登陆注册
5452200000009

第9章

Because he is a god well suited to live on the rocks.Come! into the air with you to help the workers who are building the wall;carry up rubble, strip yourself to mix the mortar, take up the hod, tumble down the ladder, if you like, post sentinels, keep the fire smouldering beneath the ashes, go round the walls, bell in hand, and go to sleep up there yourself then despatch two heralds, one to the gods above, the other to mankind on earth and come back here.

EUELPIDES

As for yourself, remain here, and may the plague take you for a troublesome fellow!

(He departs.)

PITHETAERUS

Go, friend, go where I send you, for without you my orders cannot be obeyed.For myself, I want to sacrifice to the new god, and I am going to summon the priest who must preside at the ceremony.Slaves! slaves! bring forward the basket and the lustral water.

CHORUS (singing)

I do as you do, and I wish as you wish, and I implore you to address powerful and solemn prayers to the gods, and in addition to immolate a sheep as a token of our gratitude.Let us sing the Pythian chant in honour of the god, and let Chaeris accompany our voices.

PITHETAERUS

Enough! but, by Heracles! what is this? Great gods! I have seen many prodigious things, but I never saw a muzzled raven.(The PRIESTarrives.) Priest! it's high time! Sacrifice to the new gods.

PRIEST

I begin, but where is the man with the basket? Pray to the Hestia of the birds, to the kite, who presides over the hearth, and to all the god and goddess-birds who dwell in Olympus...

PITHETAERUS

Oh! Hawk, the sacred guardian of Sunium, oh, god of the storks!

PRIEST

...to the swan of Delos, to Leto the mother of the quails, and to Artemis, the goldfinch...

PITHETAERUS

It's no longer Artemis Colaenis, but Artemis the goldfinch.

PRIEST

...to Bacchus, the finch and Cybele, the ostrich and mother of the gods and mankind...

PITHETAERUS

Oh! sovereign ostrich Cybele, mother of Cleocritus!

PRIEST

...to grant health and safety to the Nephelococcygians as well as to the dwellers in Chios...

PITHETAERUS

The dwellers in Chios! Ah! I am delighted they should be thus mentioned on all occasions.

PRIEST

...to the heroes, the birds, to the sons of heroes, to the porphyrion, the pelican, the spoon-bill, the redbreast, the grouse, the peacock, the horned-owl, the teal, the bittern, the heron, the stormy petrel, the fig-pecker, the titmouse...

PITHETAERUS

Stop! stop! you drive me crazy with your endless list.Why, wretch, to what sacred feast are you inviting the vultures and the sea-eagles? Don't you see that a single kite could easily carry off the lot at once? Begone, you and your fillets and all; I shall know how to complete the sacrifice by myself.

(The PRIEST departs.)

It is imperative that I sing another sacred chant for the rite of the lustral water, and that I invoke the immortals, or at least one of them, provided always that you have some suitable food to offer him; from what I see here, in the shape of gifts, there is naught whatever but horn and hair.

PITHETAERUS

Let us address our sacrifices and our prayers to the winged gods.

(A POET enters.)

POET

Oh, Muse! celebrate happy Nephelococcygia in your hymns.

PITHETAERUS

What have we here? Where did you come from, tell me? Who are you?

POET

I am he whose language is sweeter than honey, the zealous slave of the Muses, as Homer has it.

PITHETAERUS

You a slave! and yet you wear your hair long?

POET

No, but the fact is all we poets are the assiduous slaves of the Muses, according to Homer.

PITHETAERUS

In truth your little cloak is quite holy too through zeal! But, poet, what ill wind drove you here?

POET

I have composed verses in honour of your Nephelococcygia, a host of splendid dithyrambs and parthenia worthy of Simonides himself.

PITHETAERUS

And when did you compose them? How long since?

POET

Oh! 'tis long, aye, very long, that I have sung in honour of this city.

PITHETAERUS

But I am only celebrating its foundation with this sacrifice; Ihave only just named it, as is done with little babies.

POET

"Just as the chargers fly with the speed of the wind, so does the voice of the Muses take its flight.Oh! thou noble founder of the town of Aetna, thou, whose name recalls the holy sacrifices, make us such gift as thy generous heart shall suggest."(He puts out his hand.)

PITHETAERUS

He will drive us silly if we do not get rid of him by some present.(To the PRIEST'S acolyte) Here! you, who have a fur as well as your tunic, take it off and give it to this clever poet.Come, take this fur; you look to me to be shivering with cold.

POET

My Muse will gladly accept this gift; but engrave these verses of Pindar's on your mind.

PITHETAERUS

Oh! what a pest! It's impossible then to get rid of him!

POET

"Straton wanders among the Scythian nomads, but has no linen garment.He is sad at only wearing an animal's pelt and no tunic."Do you get what I mean?

PITHETAERUS

I understand that you want me to offer you a tunic.Hi! you (to the acolyte), take off yours; we must help the poet....Come, you, take it and get out.

POET

I am going, and these are the verses that I address to this city: "Phoebus of the golden throne, celebrate this shivery, freezing city; I have travelled through fruitful and snow-covered plains.Tralala! Tralala!"(He departs.)

PITHETAERUS

What are you chanting us about frosts? Thanks to the tunic, you no longer fear them.Ah! by Zeus! I could not have believed this cursed fellow could so soon have learnt the way to our city.(To a slave)Come, take the lustral water and circle the altar.Let all keep silence!

(An ORACLE-MONGER enters.)

ORACLE-MONGER

Let not the goat be sacrificed.

PITHETAERUS

Who are you?

ORACLE-MONGER

Who am I? An oracle-monger.

PITHETAERUS

Get out!

ORACLE-MONGER

Wretched man, insult not sacred things.For there is an oracle of Bacis, which exactly applies to Nephelococcygia.

PITHETAERUS

Why did you not reveal it to me before I founded my city?

ORACLE-MONGER

The divine spirit was against it.

PITHETAERUS

Well, I suppose there's nothing to do but hear the terms of the oracle.

ORACLE-MONGER

同类推荐
  • 视刀环歌

    视刀环歌

    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。
  • 丹霞澹归禅师语录

    丹霞澹归禅师语录

    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。
  • 佛性海藏智慧解脱破心相经

    佛性海藏智慧解脱破心相经

    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。
  • 神仙传

    神仙传

    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。
  • 佛说稻芋经

    佛说稻芋经

    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。
热门推荐
  • 桃花下的总裁

    桃花下的总裁

    她不就是想过桃花源一般的生活吗,为什么老哥老妈齐上阵劝她嫁人?签下丧权辱国的卖身协议,只为了保住桃林,所以冷颀怎么欺负她,忍了。洗衣做饭,端茶递水,她堂堂21世纪的杰出青年,怎么沦落到为仆为婢的地步了?被占便宜了,只能忍,被鄙夷了,还要笑,天啊,请看看我吧!
  • 噬尸灵

    噬尸灵

    有一类人他们把灵魂押给死神,虽有转世但记忆不灭。他们依附灵魂和血肉维持生命,杀戮成习,被称为世界上最恐怖的存在。这一世他和他的相遇,再次打开了噬尸灵寻找灵魂的征途。
  • 小公主

    小公主

    伦敦的贵族学校里,有一位享有“公主”待遇的明星学生——萨拉。在她十一岁的生日宴会上,突然传来一个噩耗:父亲投资钻石矿失败,破产去世。这让势利的女校长气愤不已,不仅剥夺了萨拉的特殊待遇,还让她打工偿还学费。萨拉一夜之间从令人羡慕的“小公主”变成了可怜的女佣。她每天要干各种杂活,还得挨饿受冻。但莎拉始终乐观地面对困境,跟洗碗女仆、印度绅士,甚至阁楼的老鼠交上了朋友。她幻想出一幕幕阁楼奇遇安慰自己。没想到,有一天醒来,美梦居然成真了……
  • 借丧

    借丧

    小高镇长上午十一点回到家里,发现老高镇长像一个被遗弃的老树疙瘩蜷缩在床上不动了。早上出门时还听见老人的房间里传来几声呻吟,怎么这么快就没气了?小高镇长看着床上的老人有些傻眼和茫然。他嘴里叼着烟,右手捏着下巴,邋遢着脑壳在老人床前转了两圈,突然想起了狗二爷,想起了狗二爷的环球阴阳服务公司。电话通了,没人接。再拨号码,还是没人接。小高镇长仿佛受到比媳妇被野男人睡了还入木三分的羞辱,狭长的脸上顿时要挤出水来。小高镇长顿了顿又拨通了狗二爷的顶头上司蔡家沟村长蔡明亮的电话。叫他挖地三尺也要把狗二爷挖出来。
  • 新概念作文获奖者作品精选范本·20周年特别纪念版(B卷)

    新概念作文获奖者作品精选范本·20周年特别纪念版(B卷)

    久负盛名的新概念作文大赛已经举办了二十年。这些一等奖得主后来有许多一直活跃在文学创作领域,他们既代表了新概念作文大赛的成就与风采,也可以说代表了当代中国青少年文学创作的超高水准。本丛书是历届一等奖获得者的全新作品集20周年特别纪念版,分为AB两卷。这些作品,激情飞扬,典雅动人,对于青春文学爱好者来说,是不可多得的阅读经典。新概念作文像一股春风给中国青少年文学创作注入了活力。它呈现出少男少女在成长蜕变过程中的美好和痛苦,也展现了一个丰富多彩的文字世界。通过阅读,对扩大青少年的阅读视野,丰富青少年的见识,以及提高文学素养、写作水平大有裨益。
  • 三国之一代帝王

    三国之一代帝王

    当时光渐去,韶华不再,萧让只求自己无愧一生。
  • 穿越之天定宸雪

    穿越之天定宸雪

    妙龄少女宸雪在一次宴会中穿越到古代,莫名其妙地连人带马车掉到王爷的选妃大典上。知道选妃内幕的她,凭着一身跆拳道在众目睽睽之下逃出了定天府……慕宸雪这一惊人的举动引起了王爷的注意,因而两人结下羁绊,但她逃出了定天府又会遇到什么事呢?【情节虚构,请勿模仿】
  • 金箓斋三洞赞咏仪

    金箓斋三洞赞咏仪

    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。
  • 寒门崛起

    寒门崛起

    这是一个就业路上屡被蹂躏的古汉语专业研究生,回到了明朝中叶,进入了山村一家幼童身体后的故事。木讷父亲泼辣娘,一水的极品亲戚,农家小院是非不少。好在,咱有几千年的历史积淀,四书五经八股文,专业也对口,谁言寒门再难出贵子。国力上升垂拱而治;法纪松弛,官纪慵散;有几只奸臣,也闹点倭寇;但总体上可以说,这是士大夫自由滋生的沃土。一个寒门崛起的传奇也就从这里生长了。谨以此文向所有的穿越经典致敬。PS:寒门崛起书友群:219,803,021;寒门崛起全订阅群:254,292,459欢迎大家入群互相交流,欢迎大家与我沟通交流。
  • 天行众4:残梦醒

    天行众4:残梦醒

    赤红色的火龙流星如雨点般坠落在量子学院,就连量子榜上两大高手也压制不住,没想到这只远古幻兽的目标,竟是在场边解着三角习题的苍焰……剪不断理还乱,三角关系永远是这世间最难解的习题。面对朝思暮想的宛儿与无怨无悔的心谕,苍焰又该怎么抉择……