第 80 节
作者:美丽心点      更新:2021-02-21 16:08      字数:9322
  his brave comrades 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 Patroclus; in due honour
  to the dead。 When we have had full comfort of lamentation we will
  unyoke our horses and take supper all of us here。〃
  On this they all joined in a cry of wailing and Achilles led them in
  their lament。 Thrice did they drive their chariots all sorrowing round
  the body; and Thetis stirred within them a still deeper yearning。
  The sands of the seashore and the men's armour were wet with their
  weeping; so great a minister of fear was he whom they had lost。
  Chief in all their mourning was the son of Peleus: he laid his
  bloodstained hand on the breast 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 Hector hither and let dogs
  devour him raw; twelve noble sons of Trojans will I also slay 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 by the ship of
  the fleet descendant of Aeacus; who thereon feasted them with an
  abundant funeral banquet。 Many a goodly ox; with many a sheep and
  bleating goat did they butcher and cut up; many a tusked boar
  moreover; fat and well…fed; did they singe and set to roast in the
  flames of Vulcan; and rivulets of blood flowed all round the place
  where the body was lying。
  Then the princes of the Achaeans took the son of Peleus to
  Agamemnon; but hardly could they persuade him to come with them; so
  wroth was he for the death of his comrade。 As soon as they reached
  Agamemnon's tent 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 gore from this body; but he denied them sternly; and swore
  it with a solemn oath; 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
  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 festival demands;
  but at break of day; King Agamemnon; bid your men bring wood; and
  provide all else that the dead may duly take into the realm of
  darkness; 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
  to prepare the meal; they ate; and every man had his full share so
  that all were satisfied。 As soon as they had had had enough to eat and
  drink; the others went to their rest each in his own tent; but the son
  of Peleus lay grieving among his Myrmidons by the shore of the
  sounding sea; in an open place where the waves came surging in one
  after another。 Here a very deep slumber took hold upon him and eased
  the burden of his sorrows; for his limbs were weary with chasing
  Hector round windy Ilius。 Presently the sad spirit of Patroclus drew
  near him; like what he had been in stature; voice; and the light of
  his beaming eyes; clad; too; as he had been clad in life。 The spirit
  hovered 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 me with all
  speed that I may pass the gates of Hades; the ghosts; vain 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
  all desolate 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 and take sweet counsel among the living; the
  cruel fate which was my birth…right has yawned its wide jaws around
  me… nay; you too Achilles; peer of gods; are doomed to die beneath the
  wall of the noble Trojans。
  〃One prayer more will I make you; if you will grant 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 I had killed
  the son of Amphidamas… not of set purpose; but in childish quarrel
  over the dice。 The knight 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 given to you by
  your mother。〃
  And Achilles answered; 〃Why; true heart; are you come hither to
  lay these charges upon me? will of my own self 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
  him in them; but there was nothing; and the spirit vanished as a
  vapour; gibbering and whining 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 and phantoms that have
  no life in them; all night long the sad spirit of Patroclus has
  hovered over head making piteous moan; 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 and mourning
  about the poor dumb dead; till rosy…fingered morn appeared。 Then
  King Agamemnon sent men and mules 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 and strong ropes in their hands; and
  before them went the mules。 Up hill and down dale did they go; by
  straight ways and crooked; and when they reached the heights of
  many…fountained Ida; they laid their axes to the roots of many a
  tall branching oak that came thundering down as they felled it。 They
  split the trees and bound them behind the mules; which then wended
  their way as they best could through the thick brushwood on to the
  plain。 All who had been cutting wood bore logs; for so Meriones squire
  to Idomeneus had bidden them; and they threw them down in a line
  upon the seashore at the place where Achilles would make a mighty
  monument 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 of thousands after。 In the midst of them his comrades
  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 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 sorrowfully out upon the dark sea; and said; 〃Spercheius;
  in vain did my father Peleus vow to you that when I returned home to
  my loved native land I should cut off this lock and offer you a holy
  hecatomb; fifty she…goats was I to sacrifice to you there at your
  springs; where is your grove and your altar fragrant with
  burnt…offerings。 Thus did my father vow; but you have not fulfilled
  his prayer; now; therefore; that I shall see my home no more; I give
  this lock as a keepsake to the hero Patroclus。〃
  As he spoke he placed the lock in the hands of his dear comrade; and
  all who stood by were filled with yearning and lamentation。 The sun
  would have gone down upon their mourning 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 and a time to cease from
  mourning; bid 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 also stay by me。〃
  When King Agamemnon heard this he dismissed the people to their
  ships; but those who were about the dead heaped up wood and built a
  pyre a hundred feet this way and that; then they laid the dead all
  sorrowfully upon the top of it。 They flayed and dressed many fat sheep
  and oxen before the pyre; and Achilles took fat from all of them and
  wrapped the body therein from head to foot; heaping the flayed
  carcases all round it。 Against the bier he leaned two…handled jars
  of honey and unguents; four proud horses did he then cast upon the
  pyre; groaning the while he did so。 The dead hero had had
  house…dogs; two of them did Achilles slay and threw upon th