And does Achilles' son

Say this to me?
NEOPTOLEMUS

Why force me to repeat
My words so often to thee?

ULYSSES
Once to hear them

Is once indeed too much.
NEOPTOLEMUS

Doubt then no more,
For I have told thee all.

ULYSSES
There are, remember,

There are who may prevent thee.
NEOPTOLEMUS

Who shall dare
To thwart my purpose?

ULYSSES
All the Grecian host,

And with them, I.
NEOPTOLEMUS

Wise as thou art, Ulysses,
Thou talkst most idly.

ULYSSES
Wisdom is not thine

Either in word or deed.
NEOPTOLEMUS

Know, to be just
Is better far than to be wise.

ULYSSES
But where,

Where is the justice, thus unauthorized,
To give a treasure back thou ow'st to me,

And to my counsels?
NEOPTOLEMUS

I have done a wrong,
And I will try to make atonement for it.

ULYSSES
Dost thou not fear the power of Greece?

NEOPTOLEMUS
I fear

Nor Greece nor thee, when I am doing right.
ULYSSES

'Tis not with Troy then we contend. but thee-
NEOPTOLEMUS

I know not that.
ULYSSES

Seest thou this hand? behold,
It grasps my sword.

NEOPTOLEMUS
Mine is alike prepared,

Nor seeks delay.
ULYSSES

But I will let thee go;
Greece shall know all thy guilt, and shall revenge it.

(ULYSSES departs.)
NEOPTOLEMUS

'Twas well determined; always be as wise
As now thou art, and thou mayst live in safety.

(He approaches the cave and calls.)
Ho! son of Poeas! Philoctetes, leave

Thy rocky habitation, and come forth.
PHILOCTETES (from the cave)

What noise was that? Who calls on Philoctetes?
(He comes out.)

Alas! what would you, strangers? Are you come
To heap fresh miseries on me?

NEOPTOLEMUS
Be of comfort,

And bear the tidings which I bring.
PHILOCTETES

I dare not;
Thy flattering tongue hath betrayed me.

NEOPTOLEMUS
And is there then no room for penitence?

PHILOCTETES
Such were thy words, when, seemingly sincere,

Yet meaning ill, thou stolst my arms away.
NEOPTOLEMUS

But now it is not so. I only came
To know if thou art resolute to stay,

Or sail with us.
PHILOCTETES

No more of that; 'tis vain
And useless all.

NEOPTOLEMUS
Art thou then fixed?

PHILOCTETES
I am;

It is impossible to say how firmly.
NEOPTOLEMUS

I thought I could have moved thee, but I've done.
PHILOCTETES

'Tis well thou hast; thy labour had been vain;
For never could my soul esteem the man

Who robbed me of my dearest, best possession,
And now would have me listen to his counsels-

Unworthy offspring of the best of men!
Perish th' Atreidae! perish first Ulysses!

Perish thyself!
NEOPTOLEMUS

Withhold thy imprecations,
And take thy arrows back.

PHILOCTETES
A second time

Wouldst thou deceive me?
NEOPTOLEMUS

By th' almighty power
Of sacred Jove I swear.

PHILOCTETES
O joyful sound!

If thou sayst truly.
NEOPTOLEMUS

Let my actions speak.
Stretch forth thy hand, and take thy arms again.

(As NEOPTOLEMUS gives the bow and arrows
to PHILOCTETES, ULYSSES suddenly enters.)

ULYSSES
Witness ye gods! Here, in the name of Greece

And the Atreidae, I forbid it.
PHILOCTETES

Ha!
What voice is that? Ulysses'?

ULYSSES
Aye, 'tis I-

I who perforce will carry thee to Troy
Spite of Achilles' son.

PHILOCTETES
(He aims an arrow directly at ULYSSES.)

Not if I aim
This shaft aright.

NEOPTOLEMUS (laying hold of him)
Now, by the gods, I beg thee

Stop thy rash hand!
PHILOCTETES

Let go my arm.
NEOPTOLEMUS

I will not.
PHILOCTETES

Shall I not slay my enemy?
NEOPTOLEMUS

Oh, no!
'Twould cast dishonour on us both.

(ULYSSES hastily departs.)
PHILOCTETES

Thou knowst,
These Grecian chiefs are loud pretending boasters,

Brave but in tongue, and cowards in the field.
NEOPTOLEMUS

I know it; but remember, I restored
Thy arrows to thee, and thou hast no cause

For rage or for complaint against thy friend.
PHILOCTETES

I own thy goodness. Thou hast shown thyself
Worthy thy birth; no son of Sisyphus,

But of Achilles, who on earth preserved
A fame unspotted, and amongst the dead

Still shines superior, an illustrious shade.
NEOPTOLEMUS

Joyful I thank thee for a father's praise,
And for my own; but listen to my words,

And mark me well. Misfortunes, which the gods
Inflict on mortals, they perforce must bear:

But when, oppressed by voluntary woes,
They make themselves unhappy, they deserve not

Our pity or our pardon. Such art thou.
Thy savage soul, impatient of advice,

Rejects the wholesomecounsel of thy friend,
And treats him like a foe; but I will speak,

Jove be my witness! Therefore hear my words,
And grave them in thy heart. The dire disease

Thou long hast suffered is from angry heaven,
Which thus afflicts thee for thy rash approach

To the fell serpent, which on Chrysa's shore
Watched o'er the sacred treasures. Know beside,

That whilst the sun in yonder east shall rise,
Or in the west decline, distempered still

Thou ever shalt remain, unless to Troy
Thy willing mind transport thee. There the sons

Of Aesculapius shall restore thee- there
By my assistance shalt thou conquer Troy.

I know it well; for that prophetic sage,
The Trojan captive Helenus, foretold

It should be so. "Proud Troy (he added then)
This very year must fall; if not, my life

Shall answer for the falsehood." Therefore yield.
Thus to be deemed the first of Grecians, thus

By Poeas' favourite sons to be restored,
And thus marked out the conqueror of Troy,

Is sure distinguished happiness.
PHILOCTETES

O life!
Detested, why wilt thou still keep me here?

Why not dismiss me to the tomb! Alas!
What can I do? How can I disbelieve

My generous friend? I must consent, and yet
Can I do this, and look upon the sun?

Can I behold my friends- will they forgive,
Will they associate with me after this?

And you, ye heavenly orbs that roll around me,
How will ye bear to see me linked with those

• greece [gri:s] n.希腊 (初中英语单词)
• revenge [ri´vendʒ] vt.报复 n.报仇；报复 (初中英语单词)
• useless [´ju:sləs] a.无用的，无价值的 (初中英语单词)
• perish [´periʃ] v.灭亡；消灭；(使)死去 (初中英语单词)
• deceive [di´si:v] vt.欺骗，欺诈 (初中英语单词)
• sacred [´seikrid] a.神圣的；庄严的 (初中英语单词)
• forbid [fə´bid] vt.禁止，不许，阻止 (初中英语单词)
• hastily [´heistili] ad.急速地；草率地 (初中英语单词)
• complaint [kəm´pleint] n.抱怨；叫屈 (初中英语单词)
• goodness [´gudnis] n.优良；美德；精华 (初中英语单词)
• unhappy [ʌn´hæpi] a.不幸的；不快乐的 (初中英语单词)
• deserve [di´zə:v] v.应受；值得 (初中英语单词)
• pardon [´pɑ:dən] n.&vt.原谅；饶恕；赦免 (初中英语单词)
• savage [´sævidʒ] a.野蛮的 n.蛮人 (初中英语单词)
• counsel [´kaunsəl] n.商议；劝告；律师 (初中英语单词)
• therefore [´ðeəfɔ:] ad.&conj.因此；所以 (初中英语单词)
• willing [´wiliŋ] a.情愿的，乐意的 (初中英语单词)
• transport [træn´spɔ:t] n.运输；流放 (初中英语单词)
• restore [ri´stɔ:] vt.(使)恢复；修复 (初中英语单词)
• assistance [ə´sistəns] n.协作；援助；帮助 (初中英语单词)
• conquer [´kɔŋkə] v.征服；克服；抑制 (初中英语单词)
• captive [´kæptiv] n.俘虏；捕获物 (初中英语单词)
• dismiss [dis´mis] vt.解散；下课；解雇 (初中英语单词)
• generous [´dʒenərəs] a.慷慨的；丰盛的 (初中英语单词)
• associate [ə´səuʃieit] v.联合a.同伴的n.伙伴 (初中英语单词)
• contend [kən´tend] v.竞争；斗争；争论 (高中英语单词)
• tidings [´taidiŋz] n.消息，音信 (高中英语单词)
• flattering [´flætəriŋ] a.谄媚的；奉承的 (高中英语单词)
• esteem [i´sti:m] n.尊重 vt.认为；感到 (高中英语单词)
• joyful [´dʒɔifəl] a.高兴的，充满快乐的 (高中英语单词)
• amongst [ə´mʌŋst] prep.其中之一 =among (高中英语单词)
• illustrious [i´lʌstriəs] a.杰出的，显赫的 (高中英语单词)
• impatient [im´peiʃənt] a.不耐烦的，急躁的 (高中英语单词)
• wholesome [´həulsəm] a.有益于健康的 (高中英语单词)
• serpent [´sə:pənt] n.大毒蛇；阴险的人 (高中英语单词)
• whilst [wailst] conj.当...时候；虽然 (高中英语单词)
• conqueror [´kɔŋkərə] n.征服者，胜利者 (高中英语单词)
• distinguished [di´stiŋgwiʃt] a.卓越的，著名的 (高中英语单词)
• heavenly [´hevənli] a.天的，天空的 (高中英语单词)
• thwart [θwɔ:t] vt.阻挠 a.横(断的) (英语四级单词)
• habitation [,hæbi´teiʃən] n.居住；住所 (英语四级单词)
• seemingly [´si:miŋli] ad.表面上；似乎 (英语四级单词)
• resolute [´rezəlu:t] a.坚决的；不屈不挠的 (英语四级单词)
• almighty [ɔ:l´maiti] a.万能的；全能的 (英语四级单词)
• voluntary [´vɔləntəri] a.自愿的；义务的 (英语四级单词)
• grecian [´gri:ʃən] a.古希腊的 n.希腊人 (英语六级单词)
• prophetic [prə´fetik] a.预言(家)的；预示的 (英语六级单词)