salammbo-第10部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



din　of　shrill　female　voices。



Every　day　men　came　flocking　in　nearly　naked；　and　with　grass　on　their

heads　to　protect　them　from　the　sun；　they　were　the　debtors　of　the　rich

Carthaginians　and　had　been　forced　to　till　the　lands　of　the　latter；　but

had　escaped。　Libyans　came　pouring　in　with　peasants　ruined　by　the

taxes；　outlaws；　and　malefactors。　Then　the　horde　of　traders；　all　the

dealers　in　wine　and　oil；　who　were　furious　at　not　being　paid；　laid　the

blame　upon　the　Republic。　Spendius　declaimed　against　it。　Soon　the

provisions　ran　low；　and　there　was　talk　of　advancing　in　a　body　upon

Carthage；　and　calling　in　the　Romans。



One　evening；　at　supper…time；　dull　cracked　sounds　were　heard

approaching；　and　something　red　appeared　in　the　distance　among　the

undulations　of　the　soil。



It　was　a　large　purple　litter；　adorned　with　ostrich　feathers　at　the

corners。　Chains　of　crystal　and　garlands　of　pearls　beat　against　the

closed　hangings。　It　was　followed　by　camels　sounding　the　great　bells

that　hung　at　their　breasts；　and　having　around　them　horsemen　clad　from

shoulder　to　heel　in　armour　of　golden　scales。



They　halted　three　hundred　paces　from　the　camp　to　take　their　round

bucklers；　broad　swords；　and　Boeotian　helmets　out　of　the　cases　which

they　carried　behind　their　saddles。　Some　remained　with　the　camels；

while　the　others　resumed　their　march。　At　last　the　ensigns　of　the

Republic　appeared；　that　is　to　say；　staves　of　blue　wood　terminated　in

horses'　heads　or　fir　cones。　The　Barbarians　all　rose　with　applause；　the

women　rushed　towards　the　guards　of　the　Legion　and　kissed　their　feet。



The　litter　advanced　on　the　shoulders　of　twelve　Negroes　who　walked　in

step　with　short；　rapid　strides；　they　went　at　random　to　right　or　left；

being　embarrassed　by　the　tent…ropes；　the　animals　that　were　straying

about；　or　the　tripods　where　food　was　being　cooked。　Sometimes　a　fat

hand；　laden　with　rings；　would　partially　open　the　litter；　and　a　hoarse

voice　would　utter　loud　reproaches；　then　the　bearers　would　stop　and

take　a　different　direction　through　the　camp。



But　the　purple　curtains　were　raised；　and　a　human　head；　impassible　and

bloated；　was　seen　resting　on　a　large　pillow；　the　eyebrows；　which　were

like　arches　of　ebony；　met　each　other　at　the　points；　golden　dust

sparkled　in　the　frizzled　hair；　and　the　face　was　so　wan　that　it　looked

as　if　it　had　been　powdered　with　marble　raspings。　The　rest　of　the　body

was　concealed　beneath　the　fleeces　which　filled　the　litter。



In　the　man　so　reclining　the　soldiers　recognised　the　Suffet　Hanno；　he

whose　slackness　had　assisted　to　lose　the　battle　of　the　Aegatian

islands；　and　as　to　his　victory　at　Hecatompylos　over　the　Libyans；　even

if　he　did　behave　with　clemency；　thought　the　Barbarians；　it　was　owing

to　cupidity；　for　he　had　sold　all　the　captives　on　his　own　account；

although　he　had　reported　their　deaths　to　the　Republic。



After　seeking　for　some　time　a　convenient　place　from　which　to　harangue

the　soldiers；　he　made　a　sign；　the　litter　stopped；　and　Hanno；　supported

by　two　slaves；　put　his　tottering　feet　to　the　ground。



He　wore　boots　of　black　felt　strewn　with　silver　moons。　His　legs　were

swathed　in　bands　like　those　wrapped　about　a　mummy；　and　the　flesh　crept

through　the　crossings　of　the　linen；　his　stomach　came　out　beyond　the

scarlet　jacket　which　covered　his　thighs；　the　folds　of　his　neck　fell

down　to　his　breast　like　the　dewlaps　of　an　ox；　his　tunic；　which　was

painted　with　flowers；　was　bursting　at　the　arm…pits；　he　wore　a　scarf；　a

girdle；　and　an　ample　black　cloak　with　laced　double…sleeves。　But　the

abundance　of　his　garments；　his　great　necklace　of　blue　stones；　his

golden　clasps；　and　heavy　earrings　only　rendered　his　deformity　still

more　hideous。　He　might　have　been　taken　for　some　big　idol　rough…hewn　in

a　block　of　stone；　for　a　pale　leprosy；　which　was　spread　over　his　whole

body；　gave　him　the　appearance　of　an　inert　thing。　His　nose；　however；

which　was　hooked　like　a　vulture's　beak；　was　violently　dilated　to

breathe　in　the　air；　and　his　little　eyes；　with　their　gummed　lashes；

shone　with　a　hard　and　metallic　lustre。　He　held　a　spatula　of　aloe…wood

in　his　hand　wherewith　to　scratch　his　skin。



At　last　two　heralds　sounded　their　silver　horns；　the　tumult　subsided；

and　Hanno　commenced　to　speak。



He　began　with　an　eulogy　of　the　gods　and　the　Republic；　the　Barbarians

ought　to　congratulate　themselves　on　having　served　it。　But　they　must

show　themselves　more　reasonable；　times　were　hard；　〃and　if　a　master　has

only　three　olives；　is　it　not　right　that　he　should　keep　two　for

himself？〃



The　old　Suffet　mingled　his　speech　in　this　way　with　proverbs　and

apologues；　nodding　his　head　the　while　to　solicit　some　approval。



He　spoke　in　Punic；　and　those　surrounding　him　（the　most　alert；　who　had

hastened　thither　without　their　arms）；　were　Campanians；　Gauls；　and

Greeks；　so　that　no　one　in　the　crowd　understood　him。　Hanno；　perceiving

this；　stopped　and　reflected；　swaying　himself　heavily　from　one　leg　to

the　other。



It　occurred　to　him　to　call　the　captains　together；　then　his　heralds

shouted　the　order　in　Greek；　the　language　which；　from　the　time　of

Xanthippus；　had　been　used　for　commands　in　the　Carthaginian　armies。



The　guards　dispersed　the　mob　of　soldiers　with　strokes　of　the　whip；　and

the　captains　of　the　Spartan　phalanxes　and　the　chiefs　of　the　Barbarian

cohorts　soon　arrived　with　the　insignia　of　their　rank；　and　in　the

armour　of　their　nation。　Night　had　fallen；　a　great　tumult　was　spreading

throughout　the　plain；　fires　were　burning　here　and　there；　and　the

soldiers　kept　going　from　one　to　another　asking　what　the　matter　was；

and　why　the　Suffet　did　not　distribute　the　money？



He　was　setting　the　infinite　burdens　of　the　Republic　before　the

captains。　Her　treasury　was　empty。　The　tribute　to　Rome　was　crushing

her。　〃We　are　quite　at　a　loss　what　to　do！　She　is　much　to　be　pitied！〃



From　time　to　time　he　would　rub　his　limbs　with　his　aloe…wood　spatula；

or　perhaps　he　would　break　off　to　drink　a　ptisan　made　of　the　ashes　of　a

weasel　and　asparagus　boiled　in　vinegar　from　a　silver　cup　handed　to　him

by　a　slave；　then　he　would　wipe　his　lips　with　a　scarlet　napkin　and

resume：



〃What　used　to　be　worth　a　shekel　of　silver　is　now　worth　three　shekels

of　gold；　while　the　cultivated　lands　which　were　abandoned　during　the

war　bring　in　nothing！　Our　purpura　fisheries　are　nearly　gone；　and　even

pearls　are　becoming　exhorbitant；　we　have　scarcely　unguents　enough　for

the　service　of　the　gods！　As　for　the　things　of　the　table；　I　shall　say

nothing　about　them；　it　is　a　calamity！　For　want　of　galleys　we　are

without　spices；　and　it　is　a　matter　of　great　difficulty　to　procure

silphium　on　account　of　the　rebellions　on　the　Cyrenian　frontier。

Sicily；　where　so　many　slaves　used　to　be　had；　is　now　closed　to　us！　Only

yesterday　I　gave　more　money　for　a　bather　and　four　scullions　than　I

used　at　one　time　to　give　for　a　pair　of　elephants！〃



He　unrolled　a　long　piece　of　papyrus；　and；　without　omitting　a　single

figure；　read　all　the　expenses　that　the　government　had　incurred；　so