 I am well
  conversant with the Trojans; for old warrior though I am I never
  hold back by the ships; but I never yet saw or heard of such horses as
  these are。 Surely some god must have met you and given them to yo