解读海伦故事:《奥德赛》中的“muthos”与女性纺织

Weaving Her Muthos:Helen in Book 4 of the Odyssey

本文考察《奥德赛》卷四中有关海伦的两个故事。文章首先概述这两个故事的解读困难和误区,继而聚焦于海伦与“muthos”(有“言辞”和“故事讲述”等多重意义)和纺织的关联。在荷马史诗中,纺织是女性的日常工作,但在比喻意义中也用于男性。“muthos”则标记了史诗中具有表演性的言辞,主要与男性相关。在《奥德赛》中,海伦和珀涅罗珀都与这两种行为有着特殊的关联:海伦是纺织者和故事讲述人,而珀涅罗珀则通过纺织参与到情节之中。在“muthos”和纺织的丰富语义之下,卷四的海伦故事与史诗后半部珀涅罗珀的行动之间建立了连结,不仅对史诗的主线情节有着重要的意义,也塑造出立体而复杂的女性人物形象。

This essay examines Helen and the two stories concerning her in Book 4 of the Odyssey.It starts with an outline of the stories and the interpretative difficulties.Since Helen is accompanied by her weaving utensils and initiates muthoi,the story-telling,this essay then proceeds to discuss the connotations of weaving and muthos,which are both gendered actions in Homer.Weaving is particularly the job of women,and though it can be used on men in the metaphorical sense,in Homer it is often used to mark the female sphere.Muthos,on the other hand,is the marker of performative speech act and is mostly used with men.In the Odyssey,Helen and Penelope are intricately related to these two actions.Helen is represented as a weaver and a story-teller,while Penelope participates in the plot by her weaving.Furthermore,the two female figures are related through weaving and muthos,and the stories about Helen in Book 4 anticipate the actions of Penelope in the second half of the epic.