《奥德赛》在国内是合法重印的英译本是牛津大学出版社出版的Walter Shewring翻译。该译本没有用诗来翻译。这样读起来或许更流畅，但想引用就不知道是原作的第几行了。

同为荷马史诗，《奥德赛》比《伊里亚特》的情节和结构都更复杂一些。叙事不再是按照单纯的时间顺序，有海外漂流和故乡事变两条平行线索，而且是有许多倒叙。人物的身份也更广泛，不再限于神祗、英雄和战士。总体上，神与人的两个世界的距离也更为遥远。即使不读史诗原著，Odysseus颠沛流离与回归团聚的故事也耳熟能详，这里就不再复述了。以下只是些摘录和随感。

《奥德赛》中，人的自主性大为提高，不再是神祗操控下的实现命运的道具。开篇不久，主神Zeus就放言，They accuse the gods, they say that their troubles come form us, and yet by their own presumptuousness they draw down sorrow upon themselves that outruns their allotted portion. (I32-108)很有些“自作孽,不可活”(《尚书·商书·太甲》)的意思。Odysseus也感慨愚行的恶果，Yet he was not after all to accomplish his design, because our own folly ruined us. (X 1-36)

自主性还表现在主人公Odysseus面对敌意的天神，并无惧意。And if this or that divinity should shatter my craft on the wine-dark ocean, I will bear it and keep a bold heart within me. Often enough before this time have war and wave oppressed and plagued me; let new tribulations join the old. (V210-291) 这也正是Tennyson的Ulysses的所赞赏的“strong in will, to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield”。

史诗中穿插的诸神故事也有兴趣。爱神Aphrodite和战神Ares通奸时，被Aphrodite的坡脚丈夫铁匠之神Hephaestus设机关捉在网里示众。有神评论，Ill deeds never prosper; swift after all is outrun by slow. (V295-379) swift after all is outrun by slow这大概也是种普世智慧。如中国儒家的说法，“无欲速，无见小利。欲速则不达，见小利则大事不成。”(《论语·子路》)，道家的说法，“企者不立，跨者不行。”(《老子·二十四章》)面对海神Poseidon的保释要求，Hephaestus回答，Pledges for trustless folk are trustless pledges. (V295-379)这话有些像“民无信不立”(《论语·颜渊》)，虽然希腊的说法可能更强调个体的信用，而中国古籍更强调民众对国家的信仰。

《伊里亚特》中的大英雄，不论死活，后来似乎也都成了俗人。以Agamennon兄弟为例，被妻子和情人谋害的Agamennon现身说法告诫Odysseus提防女人，…you too much never favour your wife too far; when you have perfected some scheme, do not tell her the whole of it, but reveal part, and part leave hidden. (XI 437-527) 而特洛伊战争后抱得美人归的Menelaus，似乎对接人待客也颇有心得，Too much warmness to guests, and too much coldness, are both things that I blame in tohers. Measure is best in everything: to press departure on one who is loath to go, to hinder it for one who is loath to stay – eighter thing is as bad as the other. Cherish a guest while he is with you; when he wishes to go, speed his going. (XV 1-87)看来中庸之道又是种普世智慧。

顺便一提，奥林匹克精神的起源，大概也是史诗中这样的话，Through all a man’s lifetime, there is nothing that brings him greater glory than what he achieves by speed of foot and by strength of arm. (VIII 132-214)当然，我这种四体不勤的人，对此并不认同。speed of foot可能什么什么了不起，如前所述，swift after all is outrun by slow。