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第18章 SisyphussStone

西绪福斯的石头

Sisyphus,sonofAeolus,marriedAtlassdaughterMerope,oneofthePleiades,andownedafineherdofcattleontheIsthmusofCorinth.埃俄罗斯的儿子西绪福斯娶了阿特拉斯之女普勒阿得斯姊妹中的墨洛珀为妻。他在科林斯地峡那里拥有一群良种牛。

NearhimlivedAutolycus,whowasapastmasterintheft,Hermeshavinggivenhimthepowerofmetamorphosingwhateverbeastshestole,fromhornedtounhorned,orfromblacktowhite,andcontrariwise.Thus,althoughSisyphusnoticedthathisownherdsgrewsteadilysmaller,whilethoseofAutolycusincreased,hewasunableatfirsttoconvictconvictvt.证明……有罪,宣告……有罪n.罪犯himoftheft;andtherefore,oneday,engravedtheinsideofallhiscattleshooveswiththemonogramSS.ThatnightAutolycushelpedhimselfasusual,andatdawnhoofprintsalongtheroadprovidedSisyphuswithsufficientevidencetosummonneighboursinwitnessofthetheft.HevisitedAutolycussstable,recognizedhisstolenbeastsbytheirmarkedhoovesand,leavinghiswitnessestoremonstrateremonstratev.抗议withthethief,hurriedaroundthehouse,enteredbytheportalportaln.入口,andwhiletheargumentwasinprogressoutsideseducedAutolycussdaughterAnticleia,whoborehimOdysseus.

他家附近住着奥托吕科斯,这家伙从前是个精明的窃贼,因为海尔墨斯给他神力,使他可以把任何偷来的野兽改头换面,无角的变成有角的,黑的变成白的,也可以倒过来使白变黑,有角使无。因此,虽然西绪福斯发现自己的牛群数目越来越少,而奥托吕科斯的越来越多,但他一时无法定他犯有偷盗之罪。于是,有一天,他在所有的牛蹄里边都刻上他姓名的首字母“SS”。那天夜里,奥托吕科斯又像往常一样进行偷窃。天亮时,路上的蹄印使西绪福斯有足够的证据召集邻居来亲眼抓贼。他进入奥托吕科斯的牛圈,凭带记号的蹄子把被偷走的畜生一一认了出来。他让证人去规劝那个窃贼,自己却匆匆绕到房前,从正门入屋,乘外边的人还在争论的时候,诱骗了奥托吕科斯的女儿安提克勒亚。她为他生了奥德修斯。

AfterZeussabductionabductionn.诱拐,诱导ofAegina,herfathertheRivergodAsopuscametoCorinthinsearchofher.SisyphusknewwellwhathadhappenedtoAeginabutwouldnotrevealanythingunlessAsopusundertooktosupplythecitadelcitadeln.根据地,大本营ofCorinthwithaperennialspring.AsopusaccordinglymadethespringPeirenerisebehindAphroditestemple.ThenSisyphustoldhimallheknew.

宙斯拐走埃伊纳以后,她的父亲河神阿索波斯到科林斯来寻找她。西绪福斯对埃伊纳的情况知道得一清二楚,但他不肯告诉阿索波斯,除非阿索波斯肯为科林斯城堡提供一条四季不断的常流河。阿索波斯接受这一条件,使珀瑞倪泉在阿芙罗狄蒂庙后涌出地面。于是,西绪福斯便把他所知道的一切和盘托出。Zeus,whohadnarrowlyescapedAsopussvengeancevengeancen.复仇,报仇,orderedhisbrotherHadestofetchSisyphusdowntoTartarusandpunishhimeverlastinglyforhisbetrayalofdivinesecrets.YetSisyphuswouldnotbedaunted.hecunninglycunninglyadv.狡猾地,巧妙地putHadeshimselfinhandcuffsbypersuadinghimtodemonstratetheiruse,andthenquicklylockingthem.ThusHadeswaskeptaprisonerinSisyphusshouseforsomedays—animpossiblesituation,becausenobodycoulddie,evenmenwhohadbeenbeheadedorcutinpieces.untilatlastAres,whoseinterestswerethreatened,camehurryingup,sethimfree,anddeliveredSisyphusintohisclutches.宙斯侥幸躲过了阿索波斯的报复,命令兄弟哈得斯把西绪福斯永远拘到塔耳洛斯,惩罚他出卖神祗的秘密。然而,西绪福斯毫不畏缩。他哄骗哈得斯给他表演手铐的用法,狡猾地给哈得斯戴上了手铐,并马上上锁。于是,哈得斯被关在西绪福斯的家里,当了几天囚徒——这造成了不可收拾的局面,因为没有人能死去,连砍掉脑袋,切成碎块的人都死不了。最后,阿瑞斯因自己的利益受到威胁,匆匆赶来,释放了哈得斯,并把西绪福斯捉拿归案,交哈得斯处理。Sisyphus,however,keptanothertrickinreserve.BeforedescendingtoTartarus,heinstructedhiswifeMeropenottoburyhim.and,onreachingthePalaceofHadeswentstraighttoPersephone,andtoldherthat,asanunburiedperson,hehadnorighttobetherebutshouldhavebeenleftonthefarsideoftheriverStyx.“Letmereturntotheupperworld,”hepleaded,“arrangeformyburial,andavengetheneglectshownme.Iwillbebackwithinthreedays.”Persephonewasdeceivedandgrantedhisrequest,butassoonasSisyphusfondhimselfonceagainunderthelightofthesun,herepudiatedhispromisetoPersephone.Finally,Hermeswascalledupontohalehimbackbyforce.可是,西绪福斯还留得一手。他在下塔耳塔洛斯以前,指示妻子墨洛珀不要埋他。他到哈得斯的宫殿以后径直去见珀耳塞福涅,告诉她,作为一个未被埋葬的人,他无权待在冥国,而应留在斯堤克斯河彼岸。“让我回到上界,”他恳求道,“安排好我的葬事,惩治怠慢我的人。三天之内我就回来。”珀耳塞福涅上当受骗,答应了他的请求。西绪福斯一旦回到阳界,就推翻对珀耳塞福涅的诺言。最后,出动了海尔墨斯才把他用武力硬拖回阴间。ItmayhavebeenbecausehehadbetrayedZeusssecret,orbecausehehadalwayslivedbyrobberyrobberyn.抢掠,抢夺andoftenmurderedunsuspectingtravellers.atanyrate,Sisyphuswasgivenanexemplarypunishment.

也许因为他泄露了宙斯的秘密,也许因为他一直靠掠夺为生,常常杀害不抱戒心的过往行人,总之,西绪福斯受到了起杀一儆百作用的惩罚。

TheJudgesoftheDeadshowedhimahugeblockofstoneandorderedhimtorollitupthebrowofahillandtoppleitdownthefartherslopeslopen.斜坡,斜面,倾斜v.(使)顺斜。Hehasneveryetsucceededindoingso.Assoonashehasalmostreachedthesummit,heisforcedbackbytheweightoftheshamelessstone,whichbouncestotheverybottomoncemore.wherehewearilywearilyadv.疲倦地,无聊地retrievesitandmustbeginalloveragain.

阴间法官们指给他看一块巨石,命令他把石头推到山顶,推出另一边的斜坡。他至今未能做到这一点。他快推到山顶时,石头的重量迫使他后退,而巨石再一次蹦到山底。他疲惫不堪地在山脚找到石头,又要从头推起。