CLYTAEMNESTRA
Thou mayst do so, daughter; for of all the children I have born,

thou hast ever loved thy father best.
IPHIGENIA

I see thee, father, joyfully after a long season.
AGAMEMNON

And I thy father thee; thy words do equal duty for both of us.
IPHIGENIA

All hail, father! thou didst well in bringing me hither to thee.
AGAMEMNON

I know not how I am to say yes or no to that, my child.
IPHIGENIA

Ha! how wildly thou art looking, spite of thy joy at seeing me.
AGAMEMNON

A man has many cares when he is king and general too.
IPHIGENIA

Be mine, all mine to-day; turn not unto moody thoughts.
AGAMEMNON

Why so I am, all thine to-day; I have no other thought.
IPHIGENIA

Then smooth thy knitted brow, unbend and smile.
AGAMEMNON

Lo! my child, my joy at seeing thee is even as it is.
IPHIGENIA

And hast thou then the tear-drop streaming from thy eyes?
AGAMEMNON

Ave, for long is the absence from each other, that awalts us.
IPHIGENIA

I know not, dear father mine, I know not of what thou art
speaking.

AGAMEMNON
Thou art moving my pity all the more by speaking so sensibly.

IPHIGENIA
My words shall turn to senselessness, if that will cheer thee

more.
AGAMEMNON (Aside)

Ah, woe is me! this silence is too much. (To IPHIGENIA) Thou
hast my thanks.

IPHIGENIA
Stay with thy children at home, father.

AGAMEMNON
My own wish! but to my sorrow I may not humour it.

IPHIGENIA
Ruin seize their warring and the woes of Menelaus!

AGAMEMNON
First will that, which has been my life-long ruin, bring ruin unto

others.
IPHIGENIA

How long thou wert absent in the bays of Aulis!
AGAMEMNON

Aye, and there is still a hindrance to my sending the army
forward.

IPHIGENIA
Where do men say the Phrygians live, father?

AGAMEMNON
In a land where I would Paris, the son of Priam, ne'er had dwelt.

IPHIGENIA
'Tis a long voyage thou art bound on, father, after thou leavest

me.
AGAMEMNON

Thou wilt meet thy father again, my daughter.
IPHIGENIA

Ah! would it were seemly that thou shouldst take me as a
fellow-voyager!

AGAMEMNON
Thou too hast a voyage to make to a haven where thou wilt remember

thy father.
IPHIGENIA

Shall I sail thither with my mother or alone?
AGAMEMNON

All alone, without father or mother.
IPHIGENIA

What! hast thou found me a new home, father!
AGAMEMNON

Enough of this! 'tis not for girls to know such things.
IPHIGENIA

Speed home from Troy, I pray thee, father, as soon as thou hast
triumphed there.

AGAMEMNON
There is a sacrifice have first to offer here.

IPHIGENIA
Yea, 'tis thy duty to heed religion with aid of holy rites.

AGAMEMNON
Thou wilt witness it, for thou wilt be standing near the laver.

IPHIGENIA
Am I to lead the dance then round the altar, father?

AGAMEMNON (Aside)
I count thee happier than myself because thou knowest nothing. (To

IPHIGENIA) Go within into the presence of maidens, after thou hast
given me thy hand and one sad kiss, on the eve of thy lengthy

sojourn far from thy father's side.
Bosom, cheek, and golden hair! ah, how grievous ye have found

Helen and the Phrygians' city! I can no more; the tears come welling
to my eyes, the moment I touch thee.

Exit IPHIGENIA.
(Turning to CLYTAEMNESTRA) Herein I crave thy pardon, daughter

of Leda, if I showed excessive grief at the thought of resigning my
daughter to Achilles; for though we are sending her to taste of bliss,

still it wrings a parent's heart, when he, the father who has toiled
so hard for them, commits his children to the homes of strangers.

CLYTAEMNESTRA
I am not so void of sense; bethink thee, I shall go through this

as well, when I lead the maiden from the chamber to the sound of the
marriage-hymn; wherefore I chide thee not; but custom will combine

with time to make the smart grow less.
As touching him, to whom thou hast betrothed our daughter, I

know his name, 'tis true, but would fain learn his lineage and the
land of his birth.

AGAMEMNON
There was one Aegina, the daughter of Asopus.

CLYTAEMNESTRA
Who wedded her? some mortal or a god?

AGAMEMNON
Zeus, and she bare Aeacus, the prince of Cenone.

CLYTAEMNESTRA
What son of Aeacus secured his father's halls?

AGAMEMNON
Peleus, who wedded the daughter of Nereus.

CLYTAEMNESTRA
With the god's consent, or when he had taken her in spite of gods?

AGAMEMNON
Zeus betrothed her, and her guardian gave consent.

CLYTAEMNESTRA
Where did he marry her? amid the billows of the sea?

AGAMEMNON
In Chiron's home, at sacred Pelion's foot.

CLYTAEMNESTRA
What! the abode ascribed to the race of Centaurs?

AGAMEMNON
It was there the gods celebrated" target="_blank" title="a.著名的">celebrated the marriage feast of Peleus.

CLYTAEMNESTRA
Did Thetis or his father train Achilles?

AGAMEMNON
Chiron brought him up, to prevent his learning the ways of the

wicked.
CLYTAEMNESTRA

Ah wise the teacher, still wiser the father, who intrusted his son
to such hands.

AGAMEMNON
Such is the future husband of thy daughter.

CLYTAEMNESTRA
A blameless lord; but what city in Hellas is his?

AGAMEMNON
He dwells on the banks of the river Apidanus, in the borders of

Phthia.
CLYTAEMNESTRA

Wilt thou convey our daughter thither?
AGAMEMNON

He who takes her to himself will see to that.
CLYTAEMNESTRA

Happiness attend the pair! Which day will he marry her?
AGAMEMNON

As soon as the full moon comes to give its blessing.
CLYTAEMNESTRA

Hast thou already offered the goddess a sacrifice to usher in
the maiden's marriage?

AGAMEMNON
I am about to do so; that is the very thing I was engaged in.

CLYTAEMNESTRA
Wilt thou celebrate the marriage-feast thereafter?

AGAMEMNON
Yes, when I have offered a sacrifice required by Heaven of me.

CLYTAEMNESTRA
But where am I to make ready the feast for the women?

AGAMEMNON
Here beside our gallant Argive ships.

CLYTAEMNESTRA
Finely here! but still I must; good come of it for all that!

AGAMEMNON
I will tell thee, lady, what to do; so obey me now.

CLYTAEMNESTRA
Wherein? for I was ever wont to yield thee obedience.

AGAMEMNON
Here, where the bridegroom is, will!

CLYTAEMNESTRA
Which of my duties will ye perform in the mother's absence?

AGAMEMNON
Give thy child away with help of Danai.

CLYTAEMNESTRA
And where am I to be the while?

AGAMEMNON
Get thee to Argos, and take care of thy unwedded daughters.

CLYTAEMNESTRA
And leave my child? Then who will raise her bridal torch?

AGAMEMNON
I will provide the proper wedding torch.

CLYTAEMNESTRA
That is not the custom; but thou thinkest lightly of these things.

AGAMEMNON
It is not good thou shouldst be alone among a soldier-crowd.

CLYTAEMNESTRA
It is good that a mother should give her own child away.

AGAMEMNON
Aye, and that those maidens at home should not be left alone.

CLYTAEMNESTRA
They are in safe keeping, pent in their maiden-bowers.

AGAMEMNON
Obey.

CLYTAEMNESTRA
Nay, by the goddess-queen of Argos! go, manage matters out of

doors; but in the house it is my place to decide what is proper for

• hither [´hiðə] ad.到此处 (初中英语单词)
• absence [´æbsəns] n.不在，缺席；缺乏 (初中英语单词)
• humour [´hju:mə] n.幽默，诙谐 (初中英语单词)
• absent [´æbsənt, əb´sent] a.不在的 vt.使缺席 (初中英语单词)
• voyage [´vɔi-idʒ] n.&vi.航海；航程；旅行 (初中英语单词)
• thither [´ðiðə] ad.到那里 a.那边的 (初中英语单词)
• witness [´witnis] n.见证人 vt.目击 (初中英语单词)
• standing [´stændiŋ] n.持续 a.直立的 (初中英语单词)
• pardon [´pɑ:dən] n.&vt.原谅；饶恕；赦免 (初中英语单词)
• maiden [´meidn] n.少女 a.未婚的 (初中英语单词)
• prince [´prins] n.王子；亲王；君主 (初中英语单词)
• sacred [´seikrid] a.神圣的；庄严的 (初中英语单词)
• celebrated [´selibreitid] a.著名的 (初中英语单词)
• learning [´lə:niŋ] n.学习；学问；知识 (初中英语单词)
• convey [kən´vei] vt.运送；传达；转让 (初中英语单词)
• goddess [´gɔdis] n.女神 (初中英语单词)
• celebrate [´selibreit] vt.庆祝；表扬；赞美 (初中英语单词)
• gallant [´gælənt, gə´lænt] a.英勇的；华丽的 (初中英语单词)
• wedding [´wediŋ] n.婚礼，结婚 (初中英语单词)
• lightly [´laitli] ad.轻微地，稍微 (初中英语单词)
• seeing [si:iŋ] see的现在分词 n.视觉 (高中英语单词)
• excessive [ik´sesiv] a.过分的；极端的 (高中英语单词)
• chamber [´tʃeimbə] n.房间；议院；会议室 (高中英语单词)
• mortal [´mɔ:tl] a.致命的 n.凡人 (高中英语单词)
• guardian [´gɑ:diən] n.监护人；保护人 (高中英语单词)
• joyfully [´dʒɔifuli] ad.高兴地，快乐地 (英语四级单词)
• grievous [´gri:vəs] a.痛苦的；严重的 (英语四级单词)
• wherefore [´weəfɔ:] ad.为什么；因此 (英语四级单词)
• touching [´tʌtʃiŋ] a.动人的 prep.提到 (英语四级单词)
• wedded [´wedid] a.(已)结婚的；献身的 (英语四级单词)
• bridegroom [´braidgru:m] n.新郎 (英语四级单词)
• bridal [´braidl] a.&n.婚礼(的) (英语四级单词)
• speaking [´spi:kiŋ] n.说话 a.发言的 (英语六级单词)
• hindrance [´hindrəns] n.障碍，妨碍 (英语六级单词)
• herein [,hiər´in] ad.在此，鉴于 (英语六级单词)
• bethink [bi´θiŋk] vt.想起；思考 (英语六级单词)
• blameless [´bleimlis] a.无可责难的 (英语六级单词)