登陆注册
5452200000012

第12章

We have despatched thirty thousand hawks of the legion of Mounted Archers.All the hook-clawed birds are moving against him, the kestrel, the buzzard, the vulture, the great-horned owl; they cleave the air so that it resounds with the flapping of their wings; they are looking everywhere for the god, who cannot be far away; indeed, if Imistake not, he is coming from yonder side.

PITHETAERUS

To arms, all, with slings and bows! This way, all our soldiers;shoot and strike! Some one give me a sling!

CHORUS (singing)

War, a terrible war is breaking out between us and the gods! Come, let each one guard Air, the son of Erebus, in which the clouds float.Take care no immortal enters it without your knowledge.

LEADER OF THE CHORUS

Scan all sides with your glance.Hark! methinks I can hear the rustle of the swift wings of a god from heaven.

(The Machine brings in IRIS, in the form of a young girl.)PITHETAERUS

Hi! you woman! where, where, are you flying to? Halt, don't stir! keep motionless! not a beat of your wing! (She pauses in her flight.) Who are you and from what country? You must say whence you come.

IRIS

I come from the abode of the Olympian gods.

PITHETAERUS

What's your name, ship or head-dress?

IRIS

I am swift Iris.

PITHETAERUS

Paralus or Salaminia?

IRIS

What do you mean?

PITHETAERUS

Let a buzzard rush at her and seize her.

IRIS

Seize me? But what do all these insults mean?

PITHETAERUS

Woe to you!

IRIS

I do not understand it.

PITHETAERUS

By which gate did you pass through the wall, wretched woman?

IRIS

By which gate? Why, great gods, I don't know.

PITHETAERUS

You hear how she holds us in derision.Did you present yourself to the officers in command of the jays? You don't answer.Have you a permit, bearing the seal of the storks?

IRIS

Am I dreaming?

PITHETAERUS

Did you get one?

IRIS

Are you mad?

PITHETAERUS

No head-bird gave you a safe-conduct?

IRIS

A safe-conduct to me.You poor fool!

PITHETAERUS

Ah! and so you slipped into this city on the sly and into these realms of air-land that don't belong to you.

IRIS

And what other roads can the gods travel?

PITHETAERUS

By Zeus! I know nothing about that, not I.But they won't pass this way.And you still dare to complain? Why, if you were treated according to your deserts, no Iris would ever have more justly suffered death.

IRIS

I am immortal.

PITHETAERUS

You would have died nevertheless.-Oh! that would be truly intolerable! What! should the universe obey us and the gods alone continue their insolence and not understand that they must submit to the law of the strongest in their due turn? But tell me, where are you flying to?

IRIS

I? The messenger of Zeus to mankind, I am going to tell them to sacrifice sheep and oxen on the altars and to fill their streets with the rich smoke of burning fat.

PITHETAERUS

Of which gods are you speaking?

IRIS

Of which? Why, of ourselves, the gods of heaven.

PITHETAERUS

You, gods?

IRIS

Are there others then?

PITHETAERUS

Men now adore the birds as gods, and it's to them, by Zeus, that they must offer sacrifices, and not to Zeus at all!

IRIS (in tragic style)

Oh! fool! fool! fool! Rouse not the wrath of the gods, for it is terrible indeed.Armed with the brand of Zeus, justice would annihilate your race; the lightning would strike you as it did Licymnius and consume both your body and the porticos of your palace.

PITHETAERUS

Here! that's enough tall talk.Just you listen and keep quiet!

Do you take me for a Lydian or a Phrygian and think to frighten me with your big words? Know, that if Zeus worries me again, I shall go at the head of my eagles, who are armed with lightning, and reduce his dwelling and that of Amphion to cinders.I shall send more than six hundred porphyrions clothed in leopards' skins up to heaven against him; and formerly a single Porphyrion gave him enough to do.As for you, his messenger, if you annoy me, I shall begin by getting between your thighs, and even though you are Iris, you will be surprised at the erection the old man can produce; it's three times as good as the ram on a ship's prow!

IRIS

May you perish, you wretch, you and your infamous words!

PITHETAERUS

Won't you get out of here quickly? Come, stretch your wings or look out for squalls!

IRIS

If my father does not punish you for your insults...

(The Machine takes IRIS away.)

PITHETAERUS

Ha!...but just you be off elsewhere to roast younger folk than us with your lightning.

CHORUS (singing)

We forbid the gods, the sons of Zeus, to pass through our city and the mortals to send them the smoke of their sacrifices by this road.

PITHETAERUS

It's odd that the messenger we sent to the mortals has never returned.

(The HERALD enters, wearing a golden garland on his head.)HERALD

Oh! blessed Pithetaerus, very wise, very illustrious, very gracious, thrice happy, very...Come, prompt me, somebody, do PITHETAERUSGet to your story!

HERALD

All peoples are filled with admiration for your wisdom, and they award you this golden crown.

PITHETAERUS

I accept it.But tell me, why do the people admire me?

HERALD

Oh you, who have founded so illustrious a city in the air, you know not in what esteem men hold you and how many there are who burn with desire to dwell in it.Before your city was built, all men had a mania for Sparta; long hair and fasting were held in honour, men went dirty like Socrates and carried staves.Now all is changed.

同类推荐
  • 平书订

    平书订

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 子夏易传

    子夏易传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 金刚秘密善门陀罗尼经

    金刚秘密善门陀罗尼经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 吕祖全传

    吕祖全传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 三观义

    三观义

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 商门崛起
  • 三国一点儿也不靠谱

    三国一点儿也不靠谱

    刘备为什么要三顾茅庐?关羽为什么要千里走单骑?曹操为什么只承认他和刘备是英雄?《隆中对》到底是什么意思?赵云为何不讨刘备喜欢?诸葛亮为什么不断对曹魏用兵?为什么天下合久必分?为什么分久又必合?为什么…… 在中国,《三国演义》使三国人物形象深入人心。 然而,历史果真如此吗?翻阅雾满拦江的这本《三国一点儿也不靠谱》,你会发现,你所知道的三国简直是一点儿也不靠谱!
  • 古代悠闲生活

    古代悠闲生活

    莫名其妙的穿越到古代,和哥哥相依为命。平时种花养草,过上悠闲的日子。
  • Rogue, Prisoner, Princess (Of Crowns and Glory—Boo

    Rogue, Prisoner, Princess (Of Crowns and Glory—Boo

    "Morgan Rice has come up with what promises to be another brilliant series, immersing us in a fantasy of valor, honor, courage, magic and faith in your destiny. Morgan has managed again to produce a strong set of characters that make us cheer for them on every page.…Recommended for the permanent library of all readers that love a well-written fantasy."--Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (regarding Rise of the Dragons).ROGUE, PRISONER, PRINCESS is book #2 in Morgan Rice's bestselling epic fantasy series OF CROWNS AND GLORY, which begins with SLAVE, WARRIOR, QUEEN (Book #1).
  • 我的世界之X计划

    我的世界之X计划

    一个计划,牵扯了一百个人的性命,一个上天选出的少年,向命运发起挑战.......
  • 人间词话

    人间词话

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 庶女神医

    庶女神医

    “娘子,为夫病了,相思病,病入膏肓,药石无医,求治!”“是吗?该不是中毒了吧,我用银针试试。”“银针无用,唯有娘子是为夫的神药,吃下去瞬间就好,娘子,来吧。”“……”她是国医圣手,一朝穿越成相府不受宠的庶女,为了家人,不得不四处周旋。他是最尊贵的少爷,却也是皇帝老儿遗落民间的私生子,表面和善一派,却极为护短。这一生,只有一块逆鳞,就是她!--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 盛世女尊之许你一世长情

    盛世女尊之许你一世长情

    「禁止转载,谢谢配合」续《女尊重生:男后倾城》第二部。玉无双发现自己跳崖竟然没死,却浑身赤裸,身边还躺着一个女人!这个女人是谁?她为什么要对自己这么好?她是天辰最尊贵的太女殿下,对谁都冷冷淡淡,可以说是万年冰山,外人言,她有隐疾,对男人没兴趣,可谁人知,在那偏院,独宠着那个不爱她的男人。主角:玉无双,司慕倾,凤清晚,锦城,凤清城,凤玖倾,配角:司玥城,景尧,凤卿,芜连城,背景:架空女尊王朝,天辰
  • 我的前夫先生

    我的前夫先生

    我以为五年足够我们清醒了,最后我才知道,我们谁都没有清醒。“秦以琛,离婚吧。”我拿出早就准备好了的文件。灯光下,秦以琛皱着眉头看着我,我们赤裸以对,我却看不到近在咫尺的他。“夏茗雪,你一个月都等不及了,就这么着急和那个男人走?”秦以琛将离婚文件撕了个粉碎。秦以琛,要离婚的,是你,为何不离的,又是你?--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 越夜越诡异:雨夜怪谈

    越夜越诡异:雨夜怪谈

    一间无名客栈开在深山老林之中。客栈是间老宅,很多年以前发生过一场凶案之后,便再无人接近。一队徒步旅游的驴友在贵州某个荒僻的村子里遇到了大雨,无法赶路,于是住进了当地一个非常古老的客栈。