It seems the only things that heaven concerns itself about are

my troubles and Troy hateful in their eyes above all other cities.



In vain did we sacrifice to them. Had not the god caught us in his

grip and plunged us headlong 'neath the earth, we should have been



unheard of, nor ever sung in Muses' songs, furnishing to bards of

after-days a subject for their minstrelsy. Go, bury now in his poor



tomb the dead, wreathed all duly as befits a corpse. And yet I deem it

makes but little difference to the dead, although they get a



gorgeous funeral; for this is but a cause of idle pride to the living.

The corpse is carried off to burial



CHORUS

Alas! for thy unhappy mother, who o'er thy corpse hath closed



the high hopes of her life! Born of a noble stock, counted most

happy in thy lot, ah! what a tragic death is thine! Ha! who are



those I see on yonder pinnacles darting to and fro with flaming

torches in their hands? Some new calamity will soon on Troy alight.



Enter TALTHYBIUS above. Soldiers are seen

on the battlements of Troy, torch in hand.



TALTHYBIUS

Ye captains, whose allotted task it is to fire this town of Priam,



to you I speak. No longer keep the firebrand idle in your hands, but

launch the flame, that when we have destroyed the city of Ilium we may



set forth in gladness on our homewardvoyage from Troy. And you, ye

sons of Troy-to let my orders take at once a double form-start for the



Achaean ships for your departure hence, soon as ever the leaders of

the host blow loud and clear upon the trumpet. And thou, unhappy



grey haired dame, follow; for yonder come servants from Odysseus to

fetch thee, for to him thou art assigned by lot to be a slave far from



thy country.

HECUBA



Ah, woe is me! This surely is the last, the utmost limit this,

of all my sorrows; forth from my land I go; my city is ablaze with



flame. Yet, thou aged foot, make one painful struggle to hasten,

that I may say a farewell to this wretched town. O Troy, that erst



hadst such a grand careeramongstbarbarian towns, soon wilt thou be

reft of that splendid name. Lo! they are burning thee, and leading



us e'en now from our land to slavery. Great gods! Yet why call on

the gods? They did not hearken e'en aforetime to our call. Come, let



us rush into the flames, for to die with my country in its blazing

ruin were a noble death for me.



TALTHYBIUS

Thy sorrows drive thee frantic, poor lady. Go, lead her hence,



make no delay, for ye must deliver her into the hand of Odysseus,

conveying to him his prize.



HECUBA

O son of Cronos, prince of Phrygia, father of our race, dost



thou behold our sufferings now, unworthy of the stock of Dardanus?

CHORUS



He sees them, but our mighty city is a city no more, and Troy's

day is done.



HECUBA

Woe! thrice woe upon me! Ilium is ablaze; the homes of Pergamos



and its towering walls are now one sheet of flame.

CHORUS



As the smoke soars on wings to heaven, so sinks our city to the

'ground before the spear. With furious haste both fire and foeman's



spear devour each house.

HECUBA



Hearken, my children, hear your mother's voice.

CHORUS



Thou art calling on the dead with voice of lamentation.

HECUBA



Yea, as I stretch my aged limbs upon the ground, and beat upon the

earth with both my hands.



CHORUS

I follow thee and kneel, invoking from the nether world my hapless



husband.

HECUBA



I am being dragged and hurried away.

CHORUS



O the sorrow of that cry!

• temple [´tempəl] n.庙宇；寺院；太阳穴 (初中英语单词)


• captive [´kæptiv] n.俘虏；捕获物 (初中英语单词)


• disgrace [dis´greis] n.耻辱 vt.玷辱；贬黜 (初中英语单词)


• farewell [feə´wel] int.再见 n.&a.告别 (初中英语单词)


• shield [ʃi:ld] n.盾牌；防御 v.保护 (初中英语单词)


• terror [´terə] n.恐怖；惊骇 (初中英语单词)


• commit [kə´mit] vt.犯(罪)；把…判处 (初中英语单词)


• stream [stri:m] n.河 vi.流出；飘扬 (初中英语单词)


• wisdom [´wizdəm] n.智慧，聪明，才智 (初中英语单词)


• guilty [´gilti] a.有罪的；心虚的 (初中英语单词)


• prosperous [´prɔspərəs] a.繁荣的；顺利的 (初中英语单词)


• beloved [bi´lʌvd] a.为….所爱的 n.爱人 (初中英语单词)


• glimpse [glimps] n.&v.瞥见 (初中英语单词)


• wealth [welθ] n.财富，财产 (初中英语单词)


• stress [stres] n.强调；压力 vt.强调 (初中英语单词)


• prince [´prins] n.王子；亲王；君主 (初中英语单词)


• reality [ri´æliti] n.现实(性)；真实；逼真 (初中英语单词)


• frequent [´fri:kwənt] a.常见的，频繁的 (初中英语单词)


• funeral [´fju:nərəl] n.葬礼，丧葬；困难 (初中英语单词)


• unhappy [ʌn´hæpi] a.不幸的；不快乐的 (初中英语单词)


• voyage [´vɔi-idʒ] n.&vi.航海；航程；旅行 (初中英语单词)


• departure [di´pɑ:tʃə] n.离开，出发 (初中英语单词)


• utmost [´ʌtməust] a.最大的 n.极端 (初中英语单词)


• wretched [´retʃid] a.可怜的；倒霉的 (初中英语单词)


• career [kə´riə] n.经历；生涯；职业 (初中英语单词)


• slavery [´sleivəri] n.奴隶制；奴役 (初中英语单词)


• furious [´fjuəriəs] a.狂怒的；猛烈的 (初中英语单词)


• hearth [hɑ:θ] n.炉边；家庭(生活) (高中英语单词)


• breadth [bredθ] n.宽度，幅面，广度 (高中英语单词)


• anguish [´æŋgwiʃ] n.(极度的)痛苦；苦恼 (高中英语单词)


• remnant [´remnənt] n.残(剩)余 a.剩余的 (高中英语单词)


• indulge [in´dʌldʒ] v.(使)沉迷；沉溺；放任 (高中英语单词)


• therein [ðeə´rin] ad.在那里，在其中 (高中英语单词)


• coffin [´kɔfin] n.棺材，柩 (高中英语单词)


• manhood [´mænhud] n.人格；男子气概 (高中英语单词)


• likeness [´laiknis] n.相似；肖像；外表 (高中英语单词)


• wherein [weər´in] ad.那里面 (高中英语单词)


• mortal [´mɔ:tl] a.致命的 n.凡人 (高中英语单词)


• victorious [vik´tɔ:riəs] a.得胜的，胜利的 (高中英语单词)


• countless [´kauntlis] a.无数的 (高中英语单词)


• amongst [ə´mʌŋst] prep.其中之一 =among (高中英语单词)


• headlong [´hedlɔŋ] ad.&a.轻率地(的) (高中英语单词)


• tragic [´trædʒik] a.悲剧的；悲惨的 (高中英语单词)


• homeward [´həumwəd] ad.&a.回家(的) (高中英语单词)


• trumpet [´trʌmpit] n.喇叭；小号 (高中英语单词)


• painful [´peinfəl] a.痛(苦)的；费力的 (高中英语单词)


• frantic [´fræntik] a.发狂的；急忙的 (高中英语单词)


• mighty [´maiti] a.强有力的 ad.很 (高中英语单词)


• devour [di´vauə] vt.吞食；毁坏 (高中英语单词)


• hurried [´hʌrid] a.仓促的，慌忙的 (高中英语单词)


• thunderbolt [´θʌndəbəult] n.雷电，霹雳 (英语四级单词)


• corpse [kɔ:ps] n.尸体 (英语四级单词)


• cruelly [´kruəli] ad.残酷地；极，非常 (英语四级单词)


• befallen [bi´fɔ:lən] befall的过去分词 (英语四级单词)


• wherefore [´weəfɔ:] ad.为什么；因此 (英语四级单词)


• bridal [´braidl] a.&n.婚礼(的) (英语四级单词)


• prowess [´prauis] n.勇猛；技术；本领 (英语四级单词)


• brazen [´breizən] a.黄铜制的；无耻的 (英语四级单词)


• comely [´kʌmli] a.秀丽的；文雅的 (英语四级单词)


• valiant [´væliənt] a.勇敢的，英勇的 (英语四级单词)


• victor [´viktə] n.&a.胜利者(的) (英语四级单词)


• thrice [θrais] ad.三倍地；三次 (英语四级单词)


• wedded [´wedid] a.(已)结婚的；献身的 (英语四级单词)


• hateful [´heitfəl] a.可恨的，可憎的 (英语四级单词)


• calamity [kə´læmiti] n.灾害，大灾难 (英语四级单词)


• gladness [´glædnis] n.愉快，高兴，喜悦 (英语四级单词)


• barbarian [bɑ:´beəriən] a.&n.野蛮(人)的 (英语四级单词)


• hearken [´hɑ:kən] vi.听 (英语四级单词)


• unworthy [ʌn´wə:ði] a.不值得的；不足道的 (英语四级单词)


• towering [´tauəriŋ] a.高耸的；强烈的 (英语四级单词)


• hapless [´hæpləs] a.不幸的；倒楣的 (英语六级单词)


• wherewith [wɛə´wiθ] ad.用什么；用以 (英语六级单词)


• shortening [´ʃɔ:tniŋ] n.缩短 (英语六级单词)


• godlike [´gɔdlaik] a.神似的 (英语六级单词)


• herein [,hiər´in] ad.在此，鉴于 (英语六级单词)


• shocking [´ʃɔkiŋ] a.令人震惊的；可怕的 (英语六级单词)


• taking [´teikiŋ] a.迷人的 n.捕获物 (英语六级单词)


• untimely [ʌn´taimli] a.&ad.不合时宜的(地) (英语六级单词)


• sleepless [´sli:pləs] a.失眠的；寂静的 (英语六级单词)


• madman [´mædmən] n.疯子；狂人 (英语六级单词)


• crafty [´krɑ:fti] a.狡猾的 (英语六级单词)


• weeping [´wi:piŋ] a.&n.哭泣(的) (英语六级单词)


• calling [´kɔ:liŋ] n.点名；职业；欲望 (英语六级单词)


• nether [´neðə] a.下面的；地下的 (英语六级单词)