But they now took no part in the war, inasmuch as there was no one to marshal them; for Achilles stayed by his ships, furious about the loss of the girl Briseis, whom he had taken from Lyrnessus at his own great peril, when he had sacked Lyrnessus and Thebe, and had overthrown Mynes and Epistrophus, sons of king Evenor, son of Selepus.
捷足的壮勇、卓越的阿基琉斯其时正盛怒不息，躺在他的海船旁，为了美发的布里塞伊丝，苦战得手的战礼，从鲁耳奈索斯城堡——他曾荡劫那个地方，捣烂了塞贝的城墙，击倒了厄丕斯特罗福斯和慕奈斯，两位凶狠的枪手，塞勒丕俄斯之子、国王欧厄诺斯的儿郎。为了那位姑娘，他心情悲悒，躺在船边——但他马上即会直立起身。
They stood fearfully and reverently before him, and never a word did they speak, but he knew them and said, Welcome, heralds, messengers of gods and men; draw near; my quarrel is not with you but with Agamemnon who has sent you for the girl Briseis.
一边，既不说话，也没有发问。然而，阿基琉斯心里明白，开口说道：欢迎你们，信使，宙斯和凡人的使者。来吧，走近些。在我眼里，你俩清白无辜——该受责惩的是阿伽门农，是他派遣二位来此，带走布里塞伊丝姑娘。
I care neither for you nor for your anger; and thus will I do: since Phoebus Apollo is taking Chryseis from me, I shall send her with my ship and my followers, but I shall come to your tent and take your own prize Briseis, that you may learn how much stronger I am than you are, and that another may fear to set himself up as equal or comparable with me.
我不在乎你这个人，也不在乎你的愤怒。不过，你要记住我的警告：既然福伊波斯·阿波罗要取走我的克鲁塞伊丝，我将命令我的伙伴，用我的船只，把她遣送归还。但是，我要亲往你的营棚，带走美貌的布里塞伊丝，你的战礼。这样，你就会知道，和你相比，我的权势该有多么莽烈！此外，倘若另有犯上之人，畏此谅他也就不敢和我抗争，平享我的威严。
I thought * You were dead, briseis!
我还以为你死了，布里塞伊斯！
The other Achaeans sat where they were all silent and orderly to hear the king, and Agamemnon looked into the vault of heaven and prayed saying, I call Jove the first and mightiest of all gods to witness, I call also Earth and Sun and the Erinyes who dwell below and take vengeance on him who shall swear falsely, that I have laid no hand upon the girl Briseis, neither to take her to my bed nor otherwise, but that she has remained in my tents inviolate.
阿伽门农朗声诵说，举目辽阔的天空：愿宙斯，最高、至尊的天神，作我的第一位见证，还有大地、太阳和复仇女神们，她们行走在地下，报复那些发伪誓的死人：我从未伸手碰过布里塞伊丝姑娘，没有和她同床共寝，或做过其他什么事情；在我的营棚里，姑娘不曾被动过一个指头。