2014年5月23日 星期五

Odyssey 18. 158-205 雅典娜出手相助

日期: 20145 23
Odyssey 18. 158-205


ἀχρεῖον δ᾽ ἐγέλασσεν ἔπος τ᾽ ἔφατ᾽ ἔκ τ᾽ ὀνόμαζεν:
‘Εὐρυνόμη, θυμός μοι ἐέλδεται, οὔ τι πάρος γε,
μνηστήρεσσι φανῆναι, ἀπεχθομένοισί περ ἔμπης:
παιδὶ δέ κεν εἴποιμι ἔπος, τό κε κέρδιον εἴη,
μὴ πάντα μνηστῆρσιν ὑπερφιάλοισιν ὁμιλεῖν,
οἵ τ᾽ εὖ μὲν βάζουσι, κακῶς δ᾽ ὄπιθεν φρονέουσι.
(Odyssey 18.163-168)

With an unnatural laugh she spoke out and said:
                    “Eurynome, though my heart
was never keen before to show myself  
to these suitors, it is so now, disgraceful
though they are. And I’ve got words to say
to my own son—it would be better for him
not to mingle with those arrogant suitors.
They may say nice things, but they’re making plans
for nasty schemes in future.” (Odyssey 18.163-168)

女主角Penelope又出場,在雅典娜相助下,Penelope莊重又美麗大方,在場的Odysseus, Telemachus,和眾追求者都欣賞與崇拜不已。Penelope笑一下,這笑是不自然,不合宜,沒用的(ἀχρεῖος,useless, unprofitable,pointless),是苦笑?還是因為內心有個好點子,所以偷笑? 無端端一笑,尷尬一笑。總之,她有一個念頭,對著奶媽Eurynome說,為了Telemachus,她打算出面解決問題。Telemachus成天和這群人相處,一來,這些人品行不好,會有負面影響;二來,這些人心裡籌謀害Telemachus,Penelope也擔心。

Eurynome的反應也值得深思,她認為如果Penelope要出去大廳,得先沐浴,抹香膏,打扮打扮,因為長期的憂傷流淚,此刻的Penelope 顯然有點不成人形。此外,奶媽建議Penelope可以向眾神祈禱,希望Telemachus有成熟大人的心智。可惜,家裡的神像似乎被這群不速之客催毀,而此刻Penelope也無心打扮。

雅典娜馬上出手相助,幫Penelope 紓壓,安靜睡下,還用瓊漿玉液(ambrosia)洗抹Penelope的臉頰,身體頓時豐滿,牙齒潔白。總之,這真是睡眠的神奇效果!


雅典娜是智慧女神,聰明的她點出一個重點:越是憂傷,越是愁煩,越需要安靜歇息。

雅典娜通知 Penelope....Telemachus回來了


Odyssey 18. 117-157 Odysseus警告Amphinomus

日期: 20145 21
Odyssey 18. 117-157

οὐ μὲν γάρ ποτέ φησι κακὸν πείσεσθαι ὀπίσσω,
ὄφρ᾽ ἀρετὴν παρέχωσι θεοὶ καὶ γούνατ᾽ ὀρώρῃ:
ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε δὴ καὶ λυγρὰ θεοὶ μάκαρες τελέσωσι,
καὶ τὰ φέρει ἀεκαζόμενος τετληότι θυμῷ:
τοῖος γὰρ νόος ἐστὶν ἐπιχθονίων ἀνθρώπων
οἷον ἐπ᾽ ἦμαρ ἄγησι πατὴρ ἀνδρῶν τε θεῶν τε.
καὶ γὰρ ἐγώ ποτ᾽ ἔμελλον ἐν ἀνδράσιν ὄλβιος εἶναι,
πολλὰ δ᾽ ἀτάσθαλ᾽ ἔρεξα βίῃ καὶ κάρτεϊ εἴκων,
πατρί τ᾽ ἐμῷ πίσυνος καὶ ἐμοῖσι κασιγνήτοισι.  (Odyssey 18.132-140)

He thinks he’ll never suffer any harm  
in days to come, as long as gods provide
prosperity and his knees stay supple.
But when blessed gods bring on misfortunes,
he bears those, too, though much against his will.
The father of gods and men brings men the days
which shape the spirit of earth’s inhabitants.
Among men I was set to be successful, too,
but, yielding to my strength and power,
I did many reckless things. I trusted
my father and my family. So no man
should ever practise any lawlessness. (Odyssey 18.132-140)

打敗那個年輕的乞丐Irus,老乞丐Odysseus內心還是有點喜悅,還好,為了大局,他先掩飾一下。這時,Antinous給他一塊肉,Amphinomus也給他麵包,舉杯祝賀,並鼓勵Odysseus,雖然現在難熬,但相信有一天時來運轉,他會有機會改善目前的狀況。

Odysseus看眼前這位追求者比較也禮貌,想給他一些警告,在此發表一段演說,也是他的人生哲學。萬物生靈中,人類最可悲,因為他們總以為災難不會發生在自己身上,以為自己可以永遠擁有成功(prosperity,ἀρετὴν),殊不知大難早已臨頭。希臘文ἀρετή 是goodness, excellence,prowess, prosperity, success等概念的總稱,有點類似Simone Weil談的「力」,或是基督教文化中談的「禮物」,一般人口中說的「才」,這些都是老天爺賦予每一個人的,但是,來自上天的禮物,也隨時會被取回。

說白一點,Odysseus認為眼前這些追求者的荒誕不經,自大狂妄一定會遭到報應,所以勸Amphinomus最遠離此地,遠離他們。


說完後,Odysseus舉杯敬酒,Amphinomus獨自思量,心中已有不祥之感。可惜,雖然當初他阻止Antinous殺Telemachus,史詩在此預告Amphinomus最後死在Telemachus手中,又會開啟另一惡的循環。

維基百科介紹: Amphinomus
In Greek mythology, Amphinomus, also Amphínomos (Ἀμφίνομος; literally "grazing all about"), was the son of King Nisos and one of the suitors of Penelope that was killed by Telemachus. Amphinomus was considered the best-behaved of the suitors. Despite Odysseus's warning, he was compelled by Athena to stay, as he had been a suitor nonetheless. He was killed by a spear thrown by Telemachus during the murder of the suitors; ironically, Amphinomous had twice tried to dissuade the suitors from killing him. In other books Amphinomus heeds Odysseus' warning when he has a vision that the halls were filled with blood. He ran just in time out of the hallway before the slaughtering of the suitors begin.