“It is useless to weep!”said Circe.“Swine you are and swine you shall remain!”And she laughed again,and threw them some acorns for their food,and soon the men were groveling in the mud,greedily devouring this second meal.
“哭是徒劳的!”喀耳刻说,“你们是猪,永远是猪!”她再次放声大笑,投给他们一些橡果作为食物,很快,这些人就趴在泥地上贪婪地吞食这第二顿食物。
Now when Eurylochus saw that his companions did not come out of the building,he hurried off to tell Ulysses all his fears,Ulysses at once took his bow and his sword,and asked Eurylochus to direct him to the house,but Eurylochus dared neither lead nor follow.So Ulysses went forth alone through the forest.
当欧律罗科斯看到他的同伴还没出来,就赶回尤利西斯那儿告知他所担心的一切。尤利西斯马上拿上弓,带上剑,要欧律罗科斯带他到那幢房子,但欧律罗科斯既不敢带路,又不敢尾随,尤利西斯只好一人出发,进入丛林。
He had not gone far when a voice behind him cried:“Stay!”He turned in amazement to see Mercury,the messenger of the gods,who had been sent to him by the goddess Minerva.“Stay,”repeated Mercury,“and listen to my wisdom,unless you would share the fate of your companions.For they have entered the house of the enchantress Circe,and she has changed them all into swine.If you have no desire to be served likewise,follow these instructions.When you come to the palace of Circe,the goddess will receive you,and will offer you tempting food.But into the dish she will pour a poisonous drug,and into the same dish you must mix some leaves of a herb which I will give you.If you eat these leaves,the goddess can have no power over you.When she strikes you with her wand to transform you to a pig,you must draw your sword,and threaten her with injury if she does not set your companions free.”
没走多远,只听后面一声:“止步!”他惊奇地转过头,看到众神的使者墨丘利,他是女神密涅瓦派来的。“止步!”墨丘利又说道,“如果你不想落到你同伴一样的命运,就请听我的忠言。你的同伴们因为走进了女巫喀耳刻的宫殿,全部被她的魔法变成猪仔。如果你不愿遭到同样的命运,请听我的指教:当你来到喀耳刻的宫殿,她会以诱人的食物款待你,而食物里拌进了一种毒药。你只需把我给你的这种药草放在食物内,吃下去,女巫就对你毫无办法。当她用魔杖触你,要把你变成猪仔时,你必须拔出你的利剑,如果她不释放你的同伴的话,你就以伤她相威胁。”
Mercury held out to Ulysses a strange plant called Moly,and then walked away before Ulysses could thank him.
墨丘利递给尤利西斯一种叫“魔草”的神奇药草,没等尤利西斯谢他,他就离去了。
Ulysses now approached the house of Circe.The wolves and lions came fawningly up to him,and he guessed that they must be humans who had become the victims of Circe‘s magic.Ignoring these animals,Ulysses stood in the porch and shouted.
尤利西斯走近喀耳刻的房子,狼和狮子摇着尾巴,可怜地走到他面前,他猜他们肯定是喀耳刻魔法的牺牲品。尤利西斯没理会这些野兽,站在门口大声喊起来。
The door opened,and goldenhaired Circe stood before him,holding her hyacinth robe a little from the floor.She smiled at the hero.“Welcome,mariner!”she cried,and he followed her into the hall.
门开了,金发喀耳刻微微提起蓝紫色的裙裾含笑站在英雄尤利西斯的面前,“欢迎您,水手!”她领他进入大厅。
All happened as with Ulysses‘men;but when food was set before Ulysses,he was careful to place some leaves of Moly in the bowl.When he had finished his food,the goddess sprang up.
尤利西斯得到和他的同伴一样的待遇,但在食物摆上来时,他悄悄在碗中放入魔草的叶子。用餐完毕,喀耳刻站了起来。
“Now you may go to rest in your sty!”she cried,and she struck Ulysses with her wand.Nothing happened,and impatiently she struck him again.Still Ulysses underwent no change,but stood watching her sternly.Then,advancing,he drew his sword,and Circe shrank back before him.
“现在你该进猪圈休息了!”说着就用魔杖点了一下尤利西斯,但什么也没发生。她不耐烦地又点了一下,尤利西斯仍然毫无变化。他站在那儿怒视喀耳刻,抽出利剑,一步一步地逼向她,喀耳刻吓得往后瑟缩。
“Enchantress,”he shouted,“you shall pay for all your villainies!”
“妖妇,”他大喊道,“你该为你的罪行付出代价了!”
But the goddess shrieked,and slipped down to the floor,clasping the knees of Ulysses with her lovely arms.“Alas!”she cried.“Do not be so cruel(cruel adj.残酷的,悲惨的,使痛苦的),mighty stranger!You fierce(fierce adj.凶猛的,猛烈的,热烈的,暴躁的)gaze alone would kill,without help from the sword with which you threaten me!Ah,”she wept,“why do you offer violence to one so weak and unprotected?”
这位女巫尖叫着,扑倒在地,用她美丽的双臂抱住尤利西斯的双膝,哭喊道,“天啊!伟大的陌生人,不要这样残酷啊!用不着利剑的威胁,你刺人的双目就足以杀死我。哦,”她哭道,“为什么要对我这样柔弱不能自卫的人如此凶狠呢?”
“I will offer more violence,”replied Ulysses,“unless you at once release my men,and restore them to their former shapes.”
尤利西斯回答:“如果你不释放我的同伴,恢复他们的人形,我还要对你更凶狠。”
“I will indeed,and at once.”she replied.“Only look kindly on me,great prince;for indeed,I have never seen even a god so handsome as you are!”And she gazed up at him again,and tried to smile.
“我马上按您吩咐去做,”她回答说,“伟大的王子,请善意地看着我,我还从来没见过如同您这般英俊的神。”她再次仰视他,试图露出温柔的笑容。
However,Ulysses would not lower his sword till Circe had risen to her feet,and had restored each of the men to human shape.As for the men,they wept for joy,and clung to one another,and embraced Ulysses,so that even the goddess was moved with pity.
但尤利西斯直等到喀耳刻站起来,为每个船员恢复了人形才放下剑。那些被解救的人互相握手,并和尤利西斯拥抱,欢喜得流下了眼泪,甚至喀耳刻也被眼前的情景深深打动,萌发了同情心。
When Circe had asked the name of her noble visitor,and had promised that she meant no more harm,she gave entertainment to the whole party in the most friendly fashion.She prepared a great banqeut and allowed her visitors to take up their lodging in the palace,not only for that night,but for many a night to come.And Ulysses and his men fond the palace of Circe so comfortable,and the goddess so constant in her attentions,that they allowed their stay to lengthen from day to day,and became less and less willing to face once more the perils of the sea.
喀耳刻问起这些高贵客人的名字,许诺说她不再伤害他们,而且将要以友好的方式款待全体船员。她准备了盛大的宴会,并邀请他们在宫殿里留宿,不仅是指当天晚上,而是以后不管多长的日子。尤利西斯和他的同伴发现喀耳刻的宫殿是如此舒适,喀耳刻一直也是悉心照顾他们,以至于他们一天天延缓归期,越来越不情愿再去经历海上的风险。