Chapter 27

27  Actaeon

 

When she was tired with hunting Artemis used to take abath in a little mountain spring．One hot summer afternoon she was playing in the cool，quiet water with hermaidens when she heard a rustle behind the  bushes ．She feltquite angry to find that a young hunter was peeping admiringlyat her naked  body ．Her maidens gave a sharp cry and crowded around the goddess．But young Actaeon had seen the huntress．

Actaeon loved the hunting．He had been searching the woods every day．On this particular afternoon he felt so tired with running about that he，by accident，came over to the springin search of water．He was thus surprised to find Artemisba thing．The angry goddess was not to be calmed．She splashed water in the hunter's face．As soon as the water drops fell on Actaeon，he was changed into a  stag ．Just at that moment he heard the barking of his team of fifty hunting dogs．They were coming up to him．He was suddenly seized with  fear ，and presently ran away．The dogs，all driven mad by the goddess，ran after him closely．Running as fast as his legs could carry him，Actaeon was soon out of  breath ．Feeling certain that he 1was to die，he dropped to the ground and made no further attempt to get up．The dogs came nearer to their former masterand tore him to pleces．

27 阿卡同

 

当厌倦狩猎时，阿尔特弥斯常常在小山泉中淋浴。一个盛夏的下午，她和仙女们正在凉爽平静的山泉中戏水时，突然听到灌木丛中沙沙作响。她非常恼怒地发现一个青年猎人用爱慕的眼光偷看自己的裸体。仙女们发出刺耳的尖叫，簇拥在她身旁。但猎手阿卡同还是看见了女猎手阿尔特弥斯。

阿卡同酷爱打猎。他每日都穿越森林，搜寻猎物。而就在这个下午，他四处奔波颇感疲劳，因寻找水而偶然来到这片泉水旁。这样，他就惊奇地发现水中沐浴的阿尔特弥斯。恼火的女神无法息怒。她将泉水溅到猎手的脸上。水落在他身上后，阿卡同转眼就变成了一只牡鹿。恰在这时，阿卡同听到了猎狗的嚎叫，猎狗们向他扑来，他突然惊慌失措，拔腿逃跑。而那群被女神逼疯了的猎狗们则在后面穷追不舍。阿卡同拼命狂奔，很快就上气不接下气。感觉自己肯定会死去，他就一下躺在地上，不想再起来了。猎狗赶上了从前的主人，将他撕成了碎块。