11 The Hero Comes Home

CHAPTER 11 The Hero Comes Home Athena turned Odysseus back into a beggar because Eumaeus was bound to return soon. Telemachus stood to leave Eumaeus's hut. Odysseus had told him all he needed for the revenge plot. It was time Telemachus finally went home. "I must show myself to Mother," Telemachus explained. "She must be worried sick. She will not believe I am safe until she has seen me with her own eyes." Telemachus made his way home. When he

雅典娜又把奥德修斯变成了一个乞丐，因为欧墨俄斯很快就要回来了。 忒勒马科斯站起来要离开欧迈乌斯的小屋。 奥德修斯已经告诉了他复仇计划所需的一切。 忒勒马科斯终于该回家了。 忒勒马科斯解释说：“我一定要去见妈妈。” “她一定担心得要命。 除非她亲眼看到我，否则她不会相信我是安全的。” 忒勒马科斯回家了。 当他

arrived, the old family nurse was the first to spot him. She cried happy tears and shouted for joy. All the other maids came running. So did his mother, Penelope. When Penelope saw him, she cried hardest of all. "Telemachus! The light of my eyes and beat of my heart!" she said to him, smiling through her tears. "I thought I was never going to see you again." Then her mood suddenly changed. She stopped hugging him. "Bad boy!" she scolded. "How could you go off without asking my permission?" But then she softened again and hugged him. "My sweet, wonderful boy—you are back!" When the suitors saw Telemachus again, they greeted him politely. But this was absolutely false. They wanted to kill him, and Penelope knew it.

到了以后，家里的老护士第一个认出了他。 她流下了幸福的眼泪，高兴地喊着。 所有的女仆都跑过来了。 他的母亲佩内洛普也是如此。 当佩内洛普看到他时，她哭得最厉害。 “忒勒马科斯!我眼中的光和我内心的跳动！”她对他说，泪流满面。 “我以为我再也见不到你了。” 然后她的情绪突然变了。 她不再拥抱他。“坏孩子！” “你怎么能不征求我的同意就走呢？”但随后她又软化了，拥抱了他。 “我可爱的、了不起的孩子——你回来了！”当追求者再次见到忒勒马科斯时，他们礼貌地向他打招呼。 但这是绝对错误的。 他们想杀了他，佩内洛普知道。

Telemachus ignored the men and went to the dining room to celebrate his return. Some of Telemachus's old friends were invited to feast with him. They had a lovely time, eating and drinking. Telemachus was happy to be home. He didn't realize how much he had missed his mother. This reminded Telemachus he hadn't seen her since the afternoon. He decided to go look for her. Penelope was lying in her usual place, her couch upstairs. She was crying for her missing husband. "Oh, my son," she said. "I am sorry if I seem ungrateful. I am truly so glad to have you back! But you have said nothing about your father. Did you not find him? I can only assume that he is dead." Telemachus did not want to see his mother suffer. But she could not know that Odysseus was alive. He had instructed Telemachus not

忒勒马科斯不理会这些人，自己去餐厅庆祝自己的归来。 忒勒马科斯的一些老朋友应邀赴宴。 他们又吃又喝，玩得很开心。 忒勒马科斯很高兴回到了家。 他没有意识到他是多么想念他的母亲。 这使忒勒马科斯想起他从下午起就没见过她。 他决定去找她。 佩内洛普躺在她平时的地方，楼上的沙发上。 她在为失踪的丈夫哭泣。 “哦，我的儿子，”她说。“如果我显得忘恩负义，我很抱歉。 你回来了，我真的很高兴！但你对你父亲只字未提。 你没找到他吗？我只能假设他已经死了。” 忒勒马科斯不想看到他的母亲受苦。 但她不可能知道奥德修斯还活着。 他嘱咐忒勒马科斯不要这样做

to say a word about his return. "Mother," he said, "all I can tell you is this: I heard that the old man of the sea saw Father on an island. He was in the cave of the goddess Calypso. She was keeping him prisoner, but he was alive. "And I have a good feeling that Father has escaped that cave. The gods are on our side, as they have been in the past." Penelope was slightly calmed by her son's words. Meanwhile, the suitors were downstairs getting ready for another feast. They had just ordered some of Odysseus's best sheep and cows for their meal. The suitors' favorite servant was at the edge of Odysseus's property. He was driving the animals down toward the house. Eumaeus and a disguised Odysseus saw him. The three men met in the meadow. "Eumaeus," the servant said rudely, "who is

对他的归来只字不提。 “妈妈，”他说，“我所能告诉你的就是：我听说海老人在一个岛上看到了爸爸。 他在女神卡利普索的洞穴里。 她囚禁了他，但他还活着。 “我有一种很好的感觉，父亲已经逃出了那个山洞。 诸神一如既往地站在我们这边。” 佩内洛普听了儿子的话，稍微平静了一些。 与此同时，求婚者们正在楼下准备另一场盛宴。 他们刚刚订购了一些奥德修斯最好的羊和牛作为他们的晚餐。 这位求婚者最喜欢的仆人站在奥德修斯领地的边缘。 他赶着动物们往房子那边赶。 欧迈厄斯和乔装打扮的奥德修斯看见了他。 这三个人在草地上相遇了。 “尤迈乌斯，”仆人粗鲁地说，“是谁？

this dusty old beggar with you—one of your pigs? Go away! Don't disturb the suitors during their feast." The servant passed Odysseus and kicked him. But Odysseus stood firm. He didn't fall down like an old, fragile beggar would have. The servant snickered at him. Odysseus controlled his temper. It was not yet time. Eumaeus and Odysseus made their way to the gate of the house. They paused there. Some music had just started to play. Eumaeus led the way into the courtyard. The suitors were gathered there. Odysseus followed, looking like a miserable old beggar. He leaned on his cane. His clothes were dirty and in rags. Odysseus wandered slowly among the suitors. Nobody recognized him. He stretched out his hands and begged them for food. Odysseus stopped in front of one of the

这个满身灰尘的老乞丐跟你在一起，是你的猪吗？ 走开!不要打扰那些追求者的盛宴。” 仆人从奥德修斯身边走过，踢了他一脚。 但奥德修斯立场坚定。他不像一个脆弱的老乞丐那样倒在地上。 仆人对他窃笑。 奥德修斯控制住了自己的脾气。 时间还没到。欧迈厄斯和奥德修斯向屋门走去。 他们在那里停了下来。音乐刚刚开始响起。 尤迈乌斯带路进了院子。 求婚者们都聚集在那里。 奥德修斯跟在后面，看上去像个可怜的老乞丐。 他拄着手杖。他的衣服又脏又破。 奥德修斯慢慢地在追求者中间徘徊。 没有人认出他来。他伸出双手向他们乞求食物。 奥德修斯停在其中一个

bigger suitors. "Sir," he said. "You appear to be a leader among these men. Are you also the most generous? I was once a rich man, too. I used to give to many a beggar, but now I am one." The suitor scowled. He wrinkled his nose as if Odysseus smelled bad. He said, "Go away, you disgusting man, before you make us lose our appetites." Odysseus stood up straight. "Your looks, sir, are much better than your manners," he said. "I know that the bread you are eating is not even your own. You are worse than a beggar—you are a thief!" The suitor burned with anger. He picked up a footstool and threw it at Odysseus, hitting his shoulder. Telemachus rose quickly to defend his father. But Odysseus stood firm. He signaled to Telemachus that he must also hold his temper— for now.

大的追求者。“先生，”他说。 “你似乎是这些人中的一个领袖。 你也是最慷慨的吗？ 我也曾经是个有钱人。 我曾经施舍过许多乞丐，但现在我只是一个。” 求婚者皱起了眉头。他皱起鼻子，好像奥德修斯身上有难闻的气味。 他说：“滚开，你这个恶心的人，免得你使我们失去胃口。” 奥德修斯站直了。 “先生，你的外表比你的举止好得多，”他说。 “我知道你吃的面包也不是你自己的。 你比乞丐还坏——你是个贼！”求婚者怒不可遏。 他捡起一个脚凳，朝奥德修斯扔去，砸在了他的肩膀上。 忒勒马科斯迅速起身保护他的父亲。 但奥德修斯立场坚定。他向忒勒马科斯示意，他也必须克制自己的脾气——至少现在是这样。