When he reached the stream between the two high rocks, he looked sharply for the dragon, but it was n ot there. Then, with some difficulty, he climbed along the narrow path at the side of the stream, and went down into the valley. This Garden of Mars was certainly not a beautiful garden. Everything in it seemed to have been struck by a blight. The earth produced no grass, but was covered instead by bare, brown rocks whose edges looked sharp and dangerous. The trees seemed to have lost their power of bearing leaves, and bore only thorns, while their branches were twisted into the most fantastic shapes. Jason soon saw the Golden Fleece. It was glorious; the one bright spot in the whole garden. It hung on a low branch of the giant oak, and seemed to throw off flakes of light. And there, coiled around the huge trunk of the oak, was the dragon. It was spotted and blotched, and had a sharp-pointed, fierce-looking crest. It looked very ugly and dangerous. As Jason came nearer to the oak, the dragon raised its crest and began to roar and bellow so loud that the sound could be heard in Colchis. But, safe in his hand, Jason had the little violet flower which Medea had plucked on the banks of Lethe. | 他抵达两块高大岩石之间的水流时,看到紧守门户的龙,知道无法从那里进入。 因此只好另择稍感困难的方式,攀登急流旁狭小的路径,爬进山谷里。 这座马斯园其实并不美丽。 园中的所有生物仿佛得了一种枯萎病似的。 泥土上寸草不生,却铺盖一层光秃秃的褐色岩石,岩角尖锐,看起来颇具杀伤力。 树木似乎也失去长出叶子的能力,只是生长着针刺。而且,那些树的枝桠已被扭曲成极为奇异的形状。 杰逊很快地发现金羊毛。 它是非常绚烂的东西,也是园中唯一最醒目的标的物。 它悬吊在巨大橡木的低矮树枝上,仿佛是绽放出光亮的火花似的。 龙盘绕在橡树的巨大枝干上。 全身满是斑点,长有尖锐无比,看似凶猛的角。 它看起来极为丑恶,又具危险性的样子。 杰逊逐渐靠近那棵橡树,龙随之挺起角来,开始大声地怒吼,那声音连远在可吉斯也听得见! 不过,杰逊手上安稳地握着米蒂娅送给他由冥府之河摘回来的那朵蓝紫色的小花。 |