登陆注册
15793200000008

第8章

With you a word is an omen, you call a sneeze an omen, a meeting an omen, an unknown sound an omen, a slave or an ass an omen.Is it not clear that we are a prophetic Apollo to you? (More and more rapidly from here on.) If you recognize us as gods, we shall be your divining Muses, through us you will know the winds and the seasons, summer, winter, and the temperate months.We shall not withdraw ourselves to the highest clouds like Zeus, but shall be among you and shall give to you and to your children and the children of your children, health and wealth, long life, peace, youth, laughter, songs and feasts; in short, you will all be so well off, that you will be weary and cloyed with enjoyment.

FIRST SEMI-CHORUS (singing)

Oh, rustic Muse of such varied note, tiotiotiotiotiotinx, I sing with you in the groves and on the mountain tops, tiotiotiotinx.Ipoured forth sacred strains from my golden throat in honour of the god Pan, tiotiotiotinx, from the top of the thickly leaved ash, and my voice mingles with the mighty choirs who extol Cybele on the mountain tops, totototototototototinx.'Tis to our concerts that Phrynichus comes to pillage like a bee the ambrosia of his songs, the sweetness of which so charms the ear, tiotiotiotinx.

LEADER OF FIRST SEMI-CHORUS

If there is one of you spectators who wishes to spend the rest of his life quietly among the birds, let him come to us.All that is disgraceful and forbidden by law on earth is on the contrary honourable among us, the birds.For instance, among you it's a crime to beat your father, but with us it's an estimable deed; it's considered fine to run straight at your father and hit him, saying, "Come, lift your spur if you want to fight." The runaway slave, whom you brand, is only a spotted francolin with us.Are you Phrygian like Spintharus? Among us you would be the Phrygian bird, the goldfinch, of the race of Philemon.Are you a slave and a Carian like Execestides? Among us you can create yourself fore-fathers; you can always find relations.Does the son of Pisias want to betray the gates of the city to the foe? Let him become a partridge, the fitting offspring of his father; among us there is no shame in escaping as cleverly as a partridge.

SECOND SEMI-CHORUS (singing)

So the swans on the banks of the Hebrus, tiotiotiotiotiotinx, mingle their voices to serenade Apollo, tiotiotiotinx, flapping their wings the while, tiotiotiotinx; their notes reach beyond the clouds of heaven; they startle the various tribes of the beasts; a windles sky calms the waves, totototototototototinx; all Olympus resounds, and astonishment seizes its rulers; the Olympian graces and Muses cry aloud the strain, tiotiotiotinx.

LEADER OF SECOND SEMI-CHORUS

There is nothing more useful nor more pleasant than to have wings.

To begin with, just let us suppose a spectator to be dying with hunger and to be weary of the choruses of the tragic poets; if he were winged, he would fly off, go home to dine and come back with his stomach filled.Some Patroclides, needing to take a crap, would not have to spill it out on his cloak, but could fly off, satisfy his requirements, let a few farts and, having recovered his breath, return.If one of you, it matters not who, had adulterous relations and saw the husband of his mistress in the seats of the senators, he might stretch his wings, fly to her, and, having laid her, resume his place.Is it not the most priceless gift of all, to be winged?

Look at Diitrephes! His wings were only wicker-work ones, and yet he got himself chosen Phylarch and then Hipparch; from being nobody, he has risen to be famous; he's now the finest gilded cock of his tribe.

(PITHETAERUS and EUELPIDES return; they now have wings.)PITHETAERUS

Halloa! What's this? By Zeus! I never saw anything so funny in all my life.

EUELPIDES

What makes you laugh?

PITHETAERUS

Your little wings.D'you know what you look like? Like a goose painted by some dauber.

EUELPIDES

And you look like a close-shaven blackbird.

PITHETAERUS

We ourselves asked for this transformation, and, as Aeschylus has it, "These are no borrowed feathers, but truly our own."EPOPS

Come now, what must be done?

PITHETAERUS

First give our city a great and famous name, then sacrifice to the gods.

EUELPIDES

I think so too.

LEADER OF THE CHORUS

Let's see.What shall our city be called?

PITHETAERUS

Will you have a high-sounding Laconian name? Shall we call it Sparta?

EUELPIDES

What! call my town Sparta? Why, I would not use esparto for my bed, even though I had nothing but bands of rushes.

PITHETAERUS

Well then, what name can you suggest?

EUELPIDES

Some name borrowed from the clouds, from these lofty regions in which we dwell-in short, some well-known name.

PITHETAERUS

Do you like Nephelococcygia?

LEADER OF THE CHORUS

Oh! capital! truly that's a brilliant thought!

EUELPIDES

Is it in Nephelococcygia that all the wealth of Theogenes and most of Aeschines' is?

PITHETAERUS

No, it's rather the plain of Phlegra, where the gods withered the pride of the sons of the Earth with their shafts.

LEADER OF THE CHORUS

Oh! what a splendid city! But what god shall be its patron? for whom shall we weave the peplus?

EUELPIDES

Why not choose Athene Polias?

PITHETAERUS

Oh! what a well-ordered town it would be to have a female deity armed from head to foot, while Clisthenes was spinning!

LEADER OF THE CHORUS

Who then shall guard the Pelargicon?

PITHETAERUS

A bird.

LEADER OF THE CHORUS

One of us? What kind of bird?

PITHETAERUS

A bird of Persian strain, who is everywhere proclaimed to be the bravest of all, a true chick of Ares.

EUELPIDES

Oh! noble chick!

PITHETAERUS

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 至尊宠魅之第一魔妃

    至尊宠魅之第一魔妃

    她曾笑傲特工界,任务完成率百分之百,却在最后一次任务落入阴谋而亡。她曾为天才,冠绝玄灵大陆,天纵无双,却被挚友背叛陷入绝境爆体而亡。两生两世,皆死于非命,死不瞑目。这一世,她逆天重生,带着铭刻在灵魂深处的记忆和仇恨。头顶废柴名号,受尽奚落屈辱,但终有一日,她会化身为黑暗中的利刃,用敌人的鲜血,祭奠自己的前世。片段一夜色迷人,温泉中雾气氤氲。一男一女正“坦诚”相对,“赤诚”相见。本文纯属虚构,请勿模仿。
  • 我爱的请爱我

    我爱的请爱我

    她就像一个天使,把他从黑暗的深渊带向光明;她又像一个恶魔,把他从美好的云端踹到谷底;他是她这一生遇到过最美好、最温柔的男子可她们之间相隔着岂止万水千山她宁愿舍弃荣华富贵,只求一人一生相伴他也只有一颗心,却早已遗失在她身上,再也取不回来
  • 创世少主宠废材妻:携手霸天下

    创世少主宠废材妻:携手霸天下

    她贵为黑道至尊,却天生有对活宝爹妈。她就说嘛,好端端的怎么被豆腐砸死了,原来有人搞鬼。暗暗不爽,算了,君子报仇,十年不晚,可穿越就穿越,穿越个废材,哼!废材又如何,我照样能闯出天下!一夕之间,废柴变天才,从此开辟上古空间,炼上古丹药,收上古神兽,斗渣男渣女,把天下搞得乱腾腾,只是—这位妖孽美男是哪里来的?——他贵为创世少主,结果被自己的爹妈卖到了神驰大陆,说什么不找到另一半不准回家!无意之间遇到了她,呵呵,算你们有良心,小绝绝,既然是命中注定,那就乖乖跟爷回家吧!(本文女强男更强,强强腹黑,强强对碰,身心健康无小三,大虐无,偶尔小虐怡情,欢迎各大读者跳坑)
  • 猎异者

    猎异者

    猎异者卫凡和钟理在帮助警察破案的时候,发现了案件背后的超自然事件:降头术、血婴、阴亲、四维空间、诡异的自杀行为、神秘罗布泊事件、猫脸老太……在他们的不断探求中,却发现这些诡异的事件背后,总有一股神秘的力量主导者,而一个酝酿了很久的邪恶计划也逐渐浮出了水面……
  • 东临神帝

    东临神帝

    天元大陆,强者林立。不通武道,注定是一事无成的废物。让我们跟着穿越的猪脚的脚步,看他如何一步步从一介废材成长为绝世强者。
  • 行医录之归途

    行医录之归途

    秀姑娘醒来发现自己身在一个村落村子里高山流水鸟语花香其乐融融俨然就是自己现在在玩的网络游戏《倩女幽魂》这是怎么回事?自己·····怎么会进入游戏里?
  • 期为朝

    期为朝

    这是一个关于约定的故事!有一种感情,还未开始,就能预见结尾,是否,还能义无反顾的去投入。不,段宜恩,对不起,我能接受最终的分离,我只是害怕你也被卷入这一段不会有结局的故事之中而已。有一种感情,第一眼看见,便知再也无法逃离,是否,还能装作视若无睹。不,安妮,对不起,我不敢轻易去开始,因为我害怕给了你开始,却给不了你一个好的结尾。也许,就此安静的留在彼此的身边,已是我能给你最好的约定。
  • 后青春记

    后青春记

    有人正青春,有人致青春。我们走在后青春,怀着致青春,歌颂正青春。在最美好的青春年华里相遇。只因”相信“二字便义无反顾。愿意相信友情,相信永恒,相信别人不相信的可以走到最后。青春就是酣畅淋漓,就是无所畏惧。在走过青春期之后的后青春里记录,聊表心意,致敬我们永不消逝的青春!
  • 阴阳帝冕

    阴阳帝冕

    天堂般的大陆上,人、兽、精灵、神和谐相处,忽然降临的灾难,使得天崩地裂,通往神界的道路从此封闭,世界荒芜,民不聊生。一个失落的孤儿屠牧,机缘巧合下,一统大陆,打通失落的神路,为人世寻回被夺走的太平。
  • 惊天废妃:冷漠王爷不好扑

    惊天废妃:冷漠王爷不好扑

    21世纪心理学大三学生霍云卿,一朝穿越,成为大越朝霍家嫡女。一夕偶遇白衣美男,变身追爱小狂魔。什么,家里有个王爷夫君?休了!什么,爹娘反对?斗他!什么,庶妹挡道?拉走喂狗!终于,美男得手,拐进怀里亲了个够。彼时,美男面若白玉,折扇轻摇:“姑娘,约吗?”她笑若桃花,一把拽过对方的衣领:“你想怎么个约法?”“约定此生,矢志不渝。”……等等,她是不是被忽悠了?