《奥德赛·卷24》第12节
“Hold your hands from fierce fighting, ye men of Ithaca, that so ye may be parted quickly, without bloodshed.” So spake Athene, and pale fear gat hold of them all. The arms flew from their hands in their terror and fell all upon the ground, as the goddess uttered her voice. To the city they turned their steps, as men fain of life, and the steadfast goodly Odysseus with a terrible cry gathered himself together and hurled in on them, like an eagle of lofty flight. Then in that hour the son of Cronos cast forth a flaming bolt, and it fell at the feet of the grey-eyed goddess, the daughter of the mighty Sire. Then grey-eyed Athene spake to Odysseus, saying: “Son of Laertes, of the seed of Zeus, Odysseus of many devices, refrain thee now and stay the strife of even-handed war, lest perchance the son of Cronos be angry with thee, even Zeus of the far-borne voice.” So spake Athene, and he obeyed and was glad at heart. And thereafter Pallas Athene set a covenant between them with sacrifice, she, the daughter of Zeus lord of the aegis, in the likeness of Mentor, both in fashion and in voice. Homer, thy song men liken to the sea, With every note of music in his tone, With tides that wash the dim dominion Of Hades, and light waves that laugh in glee Around the isles enchanted: nay, to me Thy verse seems as the River of source unknown That glasses Egypt’s temples overthrown, In his sky-nurtur’d stream, eternally. No wiser we than men of heretofore To find thy mystic fountains guarded fast; Enough—thy flood makes green our human shore As Nilus, Egypt, rolling down his vast, His fertile waters, murmuring evermore Of gods dethroned, and empires of the Past. A. L.
注释摘要
这是整部《奥德赛》的收束。雅典娜向伊塔卡人喊话，命他们停手，立即停止这场刚刚爆发的巷战。“苍白的恐惧”攫住了所有人——这不是普通的害怕，而是神明直接作用于凡人心智的敬畏，荷马笔下的人一听到神的声音，武器便从手中脱落。他们转身往城里跑，所求只是活命。但奥德修斯没有立刻停下。他发出一声可怕的吼叫，收紧全身的力量，像一只从高处俯冲的鹰一样朝溃散的人群扑去。就在这…