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iphigenia at aulis-第6部分
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called thy bride…in vain; 'tis true; yet called she was。 For thee it
was I wreathed her head and led her forth as if to marriage; but now
it is to slaughter I am bringing her。 On thee will come reproach
because thou didst not help her; for though not wedded to her; yet
wert thou the loving husband of my hapless maid in name at any rate。
By thy beard; right hand; and mother too I do implore thee; for thy
name it was that worked my ruin; and thou art bound to stand by
that。 Except thy knees I have no altar whereunto to fly; and not a
friend stands at my side。 Thou hast heard the cruel abandoned scheme
of Agamemnon; and I; a woman; am come; as thou seest; to a camp of
lawless sailor…folk; bold in evil's cause; though useful when they
list; wherefore if thou boldly stretch forth thine arm in my behalf;
our safety is assured; but if thou withhold it; we are lost。
CHORUS
A wondrous thing is motherhood; carrying with it a potent spell;
wherein all share; so that for their children's sake they will
endure affliction。
ACHILLES
My proud spirit is stirred to range aloft; but it has learnt to
grieve in misfortune and rejoice in high prosperity with equal
moderation。 For these are the men who can count on ordering all
their life aright by wisdom's rules。 True; there are cases where
'tis pleasant not to be too wise; but there are others; where some
store of wisdom helps。 Brought up in godly Chiron's halls myself; I
learnt to keep a single heart; and provided the Atridae lead aright; I
will obey them; but when they cease therefrom; no more will I obey。
Nay; but here and in Troy I will show the freedom of my nature; and;
as far as in me lies; do honour to Ares with my spear。 Thee; lady; who
hast suffered so cruelly from thy nearest and dearest; will I; by
every effort in a young man's power; set right; investing thee with
that amount of pity; and never shall thy daughter; after being once
called my bride; die by her father's hand; for I will not lend
myself to thy husband's subtle tricks; no! for it will be my name that
kills thy child; although it wieldeth not the steel。 Thy own husband
is the actual cause; but I shall no longer be guiltless; if; because
of me and my marriage; this maiden perishes; she that hath suffered
past endurance and been the victim of affronts most strangely
undeserved。 So am I made the poorest wretch in Argos; I a thing of
naught; and Menelaus counting for a man! No son of Peleus I; but the
issue of a vengeful fiend; if my name shall serve thy husband for
the murder。 Nay! by Nereus; who begat my mother Thetis; in his home
amid the flowing waves; never shall king Agamemnon touch thy daughter;
no! not even to the laying of a finger…tip upon her robe; else will
Sipylus; that frontier town of barbarism; the cradle of those
chieftains' line; be henceforth a city indeed; while Phthia's name
will nowhere find mention。 Calchas; the seer; shall rue beginning
the sacrifice with his barley…meal and lustral water。 Why; what is a
seer? A man who with luck tells the truth sometimes; with frequent
falsehoods; but when his luck deserts him; collapses then and there。
It is not to secure a bride that I have spoken thus…there be maids
unnumbered eager to have my love…no! but king Agamemnon has put an
insult on me; he should have asked my leave to use my name as a
means to catch the child; for it was I chiefly who induced
Clytaemnestra to betroth her daughter to me; verily I had yielded this
to Hellas; if that was where our going to Ilium broke down; I would
never have refused to further my fellow soldiers' common interest。
But; as it is; I am as naught in the eyes of those chieftains; and
little they reck of treating me well or ill。 My sword shall soon
know if any one is to snatch thy daughter from me; for then will I
make it reek with the bloody stains of slaughter; ere it reach
Phrygia。 Calm thyself then; as a god in his might I appeared to
thee; without being so; but such will I show myself for all that。
CHORUS
Son of Peleus; thy words are alike worthy of thee and that
sea…born deity; the holy goddess。
CLYTAEMNESTRA
Ah! would I could find words to utter thy praise without excess;
and yet not lose the graciousness thereof by stinting it; for when the
good are praised; they have a feeling; as it were; of hatred for those
who in their praise exceed the mean。 But I am ashamed of intruding a
tale of woe; since my affliction touches myself alone and thou art not
affected by troubles of mine; but still it looks well for the man of
worth to assist the unfortunate; even when he is not connected with
them。 Wherefore pity us; for our sufferings cry for pity; in the first
place; I have harboured an idle hope in thinking to have thee wed my
daughter; and next; perhaps; the slaying of my child will be to thee
an evil omen in thy wooing hereafter; against which thou must guard
thyself。 Thy words were good; both first and last; for if thou will it
so; my daughter will be saved。 Wilt have her clasp thy knees in
suppliant wise? 'Tis no maid's part; yet if it seem good to thee;
why come she shall with the modest look of free…born maid; but if I
shall obtain the self…same end from thee without ker coming; then
let her abide within; for there is dignity in her reserve; still
reserve must only go as far as the case allows。
ACHILLES
Bring not thou thy daughter out for me to see; lady; nor let us
incur the reproach of the ignorant; for an army; when gathered
together without domestic duties to employ it; loves the evil gossip
of malicious tongues。 After all; should ye supplicate me; ye will
attain a like result as if I had ne'er been supplicated; for I am
myself engaged in a mighty struggle to rid you of your troubles。 One
thing be sure thou hast heard; I will not tell a lie; if I do that
or idly mock thee; may I die; but live if I preserve the maid。
CLYTAEMNESTRA
Bless thee for ever succouring the distressed!
ACHILLES
Hearken then to me; that the matter may succeed。
CLYTAEMNESTRA
What is thy proposal? for hear thee I must。
ACHILLES
Let us once more urge her father to a better frame of mind。
CLYTAEMNESTRA
He is something of a coward; and fears the army too much。
ACHILLES
Still argument o'erthroweth argument。
CLYTAEMNESTRA
Cold hope indeed; but tell me what I must do。
ACHILLES
Entreat him first not to slay his children; and if he is stubborn;
come to me。 Fir if he consents to thy request; my intervention need go
no further; since this consent insures thy safety。 I too shall show
myself in a better light to my friend; and the army will not blame me;
if I arrange the matter by reason rather than force; while; should
things turn out well; the result will prove satisfactory both to
thee and thy friends; even without my interference。
CLYTAEMNESTRA
How sensibly thou speakest! I must act as seemeth best to thee;
but should I fail of my object; where am I to see thee again?
whither must I turn my wretched steps and find thee ready to
champion my distress?
ACHILLES
I am keeping watch to guard thee; where occasion calls; that
none see thee passing through the host of Danai with that scared look。
Shame not thy father's house; for Tyndareus deserveth not to be ill
spoken of; being a mighty man in Hellas。
CLYTAEMNESTRA
'Tis even so。 Command me; I must play the slave to thee。 If
there are gods; thou for thy righteous dealing wilt find them
favourable; if there are none; what need to toil?
Exeunt ACHILLES and CLYTAEMNESTRA。
CHORUS
What wedding…hymn was that which raised its strains to the sound
of Libyan flutes; to the music of the dancer's lyre; and the note of
the pipe of reeds?
'Twas in the day Pieria's fair…tressed choir came o'er the
slopes of Pelion to the marriage…feast of Peleus; beating the ground
with print of golden sandals at the banquet of the gods; and hymning
in dulcet strains the praise of Thetis and the son of Aeacus; o'er the
Centaurs' hill; down through the woods of Pelion。
There was the Dardanian boy; Phrygian Ganymede; whom Zeus delights
to honour; drawing off the wine he mixed in the depths of golden
bowls; while; along the gleaming sand; the fifty daughters of Nereus
graced the marriage with their dancing; circling in a mazy ring。
Came too the revel…rout of Centaurs; mounted on horses; to the
feast of the gods and the mixing…bowl of Bacchus; leaning on
fir…trees; with wreaths of green foliage round their heads; and loudly
cried the prophet Chiron; skilled in arts inspired by Phoebus;
〃Daughter of Nereus; thou shalt bear a son〃…whose name he gave…〃a
dazzling light to Thessaly; for he shall come with an army of spearmen
to the far…famed land of Priam; to set it in a blaze; his body cased
in a suit of golden mail forged by Hephaestus; a gift from his
goddess…mother; even from Thetis who bore him。〃
Then shed the gods a blessing on the marriage of the high…born
bride; who was first of Nereus' daughters; and on the wedding of
Peleus。 But thee; will Argives crown; wreathing the lovely tresses
of thy hair; like a dappled mountain hind brought from some rocky cave
or a heifer undefiled; and staining with blood thy human throat;
though thou wert never reared like these amid the piping and whistling
of herdsmen; but at thy mother's side; to be decked one day by her
as the bride of a son of Inachus。 Where now does the face of modesty
or virtue avail aught? seeing that godlessness holds sway; and
virtue is neglected by men and thrust behind them; lawlessness o'er
law prevailing; and mortals no longer making common cause to keep
the jealousy of gods from reaching them。
CLYTAEMNESTRA (Reappearing from the tent)
I have come from the tent to look out for my husband; who went
away and left its shelter long ago; while that poor c
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