特洛伊的陷落（4）（2/2）
《泰西故事30篇》作者：李汉昭 2017-04-10 17:32
s; the Greeks could not force their way into the city. One hero after another was slain, now on this side, now on that. Great were the losses of besiegers and besieged, and great the suffering and grief; but still the struggle went on.
“Athene protects us,” said the hopeful people of Troy. “So long as the Palladium is with us, our city cannot be taken.”
The Palladium was a beautiful statue which stood in the temple of Athene. In it the Trojans placed their hopes, for they believed that it had the strange power of protecting its friends.
“It is useless for us to fight longer,” said some of the Greeks; “for we can never prevail while the Palladium is in Troy.”
“We have already stayed too long,” said others. “Let us abandon this hopeless siege and return to our homes.”
But Ulysses, the shrewdest of all the heroes of Greece, was unwilling to give up. On a dark and stormy night he made his way by stealth into the city; he passed the guards unnoticed; he crept into the temple of Athene while all the watchers were asleep; he seized upon the Palladium and carried it in triumph to the camp by the shore.
“Now we shall surely prevail,” said the Greeks; “for the Palladium is ours.”
But still the Trojans persevered and guarded well their gates; and still the weary siege went on.
Ⅱ The Great Horse
One morning in the early summer all Troy was awakened at daybreak by shouts from the sentinels on the walls.
“What is the matter now?” asked men, women, and children, as they hurried into the streets.
“They are gone,” said one of the sentinels.
“Who are gone?”
“Why the Greeks, of course.”
“Oh, no! That is too good to be true.”
“Then come up here and see for yourselves.”
Soon a hundred eager men and women were standing on the wall, straining their eyes in the gray light of dawn, and trying to discern the hated tents by the beach and the black-hulled ships along the shore.
“They are not there,” said the sharp-sighted sentinel. “No sign of Greek can be seen—no ship nor tent nor smoking camp fire. Thanks to Athene, they have left us at last.”
“Look again,” said some of the doubtful ones. “Perhaps the fog hides them from your view.”
“Athene protects us,” said the hopeful people of Troy. “So long as the Palladium is with us, our city cannot be taken.”
The Palladium was a beautiful statue which stood in the temple of Athene. In it the Trojans placed their hopes, for they believed that it had the strange power of protecting its friends.
“It is useless for us to fight longer,” said some of the Greeks; “for we can never prevail while the Palladium is in Troy.”
“We have already stayed too long,” said others. “Let us abandon this hopeless siege and return to our homes.”
But Ulysses, the shrewdest of all the heroes of Greece, was unwilling to give up. On a dark and stormy night he made his way by stealth into the city; he passed the guards unnoticed; he crept into the temple of Athene while all the watchers were asleep; he seized upon the Palladium and carried it in triumph to the camp by the shore.
“Now we shall surely prevail,” said the Greeks; “for the Palladium is ours.”
But still the Trojans persevered and guarded well their gates; and still the weary siege went on.
Ⅱ The Great Horse
One morning in the early summer all Troy was awakened at daybreak by shouts from the sentinels on the walls.
“What is the matter now?” asked men, women, and children, as they hurried into the streets.
“They are gone,” said one of the sentinels.
“Who are gone?”
“Why the Greeks, of course.”
“Oh, no! That is too good to be true.”
“Then come up here and see for yourselves.”
Soon a hundred eager men and women were standing on the wall, straining their eyes in the gray light of dawn, and trying to discern the hated tents by the beach and the black-hulled ships along the shore.
“They are not there,” said the sharp-sighted sentinel. “No sign of Greek can be seen—no ship nor tent nor smoking camp fire. Thanks to Athene, they have left us at last.”
“Look again,” said some of the doubtful ones. “Perhaps the fog hides them from your view.”