15 Penelope and Odysseus Meet Again

CHAPTER 15 Penelope and Odysseus Meet Again In her excitement, the nurse's old feet became young and quick again. She sprinted upstairs to tell her mistress the news. "My lady," the nurse cried. "Odysseus has returned. He has destroyed the suitors! We are now free." "My good nurse," answered Penelope, "have you lost your mind? Don't punish me like this. I have finally stopped crying over my lost husband. Are you trying to trick

第15章佩内洛普和奥德修斯重逢在兴奋中，保姆的老脚又变得年轻而敏捷了。 她冲上楼去告诉女主人这个消息。 “夫人，”保姆叫道。 “奥德修斯回来了。他毁掉了追求者！我们现在自由了。” “我的好护士，”佩内洛普回答说，“你疯了吗？ 别这样惩罚我。 我终于不再为我失去的丈夫哭泣了。 你想骗我吗

me?" "My dear," the nurse said. "I promise I am not trying to trick you. Remember the stranger you welcomed into your home? The one who just shot his arrow through the axes? That was Odysseus!" Penelope suddenly realized it might be true. She jumped up from her bed and began pacing her room. Penelope trusted her nurse, but she was still uncertain. This was a truth she wanted to believe so much. "I can give you proof," the nurse said. "I saw his scar! I wanted to tell you about it, but he would not let me. Now he has asked that I reveal the truth to you." This was excellent proof, but Penelope was still unsure. "Bring him here," she said. The nurse happily ran from the room to fetch her master. When Odysseus arrived, Penelope kept her

我?”“亲爱的，”护士说。 “我保证我不是想骗你。 还记得那个被你请进你家的陌生人吗？ 那个刚把箭射穿斧子的人？ 那是奥德修斯！”佩内洛普突然意识到这可能是真的。 她从床上跳起来，开始在房间里踱来踱去。 佩内洛普信任她的护士，但她仍然拿不准。 这是一个她非常愿意相信的真理。 “我可以给你证据，”护士说。 “我看见他的伤疤了！”我想告诉你这件事，但他不让。 现在他求我将实情告诉你们。” 这是极好的证据，但佩内洛普仍然不确定。 “把他带到这儿来，”她说。 护士高兴地跑出房间去叫她的主人。 当奥德修斯到达时，佩内洛普留下了她

distance. He looked like her husband. But she could not be sure this was not an awful test from the gods. Penelope carefully came close to him. They sat by the fire with some distance still between them. Then Telemachus leaped into the room. He was excited about the reunion of his parents after twenty years. But he was upset that they still sat so far apart. "Mother," he cried. "Do you not recognize your husband? Why do you not go to him? Is your heart made of stone?" Penelope answered, "My son, there are things you do not yet understand. If he really is my husband, Odysseus, we will need some time to get to know each other again." Odysseus smiled and said to Telemachus, "Let her test me. Your mother's cleverness is one of the things I love about her. She will make up her own mind. Just give her time.

距离。他看起来像她的丈夫。 但她不敢肯定这不是来自诸神的可怕考验。 佩内洛普小心翼翼地走近他。 他们坐在火炉旁，彼此之间仍有一段距离。 忒勒马科斯跳进了房间。 他对二十年后父母的团聚感到兴奋。 但令他不安的是，他们仍然坐得那么远。 “妈妈，”他叫道。“你不认识你的丈夫了吗？” 你为什么不去找他？你的心是石头做的吗？”佩内洛普回答说：“我的儿子，有些事情你还不明白。 如果他真的是我的丈夫奥德修斯，我们需要一些时间来重新了解彼此。” 奥德修斯笑着对忒勒马科斯说：“让她来考验我吧。 你妈妈的聪明是我喜欢她的原因之一。 她会自己拿主意的。 给她点时间。

Besides, I have more awful things to worry about. The suitors' families will surely be greatly upset. We will need to lie low for a while. Telemachus, please go and have the servants secure the house. I will stay here with your mother." Telemachus went and did as his father had asked. Penelope thought for a moment before speaking again. She rose and moved toward her bed. "I was wondering if you could help me with something," she said to Odysseus. "This bed that I once shared with my husband has moved a bit too close to the window. I would like to move it, but it is too heavy. Can you help?" Odysseus smiled. "Why, Penelope, I would be glad to help you. But as you know, that bed is not movable. It is made out of a thick tree trunk that grew up through the center of our house. I built it with my own hands. This was a secret between us."

再说，我还有更糟糕的事要担心。 追求者的家人肯定会非常难过。 我们需要低调一段时间。 忒勒马科斯，去叫仆人把守房子。 我要留在这儿陪你妈妈。” 忒勒马科斯按照父亲的要求去做了。 佩内洛普想了一会儿，然后又说话了。 她站起来，走向她的床。 她对奥德修斯说：“我在想你是否能帮我个忙。” 这个人说：“我曾经和我丈夫共用的这张床离窗户太近了一点。 我想搬动它，但是它太重了。 你能帮忙吗？”奥德修斯笑了。 “哦，佩内洛普，我很乐意帮助你。 但你知道，那张床是不能移动的。 它是用一根粗树干做的，这根树干长在我们房子的中间。 我用自己的双手建造的。 这是我们之间的秘密。”

That is what finally convinced Penelope. No one else could have known the bed's history but Odysseus. With this proof, Penelope rejoiced. She ran to Odysseus and threw her arms around him. He hugged her back as tightly as he could. "Do not be angry with me," she begged. "I just needed to be sure you were truly Odysseus." "My dear and faithful wife," Odysseus replied. "The sight of you is as welcome as the sight of land to a shipwrecked man." Then the couple talked and laughed until morning. Penelope told Odysseus about her suffering at the hands of the wicked suitors. And Odysseus, in his turn, told her how he had suffered at sea. He told her about the lotus eaters on the island, and how his men gave in to eating the plants. He told her the story of how he had

这就是最终说服佩内洛普的原因。 除了奥德修斯，没有人知道这张床的历史。 有了这个证据，佩内洛普很高兴。 她跑向奥德修斯，用双臂抱住他。 他紧紧地抱住她的背。 “不要生我的气，”她恳求道。 “我只是想确定你真的是奥德修斯。” “我亲爱的忠实的妻子，”奥德修斯回答。 “看到你就像看到陆地对一个遇难的人一样受欢迎。” 然后这对夫妇又说又笑，一直笑到天亮。 佩内洛普向奥德修斯讲述了她在邪恶的追求者手中所遭受的痛苦。 奥德修斯也向她讲述了他在海上的遭遇。 他告诉她岛上吃莲花的人，以及他的手下是如何屈服于吃莲花的。 他向她讲述了他是如何做到的

blinded the Cyclops. He told her about Circe, the goddess who had put a spell on him and his men. Then he told her about his travels to Hades to consult the prophet Teiresias. With sadness, he described seeing the ghost of his mother. He told her about the tempting song of the Sirens. He also could not forget the story of the terrible Scylla, who feasted upon passing travelers with her many heads. He spoke of how his men stole the cattle of the Sun God,

弄瞎了独眼巨人。他告诉她喀耳刻的事，这位女神曾对他和他的部下施过咒语。 然后他告诉她他去哈迪斯请教先知提雷西亚的经历。 他悲伤地描述他看到了他母亲的鬼魂。 他告诉她塞壬诱人的歌声。 他也无法忘记可怕的“锡拉”的故事，“锡拉”用她的许多头来款待路过的旅行者。 他讲述了他的手下如何偷了太阳神的牛，