the knights-第3章
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way； you would know thoroughly well how to attack it； to carve it up
alive！ Shall I tell you what has happened to you？ Like so many others；
you have gained some petty lawsuit against some alien。 Did you drink
enough water to inspire you？ Did you mutter over the thing
sufficiently through the night； spout it along the street； recite it
to all you met？ Have you bored your friends enough with it？ And for
this you deem yourself an orator。 You poor fool！
SAUSAGE…SELLER
And what do you drink yourself then； to be able all alone by
yourself to dumbfound and stupefy the city so with your clamour？
CLEON
Can you match me with a rival？ Me？ When I have devoured a good hot
tunny…fish and drunk on top of it a great jar of unmixed wine。 I say
〃to Hell with the generals of Pylos！〃
SAUSAGE…SELLER
And I； when I have bolted the tripe of an ox together with a sow's
belly and swallowed the broth as well； I am fit； though slobbering
with grease； to bellow louder than all orators and to terrify Nicias。
DEMOSTHENES
I admire your language so much； the only thing I do not approve is
that you swallow all the broth yourself。
CLEON
Even though you gorged yourself on sea…dogs； you would not beat
the Milesians。
SAUSAGE…SELLER
Give me a bullock's breast to devour； and I am a man to traffic in
mines。
CLEON
I will rush into the Senate and set them all by the ears。
SAUSAGE…SELLER
And I will pull out your arse to stuff like a sausage。
CLEON
As for me； I will seize you by the rump and hurl you head foremost
through the door。
DEMOSTHENES
By Posidon； only after you have thrown me there first。
CLEON
（Beginning another crescendo of competitive screeching）
Beware of the carcan！
SAUSAGE…SELLER
I denounce you for cowardice。
CLEON
I will tan your hide。
SAUSAGE…SELLER
I will flay you and make a thief's pouch with the skin。
CLEON
I will peg you out on the ground。
SAUSAGE…SELLER
I will slice you into mince…meat。
CLEON
I will tear out your eyelashes。
SAUSAGE…SELLER
I will slit your gullet。
DEMOSTHENES
We will set his mouth open with a wooden stick as the cooks do
with pigs； we will tear out his tongue； and； looking down his gaping
throat； will see whether his inside has any pimples。
CHORUS （singing）
Thus then at Athens we have something more fiery than fire； more
impudent than impudence itself！ 'Tis a grave matter； come； we will
push and jostle him without mercy。 There； you grip him tightly under
the arms； if he gives way at the onset； you will find him nothing
but a craven； I know my man。
DEMOSTHENES
That he has been all his life and he has only made himself a
name by reaping another's harvest； and now he has tied up the ears
he gathered over there； he lets them dry and seeks to sell them。
CLEON
I do not fear you as long as there is a Senate and a people
which stands like a fool； gaping in the air。
CHORUS （singing）
What unparalleled impudence！ 'Tis ever the same brazen front。 If I
don't hate you； why； I'm ready to take the place of the one blanket
Cratinus wets； I'll offer to play a tragedy by Morsimus。 Oh！ you
cheat！ who turn all into money； who flutter from one extortion to
another； may you disgorge as quickly as you have crammed yourself！
Then only would I sing； 〃Let us drink； let us drink to this happy
event！〃 Then even the son of Ulius； the old wheat…fairy； would empty
his cup with transports of joy； crying； 〃Io； Paean！ Io； Bacchus！〃
CLEON
By Posidon！ You！ would you beat me in impudence！ If you succeed；
may I no longer have my share of the victims offered to Zeus on the
city altar。
SAUSAGE…SELLER
And I； I swear by the blows that have so oft rained upon my
shoulders since infancy； and by the knives that have cut me； that I
will show more effrontery than you； as sure as I have rounded this
fine stomach by feeding on the pieces of bread that had cleansed other
folk's greasy fingers。
CLEON
On pieces of bread； like a dog！ Ah！ wretch！ you have the nature of
a dog and you dare to fight a dog…headed ape？
SAUSAGE…SELLER
I have many another trick in my sack； memories of my childhood's
days。 I used to linger around the cooks and say to them； 〃Look；
friends； don't you see a swallow？ It's the herald of springtime。〃
And while they stood； their noses in the air； I made off with a
piece of meat。
CHORUS
Oh！ most clever man！ How well thought out！ You did as the eaters
of artichokes； you gathered them before the return of the swallows。〃
SAUSAGE…SELLER
They could make nothing of it； or； if they suspected a trick； I
hid the meat in my crotch and denied the thing by all the gods…so that
an orator； seeing me at the game； cried； 〃This child will get on； he
has the mettle that makes a statesman。〃
LEADER OF THE CHORUS
He argued rightly； to steal； perjure yourself and make your arse
receptive are three essentials for climbing high。
CLEON
I will stop your insolence； or rather the insolence of both of
you。 I will throw myself upon you like a terrible hurricane ravaging
both land and sea at the will of its fury。
SAUSAGE…SELLER
Then I will gather up my sausages and entrust myself to the kindly
waves of fortune so as to make you all the more enraged。
DEMOSTHENES
And I will watch in the bilges in case the boat should make water。
CLEON
No； by Demeter！ I swear； it will not be with impunity that you
have thieved so many talents from the Athenians。
DEMOSTHENES （to the SAUSAGE…SELLER）
Oh！ oh！ reef your sail a bit！ Here is a Northeaster blowing
calumniously。
SAUSAGE…SELLER
I know that you got ten talents out of Potidaea。
CLEON
Wait！ I will give you one； but keep it dark！
DEMOSTHENES （aside）
Hah！ that will please him mightily； （to the SAUSAGE…SELLER） now
you can travel under full sail。 The wind has lost its violence。
CLEON
I will bring four suits against you； each of one hundred talents。
SAUSAGE…SELLER
And I twenty against you for shirking duty and more than a
thousand for robbery。
CLEON
I maintain that your parents were guilty of sacrilege against
the goddess。
SAUSAGE…SELLER
And I； that one of your grandfathers was a satellite。。。。
CLEON
To whom？ Explain！
SAUSAGE…SELLER
To Byrsina； the mother of Hippias。
CLEON
You are an impostor。
SAUSAGE…SELLER
And you are a rogue。
（He strikes CLEON with a sausage。）
DEMOSTHENES
Hit him hard。
CLEON
Alas！ The conspirators are murdering me！
DEMOSTHENES （to the SAUSAGE…SELLER）
Hit him！ Hit him with all your might！ Bruise his belly and lash
him with your guts and your tripe！ Punish him with both hands！
（CLEON sinks beneath the blows。）
CHORUS…LEADER
Oh！ vigorous assailant and intrepid heart！ See how you have
totally routed him in this duel of abuse； so that to us and to the
citizens you seem the saviour of the city。 How shall I give tongue
to my joy and praise you sufficiently？
CLEON （recovering his wits）
Ah！ by Demeter！ I was not ignorant of this plot and these
machinations that were being forged and nailed and put together
against me。
DEMOSTHENES （to the SAUSAGE…SELLER）
Look out； look out！ Come outfence him with some wheelwright slang。
SAUSAGE…SELLER
His tricks at Argos do not escape me。 Under pretence of forming an
alliance with the Argives； he is hatching a plot with the
Lacedaemonians there； and I know why the bellows are blowing and the
metal that is on the anvil； it's the question of the prisoners。
DEMOSTHENES
Well done！ Forge on； if he be a wheelwright。
SAUSAGE…SELLER
And there are men at Sparta who are hammering the iron with you；
but neither gold nor silver nor prayers nor anything else shall impede
my denouncing your trickery to the Athenians。
CLEON
As for me； I hasten to the Senate to reveal your plotting； your
nightly gatherings in the city； your trafficking with the Medes and
with the Great King； and all you are foraging for in Boeotia。
SAUSAGE…SELLER
What price then is paid for forage by Boeotians？
CLEON
Oh！ by Heracles！ I will tan your hide。
（He departs。）
DEMOSTHENES
Come； if you have both wit and heart； now is the time to show
it； as on the day when you hid the meat in your crotch； as you say。
Hasten to the Senate； for he will rush there like a tornado to
calumniate us all and give vent to his fearful bellowings。
SAUSAGE…SELLER
I am going； but first I must rid myself of my tripe and my knives；
I will leave them here。
DEMOSTHENES
Stay！ rub your neck with lard； in this way you will slip between
the fingers of calumny。
SAUSAGE…SELLER
Spoken like a finished wrestling coach。
DEMOSTHENES
Now； bolt down these cloves of garlic。
SAUSAGE…SELLER
Pray； what for？
DEMOSTHENES
Well primed with garlic； you will have greater mettle for the
fight。 But hurry； make haste rapidly！
SAUSAGE…SELLER
That's just what I'm doing。
（He departs。）
DEMOSTHENES
And； above all； bite your foe； rend him to atoms； tear off his
comb and do not return until you have devoured his wattles。
（He goes into the house of DEMOS。）
LEADER OF THE CHORUS
Go！ make your attack with a light heart； avenge me and may Zeus
guard you！ I burn to see you return the victor and laden with chaplets
of glory。 And you； spectators； enlightened critics of all kind of
poetry； lend an ear to my anapests。 （The Chorus moves forward and
faces the audience。）
Had one of the old authors asked me to mount this stage to
recite his verses； he would not have found it hard to persuade me。 But
our poet of to…day is likewise worthy of this favour； he shares our
hatred； he dares to tell the truth； he boldly braves both
waterspouts and hurricanes。 Many among you； he tells us； have
expressed wonder； that he has not long since had a piece presented
in his own name； and have asked the reason why。 This is what he bids
us say in reply to your questions； it is not without grounds that he
has courted the shade； for； in his opinion； nothing is more
difficult than to cultivate the comic Muse； many court her； but very
few secure her favours。 Moreover； he knows that you are fickle by
nature and betray your poets when they grow old。 What fate befell
Magnes； when his hair went white？ Often enough had he triumphed over
his rivals； he had sung in all keys； played the lyre and fluttered
wings； he turned into a Lydian and even into a gnat； daubed himsel
