第 48 节
作者:水王      更新:2021-12-07 09:36      字数:9322
  for   Iolchos。    The   success    of   this  scheme     depended;     it  is  true;  on  the
  doubtful point whether all the fifty heroes might not be snapped up; at so
  many   mouthfuls;   by   the   dragon。   But;   as   Jason   was   hastening   down   the
  palace   steps;   the   Princess   Medea   called   after   him;   and   beckoned   him   to
  return。 Her black eyes shone upon him with such a keen intelligence; that
  he felt as if there were a serpent peeping out of them; and; although she
  had done him so much service only the night before; he was by no means
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  very certain that she would not do him an equally great mischief before
  sunset。   These   enchantresses;   you   must   know;   are   never   to   be   depended
  upon。
  〃What says King Aetes; my royal and upright father?〃 inquired Medea;
  slightly smiling。 〃Will he give you the Golden Fleece; without any further
  risk or trouble?〃
  〃On   the   contrary;〃   answered   Jason;   〃he   is   very   angry   with   me   for
  taming the brazen bulls and sowing the dragon's teeth。 And he forbids me
  to make any more attempts; and positively refuses to give up the Golden
  Fleece; whether I slay the dragon or no。〃
  〃Yes; Jason;〃 said the princess; 〃and I can tell you more。 Unless you
  set sail from Colchis before to…morrow's sunrise; the king means to burn
  your     fifty…oared    galley;   and   put   yourself    and   your    forty…nine    brave
  comrades to the sword。 But be of good courage。 The Golden Fleece you
  shall have; if it lies within the power of my enchantments to get it for you。
  Wait for me here an hour before midnight。〃
  At the appointed hour you might again have seen Prince Jason and the
  Princess Medea; side by side; stealing through the streets of Colchis;  on
  their way  to   the   sacred   grove;   in   the   center   of   which the   Golden   Fleece
  was suspended to a tree。 While they were crossing the pasture ground; the
  brazen     bulls   came    towards     Jason;   lowing;    nodding     their   heads;   and
  thrusting forth their snouts; which; as other cattle do; they loved to have
  rubbed      and   caressed     by   a  friendly    hand。    Their    fierce   nature    was
  thoroughly   tamed;   and;   with   their   fierceness;   the   two   furnaces   in   their
  stomachs   had   likewise   been   extinguished;   insomuch   that   they   probably
  enjoyed   far   more   comfort   in   grazing   and   chewing   their   cuds   than   ever
  before。 Indeed; it had heretofore been a great inconvenience to these poor
  animals; that; whenever they wished to eat a mouthful of grass; the fire out
  of their nostrils had shriveled it up; before they could manage to crop it。
  How they contrived to keep themselves alive is more than I can imagine。
  But now; instead of emitting jets of flame and streams of sulphurous vapor;
  they breathed the very sweetest of cow breath。
  After kindly  patting the bulls; Jason   followed Medea's   guidance into
  the Grove of Mars; where the great oak trees; that had been growing for
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  centuries; threw so thick a shade that the moonbeams struggled vainly to
  find their way through it。 Only here and there a glimmer fell upon the leaf…
  strewn earth; or now and then a breeze stirred the boughs aside; and gave
  Jason a glimpse of the sky; lest; in that deep obscurity; he might forget that
  there was one; overhead。 At length; when they had gone farther and farther
  into the heart of the duskiness; Medea squeezed Jason's hand。
  〃Look yonder;〃 she whispered。 〃Do you see it?〃
  Gleaming among the venerable oaks; there was a radiance; not like the
  moonbeams; but rather resembling the golden glory of the setting sun。 It
  proceeded   from   an   object;   which   appeared   to   be   suspended   at   about   a
  man's height from the ground; a little farther within the wood。
  〃What is it?〃 asked Jason。
  〃Have you come so far to seek it;〃 exclaimed Medea; 〃and do you not
  recognize the meed of all your toils and perils; when it glitters before your
  eyes? It is the Golden Fleece。〃
  Jason went onward a few steps farther; and then stopped to gaze。 O;
  how   beautiful   it   looked;   shining   with   a   marvelous   light   of   its   own;   that
  inestimable   prize   which   so   many   heroes   had   longed   to   behold;   but   had
  perished in the quest of it; either by the perils of their voyage; or by the
  fiery breath of the brazen… lunged bulls。
  〃How   gloriously   it   shines!〃   cried   Jason;   in   a   rapture。   〃It   has   surely
  been dipped in the richest gold of sunset。 Let me hasten onward; and take
  it to my bosom。〃
  〃Stay;〃    said  Medea;     holding    him    back。   〃Have    you   forgotten    what
  guards it?〃
  To say the truth; in the joy of beholding the object of his desires; the
  terrible dragon had quite slipped out of Jason's memory。 Soon; however;
  something   came   to   pass;   that   reminded   him   what   perils   were   still   to   be
  encountered。 An antelope; that probably  mistook the yellow radiance for
  sunrise; came bounding fleetly through the grove。 He was rushing straight
  towards the Golden Fleece; when suddenly there was a frightful hiss; and
  the immense head and half the scaly body of the dragon was thrust forth
  (for he was twisted round the trunk of the tree on which the Fleece hung);
  and seizing the poor antelope; swallowed him with one snap of his jaws。
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  After   this   feat;   the   dragon   seemed   sensible   that   some   other   living
  creature was within reach; on which he felt inclined to finish his meal。 In
  various     directions     he   kept   poking     his  ugly    snout    among     the   trees;
  stretching out his neck a terrible long way; now here; now there; and now
  close to the spot where Jason and the princess were hiding behind an oak。
  Upon my word; as the head came waving and undulating through the air;
  and   reaching   almost   within   arm's   length   of   Prince   Jason;   it   was   a   very
  hideous   and   uncomfortable   sight。   The   gape   of   his   enormous   jaws   was
  nearly as wide as the gateway of the king's palace。
  〃Well;     Jason;〃    whispered     Medea      (for  she   was    ill  natured;   as   all
  enchantresses are; and wanted to make the bold youth tremble); 〃what do
  you think now of your prospect of winning the Golden Fleece?〃
  Jason     answered     only    by   drawing     his   sword;    and   making     a   step
  forward。
  〃Stay; foolish youth;〃 said Medea; grasping his arm。 〃Do not you see
  you   are   lost;   without   me   as   your   good   angel?   In   this   gold   box   I  have   a
  magic   potion;   which   will   do   the   dragon's   business   far   more   effectually
  than your sword。〃
  The dragon had probably heard the voices; for swift as lightning; his
  black head and forked tongue came hissing among the trees again; darting
  full forty feet at a stretch。 As it approached; Medea tossed the contents of
  the gold box right down the monster's wide…open throat。 Immediately; with
  an   outrageous   hiss   and   a tremendous   wriggleflinging   his   tail up   to   the
  tip…top   of   the   tallest   tree;   and   shattering   all   its   branches   as   it   crashed
  heavily down againthe dragon fell at full length upon the ground; and lay
  quite motionless。
  〃It   is   only   a   sleeping   potion;〃   said   the   enchantress   to   Prince   Jason。
  〃One always finds a use for these mischievous creatures; sooner or later;
  so I did not wish to kill him outright。 Quick! Snatch the prize; and let us
  begone。 You have won the Golden Fleece。〃
  Jason caught the fleece from the tree; and hurried through the grove;
  the deep shadows of which were illuminated as he passed by the golden
  glory of the precious object that he bore along。 A little way before him; he
  beheld   the   old   woman   whom   he   had   helped   over   the   stream;   with   her
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  peacock beside her。 She clapped her hands for joy; and beckoning him to
  make   haste;   disappeared   among   the   duskiness   of   the   trees。   Espying   the
  two winged sons of the North Wind (who were disporting themselves in
  the moonlight; a few hundred feet aloft); Jason bade them tell the rest of
  the Argonauts   to   embark   as   speedily   as   possible。   But   Lynceus;   with   his
  sharp   ey