The Odyssey: Rendered into English prose for the use of those who cannot read the original — Page 2
Now Neptune had gone off to the Ethiopians, who are at the world's end, and lie in two halves, the one looking West and the other East.
此时海神涅普顿已前往埃塞俄比亚人那里，他们居于世界的尽头，分为两半，一半面朝西方，另一半面朝东方。
He had gone there to accept a hecatomb of sheep and oxen, and was enjoying himself at his festival; but the other gods met in the house of Olympian Jove, and the sire of gods and men spoke first.
他前往那里是为了接受一场以羊和牛为祭品的百牲大祭，正在享受那里的节庆；而其他众神则聚集在奥林匹斯山宙斯的宫殿中，众神与人类之父率先开口说话。
At that moment he was thinking of Aegisthus, who had been killed by Agamemnon's son Orestes; so he said to the other gods:
此刻他心中正想着埃癸斯托斯——那个被阿伽门农之子俄瑞斯忒斯所杀之人；于是他对众神说道：
"See now, how men lay blame upon us gods for what is after all nothing but their own folly.
「你们瞧，人类将一切过错归咎于我们诸神，而那些不过是他们自己愚蠢所酿成的苦果。
Look at Aegisthus; he must needs make love to Agamemnon's wife unrighteously and then kill Agamemnon, though he knew it would be the death of him;
且看埃癸斯托斯，他偏要非法勾引阿伽门农之妻，再将阿伽门农杀害，尽管他明知此举必将招致自己的死亡；
for I sent Mercury to warn him not to do either of these things, inasmuch as Orestes would be sure to take his revenge when he grew up and wanted to return home.
因为我曾派遣墨丘利去警告他，不可做此二事，因为俄瑞斯忒斯长大成人、思归故土之时，必然会为父报仇雪恨。
Mercury told him this in all good will but he would not listen, and now he has paid for everything in full.
墨丘利出于好意将此一一相告，他却置若罔闻，如今他已为自己所做的一切付出了全部代价。
Vocabulary
- 此时
- cǐ shí — at this time; at this moment
- 海神
- hǎi shén — god of the sea; sea deity
- 已
- yǐ — already; used to indicate completion
- 前往
- qián wǎng — to go to; to head toward a place
- 那里
- nà lǐ — there; that place
- 他们
- tā men — they; them; third-person plural pronoun
- 居于
- jū yú — to reside at; to be located at
- 世界
- shì jiè — the world; the entire globe
- 的
- de — structural particle indicating possession or modification
- 尽头
- jìn tóu — the end; the furthest point of something
- 分为
- fēn wéi — to be divided into; to split into parts
- 两半
- liǎng bàn — two halves; split into two equal parts
- 一半
- yī bàn — one half; fifty percent of something
- 面朝
- miàn cháo — facing toward; oriented in a direction
- 西方
- xī fāng — the west; western direction or civilization
- 另一半
- lìng yī bàn — the other half; the remaining portion
- 东方
- dōng fāng — the east; eastern direction or civilization
- 他
- tā — he; him; third-person singular male pronoun
- 是
- shì — to be; am, is, are
- 为了
- wèi le — in order to; for the purpose of
- 接受
- jiē shòu — to accept; to receive something offered
- 一场
- yī chǎng — one occurrence of an event or ceremony
- 以
- yǐ — using; with; by means of
- 羊
- yáng — sheep; goat; a common livestock animal
- 和
- hé — and; together with; connecting nouns
- 牛
- niú — cow; ox; bovine livestock animal
- 为
- wéi — as; to serve as; to be used as
- 祭品
- jì pǐn — sacrificial offering; items offered to gods
- 正在
- zhèng zài — currently doing; in the process of
- 享受
- xiǎng shòu — to enjoy; to take pleasure in something
- 节庆
- jié qìng — festival celebration; festive occasion or holiday
- 而
- ér — while; and yet; but; conjunctive particle
- 其他
- qí tā — other; the rest; remaining others
- 众神
- zhòng shén — all the gods; the assembly of deities
- 则
- zé — then; on the other hand; contrastive particle
- 聚集
- jù jí — to gather together; to assemble in one place
- 在
- zài — at; in; located at a place
- 宫殿
- gōng diàn — palace; grand royal or divine residence
- 中
- zhōng — inside; within; in the middle of
- 与
- yǔ — with; and; together with someone
- 人类
- rén lèi — humanity; humankind; the human race
- 率先
- shuài xiān — to take the lead; to be the first
- 开口
- kāi kǒu — to open one's mouth; to start speaking
- 说话
- shuō huà — to speak; to talk; to say words
- 此刻
- cǐ kè — at this moment; right now
- 心中
- xīn zhōng — in one's heart; in one's mind
- 正
- zhèng — just; right; currently; exactly at that point
- 想着
- xiǎng zhe — thinking about; keeping someone in mind
- 那个
- nà ge — that one; that particular person or thing
- 被
- bèi — passive marker; indicates action done to subject
- 于是
- yú shì — thereupon; consequently; and so then
- 对
- duì — to; directed at; addressed to someone
- 说道
- shuō dào — said; spoke; uttered the following words
- 你们
- nǐ men — you all; second-person plural pronoun
- 瞧
- qiáo — to look; to see; to observe something
- 将
- jiāng — to take; used before object in classical Chinese
- 一切
- yī qiè — everything; all things; without exception
- 过错
- guò cuò — fault; mistake; wrongdoing; error
- 归咎于
- guī jiù yú — to blame on; to attribute fault to someone
- 我们
- wǒ men — we; us; first-person plural pronoun
- 诸神
- zhū shén — all the gods; the various deities
- 那些
- nà xiē — those; referring to previously mentioned things
- 不过
- bù guò — but; however; nothing more than
- 自己
- zì jǐ — oneself; self; by one's own doing
- 愚蠢
- yú chǔn — foolish; stupid; lacking wisdom or judgment
- 所
- suǒ — classical particle linking verb to its object
- 酿成
- niàng chéng — to brew; to lead to; to cause gradually
- 苦果
- kǔ guǒ — bitter fruit; bad consequences of one's actions
- 偏要
- piān yào — insisting on; deliberately doing against advice
- 非法
- fēi fǎ — illegal; unlawful; against the rules or law
- 勾引
- gōu yǐn — to seduce; to lure someone into wrongdoing
- 杀害
- shā hài — to kill; to murder; to cause someone's death
- 尽管
- jǐn guǎn — even though; despite; although
- 明知
- míng zhī — knowing full well; fully aware of consequences
- 此举
- cǐ jǔ — this action; this move or deed
- 必将
- bì jiāng — will certainly; inevitably going to happen
- 招致
- zhāo zhì — to bring about; to incur; to attract consequences
- 死亡
- sǐ wáng — death; the end of life
- 因为
- yīn wèi — because; due to the fact that
- 我
- wǒ — I; me; first-person singular pronoun
- 曾
- céng — once; previously; at a past time
- 派遣
- pài qiǎn — to dispatch; to send someone on a mission
- 去
- qù — to go; to travel to a place
- 警告
- jǐng gào — to warn; to caution against danger or wrongdoing
- 不可
- bù kě — must not; should not; forbidden to do
- 做
- zuò — to do; to make; to perform an action
- 此
- cǐ — this; these; referring to what was mentioned
- 长大成人
- zhǎng dà chéng rén — to grow up and become an adult
- 故土
- gù tǔ — homeland; native land; one's place of origin
- 必然
- bì rán — inevitably; certainly; without doubt
- 会
- huì — will; can; expressing likelihood or ability
- 报仇雪恨
- bào chóu xuě hèn — to take revenge and wipe out grievances
- 出于
- chū yú — out of; stemming from a certain motive
- 好意
- hǎo yì — goodwill; good intentions; kindness
- 一一
- yī yī — one by one; each and every item
- 却
- què — but; yet; however; indicating contrast
- 置若罔闻
- zhì ruò wǎng wén — to turn a deaf ear; to completely ignore advice
- 如今
- rú jīn — nowadays; now; at the present time
- 所做
- suǒ zuò — what was done; one's actions or deeds
- 付出
- fù chū — to pay; to give up; to sacrifice something
- 了
- le — particle indicating completion or change of state
- 全部
- quán bù — all; entire; the whole amount
- 代价
- dài jià — price; cost; consequence paid for actions
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