The swineherd wept for joy and kissed Ulysses. Then Ulysses bade him to ask the women to keep within doors,
猪倌喜极而泣,并亲吻了尤利西斯,之后尤利西斯命令他让这些女性待在房间中,
nor stir out if they should hear the noise of battle. He also told the swineherd to lock the doors and fasten them securely with a rope.
如果他们听到了争斗的声音不要惊讶,他还告诉猪倌锁上房门,用绳子将她们安全地捆牢。
After this Ulysses came back to the hall. All the suitors tried in vain to bend the great bow.
之后尤利西斯回到大厅,追求者都没有能够拉动巨弓。
One groaned aloud and said, Woe is me! not for the loss of this marriage only, for there are other women to be wooed in Greece,
有人大声叫喊,并说道,我好苦哇!不是因为失去这段婚姻,希腊还有其他我可以追求的女性,
but that we are weaker than the great Ulysses. This is indeed a shame to tell. But Ulysses said,
我们不敌伟大的尤利西斯,说出这些话真是太羞愧了,但尤利西斯说,
Let me try this bow, for I should like to know whether I have such strength as I had in former days.
让我试试,让我看看我是否还有当年的实力。
In great wrath the suitors all protested, but Penelope said, Let the stranger try the bow!
在场的追求者因为愤怒而抗议,但佩内洛普说,让这个陌生人试试。
Then Telemachus said, It is for me to refuse or to give the bow. No man shall hinder me if I wish that this stranger make trial of it.
随后忒勒玛科斯说,我将弓箭给谁由我说了算,如果我愿意让这个陌生人试试,每人可以阻碍我。
Go, Mother, to your chamber with your maidens and leave this matter of the bow with me.
走吧妈妈,和侍女回到房间里,将弓箭的事情留给我吧。
She marveled to hear him speak with such authority, and departed. Then Telemachus ordered the swineherd to take the bow to Ulysses.
她惊讶地听到他的讲话富有权威性,随后她离开了,之后忒勒玛科斯命令猪倌将巨弓交给尤利西斯。
Ulysses handled the great bow, trying it to see whether it had been damaged, but the suitors mocked him.
尤利西斯拿着巨弓,看看是否被损坏了,但追求者嘲笑他。
When he found it to be without flaw, he strung the bow, and, holding the string in his right hand, he tried its tone,
当他发现没有问题时,他开始拉弓,用他的右手拿住弓弦,他尝试拨动弓弦,
and the tone was sweet to him as the voice of a bird. Then he took an arrow from the quiver and laid the notch upon the string and drew it,
声音对他来说很优美,类似鸟类的声音,之后他从箭套中拿出一支箭,
sitting as he was, and the arrow passed straight through every one of the twelve holes and stood in the wall behind.
他一直坐着,箭径直穿过了所有十二个斧头,并插进了后面的墙上。
Then Ulysses stripped off his rags and leaped upon the high platform near the door with his bow and quiver full of arrows.
之后尤利西斯脱掉了他的破衣烂衫,并跳上了门附近的高台,拿着巨弓和盛满了箭的箭套。
Throwing the arrows at his feet, he cried aloud to the suitors, Lo, now that the trial is ended at last, let me try at yet another mark.
将箭仍在脚下,他向追求者大喊着,看,测试最终结束了,再让我射击一次。
He aimed his arrow straight at Antinous. And all the suitors, when they saw Antinous fall, leaped from their seats;
他的箭瞄准了安提诺俄斯,当追求者看到安提诺俄斯倒下时,他们都从座位上跳下来;
but when they looked for arms, there was neither spear nor shield upon the wall.
但当他们寻找武器时,墙上既没有矛也没有盾。