The 1)Odyssey of 2)Homer

 

 

For ten long years the Greeks had battled against the ³⁾Trojans. For ten long years the soaring towers of ⁴⁾Troy had ⁵⁾withstood their attacks. Then suddenly in a flash of flame and a splash of blood, the Trojan city had fallen to them at last. The Trojans had no warning of the attack. No time to gather together their soldiers. Greek warriors² appeared out of the night like ghosts.

    The next day, only the very old, the wounded and the women remained alive in the cruel dawn. To these lonely survivors³, it seemed impossible that only the night before they had believed the Trojan army had been granted victory. But there in the great square where they had celebrated⁴, the wooden horse still stood, huge and hollow.

     Now as smoke from the burning city rises into the morning air announcing their triumph to the world, one thing occupies the Greek soldiers gathering⁵ on the bay shore -- the thought of home. An end at last to their far away exile!

     The black-⁶⁾hulled ships that had carried them to Troy are quickly prepared for the return journey. Trojan treasure with wine and stores ⁷⁾looted from the city fill the hulls⁷ until they ⁸⁾groan⁸ with the burden. Victory ⁹⁾ribbons flutter from the masts. Fine Trojan 1⁰⁾armor lies ¹¹⁾heaped in the bows. For the last time they bend to work together ¹²⁾heaving ships off the sand and ¹³⁾gravel⁹ into the surf. Twelve ships ¹⁴)anchored just off the beach run out their ¹⁵⁾oars¹⁰ with a ¹⁶⁾rumble¹¹. The early morning sun casts shadow oars that ¹⁷⁾ripple¹² across the sandy sea bottom beneath their ¹⁸⁾keels. A shouted order floats over the water. The sailors are quiet, looking expectantly towards one ship.

     It edges clear of the others. In the stern is a ¹⁹⁾stocky man dressed in a simple white ²⁰⁾tunic¹³. A thin gold band rests lightly on his dark curly hair. The man is Odysseus, King of Ithaca, lord of Zanthe, hero of Troy. Eyes bright with cunning sweep over his little fleet. He nods in satisfaction. Everything is ready. The signal is given.

     Twelve broad sails ²¹⁾unfurl and ²²⁾belly¹⁴ in the breeze. Twelve ²³⁾cockerels painted on the sails puff¹⁵ in the wind and crow proudly. Slowly at first but picking up speed, the ships head seaward. Shouts of farewell from the shore are soon replaced by the ²⁴⁾rigging, creaking in the wind. The rhythm of the oars and the rush of white water curling past the bows. After one last look, the stocky figure with the circuit of gold turns his back on the ruined city and its ²⁵⁾plume¹⁶ of smoke to face the sea.CE

 

15、奥德赛

 

希腊人与特洛伊人的战争打了漫漫十年。漫漫十年来，特洛伊城高高耸立的城堡经受住了希腊人的袭击。然而转瞬火光血影间，特洛伊城还是落入了希腊人手中。特洛伊人事先没有收到任何袭击警报号，他们还没来得及召集士兵，希腊士兵就已如天兵般出现在夜色里。

第二天，在残酷的黎明中余生的仅剩下些年迈老者、伤员和妇女。这些寂寞的生还者觉得如此不可思议，因为仅在前天晚上，他们还相信特洛伊军队已经大获全胜。而如今在他们曾举行过庆祝的广场上，巨大的、空心的木马依然站立在那里。

烟雾从燃烧的城市上升，溶入早晨的空气，向全世界宣布着胜利的骄傲，与此同时战士们聚集在海滩上，满是归心似箭。离乡背井的日子终于结束了！

曾经搭载他们到特洛伊城去的黑船很快准备好了返程。从特洛伊城掠夺来的财宝和酒装满了船身，船儿在重压下呻吟着。胜利的彩旗在桅杆上飘扬，船头堆满了精良的特洛伊装甲。他们最后一次弯腰，齐心协力地把船从沙砾上拉到海中。随着隆隆声，停泊海滩上的十二艘大船齐桨而出。清晨的阳光洒出桨橹之影，船桨在船只龙骨底的海沙上划出旋涡。命令的吆喝声从水面上飘出去。水手们静静地心怀期待地朝一艘船张望。

那艘船与其它的船只分得很开。船尾上站着一名健壮的身着朴素白衫的男子。一条细箍金带轻轻地系在他卷曲的黑发上。这人正是奥德赛——以撒卡的国王、赞西的君主、特洛伊的英雄。他那双精明的锐眼扫视着小舰队。他满意地点了点头。一切准备就绪，信号发出了。

十二只船帆鼓起来，迎风招展。船帆上绘着的十二只小公鸡迎着风雄赳赳气昂昂，引颈高歌。刚开始船速缓慢，接着慢慢加速航向海洋。岸上道别的喊声很快代之以风中传来的帆缆声和吱嘎声。船桨的节奏声和白水急流旋绕过船头。头戴金圈的结实男子朝特洛伊再投以最后一眼，然后背过身来，后面的废城朝向海洋飘起一缕轻烟。CE

 

1) Odyssey¹⁷ [5Cdisi:] n.《奥德赛》荷马所作

2) Homer [5hEumEr] n. 古希腊作者，著有《奥德赛》

3) Trojan [5trEudVEn] n. 特洛伊人

4) Troy [trCi] n. 特洛伊（小亚细亚的古城）

5) withstand [wiT5stAnd] v. 抵挡，反抗；顶得住，经受住

6) hull⁶ [hQl] n. [海]壳；船壳，船体

7) loot [lu:t] v. 抢劫，掠夺

8) groan [grEun] v. 呻吟

9) ribbon [5ribEn] n. 缎，带

10)armor [5a:mEr] n.装甲，装甲兵

11) heap[hi:p] v. 堆积

12) heave [hi:v] n. [海]使（船）开动

13) gravel [5grAvEl] v. 使（船）搁浅在沙滩上

14) anchor [5ANkEr] v. 抛锚，锚定

15) oar¹ [C:r] n. 桨，橹

16) rumble [5rQmbl] n. 隆隆声

17) ripple [5ripl] v. 起波纹

18) keel [ki:l] n. 船的龙骨

19) stocky [5stCki] a. 健壮结实的

20) tunic [5tju:nik] n. 紧身短上衣

21) unfurl [Qn5fE:l] v. 使旗招展

22) belly [5beli] v. 涨满

23) cockerel [5kCkErEl] n. 小公鸡

24) rigging[5rigiN] n. 索具，装备

25) plume [plu:m] n. 羽状物

 

1 oar   

n.桨，橹，划手；v.划行

参考例句：

• The sailors oar slowly across the river.水手们慢慢地划过河去。
• The blade of the oar was bitten off by a shark.浆叶被一条鲨鱼咬掉了。

2 warriors   

武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I like reading the stories ofancient warriors. 我喜欢读有关古代武士的故事。
• The warriors speared the man to death. 武士们把那个男子戳死了。

3 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

4 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

5 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

6 hull   

n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳

参考例句：

• The outer surface of ship's hull is very hard.船体的外表面非常坚硬。
• The boat's hull has been staved in by the tremendous seas.小船壳让巨浪打穿了。

7 hulls   

船体( hull的名词复数 )； 船身； 外壳； 豆荚

参考例句：

• Hulls may be removed by aspiration on screens. 脱下的种皮，可由筛子上的气吸装置吸除。
• When their object is attained they fall off like empty hulls from the kernel. 当他们的目的达到以后，他们便凋谢零落，就象脱却果实的空壳一样。

8 groan   

vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音

参考例句：

• The wounded man uttered a groan.那个受伤的人发出呻吟。
• The people groan under the burden of taxes.人民在重税下痛苦呻吟。

9 gravel   

n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石

参考例句：

• We bought six bags of gravel for the garden path.我们购买了六袋碎石用来铺花园的小路。
• More gravel is needed to fill the hollow in the drive.需要更多的砾石来填平车道上的坑洼。

10 oars   

n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• He pulled as hard as he could on the oars. 他拼命地划桨。
• The sailors are bending to the oars. 水手们在拼命地划桨。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 rumble   

n.隆隆声；吵嚷；v.隆隆响；低沉地说

参考例句：

• I hear the rumble of thunder in the distance.我听到远处雷声隆隆。
• We could tell from the rumble of the thunder that rain was coming.我们根据雷的轰隆声可断定，天要下雨了。

12 ripple   

n.涟波，涟漪，波纹，粗钢梳；vt.使...起涟漪，使起波纹； vi.呈波浪状，起伏前进

参考例句：

• The pebble made a ripple on the surface of the lake.石子在湖面上激起一个涟漪。
• The small ripple split upon the beach.小小的涟漪卷来，碎在沙滩上。

13 tunic   

n.束腰外衣

参考例句：

• The light loose mantle was thrown over his tunic.一件轻质宽大的斗蓬披在上衣外面。
• Your tunic and hose match ill with that jewel,young man.你的外套和裤子跟你那首饰可不相称呢，年轻人。

14 belly   

n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛

参考例句：

• The boss has a large belly.老板大腹便便。
• His eyes are bigger than his belly.他眼馋肚饱。

15 puff   

n.一口(气)；一阵(风)；v.喷气，喘气

参考例句：

• He took a puff at his cigarette.他吸了一口香烟。
• They tried their best to puff the book they published.他们尽力吹捧他们出版的书。

16 plume   

n.羽毛；v.整理羽毛，骚首弄姿，用羽毛装饰

参考例句：

• Her hat was adorned with a plume.她帽子上饰着羽毛。
• He does not plume himself on these achievements.他并不因这些成就而自夸。

17 odyssey   

n.长途冒险旅行；一连串的冒险

参考例句：

• The march to Travnik was the final stretch of a 16-hour odyssey.去特拉夫尼克的这段路是长达16小时艰险旅行的最后一程。
• His odyssey of passion, friendship,love,and revenge was now finished.他的热情、友谊、爱情和复仇的漫长历程，到此结束了。