1 The Olympin Gods Between Macedon and Thessaly of eastern Greece there stood a high mountain.Its cloudy top rushed into the very heavens.On the top of the mountain, the home of the gods was bathed in brightness. At Olympus Zeus ruled as the father of gods and men. Zeus was not a crude ruler by any standards.All the gods listened to his final words,it was true.But Zeus made them all sit on a committee of twelve members,including six gods and six goddesses. The first in the Olympian crowd sat Zeus himself. He was the overlord of gods and men and the operator of the thunderbolt .Next to him was Hera,his proud and greeneyed queen.Poseidon was ruler of the sea,And Hades,king of the lower world,had no seat in the committee.Apollo was the god of the sun,music and poetry,while his twinsister Artemis was the goddess of the moon and the chase. Athena was the goddess of wisdom and patroness of house holdarts.Hestin,the goddess of the family,represented home life and family happiness.The frightening Ares was the god of war,and the charming Aphrodite the goddess of love and beauty.The god of fire,Hephaestus,was the forger of the thunderbolts of Zeus.The wing footed messenger Hermes was the god of invention and commerce;and the goddess of grains and harvests,Demeter,looked after agriculture and stood for mother ofcivilization. All the chief gods mentioned above took human forms of incomparable beauty and grace. Often moved by human feelings and desires,they frequently gave way to anger and jealousy.They became involved in ceaseless battles with the world of man. Among themselves at Olympus they plotted and struggled for power.In the human world they experienced competitions and difficulties.They enjoyed earthly friendships and loves.Acrowd of everlasting gods looked and acted in a perfectly human fashion that is what all gods at Olympus actually were. 1 奥林波斯山神 在马其顿和希腊东部的色萨利之间矗立着一座高山。大雾弥漫的山顶直插云霄。山顶上,众神们的家园沐浴在阳光之中。宙斯作为山神和人类之父主宰着那里的一切。总的说来,宙斯并不是一个独裁统治者。但毫无疑问,凡事山神们都要听从他的命令。宙斯将男女山神12人组成一个委员会,宙斯本人则坐第一把交椅,是众神与人类的太上皇,也是雷电的操纵者。他旁边是他那傲慢且嫉妒的皇后赫拉。波塞冬是大海的统治者。哈得斯是主宰阴间的冥王,他在委员会中没有席位。阿波罗是太阳神、音乐和诗神。他的孪生姐妹阿耳特弥斯是月亮和狩猎女神。雅典娜是智慧女神和家居艺术品的守护女神。赫提斯是家室之神,象征着家庭中的生命与幸福。气势汹汹的阿瑞斯是战神。媚人的阿芙罗狄蒂是爱与美神。火神赫菲斯托斯是宙斯雷电的创造者。以翅代步的信使海尔墨斯掌管商业与发明事务。谷物与丰收女神得墨特尔负责管理农业,她是文明之母。 以上所提到的主要天神们都假装成凡人的样子,他们的美丽与魅力无可匹敌。因常受到凡人情感与愿望的感染,他们不时地勃然大怒,妒嫉别人。他们卷入与人类世界无休止的争斗中。在奥林波斯,他们之间也充满了阴谋与权力之争。在凡人的世界里,他们经历了敌对与挫折。他们珍惜人间的爱与友善。这群长生不老的天神们的外表与行为完全符合人间的方式。这就是奥林波斯山神们的本来面目。 |
2 Pandora After the stealing of fire,Zeus became increasingly unkind to men.One day he ordered his son Hephaestus tobuild an image of a beautiful maiden out of clay.He then asked the gods and goddesses to award her with different kinds of gifts.Among others,Athena clothed her in an attractive coat and Hermes gave her the power of telling lies.A charming young lady,she was the first woman that ever lived.Zeus called her Pandora.Because she had received from each of the gods and goddesses a gift.The gift was harmful to men. Zeus decided to send her down to men as a present.So Hermes them essenger brought her to Epimetheus,brother of Prometheus.The greatness of her beauty touched the hearts of all who looked upon her,and Epimetheus happily received her into his house.He had quite forgotten Pometheus' warning:never to accept anything from Zeus.The couple lived a happy life for some time.Then trouble came on to the human world. When he was busy with teaching men the art of living,Prometheus had left a bigcask in the care of Epimetheus.He had warned his brother not to open the lid.Pandora was a curious woman.She had been feeling very disappointed that her husband did not allow her to take a look at the contents of the cask.One day,when Epimetheus was out,she lifted the lid and out itcame unrest and war,Plague and sickness,theft and violence, grief sorrow,and all the other evils.The human world was hence to experience these evils.Only hope stayed within the mouth of the jar and never flew out.So men always have hope within their hearts. 2 潘多拉 偷窃天火之后,宙斯对人类的敌意与日俱增。一天,他令儿子赫菲斯托斯用泥塑一美女像,并请众神赠予她不同的礼物。其中,雅典娜饰之以华丽的衣裳,赫耳墨斯赠之以说谎的能力。世上的第一个女人是位迷人女郎,因为她从每位神灵那里得到了一样对男人有害的礼物,因此宙斯称她为潘多拉(pander:意为煽动)。 宙斯决定把她作为礼物送给世间的男子。于是信使赫耳墨斯将她带给普罗米修斯的弟弟厄庇墨透斯。她姿容绝美,见者无不为之倾心。厄庇墨透斯兴高采烈地把她迎入屋内。普罗米修斯警告过他不得接受宙斯的任何馈赠,而他已将之忘于脑后。这一对夫妻有过一段幸福的生活,但不久灾难却降临人间。 当普罗米修斯忙于教授人们生存之道的时候,他把一个桶托付给厄庇墨透斯。他警告过他的弟弟不要打开桶盖。潘多拉好奇心强。她的丈夫不允许她看桶中之物,这使她感到十分懊恼。一天乘厄庇墨透斯出门在外,她打开桶盖,从桶里跑出的是不和与战争,瘟疫与疾病,偷窃与暴力,悲哀与忧虑,以及其他一些人类从此要遭受的不幸。只有希望被关在桶口,永远飞不出来,因此人们常常把希望藏于心中。 |
3 Apollo Among the crowd of Olympian gods the one most widely admired was Apollo.He was the son of Zeus and Let to.According to Greek mythology,Leto was driven by Hera from land to land at last Poseidon took Pity on her and brought the island of Delos out of water for her to live on.There she gave birth to the twins ,Apollo and Artemis. Apollo was me sun-god.He wore a purple robe.He usually sat in his bright eastern palace early in the morning and madeready to start his daily journey across the sky.During the day hed rove his carriage of gold and ivory , and brought light, life and love to the great world below. Iate in the afternoon he came to the end of his journey in the far western sea and got on his golden boat to return to his eastern home. Apollo was the god of music and poetry.He could stir up all feelings.These feelings are expressed in lofty songs.With his lyre of gold and the sweet accents of his godlike voice heled the choir of the Muses at Olympus.The pleasant music from his lyre was so exciting that stones marched into their places in rhythmic time and of their own will when he helped Poseidonbuild up the walls of Troy.On one occasion,invited to a contest by the human musician Marsyas,he won and then flayed him to death for his pride.On another occasion,he lost out toPan at a musical contest and turned the ears of the judge,King Midas,into those of an ass. His son,Orpheus,took over such skill from the father that his lyre moved man and animals alike. Apollo stood for youthful and manly beauty.His goldenhair,stately manner and air all combined to make him the admiration of the world.A beautiful girl,by the name of Clytle,was so fond of his beauty and glory that from dawn to dusk she knelt on the ground,her hands outstretched towards the sungod,and her eyes looked at his golden wheeled carriage racing across the blue sky.Though her love was not returned,she had never changed her mind about Apollo.The gods were moved at the sad sight,and changed her into a sunflower. 3 阿波罗 在众多的奥林波斯山神中,主神宙斯和雷托之子阿波罗最受推崇。据希腊神话记载,雷托被天后赫拉驱赶得四处流浪。最终是海神波塞冬怜悯她并从海中捞起提落岛让她居住。在岛上,她生了孪生儿子阿波罗和阿尔特弥斯。 阿波罗是太阳神。清晨他身着紫色袍,坐在那明亮的东方宫殿,准备开始每日穿越天空的旅行。白天,他驾着用金子和象牙制成的战车,给广阔无垠的大地带来光明、生命和仁爱。黄昏时分,他在遥远的西海结束了旅行,然后就乘上金船返回东方的家中。 阿波罗是音乐神和诗神。他可唤起人们倾注于圣歌中的各种情感。在奥林波斯山上,他手拿金质里拉,用悦耳的音调指挥缪斯的合唱。当他帮助波塞冬建造特洛伊城墙时,里拉奏出的音乐如此动听,以致石头有节奏地、自动地各就其位。有一次他接受凡人音乐家马斯亚斯的挑战参加一次竞赛。战胜对方后,他将对手剥皮致死以惩罚他的狂妄自大。在另外一次音乐比赛中,因输给了潘神,他就将裁判迈尔斯国王的耳朵变成了驴耳朵。 阿波罗的儿子俄耳甫斯继承了父亲这方面的才能。他的竖琴使人与动物皆受感动。 阿波罗象征着青春和男子汉的美。金色的头发、庄重的举止、容光焕发的神态,这些足以使他受到世人的青睐。一位名叫克里提的美丽少女迷恋于他的英俊潇洒,跪在地上,从黎明到黄昏,双手伸向太阳神。她凝视着那辆金质马车在蔚蓝的天空驰骋。虽然她的爱并未得到回报,但她对阿波罗的痴情却从未改变。目睹这悲哀的场面,众神深受感动,将她变成了一株向日葵。 |
4 Prometheus Prometheus was a Titan .In the war between Zeus the giants he had stood on the side of the new Olympiangods.Out of the clay he made the first man,to whom Athena gave soul and holy breath.Prometheus spent a lot of time and energy in creating the gift of fire.And fire raised man above all animals .Later,there held a joint meeting of gods and men.The meeting was to decide what part of burnt animals should begiven to gods and what to men.Prometheus cut up an ox and divided it into two parts:under the skin he placed the fresh,and under the fat he put the bones,for he knew the selfish Zeus loved fat. Zeus saw through the trick and felt displeased at the Prometheus' favor towards men.So in a masterful way he took away the gift of fire from mankind. However,Prometheus managed to steal fire from heaven and secretly brought it down tomen.Flying into an anger at this unjustified act of rebellion,Zeus let the other gods chain Prometheus to a rock on Mountain Caucasus,where a hungry eagle ever tore at his liver which ever grew again.His period of pain was to be thirty-thousand years.Prometheus faced his bitter fate firmly and never lost courage before Zeus.At last Heracles made Prometheus and Zeus restore to friend ship,when Heracles came over in search of the golden apple and killed the eagle and set the friend of mankind free. 4 普罗米修斯 普罗米修斯是泰坦巨人之一。在宙斯与巨人的战争中,他站在新的奥林波斯山神一边。他用粘土造出了第一个男人。雅典娜赋予了这个男人灵魂和神圣的生命。普罗米修斯还花费了很多时间和精力创造了火,并将之赠予人类。火使人成为万物之灵。在这之后,举行了第一次神与人的联席会议。这个会议将决定烧烤过的动物的哪一部分该分给神,哪一部分该给人类。普罗米修斯切开一头牛,把它分成两部分:他把肉放在皮下,将骨头放在肥肉下。因为他知道自私的宙斯爱吃肥肉。宙斯看穿了他的把戏。普罗米修斯偏袒人类,这使宙斯感到不快。因此,他专横地把火从人类手中夺走。 然而,普罗米修斯设法窃走了天火,偷偷地把它带给人类。宙斯对他这种肆无忌惮的违抗行为大发雷霆。他令其他的山神把普罗米修斯用锁链缚在高加索山脉的一块岩石上。一只饥饿的老鹰天天来啄食他的肝脏,而他的肝脏又总是重新长出来。他的痛苦要持续三万年。而他坚定地面对苦难,从来不在宙斯面前丧失勇气。最后,海格立斯使普罗米修斯与宙斯恢复了他们的友谊,找到了金苹果,杀死了老鹰,因而解救了人类的老朋友。 |
5 Nereus and Proteus Of all the small sea divinities Nereus and Proteus stood out as Peculiar sea-gods.Nereus,known as“the Old Man of the sea”,represented the pleasant aspect of ocean waters.He lived beneath the sea with his fifty lovely daughters,of whom the most famous were Amphritrite,Thetis,Galate a and Panope.It was Nereus who advised Heracles to seek Prometheus in the hero's search of the golden apples. Proteus was Poseidon's herdsman. He was well known for two qualities:the gift of prophecy and the power to take various forms.At one time he was a lion with a curly wavy hairs;at another he appeared in the shape of a wild boar;and still another he stood a stately tree covered with rich leaves.When,after all these and many other changes,he failed to get rid of his questioner, the god offered detailed answers. 5 纳鲁斯和普鲁吐斯 在所有的小海神中,纳鲁斯和普鲁吐斯异常独特。纳鲁斯是人们熟知的“海中的老人”。他代表了海水友善的一面。他和50个可爱的女儿一起生活在海中。她们当中最著名的有;安菲瑞垂托、塞提丝、盖拉蒂和潘诺珀。在勇敢地寻觅金苹果的时候,纳鲁斯建议赫格立斯寻找普罗米修斯。 普鲁吐斯是波塞冬的牧羊人。他有两种非凡的能力:他能预言,他还能够变成不同的动物。有时他是一头狮子,有着波浪般的卷发。有时他是一头凶猛的野猪。而有时他又是一棵枝叶繁茂、外表威严的大树。经过这些变化之后,当他无法摆脱询问者时,神就替他作出详尽的回答。 |
6 Eros(Cupid) Eros was the god of love,better known by hislatin name Cupid.Son of Aphrodite by Ares ,he took his place among the small gods of Olympus.He was represented asa little naked boy,with sparkling wings,and he carried his bowand arrows wherever he wandered.Shooting his thrilling arrows in evils,he inspired the passion of love and provided all nature with life and power of reproduction.The lovely,naughty god had two kinds of arrows:the gold tipped arrows used to quicken the pulse of love and the lead tipped ones to palsy it. Besides,he had a torch to light hearts with. Though sometimes he was blindfolded ,no man nor god,Zeus himself included,was safe from his evils.At one time the little naughty god was wounded by his own arrows and suchburning love was awakened in him for the human maiden Psyche that he disregarded the constant interference of his mother and plucked up his courage to beg Zeus for justice.Another famousstory where Eros played an important part was the Argonautic expedition.Medea,daughter of king Aeetes,was wounded by Eros' arrows,took Jason's part in recovering the golden fleece and eventually became the hero's wife. 6 厄洛斯(丘比特) 厄洛斯是爱神,它的拉丁名称丘比特更为人熟知。他是阿瑞斯和阿芙罗狄蒂的儿子,是一位小奥林波斯山神。他的形象是一个裸体的小男孩,有一对闪闪发光的翅膀。他带着弓箭漫游。他恶作剧地射出令人震颤的神箭,唤起爱的激情。给自然界带来生机,授予万物繁衍的能力。这位可爱而又淘气的小精灵有两种神箭:加快爱情产生的金头神箭和中止爱情的铅头神箭。另外,他还有一束照亮心灵的火炬。 尽管有时他被蒙着眼睛,但没有任何人或神,包括宙斯在内,能逃避他的恶作剧。有一次这位淘气的精灵被自己的箭射中。对人间少女普赛克炽热的爱在他心中复苏,以致于他不顾他母亲的干预,鼓起勇气让宙斯给予公正评判。厄洛斯起了重大作用的另一个著名的故事是亚尔古英雄的远征。美狄亚,国王埃厄忒斯的女儿,被厄洛斯的神箭射中,和伊阿宋一起寻觅金羊毛,最后成为这位英雄的妻子。 |
7 Ares Son of Zeus and Hera,Ares was appointed god of war.Hewas terrible and majestic ,and his march shook the world.Of all the major gods at Olympus,he was the most hateful,loving struggle and war and ever thirsty for blood .On the other hand he signified courage and victory in battle,and was devoutly worshipped by soldiers going to war.Prayers were addressed to him before the war and spoils presented at his altar after it. He was the one god who ever had to submit to the power ofhis inferiors .At one time lack of tact and good udge ment led to his shame.He was fighting with two giants,and finding himself no match for the two monstrous creatures,laid down hisarms and was imprisoned in chains. He was set free in the end by the artful Hermes,but not before he had suffered all the humiliations . He was as thoughtless as he was unkind .A son of Poseidon's,attempting to kidnap his daughter,made the war-god unhappy,so that he killed the youth Without he sitation.In retaliation ,Poseidon dragged him before a group of Athenian judges for trial.The court was held on a hill outside Athens.Ares presented his case and was declared innocent . The hill was ever after called Areopagus,“the hill of Ares”,and the judges receivedthe names of Areopagitae. 7 阿瑞斯 阿瑞斯,宙斯和赫拉之子,被委任为战神。他威严而可怕。他一走动,整个世界都会摇晃。在奥林波斯山上的所有主神中,他是最可恨的、最喜欢争斗和战争的神,并且永远对血腥有一种渴望。另一方面,他代表勇气和胜利,被即将上战场的战士们疯狂地崇拜。这些崇拜者战前都要向他祈祷,战后将战利品供奉在他的祭坛前。 他是惟一一位曾经不得不屈于部下威力的神。有一次,由于缺乏机智与正确判断使他蒙受羞辱。他和两个巨人决斗,发现自己不能抵挡。他自动放下武器,被铐上铁链关了起来,最后他被老练的赫尔墨斯救出来,但在此之前,他已饱尝了受侮辱的滋味。 他做事不加思考,就像他的残暴一样典型。波塞冬的一个儿子企图诱拐他的女儿,弄得战神非常不悦。于是,他毫不留情地把他干掉了。为了替儿子报仇,波塞冬拉着阿瑞斯到雅典法官面前要求审判战神。审判是在城外的一座小山上开庭的,阿瑞斯叙述了案情,最后被判无罪。从那以后,这座山就称作雅典的最高法院,即“阿瑞斯之山”;而出审的法官们被称作雅典最高法院的法官。 |
8 Dionysus Dionysus was the god of wine.He was the son of Zeus by Semele. When his mother was burnt to death in the glory of Zeus .He was still a helpless infant.His father trusted his upbringing to some mountain fairy maidens .They tookthe greatest care of him. Under the tutorship of Silennus,the Satyr, he was introduced to all the secrets of nature and the culture of the wine. He travelled far and wide in his carriage drawn by wild beasts. He was said to have been to India and Ethiopia .Wherever he went, there was music and song and revelling.Hisattendants,known as the Bacchantes, were noted for their noiseand disorder.A most wild,noisy crow,they drank,danced andsang in a careless way.The women Bacchantes were infamous for their excessive immodesty and disgraceful excitement .In their madness and intoxication they committed cruel violence. They tore Orpheus,the gifted musician,limb from limb.King Pentheus of Thebes,for frowning on the worship of Bacchus in his kingdom, suffered the same treatment at the hands of a band of these fanatical women,of whom his own mother was the leader. 8 狄俄尼索斯 狄俄尼索斯是酒神,他是宙斯和塞梅莱的儿子。当他的妈妈被宙斯的璀璨之焰烧死时,他还只是个孤弱的婴儿。他的父亲将他寄托在山中仙子们那里,他们精心地哺育他长大。在森林之神西莱娜斯的辅导下,他掌握了有关自然的所有秘密以及酒的历史。他乘坐着他那辆由野兽驾驶的四轮马车到处游荡。据说他曾到过印度和埃塞俄比亚。他走到哪儿,乐声、歌声、狂饮就跟到哪儿。他的侍从们,被称为酒神的信徒,也因他们的吵闹无序而出名。他们肆无忌惮地狂笑,漫不经心地喝酒、跳舞和唱歌。侍从中的妇女也因极端粗野、得意起来有失体面而臭名昭著。当她们疯狂或是极度兴奋时,她们使用残忍的暴力。她们曾把俄尔浦斯这位才华横溢的音乐家的手足撕裂。就连底比斯国王,仅因为在本国崇拜巴克斯(狄俄尼索斯的别名)问题上皱了皱眉头,也遭受了同样的惩罚。而带领这群狂热的女人胡作非为的就是狄俄尼索斯的母亲。 |
9 Philomela King Pandion of Athens had two daughters,Procne and Philomela.When Athens was threatened by the wild men,King Tereus of Thrace came to its help.Out of gratitude King Pandion offered Tereus either of his daughters in marriage and the Thracian king chose Procne as wife. For yearsthey lived in Thrace and had one son,Itylus by name.Then Procne became homesick and longed to see her dear sister Philomela.At her repeated requests Tereus sailed to Athens tofetch Philomela.On the way back his evil heart took flame at the sight of Philomela who was then in her beauty of maidenhood.He seized and carried her away by force,cut out her tongue and imprisoned her in a lonely hut in the woods.To Procne he lied,saying that Philomela was dead.Philomela stayed in prison for ayear,where she had woven her painful story into the web of a robe .Then she managed to send the robe to her sister. As soon as she received the web Procne came over to the woods and to reher sister away from the keepers. Back at the palace, the two women,hot for paying back ,killed little Itylus and served him up to his father . When Tereus learned of the terrible truth he grasped his sword and chased the sisters into the woods. There the gods turned Procne into a swallow,Philomela a nightingale and Tereus a hoopoe . 9 菲勒美拉 雅典国王潘底翁有两个女儿,普鲁丝妮和菲勒美拉。当雅典受到蛮人的威胁时,色雷斯国王泰诺斯伸出了援助之手。出于感激,国王潘底翁让泰诺斯从自己的女儿中任选一位作他妻子。泰诺斯选择了普鲁丝妮。他们在色雷斯生活了许多年,并且生了一个儿子,名叫意大拉斯。由于远离故土,普鲁丝妮患了思乡病,她非常想见亲爱的妹妹菲勒美拉。在她的一再要求下,泰诺斯乘船去雅典接菲勒美拉来与她姐姐团聚。在返回的途中,看到菲勒美拉浑身散发出的青春和美丽,泰诺斯非常嫉妒,顿生歹意。他强行带走了菲勒美拉,并割去了她的舌头,将她关在森林中一个偏僻的小茅屋里。在普鲁丝妮面前,他撒谎说菲勒美拉已经死了。菲勒美拉被囚禁了整整一年。在囚禁期间,她将痛苦的经历编织成了一件长袍;然后,她想方设法让长袍落到她姐姐的手中。普鲁丝妮一收到那件长袍就来到了森林,将她妹妹救了出来。 回到宫殿后,姐妹俩急于复仇,杀死了小意大拉斯,并派人将尸体送到他父亲那里。国王泰诺斯得知事情真相后,提起剑来把姐妹两人赶到森林里。在林中,众神将普鲁丝妮变为一只麻雀,将菲勒美拉变为一只夜莺,而将泰诺斯变成了一只戴胜科鸟。 |
10 Palladium When Ilus had first built his new seat,the city of Troy, he prayed Zeus to show some sign of blessing for it. His prayer was heard,and a wooden image of Pallas- A-thena fell from heaven to within the walls of the city. Known as the Palladium, the statue afforded the city safety and protection. At religious meetings of the goddess it was carried through the city streets amid joys and songs of praise. After the flames of war had spread for ten years before the walls of Troy, a prophet foretold that Troy could never be expected to fall as long as the Palladium was treasured by its people .In order to steal it out,Odysseus and Diomedes slipped into the capital one night in disguise ,known to none but Hellen.The bad woman took out them to He cuba, the queen of Troy, at whose feet Odysseus immediately bowed down and asked formercy.The queen granted their request,and with the help of Helen,they successfully brought the image back to the Greek camp at dawn. Later it was said that Aeneas got hold of it and carried itwith him to his new land,where it was Preserved together with the goddess' fire. 10 雅典娜的神像 当伊拉斯最初建造特洛伊城时,他祈求宙斯赐福于这座城市。宙斯听到祈求后,一尊木制的智慧雅典娜像从天堂落到了城墙里。人们将它称作雅典娜神像。这尊木像担任着保卫和看守城市的任务。在祭神的宗教仪式中,它在欢快的气氛和赞美的歌声中被抬着走过城市的所有街道。 在特洛伊建成之前,战火已弥漫了十年。一位预言家说:只要雅典娜的神像受人民的爱戴,特洛伊城就永远不会衰灭。为了将神像偷出城,一天夜里奥德修斯和狄俄墨德斯乔装改扮潜入首都,这一切只有海伦知道。这个可恶的女人把他们介绍给特洛伊皇后赫克犹巴。奥德修斯立刻跪倒在她的面前乞求怜悯。皇后答应了他们的要求,在海伦的帮助下,他们在拂晓的时候成功地带着雕像回到希腊营地。 据说后来埃弥斯得到了雕像并带着它到了自己的新领地。木像和神火一起被保存在这块土地上。 |
11 The Flood Towards the end of the Age of Bronze the human world became very cruel. Men grew hungry,impolite and ungodly.Neither rightn or law was respected any longer,and the rule of hospitality was forgotten.Dressed up in human form,Zeus visited Arcadia andThessaly,and disliked the deadly wrongs of men .He decidedto clear the earth of them all.Without hesitation he released therainy south wind and called upon the heartless Poseidon to help.Soon the whole world sank in a vast ocean, and the entire humanrace disappeared in the unheard of flood,all but two poor Thessalians . These were an old childless couple,kind and faithful and contented with life.The man was called Deucalion and his wife Pyrrha.Son of Prometheus,Deucalion had been warned beforehand by his father of the coming flood and made himself a hugechest.When the roaring flood came the couple hid themselves init and floated for nine days until it touched land again on Mt Parnassus. The once active world presented a frightening sight.It was all death and ruin.Feeling lonely and unsafe,the old coupleprayed to the gods for help.A sage instructed them to cast the bones of their mother about .The son of the wise Titan, havingguessed the true meaning of the mysterious command, started throwing stones behind him. A miracle occurred. The stonesthat the man cast became men;the stones that the woman threwturned into women.Since then,people appeared on the land again.The Heroic Age had begun. 11 洪 水 到了青铜期末代,人类世界变得非常残忍,人类也变得贪婪、粗鲁且不虔诚。公理与法律不再受到尊重。殷勤好客的风俗被遗忘。宙斯装扮成凡人的样子查看了阿卡迪亚和色萨利两地。他不喜欢凡人极度的罪恶,决心将他们从地球上铲除。他毫不犹豫地释放了夹雨的南风,并召来冷酷无情的波塞冬协助他。很快整个人类世界被淹没在一片汪洋之中。除了两名恭顺的色萨利人幸免于难外,人类被史无前例的洪水吞噬。 这对老夫妻没有孩子。他们善良、虔诚、对生活心满意足。丈夫是普罗米修斯的儿子,名叫丢卡利翁,妻子名为皮拉。丢卡利翁的父亲事先就警告他会爆发洪水,因此,他制了个巨大的箱子。当咆哮的洪水涌来时,夫妻俩就躲藏在箱中,这样漂泊了九天,最终漂到了帕那萨斯山。 曾经生机勃勃的大地呈现出恐怖的景象。死亡与毁灭四处可见。老夫妻深感孤独和危险。他们就向上帝祈祷,乞求帮助。一位圣人指示他们把母亲的遗骨掷向四周。这位聪明的泰坦的后代,马上悟出了这个神秘指示所隐含的意义。他们开始将石头抛向身后。奇迹出现了。男人抛出的石头变成了男人,女人抛的则变成了女人。从此人类再次在陆地上出现,英雄时代来临。 |
12 Ajax(the Great) Ajax was a man of giant stature,daring but slow.When the Trojan War was about to break out he led his forces from Salamis to join the Greek army at Aulis.As one of the trustiest champions of the Greek cause,he was given thejob of guarding one end of the Greek camp near Troy.He was noted in the battlefield for his bravery and courage.After Achilles' death he became one of the two hot contestants for the dead hero's shield and armour,the other being Odysseus.When the weapons were finally judged to his rival,Ajax went mad for grief.Unable to get over the hardships,he took his own life.When,in order to seek the advice of,Odysseus came to visit the lower world,the shade of Ajax frowned uponhim.In the lower world Ajax chose to be a lion,guided clearly by the bitter recollection of his former life. 12 埃杰克斯(巨人) 埃杰克斯是位身材魁梧、骁勇善战、但头脑迟钝的人。当特洛伊战争即将爆发时,他率领军队从萨拉米斯到达奥尔墨斯加入了希腊军队。作为一名为希腊事业奋斗的最可信赖的斗士,他被派去保卫靠近特洛伊的希腊军营边界。战场上,他因作战勇猛而出名。阿基里斯死后,他成为两个最有可能获得阿基里斯的盾甲的有力竞争对手之一。另一名对手是奥德修斯。最后,他的对手胜利了,并得到了盾甲。埃杰克斯悲伤至极,无法自拔,最终结束了自己的生命。奥德修斯为了得到盲人底比斯的忠告而来到阴间;埃杰克斯的幽灵冲着他直皱眉头。在阴间,由于受到前世痛苦记忆的折磨,埃杰克斯选择了做一头狮子。 |
13 Jason Among the pupils of the wise and just Centaur,there wasa boy named Jason.He was by birth a prince.His father Aeson was once king of Iolcus,but was overthrown by his own half brother Pelias.So he sent his baby son Jason to the Centaur for safekeeping.As a boy Jason took part in the boarhunt.When he grew up into a strong youth he was told of the secret of his birth.So he went to avenge his father's wrongs . On his way back to his native city he met a weak old woman waiting to be helped across a mountain stream.Kind and polite,Jason carried the old lady on his back and walked across the stream.Little had he thought that the old woman was just Hera herself .Thus he got the help and protection of a power fulfriend at the beginning of his life.As he lost one shoe in the stream he had to enter Pelias' palace in only one shoe. Pelias was quite scared to see such a stranger because he had been warned by a prophet to be careful of a man wearing only one shoe.He was not surprised when Jason told him who he was and what his business was about.The artful Pelias welcomed hisnephew with false pride and joy ;he promised to give up the kingdom to one who had proved himself worthy of it.And heurged the youth to bring the golden fleece back from Colchis.He felt quite certain that his nephew would never come back alivefrom the hopeless task.Pelias' prediction was quite right.Jasondied a poor death in the kingdom of Colchis. 13 杰 森 半人半马的怪物(Centaur)既英明又公正。他的学生中有个名叫杰森的男孩。杰森是位王子,他的父亲埃宋曾是伊俄卡斯的国王,但后来王位却被他同父异母兄弟珀利阿斯夺去了。因此他把还在襁褓中的儿子送给Centaur照料。还是个孩子时,杰森就参加过捕猎野猪。当他长成一位强壮的小伙,知道自己身世的秘密后,他决定要为父亲所受的不公报仇雪恨。 在返回祖国的路上,他遇到一位老婆婆。她希望能有人帮她渡过山里的一条小溪。出于善良的天性和谦恭有礼的本能,杰森背起老人,淌过了小溪。他并未想到这位老婆婆竟是赫拉本人。因此他在生活的起点便得到了一位神通广大的朋友的帮助和保护。由于他在过河时遗失了一只鞋子,他不得不赤着一只脚走进了珀利阿斯的宫殿。当珀利阿斯看到这个陌生人时,他惊恐异常,因为一位预言家提醒他提防一个只穿了一只鞋的男人。当杰森告诉他自己是谁以及自己此行的目的时,他并没有感到奇怪。狡诈的珀利阿斯带着假惺惺的自豪和喜悦迎接了这位侄子。他发誓说,他愿意放弃王位,但接替他继承王位的人必须能够用事实证明自己确配接受王冠。于是,他怂恿年轻人去科尔切斯取回金羊毛。他断定他的侄子再不会活着回到他面前,因为这根本就是个不可能完成的使命。珀利阿斯的预言千真万确。杰森悲惨地死在科尔切斯王国。 |
14 Io Io was the daughter of a rivergod.She was loved,run after and won by Zeus.Hera became so greeneyed that she flew down from Olympus one day to pay her rival back .Zeus,however,had foreseen her arrival and changed Io into abeautiful white little cow.Seeing through the trick,Hera asked for the cow as a present and Zeus had to give in to her wish .Then she left the cow to the care of a hundredeyed monster,Argus.Argus' eyes were ever open and no escape was possible.Unable to bear to see her so unhappy,Zeus sent Hermes down todestroy the monster.Dressed up as a shepherd,Hermes lulled Argus to sleep with his sweet songs and long stories,then killed him and set Io free.But Hera's anger was not to be calmed downyet.She sent a gadfly to attack the cow and drive her from land to land.In her misery the cow passed over the strait which divides Europe and Asia.In this way the strip of water got itsname Bosporus ,the way of the cow.She wandered over thesea,which by chance got from her its name the Ionian Sea .In the end she arrived in Egypt where she was turned back into hernatural form .She settled down and gave birth to a son,Some of her children remained in Egypt and ruled as kings for a longtime. 14 伊 俄 伊俄是河神的女儿,宙斯爱她、追求她、并得到了她。赫拉对此嫉妒不已。一天她飞下奥林波斯山向情敌施加报复。然而宙斯早已预见到她的光临,就将伊俄变成了一头美丽的小白牛犊,赫拉看穿了其中的诡计,非要一头牛犊作为礼物。宙斯无奈,只得让她如愿以偿。赫拉便将牛犊托付给百眼魔鬼阿刚斯看管。阿刚斯的眼睛永远睁着,要想逃脱是不可能的。看到伊俄如此忧郁,宙斯简直无法忍受,便令赫耳墨斯将魔鬼铲除。赫耳墨斯乔装成牧羊人给阿刚斯唱悦耳动听的歌,讲冗长乏味的故事以哄他入睡。之后便寻机杀死魔鬼,释放了伊俄。但赫拉的狂怒并未消除。她派了一只牛虻去攻击牛犊,使她颠沛流离。在十分悲痛之中,牛犊穿越了分隔欧亚大陆的海峡。从此这片狭长的水域被称作博斯普鲁斯海峡,意为牛犊之路。她接着漫游过海,这片大海也就在偶然中有了名称——伊奥尼亚海,最后她到了埃及,并恢复了她本来的体态和容貌。她在那里落户并生了个儿子。她的一些子孙就呆在了埃及,当了很长时间的国王。 |
15 The Sirens Far out in the sea there was an island,on the rocky edge of which lived three Sirens,the three sisters of magic song.Half human and half bird,the Siren sisters sat in a field of flowers,singing in voices that excited the hearts of men.The attractive songs were so sweet that ships were attracted to the island and struck to pieces on the rocks.No sailor nor ship had ever been known to pass the Island of the Sirens without being attracted to disaster . Acting on the advice of Circe,Odysseus took careful preparation against the Sirens.Before their ships came to where they could hear the song,Odysseus had himself tied to the mast ,stopped the ears of his men with wax and ordered them to ignorehis orders and gestures when they were passing the fatal is land . Soon they came in sight of the rocky is land,and the attractive song reached the ears of Odysseus.It moved him so much that he struggled in despair to free himself and shouted for his men to turn towards the rich and flowery grass land of the singing sisters.But no one paid any attention to him.The sailorskept straight on until they were completely out of hearing.Then his friends freed him and took the wax out of their ears.For once the Sirens had sung with no effects.The eldest of the sisters,Partherope,loved Odysseus so much that she threw herself into the sea after his ships had passed. 15 海妖塞壬 遥远的海面上有一岛屿,石崖边居住着唱魔歌的海妖塞壬三姐妹。半人半岛的塞壬姐妹们坐在一片花丛里,唱着盎惑人心的歌,甜美的歌声把过往的船只引向该岛,然后撞上礁石船毁人亡。过往的海员和船只都受到迷惑走向毁灭,无一幸免。 奥德修斯遵循女神喀耳斯的忠告。为了对付塞壬姐妹,他采取了谨慎的防备措施。船只还没驶到能听到歌声的地方,奥德修斯就令人把他拴在桅杆上,并吩咐手下用蜡把他们的耳朵塞住。他还告诫他们通过死亡岛时不要理会他的命令和手势。 不久石岛就进入了他们的视线。奥德修斯听到了迷人的歌声。歌声如此令人神往,他绝望地挣扎着要解除束缚,并向随从叫喊着要他们驶向正在繁花茂盛的草地上唱歌的海妖姐妹,但没人理他。海员们驾驶船只一直向前,直到最后再也听不到歌声。这时他们才给奥德修斯松绑,取出他们耳朵中的蜡。这次塞壬海妖们算是白唱了歌。三姐妹中的老大帕耳塞洛珀深深地爱慕着奥德修斯。当他的船只走过后,她就投海自尽了。 |
16 Hecuba He cuba's life was one of grief and sorrow.She saw withher own eyes her eldest born Hector killed and insulted by Achilles.She saw her son Polites slain in front of her by Pyrrhus.And she saw her husband,the aged Priam,dragged towards the household altar and ruthlessly butchered there.After the fall of Troy she was carried into slavery .Shehad the misfortune to witness her daughter Polyxena,her soleconsolation in bondage ,sacrificed at the tomb of Achilles.She had the sad fate to see washed ashore the corpse of her young estson Polydorus,who had been entrusted to the Thracian king for safekeeping.With her fifty children all dead she became thequeen of sorrows from whom no other woman could obtain the crown .Yet in her distress and despair,she plucked up hercourage to avenge herself upon the Thracian king,who had murdered her son in order to get her son's gold.Later,as Dionysushad prophesied ,she was transformed into a dog with bloodshoteyes and,unable to endure the new misery,she leapt into thesea and thus ended her unfortunate life. 16 赫克犹巴 赫克犹巴的一生充满了痛苦与悲哀。她亲眼目睹了长子海克特被阿基里斯侮辱,尔后被杀害;儿子波利斯被皮洛士杀死在自己面前;年迈的丈夫皮安姆被拖到家庭祭坛残酷地处死。特洛伊沦陷后,她成了一名奴隶。她又不幸地看到了自己在奴役中的惟一安慰——女儿波里丝娜被血祭于阿基里斯的墓前。为了使最小的儿子波里德诺斯能得到妥善的照顾,她把他委托给了塞希国王。可是,不幸的命运又使她看到了被冲到海边的儿子的尸体。她的50个孩子都死了,赫克犹巴因此成为悲哀女王,而别的女人都无法得到这顶王冠。然而,即使处于痛苦与绝望之中,她仍旧鼓足勇气向塞希国王复仇,因为塞希国王为了得到她儿子的黄金而杀死了他。后来,正如狄俄尼索斯所预言,她被变成了一条狗,眼带血丝。她不堪忍受这种新的痛苦,就跳进海里,结束了自己不幸的一生。 |
17 The Four Ages There had been four ages since the human world first cameinto being .They are the Golden Age,the Silver Age,the Age of Bronze and the Age of Iron.The Golden Agewas the best of all.It was an age when Kronus sat on thethrone.Generous nature met all the needs of men .There wereno extremes of cold and heat.And the evils of the human worldwere still kept in the cask.Epimetheus guarded the cask and Pandora was not yet made to open.Men lived a happy life.They were forever young.They were always eating richly and knew neither hard labour nor sorrow.When death came it came like apeaceful sleep.And they became good spirits in heaven . The Silver Age was one in which the human race was somewhat less valuable in body and mind.The period was of helpless be ginning.It lasted a hundred years.And it was the time of manhood,short and troubled.Men spent in ignorance and evil.They no longer admired the gods and offered no sacrifices.However,as the race of the Silver Age was not entirely lack of goodness,they had some honour and lived on as spirits under the earth. During the age of Bronze men became further degenerated .Dressed in bronze and armed with weapons of bronze,they live din the houses of bronze.Cruel and heartless,they delighted inwar and died in endless struggle.When they passed away,they came into the darkness of the lower world. The last age,that of Iron,was one of continual care and grief.There was no family love,no sense of respectful duty,no friend ship and hospitality.Nor was there any faith,truth and justice.Evil was widespread,might was right,and the flames of war burnt the surface of the earth.It was a race of men given up by gods . 17 四个时代 人类产生以来经历了四个时代:黄金时代、白银时代、青铜时代、铁器时代。黄金时代最为美好。克鲁娜斯坐在御座上。慷慨的大自然满足了人类的一切要求。没有严寒酷暑。人间的不幸被拘禁在桶中。这只桶由厄庇墨透斯保管,而潘多拉还没有出世来打开桶盖。人们生活美满,青春永存。他们常常举行盛宴,大吃大喝,而对艰辛与悲哀一概不知。死亡的来临犹如酣睡,死后他们变成精灵升入天堂。 在白银时代,人类在体力与智力方面感觉欠佳。这种孤弱的开端延续百年。人类在愚昧与不幸中度过了这一短暂而焦虑的成年期。他们不再崇拜天神,也不再献祭。好在白银时代的人类并非一点美德也不具备。他们有廉耻之心,他们死后作为神灵继续在阴间生活。 在青铜时代,人类更加堕落。身着青铜盔甲,手握青铜兵器,住在青铜铸造的房中。他们残忍无情,尚武好战,最终在无止尽的战争中消亡。死时,他们降临阴间。 最后一个时代——铁器时代,这是一个持续烦恼与悲伤的时代。没有亲人的爱,没有孝顺长辈的责任感,没有友谊,没有礼仪,更没有信仰、真理与正义。罪恶四处蔓延,强权即公理。战火烧焦了地球的表面。天神摒弃了人类。 |
18 The Golden Fleece King Athamus of northern Greece had two children, Phrixus and Helle.After he left his first wife and mar ried Ino,a wicked woman,the two children received all the cruel treatment that a stepmother could devise ,At one timethe kingdom was ruined by a famine.Ino persuaded her credulous husband into believing that his son,Phrixus,was the actual cause of the disaster,and should be sacrificed to Zeus to endit.The poor boy was then placed on the altar and was about tobe knifed when a ram with golden fleece was sent down by thegods and carried off the two children on its back.As they flew over the strait that divides Asia from Europe,Helle,faint at the vast expanse of water below ,fell into the sea and was drowned.Thus the sea of Helle,Hellespont,became the ancient name of the strip of water.Her brother kept on and arrived in Colchis on the eastern shore of the Black Sea.There he sacrificed the ram to Zeus and gave its golden fleece to King Aeetes,who nailed it on a sacred tree and put a sleepless dragon in charge . 18 金色的羊毛 希腊北部国王阿塔玛斯有两个孩子,法瑞克斯和赫勒。当国王离开第一个妻子和一个名叫伊诺的坏女人结婚后,两个孩子受到后母残忍虐待,整个王国也受到毁灭性瘟疫的侵袭。伊诺在爱轻信的丈夫耳边进谗言,终于使国王相信:他的儿子法瑞克斯是这次灾害的罪魁祸首,并要将他献给宙斯以结束瘟疫。可怜的孩子被推上了祭坛,将要被处死。正在此时,上帝派了一只浑身上下长着金色羊毛的公羊来将两个孩子驮在背上带走了。当他们飞过隔开欧洲和亚洲的海峡时,赫勒由于看到浩瀚的海洋而头晕目眩,最终掉进大海淹死了。这片海洋古时候的名称叫赫勒之海,赫勒拉旁海峡便由此而来。金色公羊驮着法瑞克斯继续向前飞去,来到了黑海东岸的科尔契斯。在那里,法瑞克斯将公羊献给了宙斯;而将金羊毛送给了埃厄忒斯国王。国王将羊毛钉在一棵圣树上,并派了一条不睡觉的龙负责看护。 |
19 Pygmalion Pygmalion,King of Cyprus,was a famous sculptor.He made an ivory image of a woman so lovely that he fell in love with it.Every day he tried to make Galatea up in gold and purple,for that was the name he had given to this mistress of his heart.He embraced and kissed it,but it remaineda statue.In despair he went to Aphrodite's shrine for help.Offering rich sacrifice and sending up a passionate prayer,he begged the goddess to give him a wife as graceful as Galatea.Back home,he went straight up to the statue.Even as he gazedat it a change came over it.A faint colour appeared on its cheeks,a gleam shone from its eyes and its lips opened into as weet smile.Pygmalion stood speechless when Ualatea began to move towards him.She was simple and sweet and alive!Soon the room was ringing with her sliver voice.The work of his own hands became his wife. 19 皮格马利翁 塞浦路斯的国王皮格马利翁是一位有名的雕塑家。他塑造了一位异常可爱的象牙少女雕像以致于爱上了它。每天他都给盖拉蒂穿上金、紫色相间的长袍。盖拉蒂是他给心上人所起的名字。他拥抱它、亲吻它,但是它始终是一尊雕像。绝望中,他来到阿芙罗狄蒂的神殿寻求帮助。他献上丰盛的祭祀品,并且深情地祷告,祈求这位女神赐给他一位如同盖拉蒂一样举止优雅的妻子。回家后,他径直来到雕像旁。就在他凝视它的时候,雕像开始有了变化。它的脸颊开始呈现出微弱的血色,它的眼睛释放出光芒,它的唇轻轻开启,现出甜蜜的微笑。盖拉蒂走向他的时候,皮格马利翁站在那儿,说不出话来。她单纯、温柔、充满活力!不久屋子里响起她银铃般悦耳的声音。他的雕塑成了他的妻子。 |