登陆注册
38553300000028

第28章 BOOK VI.(2)

"Alas," said he to himself, "what kind of people have I come amongst? Are they cruel, savage, and uncivilized, or hospitable and humane? I seem to hear the voices of young women, and they sound like those of the nymphs that haunt mountain tops, or springs of rivers and meadows of green grass. At any rate I am among a race of men and women. Let me try if I cannot manage to get a look at them."As he said this he crept from under his bush, and broke off a bough covered with thick leaves to hide his nakedness. He looked like some lion of the wilderness that stalks about exulting in his strength and defying both wind and rain; his eyes glare as he prowls in quest of oxen, sheep, or deer, for he is famished, and will dare break even into a well-fenced homestead, trying to get at the sheep-even such did Ulysses seem to the young women, as he drew near to them all naked as he was, for he was in great want. On seeing one so unkempt and so begrimed with salt water, the others scampered off along the spits that jutted out into the sea, but the daughter of Alcinous stood firm, for Minerva put courage into her heart and took away all fear from her. She stood right in front of Ulysses, and he doubted whether he should go up to her, throw himself at her feet, and embrace her knees as a suppliant, or stay where he was and entreat her to give him some clothes and show him the way to the town. In the end he deemed it best to entreat her from a distance in case the girl should take offence at his coming near enough to clasp her knees, so he addressed her in honeyed and persuasive language.

"O queen," he said, "I implore your aid- but tell me, are you a goddess or are you a mortal woman? If you are a goddess and dwell in heaven, I can only conjecture that you are Jove's daughter Diana, for your face and figure resemble none but hers; if on the other hand you are a mortal and live on earth, thrice happy are your father and mother- thrice happy, too, are your brothers and sisters;how proud and delighted they must feel when they see so fair a scion as yourself going out to a dance; most happy, however, of all will he be whose wedding gifts have been the richest, and who takes you to his own home. I never yet saw any one so beautiful, neither man nor woman, and am lost in admiration as I behold you. I can only compare you to a young palm tree which I saw when I was at Delos growing near the altar of Apollo- for I was there, too, with much people after me, when I was on that journey which has been the source of all my troubles. Never yet did such a young plant shoot out of the ground as that was, and I admired and wondered at it exactly as I now admire and wonder at yourself. I dare not clasp your knees, but I am in great distress; yesterday made the twentieth day that I had been tossing about upon the sea. The winds and waves have taken me all the way from the Ogygian island, and now fate has flung me upon this coast that I may endure still further suffering; for I do not think that I have yet come to the end of it, but rather that heaven has still much evil in store for me.

同类推荐
  • 紫金光耀大仙修真演义

    紫金光耀大仙修真演义

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 净名经关中释抄

    净名经关中释抄

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 关尹子

    关尹子

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 高僧法显传

    高僧法显传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 帝京景物略

    帝京景物略

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 嘘!禁止勾搭:养成一个小萌妻

    嘘!禁止勾搭:养成一个小萌妻

    怎么养成一个小萌妻?答案就是宠她宠她再宠她,必要时狠狠宠她!六岁的她呆萌可爱,九岁的他智多近妖。第一次见面,她被他的容貌惊呆,说了一句傻话,却不想,从此就被他盯上了。她是吃货,他做得一手好菜。她生病难过,他寸步不离贴身照顾。她不小心惹祸,他张开羽翼护她周全。她收到情书,他雷厉风行将烂桃花连根拔起!然而有一天,他却牵着别的女孩的手,走进了婚礼殿堂。她失魂落魄跌落水中,一场高烧,从此忘记了有关他的一切。“韩小萌!”“你谁啊?”“要跟你领结婚证的人!”“神经病!”然后,她被某个神经病扛回了家……
  • 太玄仙踪

    太玄仙踪

    大道之初,仙道之始!成仙问道,太玄寻踪!
  • 至上神

    至上神

    “吾不管苍生,只要你活着。吾不要天下,只愿得你一人。倘若这便是天命,吾便逆天而行,你的命,由我。而不由你,更不由天…………”
  • 高手来了

    高手来了

    一夜之间,他由高高在上的大少爷沦为随手可捏的亡命之徒。是福是祸?他失去了至高的地位,却得到了不曾有过的友情爱情。原来是福祸两相依。失去的,即便不想理会却必须亲手夺回来,他别无选择,能力越大责任越大。过五关斩六将。一切一切,都只因他参加武者交流大赛而拉开了帷幕。。。。。。高手来了!!
  • 堡主情人,不好当

    堡主情人,不好当

    什么叫她姑奶奶,也不怕说出来闪到舌头。自己要是早点娶妻的话,孩子都有她这么大了。厚了,给她三分颜色,她到好开起染坊来了。想想自己是个三十有三的大男人了,叫个十七八岁的小女娃姑奶奶成何体统。
  • 后西游记

    后西游记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 勋鹿之初夏

    勋鹿之初夏

    他从来不相信一见钟情这种事,可是这种事却偏偏发生在了他的身上。堂堂总裁一见钟情的居然是一个小职员,况且还是一个男的。某男:“我不是同性恋啊,你走开”!!某总裁:“没事,我可以把你扳弯的嘛,于是之后某总裁便展开了一系列的追“妻”之旅……
  • 善恶大帝

    善恶大帝

    何为善?何为恶?善可为恶,恶也可为善。俩者的界限并不清晰:没有绝对的善也没有绝对的恶。当善恶共存一身,身怀饕餮血脉,肩抗人类复兴的巨大使命,父是人,母为妖,到底该如何选择?是灭尽妖族?还是灭尽人类?又或是让俩者继续保持平衡?
  • 忘九州

    忘九州

    听,风起的声音。在浩瀚的九州大陆掀起一波又一波的巨浪。何处是归途,何处是他乡?九州大陆里的莫名哀伤,浩瀚大海里美人鱼的歌声,正独自酝酿着另一抹芳香。
  • 一纸烟梦

    一纸烟梦

    是梦是幻?少年离陌离奇流落玄天大陆,一介平凡之身,毫无天赋,他能否逆天改命,创造出属于自己的武道巅峰呢?