主題: 競賽與才能
吃吃喝喝，席間又有歌人吟唱史詩，Alcinous提議戶外運動，比一下拳擊、角力、跳遠和賽跑 (Odyssey 8.
97-103)。 接下來第104-198行，是戶外的競技場合，顯然Alcinous的三個兒子都有不錯的表現，他們先大展身手之後，要挑戰Odysseus，要他也參與競賽，只是，言語輕蔑，所以Odysseus機智地回應。下面引文就是Odysseus的回答，一段精彩的演說。一開場，Odysseus就說，老兄，所言差矣，你這就懵懂無知了。Odysseus的邏輯在於，老天給每個人的才能都不同，有些人俊美，有些人口才好，有些人心地善良，有些人聰明伶俐....。這觀點教我們要懂得欣賞與尊重每個人。
當然，Odysseus諷刺Euryalus的愚昧無知，真是有演不識泰山。殊不知人不可貌相，Odysseus雖歷經許多磨難，但是可是受過很好的體能訓練喔! 他拿起鐵餅，用力一丟，遠遠勝過前面的其他選手。看來，應該是世界紀錄保持者!
‘ξεῖν᾽, οὐ καλὸν ἔειπες: ἀτασθάλῳ ἀνδρὶ ἔοικας.
οὕτως οὐ πάντεσσι θεοὶ χαρίεντα διδοῦσιν
ἀνδράσιν, οὔτε φυὴν οὔτ᾽ ἂρ φρένας οὔτ᾽ ἀγορητύν.
ἄλλος μὲν γάρ τ᾽ εἶδος ἀκιδνότερος πέλει ἀνήρ,
ἀλλὰ θεὸς μορφὴν ἔπεσι στέφει, οἱ δέ τ᾽ ἐς αὐτὸν
τερπόμενοι λεύσσουσιν: ὁ δ᾽ ἀσφαλέως ἀγορεύει
αἰδοῖ μειλιχίῃ, μετὰ δὲ πρέπει ἀγρομένοισιν,
ἐρχόμενον δ᾽ ἀνὰ ἄστυ θεὸν ὣς εἰσορόωσιν.
ἄλλος δ᾽ αὖ εἶδος μὲν ἀλίγκιος ἀθανάτοισιν,
ἀλλ᾽ οὔ οἱ χάρις ἀμφιπεριστέφεται ἐπέεσσιν,
ὡς καὶ σοὶ εἶδος μὲν ἀριπρεπές, οὐδέ κεν ἄλλως
οὐδὲ θεὸς τεύξειε, νόον δ᾽ ἀποφώλιός ἐσσι.
ὤρινάς μοι θυμὸν ἐνὶ στήθεσσι φίλοισιν
εἰπὼν οὐ κατὰ κόσμον. ἐγὼ δ᾽ οὐ νῆις ἀέθλων,
ὡς σύ γε μυθεῖαι, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν πρώτοισιν ὀίω
ἔμμεναι, ὄφρ᾽ ἥβῃ τε πεποίθεα χερσί τ᾽ ἐμῇσι.
νῦν δ᾽ ἔχομαι κακότητι καὶ ἄλγεσι: πολλὰ γὰρ ἔτλην
ἀνδρῶν τε πτολέμους ἀλεγεινά τε κύματα πείρων.
ἀλλὰ καὶ ὥς, κακὰ πολλὰ παθών, πειρήσομ᾽ ἀέθλων:
θυμοδακὴς γὰρ μῦθος, ἐπώτρυνας δέ με εἰπών. (Odyssey 8. 165-185)
字彙
ἀτάσθαλος reckless, presumptuous, wicked
φυή growth, stature
φρήν midriff, mind, heart
ἀγορητύς eloquence
εἶδος that which is seen: form, shape
ἀκιδνός weak, feeble
μορφή form, shape
ἔπος word
στέφος crown, wreath, garland
ἀσφαλής not liable to fall, immovable, steadfast
“Stranger, what you’ve said is not so wise,
like a man whose foolishness is blinding him.
How true it is the gods do not present
their lovely gifts to all men equally,
not beauty, shape, or skill in speaking out.
One man’s appearance may not be attractive,
but a god will crown his words with beauty,
so men rejoice to look on him—he speaks
with confidence and yet sweet modesty,
and thus stands out among those in assembly,
and when he moves throughout the city,
they look at him as if he were a god.
And yet another man can be so beautiful,
he looks like an immortal, but his words
are empty of all grace. That’s how you are.
Your appearance is particularly handsome—
a god could hardly make that any finer—
but your mind is empty. Your rude speech
has stirred the spirit in my chest. For I
am not without skill in competition,
not the way you chat about. No. In fact,
when I relied upon my youth and strength,
I think I ranked among the very best.
Now I’m hurt and suffering, I’m holding back,
because I’ve gone through so much misery
in dealing with men’s wars and painful waves.
But still, though I have undergone so much,
I’ll test myself in these contests of yours.
For what you’ve said is gnawing at my heart—
that speech which you just made provokes me.”
以下圖片與資料出處: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discobolus
The Discobolus of Myron ("discus thrower", Greek: Δισκοβόλος,
Diskobólos) is a Greek sculpture that was completed towards the end of the
Severe period, circa 460-450 BC.
Roman bronze reduction of Myron's Discobolus, 2nd century AD (Glyptothek,
Munich).
沒有留言:
張貼留言