友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!阅读过程发现任何错误请告诉我们,谢谢!! 报告错误
九色书籍 返回本书目录 我的书架 我的书签 TXT全本下载 进入书吧 加入书签

the ecclesiazusae-第3章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!




not fail in any point of your part; let us first demand our fee and

then vote for all that may perchance be useful for our partisans。。。。

Ah! what am I saying? I meant to say; for our fellow…citizens。 Let

us drive away these men of the city who used to stay at home and

chatter round the table in the days when only an obolus was paid;

whereas now one is stifled by the crowds at the Pnyx。 No! during the

archonship of generous Myronides; none would have dared to let himself

be paid for the trouble he spent over public business; each one

brought his own meal of bread; a couple of onions; three olives and

some wine in a little wine…skin。 But nowadays we run here to earn

the three obols; for the citizen has become as mercenary as the

stonemason。

    (The CHORUS marches away。 BLEPYRUS appears in the doorway of his

      house; wearing PRAXAGORA's Persian sandals and saffron robe。)

  BLEPYRUS

    What does this mean? My wife has vanished! it is nearly daybreak

and she does not return! I had to take a crap! I woke up and hunted in

the darkness for my shoes and my cloak; but grope where I would; I

couldn't find them。 Meanwhile Mr。 O'Shit was already knocking on the

door and I had only just time to seize my wife's little mantle and her

Persian slippers。 But where shall I find a place where I can take a

crap? Bah! One place is as good as another at night…time; no one

will see me。 Ah! what a damned fool I was to take a wife at my age;

and how I could thrash myself for having acted so stupidly! It's

certainty she's not gone out for any honest purpose。 But the thing

to do now is to take a crap。

                                                         (He squats。)

  A MAN (looking out of the window of the house next door)

    Who's that? Is that not my neighbour Blepyrus? Why; yes; it's no

other。 Tell me; what's all that yellow about you? Can it be Cinesias

who has befouled you so?

  BLEPYRUS

    No; no; I only slipped on my wife's tunic to come out in。

  MAN

    And where is your cloak?

  BLEPYRUS

    I cannot tell you; I hunted for it vainly on the bed。

  MAN

    And why did you not ask your wife for it?

  BLEPYRUS

    Ah! why indeed! because she is not in the house; she has run away;

and I greatly fear that she may be doing me an ill turn。

  MAN

    But; by Posidon; it's the same with myself。 My wife has

disappeared with my cloak; and what is still worse; with my shoes as

well; I cannot find them anywhere。

  BLEPYRUS

    Nor can I my Laconian ones; but as I urgently needed to crap; I

popped my feet into these slippers; so as not to soil my blanket;

which is brand new。

  MAN

    What does it mean? Can some friend have invited her to a feast?

  BLEPYRUS

    I expect so; for she does not generally misconduct herself; as far

as I know。

  MAN

    What are you doing; making well…ropes? Are you never going to be

done? As for myself; I would like to go to the Assembly; and it is

time to start; but I've got to find my cloak; I have only one。

  BLEPYRUS

    I am going to have a look too; when I have finished crapping;

but I really think there must be a wild pear obstructing my rectum。

  MAN

    Is it the one which Thrasybulus spoke about to the Lacedaemonians?

  BLEPYRUS

    Oh! oh! oh! stopped up I am! Whatever am I to do? It's not

merely for the present that I am frightened; but when I have eaten;

where is my crap to find an outlet now? This damned McPear fellow

has bolted the door。 Call a doctor; but who is the cleverest in this

branch of the science? Amynon? Perhaps he would not come。 Ah!

Antisthenes! Let him be brought to me; cost what it will。 To judge

by his noisy sighs; that man knows what an arse wants; when it needs

to crap。 Oh! venerated Ilithyia! I shall burst unless the door gives

way。 Have pity! pity! Let me not become a thunder…mug for the comic

poets。

                        (Enter CHREMES; returning from the Assembly。)

  CHREMES

    Hi! friend; what are you doing there? You're not crapping; are

you?

  BLEPYRUS (finding relief at last)

    Oh! there! it is over and I can get up again。

  CHREMES

    What's this? You have your wife's tunic on。

  BLEPYRUS

    It was the first thing that came to my hand in the darkness。 But

where are you coming from?

  CHREMES

    From the Assembly。

  BLEPYRUS

    Is it already over then?

  CHREMES

    Certainly。

  BLEPYRUS

    Why; it is scarcely daylight。

  CHREMES

    I did laugh; ye gods; at the vermilion rope…marks that were to

be seen all about the Assembly。

  BLEPYRUS

    Did you get the triobolus?

  CHREMES

    Would it had so pleased the gods! but I arrived just too late; and

am quite ashamed of it; I bring back nothing but this empty wallet。

  BLEPYRUS

    But why is that?

  CHREMES

    There was a crowd; such as has never been seen at the Pnyx; and

the folk looked pale and wan; like so many shoemakers; so white were

they in hue; both I and many another had to go without the triobolus。

  BLEPYRUS

    Then if I went now; I should get nothing。

  CHREMES

    No; certainly not; nor even had you gone at the second cock…crow。

  BLEPYRUS

    Oh! what a misfortune! 〃Oh; Antilochus! no triobolus! Even death

would be better! I am undone!〃 But what can have attracted such a

crowd at that early hour?

  CHREMES

    The Prytanes started the discussion of measures closely concerning

the safety of the state; immediately; that blear…eyed fellow; the

son of Neoclides; was the first to mount the platform。 Then the folk

shouted with their loudest voice; 〃What! he dares to speak; and

that; too; when the safety of the state is concerned; and he a man who

has not known how to save even his own eyebrows!〃 He; however; shouted

louder than all of them; and looking at them asked; 〃Why; what ought I

to have done?〃

  BLEPYRUS

    Pound together garlic and laserpitium juice; add to this mixture

some Laconian spurge; and rub it well into the eyelids at night。

That's what I should have answered; had I been there。

  CHREMES

    After him that clever rascal Evaeon began to speak; he was

naked; so far as we all could see; but he declared he had a cloak;

he propounded the most popular; the most democratic; doctrines。 〃You

see;〃 he said; 〃I have the greatest need of sixteen drachmae; the cost

of a new cloak; my health demands it; nevertheless I wish first to

care for that of my fellow…citizens and of my country。 If the

fullers were to supply tunics to the indigent at the approach of

winter; none would be exposed to pleurisy。 Let him who has neither

beds nor coverlets go to sleep at the tanners' after taking a bath;

and if they shut the door in winter; let them be condemned to give him

three goat…skins。〃

  BLEPYRUS

    By Dionysus; a fine; a very fine notion! Not a soul will vote

against his proposal; especially if he adds that the flour…sellers

must supply the poor with three measures of corn; or else suffer the

severest penalties of the law; this is the only way Nausicydes can

be of any use to us。

  CHREMES

    Then we saw a handsome young man rush into the tribune; be was all

pink and white like young Nicias; and he began to say that the

direction of matters should be entrusted to the women; this the

crowd of shoemakers began applauding with all their might; while the

country…folk assailed him with groans。

  BLEPYRUS

    And; indeed; they did well。

  CHREMES

    But they were outnumbered; and the orator shouted louder than

they; saying much good of the women and much ill of you。

  BLEPYRUS (eagerly)

    And what did he say?

  CHREMES

    First he said you were a rogue。。。

  BLEPYRUS

    And you?

  CHREMES

    Wait a minute!。。。and a thief。。。

  BLEPYRUS

    I alone?

  CHREMES

    And an informer。

  BLEPYRUS

    I alone?

  CHREMES

    Why; no; by the gods! this whole crowd here。

                                         (He points to the audience。)

  BLEPYRUS

    And who avers the contrary?

  CHREMES

    He maintained that women were both clever and thrifty; that they

never divulged the Mysteries of Demeter; while you and I go about

babbling incessantly about whatever happens at the Senate。

  BLEPYRUS

    By Hermes; he was not lying!

  CHREMES

    Then he added that the women lend each other clothes; trinkets

of gold and silver; drinking…cups; and not before witnesses too; but

all by themselves; and that they return everything with exactitude

without ever cheating each other; whereas; according to him; we are

ever ready to deny the loans we have effected。

  BLEPYRUS

    Yes; by Posidon; and in spite of witnesses。

  CHREMES

    Again; he said that women were not informers; nor did they bring

lawsuits; nor hatch conspiracies; in short; he praised the women in

every possible manner。

  BLEPYRUS

    And what was decided?

  CHREMES

    To confide the direction of affa
返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 1
未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!