12 Odysseus Shows His Strength

CHAPTER 12 Odysseus Shows His Strength Odysseus was dressed as a beggar, in disguise in his own house. However, in Ithaca there was another beggar who was very well known. He begged all over the city. On this day, he happened to wander into the courtyard where the suitors were feasting. The beggar saw Odysseus and tried to chase him away. "There is only room for one beggar in this city!" he cried. Of course, the suitors thought this was extremely funny. They gathered around the

第十二章奥德修斯显示他的力量奥德修斯打扮成一个乞丐，乔装打扮在自己家里。 然而，在伊萨卡有另一个乞丐，他很出名。 他满城乞讨。 这一天，他碰巧走进了求婚者们正在宴席的院子。 乞丐看到奥德修斯，想把他赶走。 “这个城市只容得下一个乞丐！” 当然，追求者认为这是非常有趣的。 他们聚集在

two beggars. They yelled, "Fight! Fight!" The winner of the beggar's match would be invited to join their feast. Odysseus agreed to fight as long as Telemachus was referee. He said this would make sure the fight was fair. Odysseus pulled off his shirt of rags to prepare for the match. Everyone was amazed and confused. His chest was strong and mighty. His shoulders and arms were muscular. He did not look like a beggar. When the beggar saw him, he became nervous. He tried to back out of the fight. The suitors forced him back into the center of the courtyard. They chanted "Fight! Fight!" until the two beggars began throwing punches. Odysseus easily won. To be kind, he had given the beggar only a gentle hit. Even so, the beggar was too scared to do anything but

两个乞丐。他们喊道：“战斗！战斗!”这场乞丐比赛的获胜者将被邀请参加他们的宴会。 奥德修斯同意战斗，只要忒勒马科斯是裁判。 他说这会确保比赛公平。 奥德修斯脱下衣衫褴褛的衬衫准备比赛。 每个人都感到惊讶和困惑。 他的胸膛强壮有力。 他的肩膀和手臂肌肉发达。 他看起来不像个乞丐。 当乞丐看到他时，他变得紧张起来。 他试图退出战斗。 追求者们把他逼回到院子中央。 他们高呼“战斗！打架！”直到两个乞丐开始拳打脚踢。 奥德修斯轻松获胜。出于仁慈，他只轻轻地打了那乞丐一下。 尽管如此，乞丐还是吓得什么也不敢做

lie on the ground. The fight was soon over. Odysseus put his shirt of rags back on. The suitors congratulated him. They kept their promise. Odysseus sat down with them. They offered him food and drink. While the men ate downstairs, Penelope was upstairs. She nervously paced back and forth. Her servants had told her about the "Battle of the Beggars." It made her angry that this was happening in her home. She wanted to go downstairs and take control back. She also wanted to warn Telemachus that the suitors meant to harm him. Penelope decided to go downstairs to the suitors' When she entered the courtyard, all the suitors looked up. They gasped. Athena had cast a spell to make Penelope look even more beautiful. The goddess wanted Odysseus and Telemachus to see how Penelope was prized by others.

躺在地上。战斗很快就结束了。 奥德修斯又穿上他那件破衬衫。 求婚者向他祝贺。 他们遵守了诺言。奥德修斯和他们坐在一起。 他们给他提供食物和饮料。 男人们在楼下吃饭时，佩内洛普在楼上。 她紧张地来回踱步。 她的仆人给她讲过“乞丐之战”。 这件事发生在她家里，这使她很生气。 她想下楼，夺回控制权。 她还想警告忒勒马科斯，追求者们打算伤害他。 佩内洛普决定下楼到求婚者那里去。当她走进院子时，所有的求婚者都抬起头来。 他们气喘吁吁地说。雅典娜施了一个咒语，使佩内洛普看起来更加美丽。 女神想让奥德修斯和忒勒马科斯看看佩内洛普是如何被别人珍视的。

Penelope stood at the edge of the courtyard. The suitors fell even more deeply in love. They were enchanted by her. Penelope's husband and son definitely noticed their behavior. One of the suitors approached her. "Queen Penelope. If all the men on the island could see you now, you would have even more suitors in your house. You are even lovelier than you were before." To this, Penelope replied, "Heaven robbed me of my loveliness when my husband was taken from me." The suitor shrank back a little. Athena's spell, it seemed, had also made Penelope brave. "Telemachus," she said, spotting her son. "How could you let this beggar be so poorly treated in our house?" Telemachus nodded. "You are right, Mother," he said. "But I am not a little boy

佩内洛普站在院子的边上。 追求者们更加坠入爱河。 他们被她迷住了。 佩内洛普的丈夫和儿子肯定注意到了她们的行为。 其中一个追求者走近她。 “女王佩内洛普。如果岛上所有的男人现在都能看到你，你家里会有更多的追求者。 你比以前更可爱了。” 佩内洛普回答说：“当我的丈夫离开我的时候，上帝夺走了我的美丽。” 求婚者退缩了一下。 雅典娜的咒语似乎也让佩内洛普变得勇敢起来。 “忒勒马科斯，”她看见儿子说。 “你怎么能让这个乞丐在我们家受到如此恶劣的对待？”忒勒马科斯点点头。 “你说得对，妈妈，”他说。 “可我不是小孩子了

anymore. I am a man. And men do not behave perfectly all the time." Next, Penelope turned to the group of suitors. "And you," she said, "with all your adoration for me. What have you ever done for me? All you ever do is take things from my home. You all should be more respectful and generous. Why haven't you brought me any gifts?" Instead of being jealous, Odysseus was actually quite proud of his wife. Good for her! he thought. Let her get back some of the value these thieves have taken from our home! One of the suitors stepped forth and said, "Queen Penelope, take as much as you please from us. We will bring you gifts today. But we will not leave here until you have married one of us. Decide who it shall be." Penelope nodded, and the gifts started to

了。我是一个男人。而且男人也不是一直都表现得很完美。” 接着，佩内洛普转向了那群追求者。 “还有你，”她说，“你对我那么崇拜。 你为我做过什么？ 你只会从我家里拿东西。 你们都应该更加尊重和慷慨。 你为什么没有给我带礼物？”奥德修斯非但没有嫉妒，反而为他的妻子感到骄傲。 她真棒！他想。让她拿回那些小偷从我们家偷走的一些价值吧！其中一个求婚者走上前来说：“佩内洛普女王，你想从我们这里拿走多少就拿走多少吧。 今天我们会给你带礼物。 但我们不会离开这里，直到你娶了我们中的一个。 决定由谁来做。”佩内洛普点了点头，礼物们开始

come. Each suitor sent his servant to fetch something for her. Some brought her beautiful dresses. Others brought her valuable gold. Soon she had a pile of pretty things in front of her. She gathered them and went back to her room.

来了。每个追求者都派仆人去给她取东西。 有些人给她带来了漂亮的衣服。 其他人给她带来了贵重的黄金。 很快，她面前就有了一堆漂亮的东西。 她把它们收起来，回到自己的房间。