are statelier, grander robes than ours.

Such was my plan: but when you began,
you spoilt and degraded it all.

AESCHYLUS
Your kings in tatters and rags you dressed,

and brought them on, a beggarly show,
To move, forsooth, our pity and ruth.

EURIPIDES
And what was the harm, I should like to know.

AESCHYLUS
No more will a wealthy citizen now

equip for the state a galley of war.
He wraps his limbs in tatters and rags,

and whines he is "poor, too poor by far."
DIONYSUS

But under his rags he is wearing a vest,
as woolly and soft as a man could wish.

Let him gull the state, and he's off to the mart;
an eager, extravagant buyer of fish.

AESCHYLUS
Moreover to prate, to harangue, to debate,

is now the ambition of all in the state.
Each exercise-ground is in consequence found

deserted and empty: to evil repute
Your lessons have brought our youngsters, and taught

our sailors to challenge, discuss, and refute
The orders they get from their captains and yet,

when I was alive, I protest that the knaves
Knew nothing at all, save for rations to call,

and to sing "Rhyppapae" as they pulled
through the waves.

DIONYSUS
And bedad to let fly from their sterns in the eye

of the fellow who tugged at the undermost oar,
And a jolly young messmate with filth to besmirch,

and to land for a filching adventure ashore;
But now they harangue, and dispute, and won't row

And idly and aimlessly float to and fro.
AESCHYLUS

Of what ills is lie not the creator and cause?
Consider the scandalous scenes that he draws,

His bawds, and his panders, his women who give
Give birth in the sacredest shrine,

Whilst others with brothers are wedded and bedded,
And others opine

That "not to be living" is truly "to live."
And therefore our city is swarming to-day

With clerks and with demagogue-monkeys, who play
Their jackanape tricks at all times, in all places,

Deluding the people of Athens; but none
Has training enough in athletics to run

With the torch in his hand at the races.
DIONYSUS

By the Powers, you are right! At the Panathenaea
I laughed till I felt like a potsherd to see

Pale, paunchy young gentleman pounding along,
With his head butting forward, the last of the throng,

In the direst of straits; and behold at the gates,
The Ceramites flapped him, and smacked him, and slapped him,

In the ribs, and the loin, and the flank, and the groin,
And still, as they spanked him, he puffed and he panted,

Till at one mighty cuff, he discharged such a puff
That he blew out his torch and levanted.

CHORUS
Dread the battle, and stout the combat,

mighty and manifold looms the war.
Hard to decide is the fight they're waging,

One like a stormy tempest raging,
One alert in the rally and skirmish,

clever to parry and foin and spar.
Nay but don't be content to sit

Always in one position only:
many the fields for your keen-edged wit.

On then, wrangle in every way,
Argue, battle, be flayed and flay,

Old and new from your stores display,
Yea, and strive with venturesome daring

something subtle and neat to say.
Fear ye this, that to-day's spectators

lack the grace of artistic lore,
Lack the knowledge they need for taking

All the points ye will soon be making?
Fear it not: the alarm is groundless:

that, be sure, is the case no more.
All have fought the campaign ere this:

Each a book of the words is holding;
never a single point they'll miss.

Bright their natures, and now, I ween,
Newly whetted, and sharp, and keen.

Dread not any defect of wit,
Battle away without misgiving,

sure that the audience, at least, are fit.
EURIPIDES

Well then I'll turn me to your prologues now,
Beginning first to test the first beginning

Of this fine poet's plays. Why he's obscure
Even in the enunciation of the facts.

DIONYSUS
Which of them will you test?

EURIPIDES
Many: but first

Give us that famous one from the Oresteia.
DIONYSUS

St! Silence all! Now, Aeschylus, begin.
AESCHYLUS

"Grave Hermes, witnessing a father's power,
Be thou my saviour and mine aid to-day,

For here I come and hither I return."
DIONYSUS

Any fault there?
EURIPIDES

A dozen faults and more.
DIONYSUS

Eh! why the lines are only three in all.
EURIPIDES

But every one contains a score of faults.
DIONYSUS

Now Aeschylus, keep silent; if you don't
You won't get off with three iambic lines.

AESCHYLUS
Silent for him!

DIONYSUS
If my advice you'll take.

EURIPIDES
Why, at first starting here's a fault skyhigh.

AESCHYLUS (to DIONYSUS)
You see your folly?

DIONYSUS
Have your way; I care not.

AESCHYLUS (to EURIPIDES)
What is my fault?

EURIPIDES
Begin the lines again.

AESCHYLUS
"Grave Hermes, witnessing a father's power-"

EURIPIDES
And this beside his murdered father's grave

Orestes speaks?
AESCHYLUS

I say not otherwise.
EURIPIDES

Then does he mean that when his father fell
By craft and violence at a woman's hand,

The god of craft was witnessing the deed?
AESCHYLUS

It was not he: it was the Helper Hermes
He called the grave: and this he showed by adding

It was his sire's prerogative he held.
EURIPIDES

Why this is worse than all. If from his father
He held this office grave, why then-

DIONYSUS
He was

A graveyard rifler on his father's side.
AESCHYLUS

Bacchus, the wine you drink is stale and fusty.
DIONYSUS

Give him another: (to EURIPIDES) you, look out for faults.
AESCHYLUS

"Be thou my saviour and mine aid to-day,
For here I come, and hither I return."

EURIPIDES
The same thing twice says clever Aeschylus.

DIONYSUS
How twice?

EURIPIDES
Why, just consider: I'll explain.

"I come, says he; and "I return," says he:
It's the same thing, to "come" and to "return."

DIONYSUS
Aye, just as if you said, "Good fellow, tend me

A kneading trough: likewise, a trough to knead in."
AESCHYLUS

It is not so, you everlasting talker,
They're not the same, the words are right enough.

DIONYSUS
How so? inform me how you use the words.

AESCHYLUS
A man, not banished from his home, may "come"

To any land, with no especial chance.
A home-bound exile both "returns" and "comes."

DIONYSUS
O good, by Apollo!

What do you say, Euripides, to that?
EURIPIDES

I say Orestes never did "return."
He came in secret: nobody recalled him.

DIONYSUS
O good, by Hermes I

(Aside) I've not the least suspicion what he means.
EURIPIDES

Repeat another line.
DIONYSUS

Ay, Aeschylus,
Repeat one instantly: you, mark what's wrong.

AESCHYLUS
"Now on this funeral mound I call my rather

To hear, to hearken.
EURIPIDES

There he is again.
To "hear," to "hearken"; the same thing, exactly.

• wealthy [´welθi] a.富有的；丰富的 (初中英语单词)
• ambition [æm´biʃən] n.雄心，野心；企图 (初中英语单词)
• consequence [´kɔnsikwəns] n.结果；后果；推断 (初中英语单词)
• challenge [´tʃælindʒ] n.&vt.向....挑战；怀疑 (初中英语单词)
• dispute [di´spju:t] v.&n.争论，辩论；争吵 (初中英语单词)
• therefore [´ðeəfɔ:] ad.&conj.因此；所以 (初中英语单词)
• audience [´ɔ:diəns] n.听众；观众；接见 (初中英语单词)
• hither [´hiðə] ad.到此处 (初中英语单词)
• violence [´vaiələns] n.猛烈；暴力(行) (初中英语单词)
• likewise [´laikwaiz] ad.同样地；也，又 (初中英语单词)
• suspicion [sə´spiʃən] n.怀(猜)疑；嫌疑 (初中英语单词)
• instantly [´instəntli] ad.立即，立刻 (初中英语单词)
• funeral [´fju:nərəl] n.葬礼，丧葬；困难 (初中英语单词)
• extravagant [ik´strævəgənt] a.奢侈的；过度的 (高中英语单词)
• athens [´æθinz] n.雅典 (高中英语单词)
• mighty [´maiti] a.强有力的 ad.很 (高中英语单词)
• tempest [´tempist] n.暴风雨 (高中英语单词)
• strive [straiv] vi.争取；努力；奋斗 (高中英语单词)
• artistic [ɑ:´tistik] a.艺术的；有美感的 (高中英语单词)
• campaign [kæm´pein] n.战役；行动 vi.从军 (高中英语单词)
• defect [di´fekt, ´di:fekt] n.缺点，不足 (高中英语单词)
• helper [´helpə] n.帮助者，助手 (高中英语单词)
• everlasting [,evə´lɑ:stiŋ] a.永久的，无尽的 (高中英语单词)
• galley [´gæli] n.单层甲板大帆船 (英语四级单词)
• creator [kri:´eitə] n.创造者；设立者 (英语四级单词)
• wedded [´wedid] a.(已)结婚的；献身的 (英语四级单词)
• athletics [æθ´letiks] n.体育(运动)；竞技 (英语四级单词)
• manifold [´mænifəuld] a.多样的；多种特征的 (英语四级单词)
• saviour [´seiviə] n.救星；救助者 (英语四级单词)
• trough [trɔf] n.槽；水槽；饲料槽 (英语四级单词)
• wrangle [´ræŋgəl] v.争论，口角，争吵 (英语六级单词)
• prerogative [pri´rɔgətiv] n.特权 a.(有)特权的 (英语六级单词)
• especial [i´speʃəl] a.特别的，特殊的 (英语六级单词)