《伊利亚特·第24卷》第9节
Thus spake he, and the old man rejoiced, and answered him, saying: “My son, it is verily a good thing to give due offerings withal to the Immortals, for never did my child—if that child indeed I had—forget in our halls the gods who inhabit Olympus. Therefore have they remembered this for him, albeit his portion is death. But come now take from me this goodly goblet, and guard me myself and guide me, under Heaven, that I may come unto the hut of Peleus’ son.” Then spake unto him again the Messenger the slayer of Argus: “Thou art proving me, old sire, who am younger than thou, but thou wilt not prevail upon me, in that thou biddest me take gifts from thee without Achilles’ privity. I were afraid and shamed at heart to defraud him, lest some evil come to pass on me hereafter. But as thy guide I would go even unto famous Argos, accompanying thee courteously in swift ship or on foot. Not from scorn of thy guide would any assail thee then.” Thus spake the Helper, and leaping on the chariot behind the horses he swiftly took lash and reins into his hand, and breathed brave spirit into horses and mules. But when they were come to the towers and trench of the ships, there were the sentinels just busying them about their supper. Then the Messenger, the slayer of Argus, shed sleep upon them all, and straightway opened the gates and thrust back the bars, and brought within Priam and the splendid gifts upon his wain. And they came to the lofty hut of the son of Peleus, which the Myrmidons made for their king and hewed therefor timber of the pine, and thatched it with downy thatching-rush that they mowed in the meadows, and around it made for him their lord a great court with close-set palisades; and the door was barred by a single bolt of pine that three Achaians wont to drive home, and three drew back that mighty bar—three of the rest, but Achilles by himself would drive it home. Then opened the Helper Hermes the door for the old man, and brought in the splendid gifts for Peleus’ fleet-footed son, and descended from the chariot to the earth and spake aloud: “Old sire, I that have come to thee am an immortal god, even Hermes, for my father sent me to companion thee on thy way. But now will I depart from thee nor come within Achilles’ sight; it were cause of wrath that an immortal god should thus show favour openly unto mortals. But thou go in and clasp the knees of Peleus’ son and entreat him for his father’s sake and his mother’s of the lovely hair and for his child’s sake that thou mayest move his soul.”
注释摘要
普里阿摩斯听到赫尔墨斯——此刻仍以阿喀琉斯侍从的凡人形象对他说话——告诉他赫克托耳的遗体虽被拖拽却完好无损时，登时欢喜起来。他当即把这份奇迹归因于儿子生前的虔诚：“我的孩子从不忘记住在奥林波斯的神明”，因此“他们记着这件事，尽管他分得的是死亡”。这个推断在荷马的世界里是顺理成章的：赫克托耳在诗中一再被写成特洛伊最虔敬的将领，宙斯此前也对赫拉说过他从未缺过祭…