章节正文
Oh! you old fellows, who used to dip out the broth served to the
poor at the festival of Theseus with little pieces of bread hollowed
like a spoon, how worthy of envy is your fate! How happy you are, both
you and all just men!
LEADER OF THE CHORUS
My good fellow, what has happened to your friends? You seem the
bearer of good tidings.
CARIO
What joy-for my master and even more for Plutus! The god has
regained his sight; his eyes sparkle with the greatest brilliancy,
thanks to the benevolent care of Asclepius.
LEADER OF THE CHORUS
Oh! what transports of joy! oh! what shouts of gladness!
CARIO
Aye! one is compelled to rejoice, whether one will or not.
LEADER OF THE CHORUS
I will sing to the honour of Asclepius, the son of illustrious
Zeus, with a resounding voice; he is the beneficent star which men
adore.
CHREMYLUS' WIFE (coming out of the house)
What mean these shouts? Is there good news? With what impatience
have I been waiting in the house, and for so long too!
CARIO
Quick! quick, some wine, mistress. And drink some yourself,
(aside) it's much to your taste. I bring you all blessings in a lump.
WIFE
Where are they?
CARIO
In my words, as you are going to see.
WIFE
Have done with trifling! come, speak.
CARIO
Listen, I am going to tell you everything from the feet to the
head.
WIFE
Oh! don't throw anything at my head.
CARIO
Not even the happiness that has come to you?
WIFE
No, no, nothing ... to annoy me.
CARIO
Having arrived near to the temple with our patient, then so
unfortunate, but now at the apex of happiness, of blessedness, we
first led him down to the sea to purify him.
WIFE
Ah! what a singular pleasure for an old man to bathe in the cold
seawater!
CARIO (in the manner of the tragic messenger)
Then we repaired to the temple of the god. Once the wafers and the
various offerings had been consecrated upon the altar, and the cake of
wheaten-meal had been banded over to the devouring Hephaestus, we made
Plutus lie on a couch according to the rite, and each of us prepared
himself a bed of leaves.
WIFE
Had any other folk come to beseech the deity?
CARIO
Yes. Firstly, Neoclides, who is blind, but steals much better than
those who see clearly; then many others attacked by complaints of
all kinds. The lights were put out and the priest enjoined us to
sleep, especially recommending us to keep silent should we hear any
noise. There we were all lying down quite quietly. I could not
sleep; I was thinking of a certain stew-pan full of pap placed close
to an old woman and just behind her head. I had a furiouslonging to
slip towards that side. But just as I was lifting my head, I noticed
the priest, who was sweeping off both the cakes and the figs on the
sacred table; then he made the round of the altars and sanctified
the cakes that remained, by stowing them away in a bag. I therefore
resolved to follow such a pious example and made straight for the pap.
WIFE
You rogue! and had you no fear of the god?
CARIO
Aye, indeed! I feared that the god with his crown on his head
might have been near the stew-pan before me. I said to myself, "Like
priest, like god." On hearing the noise I made the old woman put out
her hand, but I hissed and bit it, just as a sacredserpent might have
done. Quick she drew back her hand, slipped down into the bed with her
head beneath the coverlets and never moved again; only she let flee
a fart in her fear which stank worse than a weasel. As for myself, I
swallowed a goodlyportion of the pap and, having made a good feed,
went back to bed.
WIFE
And did not the god come?
CARIO
He did not tarry; and when he was near us, oh! dear! such a good
joke happened. My belly was quite blown up, and I let a thunderous
fart!
WIFE
Doubtless the god pulled a wry face?
CARIO
No, but Iaso blushed a little and Panacea turned her head away,
holding her nose; my farts are not perfume.
WIFE
And what did the god do?
CARIO
He paid not the slightest heed.
WIFE
He must then be a pretty coarse kind of god?
CARIO
I don't say that, but he's used to tasting stools.
WIFE
Impudent knave, go on with you!
CARIO
Then I hid myself in my bed all a-tremble. Asclepius did the round
of the patients and examined them all with great attention; then a
slave placed beside him a stone mortar, a pestle and a little box.
WIFE
Of stone?
CARIO
No, not of stone.
WIFE
But how could you see all this, you arch-rascal, when you say
you were hiding all the time?
CARIO
Why, great gods, through my cloak, for it's not without holes!
He first prepared an ointment for Neoclides; he threw three heads of
Tenian garlic into the mortar, pounded them with an admixture of
fig-tree sap and lentisk, moistened the whole with Sphettian
vinegar, and, turning back the patient's eyelids, applied his salve to
the interior of the eyes, so that the pain might be more excruciating.
Neoclides shrieked, howled, sprang towards the foot of his bed and
wanted to bolt, but the god laughed and said to him, "Keep where you
are with your salve; by doing this you will not go and perjure
yourself before the Assembly."
WIFE
What a wise god and what a friend to our city
CARIO
Thereupon he came and seated himself at the head of Plutus' bed,
took a perfectly clean rag and wiped his eyelids; Panacea covered
his head and face with a purple cloth, while the god whistled, and two
enormous snakes came rushing from the sanctuary.
WIFE
Great gods!
CARIO
They slipped gently beneath the purple cloth and, as far as I
could judge, licked the patient's eyelids; for, in less time than even
you need, mistress, to drain down ten beakers of wine, Plutus rose up;
be could see. I clapped my hands with joy and awoke my master, and the
god immediately disappeared with the serpents into the sanctuary. As
for those who were lying near Plutus, you can imagine that they
embraced him tenderly. Dawn broke and not one of them had closed an
eye. As for myself, I did not cease thanking the god who had so
quickly restored to Plutus his sight and had made Neoclides blinder
than ever.
WIFE
Oh! thou great Asclepius! How mighty is thy power! (To CARIO)
But tell me, where is Plutus now?
CARIO
He is approaching, escorted by an immense crowd. The rich, whose
wealth is ill-gotten, are knitting their brows and shooting at him
looks of fierce hate, while the just folk, who led a wretched
existence, embrace him and grasp his hand in the transport of their
joy; they follow in his wake, their heads wreathed with garlands,
laughing and blessing their deliverer; the old men make the earth
resound as they walk together keeping time. Come, all of you, all,
down to the very least, dance, leap and form yourselves into a chorus;
no longer do you risk being told, when you go home. "There is no
meal in the bag."
WIFE
And I, by Hecate! I will string you a garland of cakes for the
good tidings you have brought me.
CARIO
Hurry, make haste then; our friends are close at hand.
WIFE
I will go indoors to fetch some gifts of welcome, to celebrate
these eyes that have just been opened.
(She goes back into the house.)
CARIO
Meantime I am going forth to meet them.
(Exit)
(Interlude of dancing by the CHORUS.)
PLUTUS
I adore thee, oh! thou divine sun, and thee I greet, thou city,
the beloved of Pallas: be welcome, thou land of Cecrops, which hast
received me. Alas! what manner of men I associated with! I blush to
think of it. While, on the other hand, I shunned those who deserved my
friendship; I knew neither the vices of the ones nor the virtues of
the others. A two-fold mistake, and in both cases equally fatal! Ah!
what a misfortune was mine! But I want to change everything; and in
the future I mean to prove to mankind that, if I gave to the wicked,
it was against my will.
CHREMYLUS (to the wings)
Get you gone! Oh! what a lot of friends spring into being when you
are fortunate! They dig me with their elbows and bruise my shins to
prove their affection. Each one wants to greet me. What a crowd of old
fellows thronged round me on the market-place!
WIFE
Oh! thou, who art dearest of all to me, and thou too, be
welcome! Allow me, Plutus, to shower these gifts of welcome over you
in due accord with custom.
PLUTUS
No. This is the first house I enter after having regained my
sight; I shall take nothing from it, for it is my place rather to
give.
WIFE
Do you refuse these gifts?
PLUTUS
I will accept them at your fireside, as custom requires.
Besides, we shall thus avoid a ridiculous scene; it is not meet that
the poet should throw dried figs and dainties to the spectators; it is
a vulgar trick to make them laugh.
WIFE
poor at the festival of Theseus with little pieces of bread hollowed
like a spoon, how worthy of envy is your fate! How happy you are, both
you and all just men!
LEADER OF THE CHORUS
My good fellow, what has happened to your friends? You seem the
bearer of good tidings.
CARIO
What joy-for my master and even more for Plutus! The god has
regained his sight; his eyes sparkle with the greatest brilliancy,
thanks to the benevolent care of Asclepius.
LEADER OF THE CHORUS
Oh! what transports of joy! oh! what shouts of gladness!
CARIO
Aye! one is compelled to rejoice, whether one will or not.
LEADER OF THE CHORUS
I will sing to the honour of Asclepius, the son of illustrious
Zeus, with a resounding voice; he is the beneficent star which men
adore.
CHREMYLUS' WIFE (coming out of the house)
What mean these shouts? Is there good news? With what impatience
have I been waiting in the house, and for so long too!
CARIO
Quick! quick, some wine, mistress. And drink some yourself,
(aside) it's much to your taste. I bring you all blessings in a lump.
WIFE
Where are they?
CARIO
In my words, as you are going to see.
WIFE
Have done with trifling! come, speak.
CARIO
Listen, I am going to tell you everything from the feet to the
head.
WIFE
Oh! don't throw anything at my head.
CARIO
Not even the happiness that has come to you?
WIFE
No, no, nothing ... to annoy me.
CARIO
Having arrived near to the temple with our patient, then so
unfortunate, but now at the apex of happiness, of blessedness, we
first led him down to the sea to purify him.
WIFE
Ah! what a singular pleasure for an old man to bathe in the cold
seawater!
CARIO (in the manner of the tragic messenger)
Then we repaired to the temple of the god. Once the wafers and the
various offerings had been consecrated upon the altar, and the cake of
wheaten-meal had been banded over to the devouring Hephaestus, we made
Plutus lie on a couch according to the rite, and each of us prepared
himself a bed of leaves.
WIFE
Had any other folk come to beseech the deity?
CARIO
Yes. Firstly, Neoclides, who is blind, but steals much better than
those who see clearly; then many others attacked by complaints of
all kinds. The lights were put out and the priest enjoined us to
sleep, especially recommending us to keep silent should we hear any
noise. There we were all lying down quite quietly. I could not
sleep; I was thinking of a certain stew-pan full of pap placed close
to an old woman and just behind her head. I had a furiouslonging to
slip towards that side. But just as I was lifting my head, I noticed
the priest, who was sweeping off both the cakes and the figs on the
sacred table; then he made the round of the altars and sanctified
the cakes that remained, by stowing them away in a bag. I therefore
resolved to follow such a pious example and made straight for the pap.
WIFE
You rogue! and had you no fear of the god?
CARIO
Aye, indeed! I feared that the god with his crown on his head
might have been near the stew-pan before me. I said to myself, "Like
priest, like god." On hearing the noise I made the old woman put out
her hand, but I hissed and bit it, just as a sacredserpent might have
done. Quick she drew back her hand, slipped down into the bed with her
head beneath the coverlets and never moved again; only she let flee
a fart in her fear which stank worse than a weasel. As for myself, I
swallowed a goodlyportion of the pap and, having made a good feed,
went back to bed.
WIFE
And did not the god come?
CARIO
He did not tarry; and when he was near us, oh! dear! such a good
joke happened. My belly was quite blown up, and I let a thunderous
fart!
WIFE
Doubtless the god pulled a wry face?
CARIO
No, but Iaso blushed a little and Panacea turned her head away,
holding her nose; my farts are not perfume.
WIFE
And what did the god do?
CARIO
He paid not the slightest heed.
WIFE
He must then be a pretty coarse kind of god?
CARIO
I don't say that, but he's used to tasting stools.
WIFE
Impudent knave, go on with you!
CARIO
Then I hid myself in my bed all a-tremble. Asclepius did the round
of the patients and examined them all with great attention; then a
slave placed beside him a stone mortar, a pestle and a little box.
WIFE
Of stone?
CARIO
No, not of stone.
WIFE
But how could you see all this, you arch-rascal, when you say
you were hiding all the time?
CARIO
Why, great gods, through my cloak, for it's not without holes!
He first prepared an ointment for Neoclides; he threw three heads of
Tenian garlic into the mortar, pounded them with an admixture of
fig-tree sap and lentisk, moistened the whole with Sphettian
vinegar, and, turning back the patient's eyelids, applied his salve to
the interior of the eyes, so that the pain might be more excruciating.
Neoclides shrieked, howled, sprang towards the foot of his bed and
wanted to bolt, but the god laughed and said to him, "Keep where you
are with your salve; by doing this you will not go and perjure
yourself before the Assembly."
WIFE
What a wise god and what a friend to our city
CARIO
Thereupon he came and seated himself at the head of Plutus' bed,
took a perfectly clean rag and wiped his eyelids; Panacea covered
his head and face with a purple cloth, while the god whistled, and two
enormous snakes came rushing from the sanctuary.
WIFE
Great gods!
CARIO
They slipped gently beneath the purple cloth and, as far as I
could judge, licked the patient's eyelids; for, in less time than even
you need, mistress, to drain down ten beakers of wine, Plutus rose up;
be could see. I clapped my hands with joy and awoke my master, and the
god immediately disappeared with the serpents into the sanctuary. As
for those who were lying near Plutus, you can imagine that they
embraced him tenderly. Dawn broke and not one of them had closed an
eye. As for myself, I did not cease thanking the god who had so
quickly restored to Plutus his sight and had made Neoclides blinder
than ever.
WIFE
Oh! thou great Asclepius! How mighty is thy power! (To CARIO)
But tell me, where is Plutus now?
CARIO
He is approaching, escorted by an immense crowd. The rich, whose
wealth is ill-gotten, are knitting their brows and shooting at him
looks of fierce hate, while the just folk, who led a wretched
existence, embrace him and grasp his hand in the transport of their
joy; they follow in his wake, their heads wreathed with garlands,
laughing and blessing their deliverer; the old men make the earth
resound as they walk together keeping time. Come, all of you, all,
down to the very least, dance, leap and form yourselves into a chorus;
no longer do you risk being told, when you go home. "There is no
meal in the bag."
WIFE
And I, by Hecate! I will string you a garland of cakes for the
good tidings you have brought me.
CARIO
Hurry, make haste then; our friends are close at hand.
WIFE
I will go indoors to fetch some gifts of welcome, to celebrate
these eyes that have just been opened.
(She goes back into the house.)
CARIO
Meantime I am going forth to meet them.
(Exit)
(Interlude of dancing by the CHORUS.)
PLUTUS
I adore thee, oh! thou divine sun, and thee I greet, thou city,
the beloved of Pallas: be welcome, thou land of Cecrops, which hast
received me. Alas! what manner of men I associated with! I blush to
think of it. While, on the other hand, I shunned those who deserved my
friendship; I knew neither the vices of the ones nor the virtues of
the others. A two-fold mistake, and in both cases equally fatal! Ah!
what a misfortune was mine! But I want to change everything; and in
the future I mean to prove to mankind that, if I gave to the wicked,
it was against my will.
CHREMYLUS (to the wings)
Get you gone! Oh! what a lot of friends spring into being when you
are fortunate! They dig me with their elbows and bruise my shins to
prove their affection. Each one wants to greet me. What a crowd of old
fellows thronged round me on the market-place!
WIFE
Oh! thou, who art dearest of all to me, and thou too, be
welcome! Allow me, Plutus, to shower these gifts of welcome over you
in due accord with custom.
PLUTUS
No. This is the first house I enter after having regained my
sight; I shall take nothing from it, for it is my place rather to
give.
WIFE
Do you refuse these gifts?
PLUTUS
I will accept them at your fireside, as custom requires.
Besides, we shall thus avoid a ridiculous scene; it is not meet that
the poet should throw dried figs and dainties to the spectators; it is
a vulgar trick to make them laugh.
WIFE
- worthy [´wə:ði]
a.有价值的；值得的 (初中英语单词) - sparkle [´spɑ:kəl] vi.闪耀；焕发 n.火花 (初中英语单词)
- rejoice [ri´dʒɔis] v.(使)高兴；欢庆 (初中英语单词)
- waiting [´weitiŋ] n.等候；伺候 (初中英语单词)
- mistress [´mistris] n.女主人；情妇；女能手 (初中英语单词)
- temple [´tempəl] n.庙宇；寺院；太阳穴 (初中英语单词)
- priest [pri:st] n.教士；牧师；神父 (初中英语单词)
- furious [´fjuəriəs] a.狂怒的；猛烈的 (初中英语单词)
- sacred [´seikrid] a.神圣的；庄严的 (初中英语单词)
- portion [´pɔ:ʃən] n.嫁妆；命运 vt.分配 (初中英语单词)
- coarse [kɔ:s] a.粗(糙)的；粗鲁的 (初中英语单词)
- interior [in´tiəriə] n.&a.内部地(的) (初中英语单词)
- sprang [spræŋ] spring 的过去式 (初中英语单词)
- purple [´pə:pl] n.紫色 a.紫(红)的 (初中英语单词)
- gently [´dʒentli] ad.温和地；静静地 (初中英语单词)
- immense [i´mens] a.广大的，无限的 (初中英语单词)
- knitting [´nitiŋ] n.编织(物)；接合；联合 (初中英语单词)
- fierce [fiəs] a.残忍的；强烈的 (初中英语单词)
- embrace [im´breis] vt.&n.拥抱；采纳；信奉 (初中英语单词)
- transport [træn´spɔ:t] n.运输；流放 (初中英语单词)
- blessing [´blesiŋ] n.祝福 (初中英语单词)
- welcome [´welkəm] a.受欢迎的；可喜的 (初中英语单词)
- divine [di´vain] a.神圣的 v.预言 (初中英语单词)
- beloved [bi´lʌvd] a.为....所爱的 n.爱人 (初中英语单词)
- equally [´i:kwəli] ad.相等地；平等地 (初中英语单词)
- affection [ə´fekʃən] n.友爱；慈爱 (初中英语单词)
- shower [´ʃauə] n.展出者；阵雨；淋浴 (初中英语单词)
- accord [ə´kɔ:d] n.&vi.符合 vt.给与 (初中英语单词)
- festival [´festivəl] n.节日；庆祝；欢庆 (高中英语单词)
- singular [´siŋgjulə] a.单一的；非凡的 (高中英语单词)
- tragic [´trædʒik] a.悲剧的；悲惨的 (高中英语单词)
- beseech [bi´si:tʃ] v.恳求，哀求 (高中英语单词)
- longing [´lɔŋiŋ] n.&a.渴望(的) (高中英语单词)
- sweeping [´swi:piŋ] a.掠过的 n.扫除；清除 (高中英语单词)
- hearing [´hiəriŋ] n.听力；听证会；审讯 (高中英语单词)
- serpent [´sə:pənt] n.大毒蛇；阴险的人 (高中英语单词)
- goodly [´gudli] a.适意的；漂亮的 (高中英语单词)
- perfectly [´pə:fiktli] ad.理想地；完美地 (高中英语单词)
- tenderly [´tendəli] ad.娇嫩地；柔和地 (高中英语单词)
- mighty [´maiti] a.强有力的 ad.很 (高中英语单词)
- garland [´gɑ:lənd] n.花环 vt.给带花环 (高中英语单词)
- tidings [´taidiŋz] n.消息，音信 (高中英语单词)
- indoors [,in´dɔ:z] ad.在屋里 (高中英语单词)
- misfortune [mis´fɔ:tʃən] n.不幸；灾祸 (高中英语单词)
- bruise [bru:z] n.伤痕 v.打(碰)伤 (高中英语单词)
- ridiculous [ri´dikjuləs] a.荒谬的；可笑的 (高中英语单词)
- weasel [´wi:zəl] n.黄鼠狼；狡猾的人 (英语四级单词)
- mortar [´mɔ:tə] n.灰浆 vt.用灰浆涂抹 (英语四级单词)
- sanctuary [´sæŋktʃuəri] n.圣殿；寺院；避难所 (英语四级单词)
- vulgar [´vʌlgə] a.粗俗的；大众的 (英语四级单词)
- benevolent [bi´nevələnt] a.仁慈的；乐善好施的 (英语六级单词)
- purify [´pjuərifai] vt.净化；精炼；提纯 (英语六级单词)
- ointment [´ɔintmənt] n.软膏；药膏；油膏 (英语六级单词)
- garlic [´gɑ:lik] n.蒜，大蒜 (英语六级单词)
- applied [ə´plaid] a.实用的，应用的 (英语六级单词)
- deliverer [di´livərə] n.投递者；拯救者 (英语六级单词)
- fireside [´faiəsaid] n.炉边；家；家庭生活 (英语六级单词)
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章节正文
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