《伊利亚特·第16卷》第13节
Then faintly didst thou answer him, knightly Patroklos: “Boast greatly, as now, Hector, for to thee have Zeus, son of Kronos, and Apollo given the victory, who lightly have subdued me; for themselves stripped my harness from my shoulders. But if twenty such as thou had encountered me, here had they all perished, subdued beneath my spear. But me have ruinous Fate and the son of Leto slain, and of men Euphorbos, but thou art the third in my slaying. But another thing will I tell thee, and do thou lay it up in thy heart: verily thou thyself art not long to live, but already doth Death stand hard by thee, and strong Fate, that thou art to be subdued by the hands of noble Achilles, of the seed of Aiakos.” Even as so he spake the end of death overshadowed him. And his soul, fleeting from his limbs, went down to the house of Hades, wailing its own doom, leaving manhood and youth. Then renowned Hector spake to him even in his death: “Patroklos, wherefore to me dolt thou prophesy sheer destruction? who knows but that Achilles, the child of fair-tressed Thetis, will first be smitten by my spear, and lose his life?” So spake he, and drew the spear of bronze from the wound, setting his foot on the dead, and cast him off on his back from the spear. And straightway with the spear he went after Automedon, the godlike squire of the swift-footed Aiakides, for he was eager to smite him; but his swift-footed immortal horses bare him out of the battle, horses that the gods gave to Peleus, a splendid gift.
注释摘要
帕特罗克洛斯的回答是一段临终之言，也是一段预言。他首先把胜利归于宙斯与阿波罗，而不是赫克托耳的勇武：是神明击倒了他，亲手剥去了他的甲胄。这话在诗的世界里并非修辞上的谦虚——此前阿波罗确实从背后一掌打掉了他的头盔、击碎了长枪、松开了胸甲，使他赤身露体地暴露在敌人面前。帕特罗克洛斯说“若是二十个你这样的人来对阵，也都会死在我的枪下”，是在表明他并不承认赫克托耳…