EURIPIDES
That's enough.

MNESILOCHUS
Go and hang yourself!

EURIPIDES
Go and hang yourself!

MNESILOCHUS
What a plague!

EURIPIDES
What a plague!

MNESILOCHUS
Cursed brute!

EURIPIDES
Cursed brute!

MNESILOCHUS
Beware of blows!

EURIPIDES
Beware of blows!

SCYTHIAN
Hullo! what are you jabbering about?

EURIPIDES
What are you jabbering about?

SCYTHIAN
I shall go and call the Magistrates.

EURIPIDES
I shall go and call the Magistrates.

SCYTHIAN
This is odd!

EURIPIDES
This is odd!

SCYTHIAN
Whence comes this voice?

EURIPIDES
Whence comes this voice?

SCYTHIAN
You are mad.

EURIPIDES
You are mad.

SCYTHIAN
Ah! beware!

EURIPIDES
Ah! beware!

SCYTHIAN (to MNESILOCHUS)
Are you mocking me?

EURIPIDES
Are you mocking me?

MNESILOCHUS
No, it's this woman, who stands near you.

EURIPIDES
Who stands near you.

SCYTHIAN
Where is the hussy!

MNESILOCHUS
She's running away.

SCYTHIAN
Where are you running to?

EURIPIDES
Where are you running to?

SCYTHIAN
You shall not get away.

EURIPIDES
You shall not get away.

SCYTHIAN
You are chattering still?

EURIPIDES
You are chattering still?

SCYTHIAN
Stop the hussy.

EURIPIDES
Stop the hussy.

SCYTHIAN
What a babbling, cursed woman!

(EURIPIDES now enters, costumed as Perseus.)
EURIPIDES

"Oh! ye gods! to what barbarian land has my swift flight taken me?
I am Perseus; I cleave the plains of the air with my winged feet,

and I am carrying the Gorgon's head to Argos."
SCYTHIAN

What, are you talking about the head of Gorgos, the scribe?
EURIPIDES

No, I am speaking of the head of the Gorgon.
SCYTHIAN

Why, yes! of Gorgos!
EURIPIDES

"But what do I behold? A young maiden, beautiful as the immortals,
chained to this rock like a vessel in port?"

MNESILOCHUS
"Take pity on me, oh stranger! I am so unhappy and distraught!

Free me from these bonds."
SCYTHIAN

You keep still! a curse upon your impudence! you are going to die,
and yet you will be chattering!

EURIPIDES
"Oh! virgin! I take pity on your chains."

SCYTHIAN
But this is no virgin; he's an old rogue, a cheat and a thief.

EURIPIDES
You have lost your wits, Scythian. This is Andromeda, the daughter

of Cepheus.
SCYTHIAN (lifting up MNESILOCHUS' robe)

But look at his tool; it's pretty big.
EURIPIDES

Give me your hand, that I may descend near this young maiden. Each
man has his own particular weakness; as for me I am aflame with love

for this virgin.
SCYTHIAN

Oh! I'm not jealous; and as he has his arse turned this way,
why, I don't care if you make love to him.

EURIPIDES
"Ah! let me release her, and hasten to join her on the bridal

couch."
SCYTHIAN

If you are so eager to make the old man, you can bore through
the plank, and so get at him.

EURIPIDES
No, I will break his bonds.

SCYTHIAN
Beware of my lash!

EURIPIDES
No matter.

SCYTHIAN
This blade shall cut off your head.

EURIPIDES
"Ah! what can be done? what arguments can I use? This savage

will understand nothing! The newest and most cunning fancies are a
dead letter to the ignorant. Let us invent some artifice to fit in

with his coarse nature."
(He departs.)

SCYTHIAN
I can see the rascal is trying to outwit me.

MNESILOCHUS
Ah! Perseus! remember in what condition you are leaving me.

SCYTHIAN
Are you wanting to feel my lash again!

CHORUS (singing)
Oh! Pallas, who art fond of dances, hastenhither at my call.

Oh! thou chastevirgin, the protectress of Athens, I call thee in
accordance with the sacred rites, thee, whose evidentprotection we

adore and who keepest the keys of our city in thy hands. Do thou
appear, thou whose just hatred has overturned our tyrants. The

womenfolk are calling thee; hastenhither at their bidding along
with Peace, who shall restore the festivals. And ye, august goddesses,

display a smiling and propitious countenance to our gaze; come into
your sacred grove, the entry to which is forbidden to men; 'tis

there in the midst of the sacred orgies that we contemplate your
divine features. Come, appear, we pray it of you, oh, venerable

Thesmophorae! Is you have ever answered our appeal, oh! come into
our midst.

(During this ode the SCYTHIAN falls asleep. At the end of it
EURIPIDES returns, thinly disguised as an old procuress; the

CHORUS recognizes him, the SCYTHIAN does not; he carries a harp,
and is followed by a dancing girl and a young flute-girl.)

EURIPIDES
Women, if you will be reconciled with me, I am willing, and I

undertake never to say anything ill of you in future. Those are my
proposals for peace.

LEADER OF THE CHORUS
And what impels you to make these overtures?

EURIPIDES (to the CHORUS)
This unfortunate man, who is chained to the post, is my

father-in-law; if you will restore him to me, you will have no more
cause to complain of me; but if not, I shall reveal your pranks to

your husbands when they return from the war.
LEADER OF THE CHORUS

We accept peace, but there is this barbarian whom you must buy
over.

EURIPIDES
I'll take care of that. Come, my little wench, bear in mind what I

told you on the road and do it well. Come, go past him and gird up
your robe. And you, you little dear, play us the air of a Persian

dance.
SCYTHIAN (waking)

What is this music that makes me so blithe?
EURIPIDES

Scythian, this young girl is going to practise some dances,
which she has to perform at a feast presently.

SCYTHIAN
Very well! let her dance and practise; I won't hinder her. How

nimbly she bounds! just like a flea on a fleece.
EURIPIDES

Come, my dear, off with your robe and seat yourself on the
Scythian's knee; stretch forth your feet to me, that I may take off

your slippers.
SCYTHIAN

Ah! yes, seat yourself, my little girl, ah! yes, to be sure.
What a firm little titty! it's just like a turnip.

EURIPIDES (to the flute-girl)
An air on the flute, quick! Are you afraid of the Scythian?

SCYTHIAN
What a nice arse! Hold still, won't you? A nice twat, too.

EURIPIDES
That's so! (To the dancing girl) Resume your dress, it is time

to be going.
SCYTHIAN

Give me a kiss.
EURIPIDES

Come, give him a kiss.
SCYTHIAN

Oh! oh! oh! my god, what soft lips! like Attic honey. But might
she not stay with me?

EURIPIDES

• running [´rʌniŋ] a.奔跑的；流动的 (初中英语单词)
• flight [flait] n.逃走；飞行；班机 (初中英语单词)
• winged [´wiŋd] a.有翼的 (初中英语单词)
• maiden [´meidn] n.少女 a.未婚的 (初中英语单词)
• vessel [´vesəl] n.容器；船；脉管 (初中英语单词)
• unhappy [ʌn´hæpi] a.不幸的；不快乐的 (初中英语单词)
• descend [di´send] v.下来，下降 (初中英语单词)
• weakness [´wi:knis] n.虚弱；弱点，缺点 (初中英语单词)
• jealous [´dʒeləs] a.妒忌的 (初中英语单词)
• release [ri´li:s] vt&n.释放；放松；赦免 (初中英语单词)
• hasten [´heisən] vt.催促；促进 vi.赶紧 (初中英语单词)
• cunning [´kʌniŋ] a.&n.狡猾(诡诈)的 (初中英语单词)
• ignorant [´ignərənt] a.无知的，愚昧的 (初中英语单词)
• invent [in´vent] vt.发明；捏造 (初中英语单词)
• coarse [kɔ:s] a.粗(糙)的；粗鲁的 (初中英语单词)
• hither [´hiðə] ad.到此处 (初中英语单词)
• sacred [´seikrid] a.神圣的；庄严的 (初中英语单词)
• evident [´evidənt] a.明显的，明白的 (初中英语单词)
• protection [prə´tekʃən] n.警戒；护照；通行证 (初中英语单词)
• hatred [´heitrid] n.憎恨，敌意 (初中英语单词)
• restore [ri´stɔ:] vt.(使)恢复；修复 (初中英语单词)
• countenance [´kauntinəns] n.面部表情；脸色；面容 (初中英语单词)
• willing [´wiliŋ] a.情愿的，乐意的 (初中英语单词)
• unfortunate [ʌn´fɔ:tʃunit] a.不幸的，运气差的 (初中英语单词)
• complain [kəm´plein] vi.抱怨，叫屈；控诉 (初中英语单词)
• practise [´præktis] v.实践(行，施)；提倡 (初中英语单词)
• virgin [´və:dʒin] a.处女(般)的 n.处女 (高中英语单词)
• rascal [´rɑ:skəl] n.流氓 (高中英语单词)
• athens [´æθinz] n.雅典 (高中英语单词)
• forbidden [fə´bidn] forbid的过去分词 (高中英语单词)
• contemplate [´kɔntempleit] v.注视；沉思；期待 (高中英语单词)
• appeal [ə´pi:l] vi.&n.请求；呼吁；上诉 (高中英语单词)
• hinder [´hində, ´haində] vt.阻止 a.后面的 (高中英语单词)
• barbarian [bɑ:´beəriən] a.&n.野蛮(人)的 (英语四级单词)
• cleave [kli:v] v.劈(开) vi.粘住；依恋 (英语四级单词)
• trying [´traiiŋ] a.难堪的；费劲的 (英语四级单词)
• chaste [tʃeist] a.贞洁的；高雅的 (英语四级单词)
• speaking [´spi:kiŋ] n.说话 a.发言的 (英语六级单词)
• wanting [´wɔntiŋ, wɑ:n-] a.短缺的；不足的 (英语六级单词)
• calling [´kɔ:liŋ] n.点名；职业；欲望 (英语六级单词)
• august [ɔ:´gʌst] a.尊严的；威严的 (英语六级单词)
• thinly [θiŋli] ad.薄地；稀疏地 (英语六级单词)