Odyssey 23.1-84 健康康朗的老女人

今天開始寫第23卷筆記，這卷主題是Odysseus和Penelope重逢，但我比較有興趣的是這位健康快樂的老女人。

終於，Odysseus和Penelope要相認了。這卷書，一開始出場的是輕鬆愉快的老奶媽，這老女人，笑聲盈盈，做事敏捷，走路快而有精神，真是好健康的老人。她快步跑到樓上，通知Penelope好消息：

http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0135%3Abook%3D23%3Acard%3D1

γρηῢς δ᾽ εἰς ὑπερῷ᾽ ἀνεβήσετο καγχαλόωσα,

δεσποίνῃ ἐρέουσα φίλον πόσιν ἔνδον ἐόντα:

γούνατα δ᾽ ἐρρώσαντο, πόδες δ᾽ ὑπερικταίνοντο.

στῆ δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ὑπὲρ κεφαλῆς καί μιν πρὸς μῦθον ἔειπεν:

‘ἔγρεο, Πηνελόπεια, φίλον τέκος, ὄφρα ἴδηαι

ὀφθαλμοῖσι τεοῖσι τά τ᾽ ἔλδεαι ἤματα πάντα.

ἦλθ᾽ Ὀδυσεὺς καὶ οἶκον ἱκάνεται, ὀψέ περ ἐλθών.

μνηστῆρας δ᾽ ἔκτεινεν ἀγήνορας, οἵ θ᾽ ἑὸν οἶκον

κήδεσκον καὶ κτήματ᾽ ἔδον βιόωντό τε παῖδα.

   (Odyssey 23. 1-9)

http://records.viu.ca/~johnstoi/homer/odyssey23.htm

Old Eurycleia went up to an upstairs room,

laughing to herself, to inform her mistress

her beloved husband was inside the house.

Her knees moved quickly as her feet hurried on.

She stood beside her lady’s head and spoke to her:

“Wake up, Penelope, my dear child,

so you yourself can see with your own eyes

what you’ve been wanting each and every day.

Odysseus has arrived. He may be late,

but he’s back in the house. And he’s killed

those arrogant suitors who upset this home,

used up his goods, and victimized his son.”

γραῦς old woman

καγχαλάω rejoice, exult

ῥώομαι move with speed

聽到老奶媽說Odysseus已回來，還殺死所有的高傲的追求者，Penelope質疑，不相信這是真的。還認為Odysseus逃不過厄運 (Κακοίλιος, evil, Odyssey 23.19)。老奶媽重頭開始解釋，說明Odysseus回來，她幫忙洗腳，還有她親眼目睹大廳屠殺後的場景，比喻血灘中的Odysseus，英勇如獅子；必再次說明目前家中已在用硫磺煙燻消毒 (Odyssey 23. 45-51)。

    Penelope再次警告老奶媽哀矜勿喜，雖然Odysseus平安歸來是大喜之事，但家中血光之災，絕非善事。話雖如此，我們看到的是Penelope的多慮不安，對比的是老奶媽單純快樂，直接表達情緒的泰然態度。