“And when he marked Odysseus in the way,
And could no longer to his lord come near,
His ears. Odysseus turning wiped a tear.”
Eustathius (who made none the worse archbishop because he was a thorough lover of Homer) has remarked, somewhat pertinently26, that the fate of his dog draws from the imperturbable27 Ulysses the tears which he never sheds for any thought of Penelope. But such lesser28 pathetic incidents have often, in actual life, a stronger emotional effect than is produced by the deeper{v.ii-102} affections.[40] But he masters his emotion, for this is no time to betray himself, and follows Eum?us through the entrance-doors. It is poor Argus’s last effort, and the old hound turns and dies—
“Just having seen Odysseus in the twentieth year.”
The story is told by the Greek poet with somewhat more prolixity29 of detail than suits our modern notions of the pathetic, but the pathos30 of the incident itself is of the simplest and purest kind.
In beggar’s guise23 Ulysses enters his own hall, and makes his rounds of the party who sit there at table, soliciting31 some contribution of broken meat to his wallet. None is so hard of heart as to refuse, except Antinous. In vain does Ulysses compliment him on his princely beauty, and remind him of the uncertainty32 of fortune, as evidenced by his own present case:—
“Once to me also sorrow came not near,
And I had riches and a noble name,
And to the wandering poor still gave, whoever came.”
“Legions of slaves and many thousand things
I held, which God doth on the great bestow—
All that the ownership of large wealth brings.
But Zeus the Thunderer, for he willed it so,
Antinous haughtily34 bids him stand off, and when Ulysses expresses his wonder that in so fair a body{v.ii-103} should dwell so mean a spirit, hurls35 a stool at him. The blow does not shake the strong frame of Ulysses, who moves to the doorway36, lays down his wallet, and lifts his voice in solemn imprecation to the Powers on high who protect the stranger and the poor:—
“Hear me, ye suitors of the queen divine!
Men grieve not for the wounds they take in fight,
Defending their own wealth, white sheep or kine;
Only because I suffer hunger’s bite,
Fount to mankind of evils evermore.
If there be gods and furies of the poor,
Die unavenged, unwept, upon the palace-floor.”
Even some amongst the young man’s companions are horrified39 by this reckless violation40 of the recognised laws of charity and hospitality. One of them speaks out in strong rebuke:—
“Not to thine honour hast thou now let fall,
Antinous, on the wandering poor this blow.
Haply a god from heaven is in our hall,
And thou art ripe for ruin: I bid thee know,
Wander the cities, and men’s ways discern;
Yea, through the wide earth in all shapes they go,
Changed, yet the same, and with their own eyes learn
How live the sacred laws—who hold them, and who spurn.”
This is one of those noble passages in which the creed42 of the poet soars far above his mythology43. The god who is the avenger44 of broken oaths, and the protector of the poor and the stranger, though he bears the name of Zeus or Jupiter, is a power of very different type from the Ruler of Olympus, who indulges his{v.ii-104} sensual passions in base amours with mortals,—who in the Iliad is perpetually engaged in domestic wrangles45 with his queen, and even in the Odyssey46 wreaks47 a weak vengeance on Ulysses merely to gratify the spite of Neptune48.
“Meanwhile Telemachus sat far apart,
Feeding on fire; and deeper and more drear
His own dear father, and the flower of kings.
But, filled in soul with dark imaginings,
Silently waved his head, and brooded evil things.”
Additional insults await the hero in his own hall. There comes from the town a sturdy beggar, known as Irus—“the messenger”—by a kind of parody51 on the name of the rainbow goddess, Iris52, who performs the same office for the immortals53. Jealous of a rival mendicant54, such as Ulysses appears, he threatens to drive him from the hall. Ulysses quietly warns him to keep his hands off—there is room enough for both. The young nobles shout with delight at a quarrel which promises such good sport, and at once form a ring for the combatants, and undertake to see fair play. When the disguised king strips off his squalid rags for the boxing-match, and discovers the brawny55 chest and shoulders for which he was remarkable56, Irus trembles at the thought of encountering him. But it is too late: with a single blow Ulysses breaks his jaw57, and drags him out into the courtyard. The revellers now hail the conqueror58 with loud applause, and award him the prize of victory—a goat-paunch filled with{v.ii-105} mince-meat and blood, the prototype, apparently59, both of the Scotch60 haggis and the English black-pudding. Amphinomus—who has already shown something of a nobler nature than the rest—adds a few words of generous sympathy: he sees in the wandering mendicant one who has known better days, and pledges him in a cup of wine, with a hope that brighter fortunes are yet in store. Ulysses is touched with pity for the fate which the young man’s evil companions are inevitably61 drawing on him. He had heard, he tells him, of his father, Nisus—had known him, doubtless, in fact—a wise and good man; such ought the son to be. He adds a voice of ominous62 warning, tinged63 with that saddened view of man at his best estate which continually breaks forth64, even amidst the lighter65 passages of the poet.
“Earth than a man no poorer feebler thing
Rears, of all creatures that here breathe or move;
Who, while the gods lend health, and his knees string,
Boasts that no sorrow he is born to prove.
Then doth he bear it with a bitter mind,
Dies without help, or liveth against love.”
Penelope now descends67 from her chamber68 for a moment into the hall, to have speech with her son. The goddess Minerva has shed on her such radiant grace and beauty, that her appearance draws forth passionate69 admiration70 from Eurymachus. She does but taunt71 him in reply: most suitors, she says, at least bring presents in their hand; these of hers do but rob, where others give freely. They are all stung sufficiently{v.ii-106} by her words to produce at once from their stores some costly72 offerings—embroidered robes, chains and brooches and necklaces of gold and electrum. The queen, after the practical fashion of the age, is not too disdainful to carry them off to her chamber; while Ulysses—as indeed seems more in accordance with his character—secretly rejoices to see his wife thus “spoiling the Egyptians.” Some commentators73 have apologised for this seeming meanness on the part of Penelope by the explanation, that she does it to inspire them with false hopes of her choosing one of them now at last for her husband, and so lulling74 them into a false security in order to insure their easier destruction. But it is best to take the moral tone of these early poems honestly, as we find it, and not attempt to force it into too close agreement with our own.
After some further acts of insult, still borne with a wrathful endurance by Ulysses, the company quit the hall, as usual, for the night. Then Penelope descends again from her chamber, and sitting by the hearth76, bids a chair be set also for the wandering stranger: she will hear his tale. He represents himself to her as the brother of King Idomeneus of Crete, and as having once in his brother’s absence entertained the great Ulysses in his halls. To Penelope’s eager questions, by which she seeks to test his veracity77, he answers by describing not so much the person of her husband as his distinctive78 dress. The queen recognises, in this description, the curiously-embroidered mantle79 which she had worked for him, and the golden{v.ii-107} clasp, “linked with twin stars,” which she had fastened with her own hands when he parted from her to go to Troy. She breaks into floods of tears at the recollection; while the disguised Ulysses sets his eyes hard, “as though they were of horn or steel,” and checks his rising tears. He comforts her with the assurance that he brings recent news of her hero—of his shipwreck80 and visit to the Ph?acians; that he is even now on his way to Ithaca, last heard of in the neighbouring island of Dulichium, within easy reach of home; nay81, this very year, he would be content to pledge himself, Ulysses shall stand once more in his own halls. Incredulous, yet thankful for the comfort, the queen orders the wanderer to be taken to the bath, and entertained as an honoured guest. But he refuses all attendance save that of the aged Eurycleia. She marks with wonder his likeness82 to her absent master; but such resemblance, he assures her, has been noticed frequently by others. As she bathes his feet, her eyes fall on a well-remembered scar, left by a wound received from a boar’s tusk83 in his youth while hunting on Mount Parnassus with his grandsire Autolycus.[41] {v.ii-108} The old nurse doubts no longer. She lets the foot fall heavily, and upsets the bath.
“Surely thou art Ulysses—yes, thou art—
My darling child, and I not knew my king
Till I had handled thee in every part!”
He puts his hand upon her throat, and forcibly checks her outcry; his purpose is not to be known openly as yet, for he feels there are few, even of his own household, whom he can trust. He charges her—even on pain of death, much as he loves her—to keep his secret; then, refusing all softer accommodation, he lies down in the vestibule on a couch of bullhide, not sleeping, but nursing his wrath75 in a fever of wakefulness.
点击收听单词发音
1 consternation | |
n.大为吃惊,惊骇 | |
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2 riotous | |
adj.骚乱的;狂欢的 | |
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3 toils | |
网 | |
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4 feigned | |
a.假装的,不真诚的 | |
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5 determined | |
adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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6 assassination | |
n.暗杀;暗杀事件 | |
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7 transformation | |
n.变化;改造;转变 | |
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8 aged | |
adj.年老的,陈年的 | |
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9 vengeance | |
n.报复,报仇,复仇 | |
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10 utterly | |
adv.完全地,绝对地 | |
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11 insolence | |
n.傲慢;无礼;厚颜;傲慢的态度 | |
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12 jeers | |
n.操纵帆桁下部(使其上下的)索具;嘲讽( jeer的名词复数 )v.嘲笑( jeer的第三人称单数 ) | |
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13 humble | |
adj.谦卑的,恭顺的;地位低下的;v.降低,贬低 | |
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14 spurn | |
v.拒绝,摈弃;n.轻视的拒绝;踢开 | |
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15 fully | |
adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地 | |
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16 justifies | |
证明…有理( justify的第三人称单数 ); 为…辩护; 对…作出解释; 为…辩解(或辩护) | |
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17 skull | |
n.头骨;颅骨 | |
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18 scoffer | |
嘲笑者 | |
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19 espies | |
v.看到( espy的第三人称单数 ) | |
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20 noted | |
adj.著名的,知名的 | |
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21 fidelity | |
n.忠诚,忠实;精确 | |
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22 loyalty | |
n.忠诚,忠心 | |
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23 guise | |
n.外表,伪装的姿态 | |
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24 fawned | |
v.(尤指狗等)跳过来往人身上蹭以示亲热( fawn的过去式和过去分词 );巴结;讨好 | |
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25 drooped | |
弯曲或下垂,发蔫( droop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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26 pertinently | |
适切地 | |
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27 imperturbable | |
adj.镇静的 | |
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28 lesser | |
adj.次要的,较小的;adv.较小地,较少地 | |
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29 prolixity | |
n.冗长,罗嗦 | |
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30 pathos | |
n.哀婉,悲怆 | |
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31 soliciting | |
v.恳求( solicit的现在分词 );(指娼妇)拉客;索求;征求 | |
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32 uncertainty | |
n.易变,靠不住,不确知,不确定的事物 | |
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33 woe | |
n.悲哀,苦痛,不幸,困难;int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌 | |
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34 haughtily | |
adv. 傲慢地, 高傲地 | |
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35 hurls | |
v.猛投,用力掷( hurl的第三人称单数 );大声叫骂 | |
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36 doorway | |
n.门口,(喻)入门;门路,途径 | |
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37 smite | |
v.重击;彻底击败;n.打;尝试;一点儿 | |
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38 nuptial | |
adj.婚姻的,婚礼的 | |
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39 horrified | |
a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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40 violation | |
n.违反(行为),违背(行为),侵犯 | |
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41 garb | |
n.服装,装束 | |
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42 creed | |
n.信条;信念,纲领 | |
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43 mythology | |
n.神话,神话学,神话集 | |
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44 avenger | |
n. 复仇者 | |
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45 wrangles | |
n.(尤指长时间的)激烈争吵,口角,吵嘴( wrangle的名词复数 )v.争吵,争论,口角( wrangle的第三人称单数 ) | |
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46 odyssey | |
n.长途冒险旅行;一连串的冒险 | |
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47 wreaks | |
诉诸(武力),施行(暴力),发(脾气)( wreak的第三人称单数 ) | |
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48 Neptune | |
n.海王星 | |
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49 pang | |
n.剧痛,悲痛,苦闷 | |
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50 eyelids | |
n.眼睑( eyelid的名词复数 );眼睛也不眨一下;不露声色;面不改色 | |
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51 parody | |
n.打油诗文,诙谐的改编诗文,拙劣的模仿;v.拙劣模仿,作模仿诗文 | |
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52 iris | |
n.虹膜,彩虹 | |
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53 immortals | |
不朽的人物( immortal的名词复数 ); 永生不朽者 | |
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54 mendicant | |
n.乞丐;adj.行乞的 | |
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55 brawny | |
adj.强壮的 | |
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56 remarkable | |
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的 | |
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57 jaw | |
n.颚,颌,说教,流言蜚语;v.喋喋不休,教训 | |
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58 conqueror | |
n.征服者,胜利者 | |
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59 apparently | |
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎 | |
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60 scotch | |
n.伤口,刻痕;苏格兰威士忌酒;v.粉碎,消灭,阻止;adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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61 inevitably | |
adv.不可避免地;必然发生地 | |
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62 ominous | |
adj.不祥的,不吉的,预兆的,预示的 | |
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63 tinged | |
v.(使)发丁丁声( ting的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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64 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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65 lighter | |
n.打火机,点火器;驳船;v.用驳船运送;light的比较级 | |
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66 assail | |
v.猛烈攻击,抨击,痛斥 | |
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67 descends | |
v.下来( descend的第三人称单数 );下去;下降;下斜 | |
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68 chamber | |
n.房间,寝室;会议厅;议院;会所 | |
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69 passionate | |
adj.热情的,热烈的,激昂的,易动情的,易怒的,性情暴躁的 | |
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70 admiration | |
n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕 | |
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71 taunt | |
n.辱骂,嘲弄;v.嘲弄 | |
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72 costly | |
adj.昂贵的,价值高的,豪华的 | |
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73 commentators | |
n.评论员( commentator的名词复数 );时事评论员;注释者;实况广播员 | |
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74 lulling | |
vt.使镇静,使安静(lull的现在分词形式) | |
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75 wrath | |
n.愤怒,愤慨,暴怒 | |
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76 hearth | |
n.壁炉炉床,壁炉地面 | |
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77 veracity | |
n.诚实 | |
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78 distinctive | |
adj.特别的,有特色的,与众不同的 | |
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79 mantle | |
n.斗篷,覆罩之物,罩子;v.罩住,覆盖,脸红 | |
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80 shipwreck | |
n.船舶失事,海难 | |
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81 nay | |
adv.不;n.反对票,投反对票者 | |
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82 likeness | |
n.相像,相似(之处) | |
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83 tusk | |
n.獠牙,长牙,象牙 | |
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