第 4 节
作者:孤悟      更新:2022-04-21 11:07      字数:9322
  (MENELAUS and his guards lead ANDROMACHE out。)
  CHORUS (singing)
  strophe 1
  Never; oh! never will I commend rival wives or sons of different
  mothers; a cause of strife; of bitterness; and grief in every house。
  would have a husband content with one wife whose rights he shareth
  with no other。
  antistrophe 1
  Not even in states is dual monarchy better to bear than
  undivided rule; it only doubles burdens and causes faction amongst the
  citizens。 Often too will the Muse sow strife 'twixt rivals in the
  art of minstrelsy。
  strophe 2
  Again; when strong winds are drifting mariners; the divided
  counsel of the wise does not best avail for steering; and their
  collective wisdom has less weight than the inferior mind of the single
  man who has sole authority; for this is the essence of power alike
  in house and state; whene'er men care to find the proper moment。
  antistrophe 2
  This Spartan; the daughter of the great chief Menelaus; proves
  this; for she hath kindled hot fury against a rival; and is bent on
  slaying the hapless Trojan maid and her child to further her bitter
  quarrel。 'Tis a murder gods and laws and kindness all forbid。 Ah!
  lady; retribution for this deed will yet visit thee。
  But lo! before the house I see those two united souls; condemned
  to die。 Alas! for thee; poor lady; and for thee; unhappy child; who
  art dying on account of thy mother's marriage; though thou hast no
  share therein and canst not be blamed by the royal house。
  (ANDROMACHE enters; her arms bound。 Her son clings
  to her。 MENELAUS and the guards follow; intent
  on accomplishing the murder。 The following
  lines are chanted responsively。)
  ANDROMACHE
  Behold me journeying on the downward path; my hands so tightly
  bound with cords that they bleed。
  MOLOSSUS
  O mother; mother mine! I too share thy downward path; nestling
  'neath thy wing。
  ANDROMACHE
  A cruel sacrifice! ye rulers of Phthia!
  MOLOSSUS
  Come; father! succour those thou lovest。
  ANDROMACHE
  Rest there; my babe; my darling! on thy mother's bosom; e'en in
  death and in the grave。
  MOLOSSUS
  Ah; woe is me! what will become of me and thee too; mother mine?
  MENELAUS
  Away; to the world below! from hostile towers ye came; the pair of
  you; two different causes necessitate your deaths; my sentence takes
  away thy life; and my daughter Hermione's requires his; for it would
  be the height of folly to leave our foemen's sons; when we might
  kill them and remove the danger from our house。
  ANDROMACHE
  O husband mine! I would I had thy strong arm and spear to aid
  me; son of Priam。
  MOLOSSUS
  Ah; woe is me! what spell can I now find to turn death's stroke
  aside?
  ANDROMACHE
  Embrace thy master's knees; my child; and pray to him。
  MOLOSSUS
  Spare; O spare my life; kind master!
  ANDROMACHE
  Mine eyes are wet with tears; which trickle down my cheeks; as
  doth a sunless spring from a smooth rock。 Ah me!
  MOLOSSUS
  What remedy; alas! can I provide me 'gainst my ills?
  MENELAUS
  Why fall at my knees in supplication? hard as the rock and deaf as
  the wave am I。 My own friends have I helped; but for thee have no
  tie of affection; for verily it cost me a great part of my life to
  capture Troy and thy mother; so thou shalt reap the fruit thereof
  and into Hades' halls descend。
  LEADER OF THE CHORUS
  Behold! I see Peleus drawing nigh; with aged step he hasteth
  hither。
  (PELEUS enters with an attendant。)
  PELEUS (calling out as he comes in sight)
  What means this? I ask you and your executioner; why is the palace
  in an uproar? give a reason; what mean your lawless machinations?
  Menelaus; hold thy hand。 Seek not to outrun justice。 (To his
  attendant) Forward! faster; faster! for this matter; methinks;
  admits of no delay; now if ever would I fain resume the vigour of my
  youth。 First however will breathe new life into this captive; being to
  her as the breeze that blows a ship before the wind。 Tell me; by
  what right have they pinioned thine arms and are dragging thee and thy
  child away? Like a ewe with her lamb art thou led to the slaughter;
  while I and thy lord were far away。
  ANDROMACHE
  Behold them that are haling me and my child to death; e'en as thou
  seest; aged prince。 Why should I tell thee? For not by one urgent
  summons alone but by countless messengers have I sent for thee。 No
  doubt thou knowest by hearsay of the strife in this house with this
  man's daughter; and the reason of my ruin。 So now they have torn and
  are dragging me from the altar of Thetis; the goddess of thy
  chiefest adoration and the mother of thy gallant son; without any
  proper trial; yea; and without waiting for my absent master;
  because; forsooth; they knew my defencelessness and my child's; whom
  they mean to slay with me his hapless mother; though he has done no
  harm。 But to thee; O sire; I make my supplication; prostrate at thy
  knees; though my hand cannot touch thy friendly beard; save me; I
  adjure thee; reverend sir; or to thy shame and my sorrow shall we be
  slain。
  PELEUS
  Loose her bonds; I say; ere some one rue it; untie her folded
  hands。
  MENELAUS
  I forbid it; for besides being a match for thee; I have a far
  better right to her。
  PELEUS
  What! art thou come hither to set my house in order? Art not
  content with ruling thy Spartans?
  MENELAUS
  She is my captive; I took her from Troy。
  PELEUS
  Aye; but my son's son received her as his prize。
  MENELAUS
  Is not all I have his; and all his mine?
  PELEUS
  For good; but not evil ends; and surely not for murderous
  violence。
  MENELAUS
  Never shalt thou wrest her from my grasp。
  PELEUS
  With this good staff I'll stain thy head with blood!
  MENELAUS
  Just touch me and see! Approach one step!
  PELEUS
  What! shalt thou rank with men? chief of cowards; son of
  cowards! What right hast thou to any place 'mongst men? Thou who didst
  let Phrygian rob thee of thy wife; leaving thy home without bolt or
  guard; as if forsooth the cursed woman thou hadst there was a model of
  virtue。 No! a Spartan maid could not be chaste; e'en if she would; who
  leaves her home and bares her limbs and lets her robe float free; to
  share with youths their races and their sports;…customs I cannot
  away with。 Is it any wonder then that ye fail to educate your women in
  virtue? Helen might have asked thee this; seeing that she said goodbye
  to thy affection and tripped off with her young gallant to a foreign
  land。 And yet for her sake thou didst marshal all the hosts of
  Hellas and lead them to Ilium; whereas thou shouldst have shown thy
  loathing for her by refusing to stir a spear; once thou hadst found
  her false; yea; thou shouldst have let her stay there; and even paid a
  price to save ever having her back again。 But that was not at all
  the way thy thoughts were turned; wherefore many a brave life hast
  thou ended; and many an aged mother hast thou left childless in her
  home; and grey…haired sires of gallant sons hast reft。 Of that sad
  band am I member; seeing in thee Achilles' murderer like a malignant
  fiend; for thou and thou alone hast returned from Troy without a
  scratch; bringing back thy splendid weapons in their splendid cases
  just as they went。 As for me; I ever told that amorous boy to form
  no alliance with thee nor take unto his home an evil mother's child;
  for daughters bear the marks of their mothers' ill…repute into their
  new homes。 Wherefore; ye wooers; take heed to this my warning: 〃Choose
  the daughter of a good mother。〃 And more than this; with what wanton
  insult didst thou treat thy brother; bidding him sacrifice his
  daughter in his simpleness! So fearful wast thou of losing thy
  worthless wife。 Then after capturing Troy;…for thither too will I
  accompany thee;…thou didst not slay that woman; when she was in thy
  power; but as soon as thine eyes caught sight of her breast; thy sword
  was dropped and thou didst take her kisses; fondling the shameless
  traitress; too weak to stem thy hot desire; thou caitiff wretch! Yet
  spite of all thou art the man to come and work havoc in my
  grandson's halls when he is absent; seeking to slay with all indignity
  a poor weak woman and her babe: but that babe shall one day make
  thee and thy daughter in thy home rue it; e'en though his birth be
  trebly base。 Yea; for oft ere now hath seed; sown on barren soil;
  prevailed o'er rich deep tilth; and many bastard has proved a better
  man than children better born。 Take thy daughter hence with thee!
  Far be