章节正文
文章总共2页
Then AEgeus turned to all the people, and cried, 'Behold my
son, children of Cecrops, a better man than his father was
before him.'
Who, then, were mad but the Pallantids, though they had been
mad enough before? And one shouted, 'Shall we make room for
an upstart, a pretender, who comes from we know not where?'
And another, 'If he be one, we are more than one; and the
stronger can hold his own.' And one shouted one thing, and
one another; for they were hot and wild with wine: but all
caught swords and lances off the wall, where the weapons hung
around, and sprang forward to Theseus, and Theseus sprang
forward to them.
And he cried, 'Go in peace, if you will, my cousins; but if
not, your blood be on your own heads.' But they rushed at
him; and then stopped short and railed him, as curs stop and
bark when they rouse a lion from his lair.
But one hurled a lance from the rear rank, which past close
by Theseus' head; and at that Theseus rushed forward, and the
fight began indeed. Twenty against one they fought, and yet
Theseus beat them all; and those who were left fled down into
the town, where the people set on them, and drove them out,
till Theseus was left alone in the palace, with AEgeus his
new-found father. But before nightfall all the town came up,
with victims, and dances, and songs; and they offered
sacrifices to Athene, and rejoiced all the night long,
because their king had found a noble son, and an heir to his
royal house.
So Theseus stayed with his father all the winter: and when
the spring equinox drew near, all the Athenians grew sad and
silent, and Theseus saw it, and asked the reason; but no one
would answer him a word.
Then he went to his father, and asked him: but AEgeus turned
away his face and wept.
'Do not ask, my son, beforehand, about evils which must
happen: it is enough to have to face them when they come.'
And when the spring equinox came, a herald came to Athens,
and stood in the market, and cried, 'O people and King of
Athens, where is your yearlytribute?' Then a great
lamentation arose throughout the city. But Theseus stood up
to the herald, and cried -
'And who are you, dog-faced, who dare demand tribute here?
If I did not reverence your herald's staff, I would brain you
with this club.'
And the herald answered proudly, for he was a grave and
ancient man -
'Fair youth, I am not dog-faced or shameless; but I do my
master's bidding, Minos, the King of hundred-citied Crete,
the wisest of all kings on earth. And you must be surely a
stranger here, or you would know why I come, and that I come
by right.'
'I am a stranger here. Tell me, then, why you come.'
'To fetch the tribute which King AEgeus promised to Minos,
and confirmed his promise with an oath. For Minos conquered
all this land, and Megara which lies to the east, when he
came hither with a great fleet of ships, enraged about the
murder of his son. For his son Androgeos came hither to the
Panathenaic games, and overcame all the Greeks in the sports,
so that the people honoured him as a hero. But when AEgeus
saw his valour, he envied him, and feared lest he should join
the sons of Pallas, and take away the sceptre from him. So
he plotted against his life, and slew him basely, no man
knows how or where. Some say that he waylaid him by Oinoe,
on the road which goes to Thebes; and some that he sent him
against the bull of Marathon, that the beast might kill him.
But AEgeus says that the young men killed him from envy,
because he had conquered them in the games. So Minos came
hither and avenged him, and would not depart till this land
had promised him tribute - seven youths and seven maidens
every year, who go with me in a black-sailed ship, till they
come to hundred-citied Crete.'
And Theseus ground his teeth together, and said, 'Wert thou
not a herald I would kill thee for saying such things of my
father; but I will go to him, and know the truth.' So he
went to his father, and asked him; but he turned away his
head and wept, and said, 'Blood was shed in the land
unjustly, and by blood it is avenged. Break not my heart by
questions; it is enough to endure in silence.'
Then Theseus groaned inwardly, and said, 'I will go myself
with these youths and maidens, and kill Minos upon his royal
throne.'
And AEgeus shrieked, and cried, 'You shall not go, my son,
the light of my old age, to whom alone I look to rule this
people after I am dead and gone. You shall not go, to die
horribly, as those youths and maidens die; for Minos thrusts
them into a labyrinth, which Daidalos made for him among the
rocks, - Daidalos the renegade, the accursed, the pest of
this his native land. From that labyrinth no one can escape,
entangled in its winding ways, before they meet the Minotaur,
the monster who feeds upon the flesh of men. There he
devours them horribly, and they never see this land again.'
Then Theseus grew red, and his ears tingled, and his heart
beat loud in his bosom. And he stood awhile like a tall
stone pillar on the cliffs above some hero's grave; and at
last he spoke -
'Therefore all the more I will go with them, and slay the
accursed beast. Have I not slain all evil-doers and
monsters, that I might free this land? Where are Periphetes,
and Sinis, and Kerkuon, and Phaia the wild sow? Where are
the fifty sons of Pallas? And this Minotaur shall go the
road which they have gone, and Minos himself, if he dare stay
me.'
'But how will you slay him, my son? For you must leave your
club and your armour behind, and be cast to the monster,
defenceless and naked like the rest.'
And Theseus said, 'Are there no stones in that labyrinth; and
have I not fists and teeth? Did I need my club to kill
Kerkuon, the terror of all mortal men?'
Then AEgeus clung to his knees; but he would not hear; and at
last he let him go, weepingbitterly, and said only this one
word -
'Promise me but this, if you return in peace, though that may
hardly be: take down the black sail of the ship (for I shall
watch for it all day upon the cliffs), and hoist instead a
white sail, that I may know afar off that you are safe.'
And Theseus promised, and went out, and to the market-place
where the herald stood, while they drew lots for the youths
and maidens, who were to sail in that doleful crew. And the
people stood wailing and weeping, as the lot fell on this one
and on that; but Theseus strode into the midst, and cried -
'Here is a youth who needs no lot. I myself will be one of
the seven.'
And the herald asked in wonder, 'Fair youth, know you whither
you are going?'
And Theseus said, 'I know. Let us go down to the black-
sailed ship.'
So they went down to the black-sailed ship, seven maidens,
and seven youths, and Theseus before them all, and the people
following them lamenting. But Theseus whispered to his
companions, 'Have hope, for the monster is not immortal.
Where are Periphetes, and Sinis, and Sciron, and all whom I
have slain?' Then their hearts were comforted a little; but
they wept as they went on board, and the cliffs of Sunium
rang, and all the isles of the AEgean Sea, with the voice of
their lamentation, as they sailed on toward their deaths in
Crete.
PART III - HOW THESEUS SLEW THE MINOTAUR
AND at last they came to Crete, and to Cnossus, beneath the
peaks of Ida, and to the palace of Minos the great king, to
whom Zeus himself taught laws. So he was the wisest of all
mortal kings, and conquered all the AEgean isles; and his
ships were as many as the sea-gulls, and his palace like a
marble hill. And he sat among the pillars of the hall, upon
his throne of beaten gold, and around him stood the speaking
statues which Daidalos had made by his skill. For Daidalos
was the most cunning of all Athenians, and he first invented
the plumb-line, and the auger, and glue, and many a tool with
which wood is wrought. And he first set up masts in ships,
and yards, and his son made sails for them: but Perdix his
nephew excelled him; for he first invented the saw and its
teeth, copying it from the back-bone of a fish; and invented,
too, the chisel, and the compasses, and the potter's wheel
which moulds the clay. Therefore Daidalos envied him, and
hurled him headlong from the temple of Athene; but the
Goddess pitied him (for she loves the wise), and changed him
into a partridge, which flits for ever about the hills. And
Daidalos fled to Crete, to Minos, and worked for him many a
year, till he did a shameful deed, at which the sun hid his
face on high.
Then he fled from the anger of Minos, he and Icaros his son
having made themselves wings of feathers, and fixed the
feathers with wax. So they flew over the sea toward Sicily;
but Icaros flew too near the sun; and the wax of his wings
was melted, and he fell into the Icarian Sea. But Daidalos
came safe to Sicily, and there wrought many a wondrous work;
for he made for King Cocalos a reservoir, from which a great
river watered all the land, and a castle and a treasury on a
mountain, which the giants themselves could not have stormed;
and in Selinos he took the steam which comes up from the
fires of AEtna, and made of it a warm bath of vapour, to cure
the pains of mortal men; and he made a honeycomb of gold, in
son, children of Cecrops, a better man than his father was
before him.'
Who, then, were mad but the Pallantids, though they had been
mad enough before? And one shouted, 'Shall we make room for
an upstart, a pretender, who comes from we know not where?'
And another, 'If he be one, we are more than one; and the
stronger can hold his own.' And one shouted one thing, and
one another; for they were hot and wild with wine: but all
caught swords and lances off the wall, where the weapons hung
around, and sprang forward to Theseus, and Theseus sprang
forward to them.
And he cried, 'Go in peace, if you will, my cousins; but if
not, your blood be on your own heads.' But they rushed at
him; and then stopped short and railed him, as curs stop and
bark when they rouse a lion from his lair.
But one hurled a lance from the rear rank, which past close
by Theseus' head; and at that Theseus rushed forward, and the
fight began indeed. Twenty against one they fought, and yet
Theseus beat them all; and those who were left fled down into
the town, where the people set on them, and drove them out,
till Theseus was left alone in the palace, with AEgeus his
new-found father. But before nightfall all the town came up,
with victims, and dances, and songs; and they offered
sacrifices to Athene, and rejoiced all the night long,
because their king had found a noble son, and an heir to his
royal house.
So Theseus stayed with his father all the winter: and when
the spring equinox drew near, all the Athenians grew sad and
silent, and Theseus saw it, and asked the reason; but no one
would answer him a word.
Then he went to his father, and asked him: but AEgeus turned
away his face and wept.
'Do not ask, my son, beforehand, about evils which must
happen: it is enough to have to face them when they come.'
And when the spring equinox came, a herald came to Athens,
and stood in the market, and cried, 'O people and King of
Athens, where is your yearlytribute?' Then a great
lamentation arose throughout the city. But Theseus stood up
to the herald, and cried -
'And who are you, dog-faced, who dare demand tribute here?
If I did not reverence your herald's staff, I would brain you
with this club.'
And the herald answered proudly, for he was a grave and
ancient man -
'Fair youth, I am not dog-faced or shameless; but I do my
master's bidding, Minos, the King of hundred-citied Crete,
the wisest of all kings on earth. And you must be surely a
stranger here, or you would know why I come, and that I come
by right.'
'I am a stranger here. Tell me, then, why you come.'
'To fetch the tribute which King AEgeus promised to Minos,
and confirmed his promise with an oath. For Minos conquered
all this land, and Megara which lies to the east, when he
came hither with a great fleet of ships, enraged about the
murder of his son. For his son Androgeos came hither to the
Panathenaic games, and overcame all the Greeks in the sports,
so that the people honoured him as a hero. But when AEgeus
saw his valour, he envied him, and feared lest he should join
the sons of Pallas, and take away the sceptre from him. So
he plotted against his life, and slew him basely, no man
knows how or where. Some say that he waylaid him by Oinoe,
on the road which goes to Thebes; and some that he sent him
against the bull of Marathon, that the beast might kill him.
But AEgeus says that the young men killed him from envy,
because he had conquered them in the games. So Minos came
hither and avenged him, and would not depart till this land
had promised him tribute - seven youths and seven maidens
every year, who go with me in a black-sailed ship, till they
come to hundred-citied Crete.'
And Theseus ground his teeth together, and said, 'Wert thou
not a herald I would kill thee for saying such things of my
father; but I will go to him, and know the truth.' So he
went to his father, and asked him; but he turned away his
head and wept, and said, 'Blood was shed in the land
unjustly, and by blood it is avenged. Break not my heart by
questions; it is enough to endure in silence.'
Then Theseus groaned inwardly, and said, 'I will go myself
with these youths and maidens, and kill Minos upon his royal
throne.'
And AEgeus shrieked, and cried, 'You shall not go, my son,
the light of my old age, to whom alone I look to rule this
people after I am dead and gone. You shall not go, to die
horribly, as those youths and maidens die; for Minos thrusts
them into a labyrinth, which Daidalos made for him among the
rocks, - Daidalos the renegade, the accursed, the pest of
this his native land. From that labyrinth no one can escape,
entangled in its winding ways, before they meet the Minotaur,
the monster who feeds upon the flesh of men. There he
devours them horribly, and they never see this land again.'
Then Theseus grew red, and his ears tingled, and his heart
beat loud in his bosom. And he stood awhile like a tall
stone pillar on the cliffs above some hero's grave; and at
last he spoke -
'Therefore all the more I will go with them, and slay the
accursed beast. Have I not slain all evil-doers and
monsters, that I might free this land? Where are Periphetes,
and Sinis, and Kerkuon, and Phaia the wild sow? Where are
the fifty sons of Pallas? And this Minotaur shall go the
road which they have gone, and Minos himself, if he dare stay
me.'
'But how will you slay him, my son? For you must leave your
club and your armour behind, and be cast to the monster,
defenceless and naked like the rest.'
And Theseus said, 'Are there no stones in that labyrinth; and
have I not fists and teeth? Did I need my club to kill
Kerkuon, the terror of all mortal men?'
Then AEgeus clung to his knees; but he would not hear; and at
last he let him go, weepingbitterly, and said only this one
word -
'Promise me but this, if you return in peace, though that may
hardly be: take down the black sail of the ship (for I shall
watch for it all day upon the cliffs), and hoist instead a
white sail, that I may know afar off that you are safe.'
And Theseus promised, and went out, and to the market-place
where the herald stood, while they drew lots for the youths
and maidens, who were to sail in that doleful crew. And the
people stood wailing and weeping, as the lot fell on this one
and on that; but Theseus strode into the midst, and cried -
'Here is a youth who needs no lot. I myself will be one of
the seven.'
And the herald asked in wonder, 'Fair youth, know you whither
you are going?'
And Theseus said, 'I know. Let us go down to the black-
sailed ship.'
So they went down to the black-sailed ship, seven maidens,
and seven youths, and Theseus before them all, and the people
following them lamenting. But Theseus whispered to his
companions, 'Have hope, for the monster is not immortal.
Where are Periphetes, and Sinis, and Sciron, and all whom I
have slain?' Then their hearts were comforted a little; but
they wept as they went on board, and the cliffs of Sunium
rang, and all the isles of the AEgean Sea, with the voice of
their lamentation, as they sailed on toward their deaths in
Crete.
PART III - HOW THESEUS SLEW THE MINOTAUR
AND at last they came to Crete, and to Cnossus, beneath the
peaks of Ida, and to the palace of Minos the great king, to
whom Zeus himself taught laws. So he was the wisest of all
mortal kings, and conquered all the AEgean isles; and his
ships were as many as the sea-gulls, and his palace like a
marble hill. And he sat among the pillars of the hall, upon
his throne of beaten gold, and around him stood the speaking
statues which Daidalos had made by his skill. For Daidalos
was the most cunning of all Athenians, and he first invented
the plumb-line, and the auger, and glue, and many a tool with
which wood is wrought. And he first set up masts in ships,
and yards, and his son made sails for them: but Perdix his
nephew excelled him; for he first invented the saw and its
teeth, copying it from the back-bone of a fish; and invented,
too, the chisel, and the compasses, and the potter's wheel
which moulds the clay. Therefore Daidalos envied him, and
hurled him headlong from the temple of Athene; but the
Goddess pitied him (for she loves the wise), and changed him
into a partridge, which flits for ever about the hills. And
Daidalos fled to Crete, to Minos, and worked for him many a
year, till he did a shameful deed, at which the sun hid his
face on high.
Then he fled from the anger of Minos, he and Icaros his son
having made themselves wings of feathers, and fixed the
feathers with wax. So they flew over the sea toward Sicily;
but Icaros flew too near the sun; and the wax of his wings
was melted, and he fell into the Icarian Sea. But Daidalos
came safe to Sicily, and there wrought many a wondrous work;
for he made for King Cocalos a reservoir, from which a great
river watered all the land, and a castle and a treasury on a
mountain, which the giants themselves could not have stormed;
and in Selinos he took the steam which comes up from the
fires of AEtna, and made of it a warm bath of vapour, to cure
the pains of mortal men; and he made a honeycomb of gold, in
- awhile [ə´wail]
ad.少顷；片刻 (初中英语单词) - robber [´rɔbə] n.强盗；盗贼 (初中英语单词)
- hither [´hiðə] ad.到此处 (初中英语单词)
- wealthy [´welθi] a.富有的；丰富的 (初中英语单词)
- yesterday [´jestədi] n.&ad.昨天；前不久 (初中英语单词)
- maiden [´meidn] n.少女 a.未婚的 (初中英语单词)
- therefore [´ðeəfɔ:] ad.&conj.因此；所以 (初中英语单词)
- countenance [´kauntinəns] n.面部表情；脸色；面容 (初中英语单词)
- wealth [welθ] n.财富，财产 (初中英语单词)
- stolen [´stəulən] steal 的过去分词 (初中英语单词)
- valley [´væli] n.谷；河谷；流域 (初中英语单词)
- stream [stri:m] n.河 vi.流出；飘扬 (初中英语单词)
- breath [breθ] n.呼吸；气息 (初中英语单词)
- welcome [´welkəm] a.受欢迎的；可喜的 (初中英语单词)
- thrust [θrʌst] v.&n.猛推；冲；刺；挤进 (初中英语单词)
- reward [ri´wɔ:d] n.&v.报答；报酬；奖赏 (初中英语单词)
- worthy [´wə:ði] a.有价值的；值得的 (初中英语单词)
- presently [´prezəntli] ad.不久；目前 (初中英语单词)
- pledge [pledʒ] n.信物；誓约vt.使发誓 (初中英语单词)
- fearful [´fiəfəl] a.可怕的；担心的 (初中英语单词)
- shriek [ʃri:k] v.&n.尖叫(声) (初中英语单词)
- fierce [fiəs] a.残忍的；强烈的 (初中英语单词)
- dragon [´drægən] n.龙 (初中英语单词)
- sprang [spræŋ] spring 的过去式 (初中英语单词)
- tribute [´tribju:t] n.贡物；献礼；颂词 (初中英语单词)
- proudly [´praudli] ad.骄傲地；傲慢地 (初中英语单词)
- endure [in´djuə] vt.忍耐，忍受；坚持 (初中英语单词)
- monster [´mɔnstə] n.怪物 a.大得异常的 (初中英语单词)
- armour [´ɑ:mə] (=armor) n.甲胄，盔甲 (初中英语单词)
- terror [´terə] n.恐怖；惊骇 (初中英语单词)
- bitterly [´bitəli] ad.悲痛地；憎恨地 (初中英语单词)
- beaten [´bi:tn] beat 的过去分词 (初中英语单词)
- cunning [´kʌniŋ] a.&n.狡猾(诡诈)的 (初中英语单词)
- wrought [rɔ:t] work 的过去式(分词) (初中英语单词)
- temple [´tempəl] n.庙宇；寺院；太阳穴 (初中英语单词)
- hospitality [,hɔspi´tæliti] n.好客，殷勤 (高中英语单词)
- earnestly [´ə:nistli] ad.认真地；急切地 (高中英语单词)
- torment [´tɔ:ment] vt.(使)痛苦，折磨 (高中英语单词)
- murderer [´mə:dərə] n.杀人犯，凶手 (高中英语单词)
- strode [strəud] stride的过去式 (高中英语单词)
- fragrant [´freigrənt] a.芳香的，芬芳的 (高中英语单词)
- mighty [´maiti] a.强有力的 ad.很 (高中英语单词)
- athens [´æθinz] n.雅典 (高中英语单词)
- threshold [´θreʃhəuld] n.门槛；入门；开端 (高中英语单词)
- nowhere [´nəuweə] n.无处；不知道 (高中英语单词)
- mortal [´mɔ:tl] a.致命的 n.凡人 (高中英语单词)
- chamber [´tʃeimbə] n.房间；议院；会议室 (高中英语单词)
- conqueror [´kɔŋkərə] n.征服者，胜利者 (高中英语单词)
- chariot [´tʃæriət] n.古时双轮战车 (高中英语单词)
- herald [´herəld] n.先驱；预兆 vt.预示 (高中英语单词)
- reverence [´revərəns] n.尊敬；敬畏；尊严 (高中英语单词)
- saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ] n.言语；言论；格言 (高中英语单词)
- pillar [´pilə] n.支柱 vt.用柱支持 (高中英语单词)
- throne [θrəun] n.宝座；王位 (高中英语单词)
- headlong [´hedlɔŋ] ad.&a.轻率地(的) (高中英语单词)
- partridge [´pɑ:tridʒ] n.鹧鸪；石鸡 (高中英语单词)
- trying [´traiiŋ] a.难堪的；费劲的 (英语四级单词)
- wherefore [´weəfɔ:] ad.为什么；因此 (英语四级单词)
- hospitable [´hɔspitəbəl] a.好客的；招待周到的 (英语四级单词)
- whatsoever [,wɔtsəu´evə] (强势语)=whatever (英语四级单词)
- lizard [´lizəd] n.蜥 (英语四级单词)
- blessed [´blesid] a.享福的；神圣的 (英语四级单词)
- prowess [´prauis] n.勇猛；技术；本领 (英语四级单词)
- winning [´winiŋ] n.&a.胜利(的) (英语四级单词)
- enchantment [in´tʃɑ:ntmənt] n.迷惑；妖术；魅力 (英语四级单词)
- beforehand [bi´fɔ:hænd] ad.事先；提前 (英语四级单词)
- yearly [´jiəli] a.每年的；一年间的 (英语四级单词)
- overcame [,əuvə´keim] overcome的过去式 (英语四级单词)
- valour [´vælə] n.英勇，勇猛 (英语四级单词)
- accursed [ə´kə:sid] a.被诅咒的；可憎的 (英语四级单词)
- lamentation [,læmen´teiʃən] n.悲痛，哀悼，痛哭 (英语四级单词)
- chisel [´tʃizəl] n.凿子 v.凿；欺骗；干涉 (英语四级单词)
- shameful [´ʃeimfəl] a.可耻的；猥亵的 (英语四级单词)
- sicily [´sisili] n.西西里(岛) (英语四级单词)
- wondrous [´wʌndrəs] a.极好的 ad.惊人地 (英语四级单词)
- reservoir [´rezəvwɑ:] n.水库；蓄水池 (英语四级单词)
- doleful [´dəulful] a.悲哀的；忧郁的 (英语六级单词)
- miserably [´mizərəbli] ad.悲惨地；糟糕地 (英语六级单词)
- weeping [´wi:piŋ] a.&n.哭泣(的) (英语六级单词)
- stretcher [´stretʃə] n.伸张者(器)；担架 (英语六级单词)
- modestly [´mɔdistli] ad.谦虚地；有节制地 (英语六级单词)
- shrank [ʃræŋk] shrink的过去式 (英语六级单词)
- nightfall [´nait,fɔ:l] n.黄昏；傍晚 (英语六级单词)
- inwardly [´inwədli] ad.内向；独自地 (英语六级单词)
- labyrinth [´læbərinθ] 迷宫；错综复杂之事件 (英语六级单词)
- horribly [´hɔrəbli] ad.恐怖地 (英语六级单词)
- honeycomb [´hʌnikəum] n.蜜蜂窝；蜂窝状物 (英语六级单词)
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