《奥德赛·卷10》第13节
“So spake she, and anon came the golden throned Dawn. Then she put on me a mantle and a doublet for raiment, and the nymph clad herself in a great shining robe, light of woof and gracious, and about her waist she cast a fair golden girdle, and put a veil upon her head. But I passed through the halls and roused my men with smooth words, standing by each one in turn: “‘Sleep ye now no more nor breathe sweet slumber; but let us go on our way, for surely she hath shown me all, the lady Circe.’ “So spake I, and their lordly soul consented thereto. Yet even thence I led not my company safe away. There was one, Elpenor, the youngest of us all, not very valiant in war neither steadfast in mind. He was lying apart from the rest of my men on the housetop of Circe’s sacred dwelling, very fain of the cool air, as one heavy with wine. Now when he heard the noise of the voices and of the feet of my fellows as they moved to and fro, he leaped up of a sudden and minded him not to descend again by the way of the tall ladder, but fell right down from the roof, and his neck was broken from the bones of the spine, and his spirit went down to the house of Hades. “Then I spake among my men as they went on their way, saying: ‘Ye deem now, I see, that ye are going to your own dear country; but Circe hath showed us another way, even to the dwelling of Hades and of dread Persephone, to seek to the spirit of Theban Teiresias.’ “Even so I spake, but their heart within them was broken, and they sat them down even where they were, and made lament and tore their hair. Howbeit no help came of their weeping. “But as we were now wending sorrowful to the swift ship and the sea-banks, shedding big tears, Circe meanwhile had gone her ways and made fast a ram and a black ewe by the dark ship, lightly passing us by: who may behold a god against his will, whether going to or fro?”
注释摘要
这一节发生在埃埃亚岛（Aeaea）上，时间从黎明开始。女神基尔克（Circe，日神赫利俄斯之女，通晓魔药与咒语的女巫）刚刚向奥德修斯（Odysseus）交待了前往冥府的路线和祭仪细节。黎明到来时，基尔克为奥德修斯穿上外袍和紧身衣，她自己则穿上一袭明亮的长袍，系上金带，戴好面纱。奥德修斯穿过厅堂，逐一唤醒同伴，告诉他们该动身了，因为基尔克已经把一切指示清楚。…