登陆注册
15804000000003

第3章

And which, were the choice thine, wouldst thou prefer, To afflict thy friends and feel delight thyself, Or to share sorrow, grieving with their grief?

LEADER

The twofold woe, lady, would be the greater.

TECMESSA

Then we, though plagued no more, are undone now.

LEADER

What mean thy words? Their sense is dark to me.

TECMESSA

Yonder man, while his spirit was diseased, Himself had joy in his own evil plight, Though to us, who were sane, he brought distress.

But now, since he has respite from his plague, He with sore grief is utterly cast down, And we likewise, no less than heretofore.

Are there not here two woes instead of one?

LEADER

Yes truly. And I fear, from some god came This stroke; how else? if, now his frenzy is ceased, His mind has no more ease than when it raged.

TECMESSA

'Tis even as I said, rest well assured.

LEADER

But how did this bane first alight upon him?

To us who share thy grief show what befell.

TECMESSA

Thou shalt hear all, as though thou hadst been present.

In the middle of the night, when the evening braziers No longer flared, he took a two-edged sword, And fain would sally upon an empty quest.

But I rebuked him, saying: "What doest thou, Ajax? Why thus uncalled wouldst thou go forth?

No messenger has summoned thee, no trumpet Roused thee. Nay, the whole camp is sleeping still."But curtly he replied in well-worn phrase:

"Woman, silence is the grace of woman."

Thus schooled, I yielded; and he rushed out alone.

What passed outside the tent, I cannot tell.

But in he came, driving lashed together Bulls, and shepherd dogs, and fleecy prey.

Some he beheaded, the wrenched-back throats of some He slit, or cleft their chines; others he bound And tortured, as though men they were, not beasts.

Last, darting through the doors, as to some phantom He tossed words, now against the Atreidae, now Taunting Odysseus, piling up huge jeers Of how he had gone and wreaked his scorn upon them.

Soon he rushed back within the tent, where slowly And hardly to his reason he returned.

And gazing round on the room filled with havoc, He struck his head and cried out; then amidst The wrecks of slaughtered sheep a wreck he fell, And sat clutching his hair with tight-clenched nails.

There first for a long while he crouched speechless;Then did he threaten me with fearful threats, If I revealed not all that had befallen him, Asking what meant the plight wherein he lay.

And I, friends, terror-stricken, told him all That had been done, so far as I had knowledge.

Forthwith he broke forth into bitter wailing, Such as I ne'er had heard from him before For always had he held that such laments Befitted cowards only, and low-souled men:

But uttering no shrill cries, he would express His grief in low groans, as of a moaning bull.

But now prostrate beneath so great a woe, Not tasting food nor drink, he sits among The sword-slain beasts, motionless where he sank.

And plainly he meditates some baleful deed, For so portend his words and lamentations.

But, O friends!-'twas for this cause I came forth-Enter and help, if help at all you can:

For by friends' words men so bestead are won.

LEADER

Child of Teleutas, fearful are thy tidings, That our prince has been maddened by his griefs.

AJAX (within)

Alas! Woe, woe!

TECMESSA

Soon, I fear, worse will follow. Heard you not?

'Twas Ajax. Oh, how dreadful was that cry.

AJAX

Alas! Woe, woe!

LEADER

He seems either still frenzied, or else grieving For his past frenzies, now he sees their work.

AJAX

Alas! My son, my son!

TECMESSA

Woe's me! Eurysaces, 'tis for thee he calls.

What can he purpose?-Where art thou?-Ah, woe!

AJAX

Teucer, come!-Where is Teucer? Will he never Come back from cattle-raiding?-while I perish!

LEADER

He seems in his right mind. But open the doors.

Perhaps even the sight of me may sober him.

(She opens the doors of the tent. AJAX is revealed sitting among the slain beasts.)TECMESSA

See, I have opened. You may now behold What he has done, and in what plight he lies.

AJAX (chanting)

Alas!

My shipmates and friends, you that alone to me Loyal and true remain, of all friends alone, Behold how great a billow lately rising from the storm of blood Surging around engulphs me!

LEADER

Ah me, too true, it seems, was thy report.

This sight reveals the work of no sane mind.

AJAX (chanting)

Alas!

My mates, skilled and tried in brave seamanship, Ye who embarking drove the wave-cleaving oar, In you, in you alone I see a help and refuge from despair.

Smite me, and spill my blood too.

LEADER

Keep silence from dread words; nor curing ill By ill, so swell the misery of this curse.

AJAX (chanting)

Behold now the bold, the man stout of heart, Who ne'er shrank in fight against foes-behold How I have spent my rage on beasts that feared no harm!

Ah me, the mockery! To what shame am I brought low TECMESSAAjax, my master, I entreat thee, speak not so.

AJAX (chanting)

Away hence, I command thee! Take thyself elsewhere.

Aiai! Aiai!

LEADER

Oh, by the Gods, we pray thee, yield to wisdom's voice.

AJAX (chanting)

Oh, wretch that I was to allow Those cursed foes to slip from my hands, and assaulting Horned kine and goodly flocks, madly to spill Their life in streams of dark blood!

LEADER

Why still be afflicted, now the deed is done past cure?

Never can these things be as though they had not been.

AJAX (chanting)

Thou all-spying knave, of all deeds of shame The prompt, easy tool, Odysseus the wise!

Villain, of all the camp the most foul and vile!

Huge laughter doubtless shakes thee now for sheer delight.

LEADER

As God appoints, so every man laughs or laments.

AJAX (chanting)

Would I might meet him, crushed and broken though I be.

Alas! Woe, woe!

LEADER

Speak no proud words. Seest thou not to what woe thou art sunk?

AJAX (chanting)

O Zeus, of my fathers the sire, Might I but kill that hateful and crafty dissembler, Yea, and those two brother kings, partners in pride, Then last myself too perish!

TECMESSA

If thus thou prayest, pray therewith for me, that Die with thee. Why, when thou art dead, should I live on?

AJAX (chanting)

Alas!

Shadow that art my light!

同类推荐
  • The Grey Brethren

    The Grey Brethren

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 仿寓意草

    仿寓意草

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 廿一史弹词

    廿一史弹词

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 佛说顶生王故事经

    佛说顶生王故事经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 重订曲海总目

    重订曲海总目

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 好巧哦,我也喜欢你

    好巧哦,我也喜欢你

    傅裴深外表是一副神圣不可侵犯的谪仙形象,等到陆瑾瑜真正认识他之后才发现,这分明就是一只闷骚到不行的萌物
  • 猥琐的杀手

    猥琐的杀手

    一个胆小懦弱的杀手回到都市过上学校打算过上平淡淡的生活,谁知有一天…。
  • 新编世界五千年(二)

    新编世界五千年(二)

    拜占庭帝国的居民大多数是希腊人和希腊化的东方人、叙利亚人、犹太人、亚美尼亚人、埃及人和波斯人。帝国语言在4至6世纪以拉丁语为主,7至15世纪以希腊语为主。帝国的欧洲部分有许多蛮族,主要是斯拉夫人和蒙古人,也有少数日耳曼人。显然,拜占庭是个多民族国家,这对它的文化有着深刻影响。拜占庭文明由罗马政治体制、基督教、希腊和东方文化三部分组成。
  • 阳间阴倌

    阳间阴倌

    我叫吴晨,五岁时整个村子被屠了,父亲拼死送我出去,与母亲生活在神木镇。本来我以为,这件事会随着年龄的增长,而慢慢淡出我的世界,让我过上正常人的生活。一直到我偶然翻见一本书--【阴间术法】继承父亲的遗志成为阳间阴倌,于是我再次被卷入一场阴谋。
  • 我的前任女友们

    我的前任女友们

    他是万载的灵魂奇迹,划破虚无而来,他发誓今生必定捣毁那个地方……为了一个梦,为了守护一个人,为了成就无上道法,他踏遍九洲,追寻已逝的故人,夺夙天神典,修前世未断之善缘,化魔道因果,修无上金身,成就天道……
  • 孤焰落了一座城

    孤焰落了一座城

    梓莘花纷飞的王宫,漫天雪花飞舞的祭台,万众瞩目的神像,他看着眼前那位美丽得不可方物的女子,俊美的脸庞上,似乎是泛起了童真的笑。
  • 医妃很倾城

    医妃很倾城

    她一个21世纪毕业的大学生,以外的穿越。慢慢的爬上了太医院御医的位置,一切究竟是福还是祸。他,帝王。后宫三千佳丽,唯独对她倾心,愿为她遣散后宫。他自小习医,十八岁便成了太医院的御医,虽然没有显贵的身份,一生却不输任何人,唯独输了自己的心爱之人。
  • 一度繁华,一句过客

    一度繁华,一句过客

    流年之间,许诺中真假难辨,又怎敢许下你地老天荒,不如就此相忘于尘世间。花期渐远,断了流年
  • 葬天刀

    葬天刀

    刀者,霸绝天下也!刀者,天地所忌也!欲修刀道,必遭天妒,相传荒古时期,一把天刀劈开九重天阙,遭到大道轰杀。一个刀修没落的修真世界,最后一名刀修王子斌登仙路失败,灰飞烟灭。四方大地,佛道妖魔,群雄并起,远古黄金大世重现。一名青年持刀战遍天地,欲重现荒古刀帝之威!
  • 点亮青少年心灵的人生感悟Ⅲ

    点亮青少年心灵的人生感悟Ⅲ

    生活的根基不仅包括我们得到的所有答案,而且包括我们提出的所有问题。花样年化,花样梦想,花样认识,花样求索,我们除了学习知识,还要对心灵进行构筑,书中的人生词语是构筑心灵的重要话题。