最新古希腊罗马神话第一讲(中英双语)

希腊罗马神话典故及其翻译
古希腊神话里的故事无论从内容还是形式都是极具魅力的，其中一个最有名的
传说就是普罗米俄斯斗蛇传奇。

这一故事讲述的是，普罗米俄斯曾是一位勇敢的英雄，他穿着一件盔甲，手持
着铜铲和飞旋披风戴着鹰头盔，骑着一棵叫做博文的马，穿行在帕拉斯泰斯和自由之间。

有一次，普罗米俄斯在狩猎时，突然发现一条巨大的蛇在小河里游弋，他知道
这个蛇和传说中的勃特拉斯有关，于是决定把它杀死。

他把铜铲抛进小河里，蛇迅速陷入绊网，普罗米俄斯把它摁住在地上，用他的长剑贯穿了它的头。

蛇死后，普罗米俄斯将它的尸体放到肩上，背回到城堡，大家看到书果然令人
震惊地微笑，普罗米俄斯最终成功击败了勃特拉斯，并受到了英雄般的表彰。

普罗米俄斯斗蛇传奇传唤着古代斗争一切邪恶的英雄精神，它既反映出古希腊
人与古希腊神话中展现的英勇非凡，又展现出普罗米俄斯崇尚的自由、民主的价值，以及人们追求独立自由、追求荣誉的精神。

这一传奇故事无疑是一个非常有意义的课题，深深地触动着人们的心灵，让我们在安全的现代社会中也能燃起对英雄精神的敬仰与追求。

经典古希腊神话中英双语故事Just as Heracles was the chief hero of Peloponnesus，so Theseus was the most famous half god of Attlca．His father was king Aegeus of Athens and his mother a princess of Troezen．When he was still an infant his father left him in the care of his motherand went back to his own kingdom．Before he left，Aegeus buried his sword and sandals under a huge stone，and told his mother to direct him to Athens as soon as he was big enough to lift the rock and take the hidden gifts with him. At the age of sixteen he became a strong young man，intelligent and with lots of nerve．Taking the sword from under the rock，he joyfully set out to look for his father．It was a journey of adventures．But he cleared the roads of various monsters he met and appeared harmless in his father's palace at Athens．Little did he suspect that here would be an attempt on his life there．King Aegeus had recently married Medea，a bad woman．She was anxious to have the Athenian thronefor her own child. She had persuaded the king to poison the newer at a feast．As the feast was in progress，King Aegeus saw Theseus' sword and recognized his son in the young man ．Quickly pushing the poisoned cup aside，he took his son in his arms and declared him his successor．Thus troubled by her own evil designs，Mede fled in her dragon drawn carriage，never to return．for a time Theseus stayed with his father at Athens．When the Cretan bull escaped into the area of Marathon he set out alone to fight with the beast and offered it up as a sacrifice to the gods．At this time the city of Athens was bothered by the respect it had promised to pay to King Minos of Crete ． The Cretans hade to attack Athens，and the gods had ordered that the Athenians would have to meet the demand of the Cretan king that seven boys and seven girls be sent to Crete every year to feed the half man，half bull Minotaur．Determined to kill the Minotaur and save his people from further grief，Theseus decided to go as one of the fourteen chosen victims．Before he left he promised his father that if he succeeded in his work he would change the black sails of his ships to white ones．He went，and with the help of princess Ariadne of Crete，he killed the Minotaur and carried the Princess with him on his way back．At Naxos he left the girl in her own care．For when he neared Athens he fot to put up the promised white sails，and his anxious father，standing on a hill-top，saw the black sails，threw himself down into the sea in despair．So stricken with grief was Theseus that he never recovered from regret．He succeeded his father as king，and introduced many good measures to improve the life of his people．To rid his kingdom of the threat by the Amazons，he led an expedition into the woman country and took its queen prisoner．The queen，Antiope by name，ws in fact so passionately in love with him that she agreed to marry him．At a later date the Amazons came to lay attack on Athens on the excuse of recovering their queen．In the battle that followed，the queen was wounded by a chance arrow and died，leaving Theseus a sad widower．Theseus' friendship with Pirithous，king of the Lapithae，grew from a dramatic beginning．Pirithous was invading Attica and Theseus was marching his men out to meet him． In the first personal encounter beeen the o heroes each was so filled with admiration for the other that they both laid down their weapons and became faithful friends．At the wedding of Pirithous，to which Theseus and Heracleswere invited，a number of horsemen present were angry with the shining beauty of the bride，so that they attempted to take her by force．Both Theseus and Heracles were enraged at their wild behaviour ．In what was known as the coldblooded fight beeen the horsemen and the Lapithae they beat the horsemen and saved the bride．But she did not have long to live．Both Theseus and Pirithous were full of the ambition of marrying a lady of holy birth．At one time they got Helen by force，she was the beautiful daughter of Zeus，but as she was not yet of marriageable age，Theseus left her with his mother．Later she was rescued by her brothers，Castor and Pollux．So proud were the o friends that they were now planning to invade the lower world and carry Persephone up by force，for Pirithous was eager for her beauty．They went，but they found it impossible to get out again．One of them，Pirithous，was bound to a turning wheel while Theseus himself was chained to a rock．If it had not been for Heracles，who came in for Cerberus，Theseus would never have been able to return to the upper air again．When he returned to Athens he was quite old and unhappy with life．As king he acted like a tyrantand went successfully away from his people． He was sent away to the island of Scyros，where he fell into sea from a cliff． Nothing more was heard of him until the battle of Marathon centuries later．When the Athenians saw a mighty soldier leading them in their ruthless attack against the invading Persians，they recognized him as Theseus and after the war they devoted a grand temple to his memory and offered sacrifice at his altar．正如海格立斯是珀罗普妮萨斯的大英雄，特修斯当之无愧地成了安提卡闻名遐尔的人神。

1 The Beginning of the worldBefore earth and sea and heavens became known the face of nature was one crude, formless mass. Land and sea and air were mingled together. The universe was a uniform darkness, without sun and moon, and the earth was no more than an embryo heap. In the middle of the pervading gloom sat Chaos and his wife, the goddess of Night (Nyx), who reigned but did not rule, for the whole space was lifeless. Centuries later, with the birth of Light and Day, earth and sea and air came into existence. Still later, the union of Gaea (Earth) and Uranus (Heaven) gave birth to the Titans, the Cyclopes and the Centimani, all giants in stature and strength. Afraid that his own gigantic children might usurp his throne, Uranus drove them all back to the earth, and thus roused the resentment of the mother Gaea. At her instigation one of her sons, Kronus (Saturn), attacked and wounded Uranus with a sickle he had taken from his mother, and took over as supreme ruler of the universe. He married his own sister Rhea and entrusted the management of the sun to his brother Hyperion and the moon to his sister Phoebe. He ruled his realm peacefully until an oracle prophesied that he would one day be dethroned by one of his own children. To avert the disaster he took the excessive precaution of swallowing up all his five children one by one immediately after their birth. These were Hestia (Vesta), Demeter (Ceres), Hera (Juno), Poseidon (Neptune) and Hades (Pluto). When Rhea bore the last child, Zeus (Jupiter) by name, Kronus wanted to get rid of him in the same fashion. But the mother wrapped up a piece of stone in the infant’s swathes and handed it over to the unsuspecting father. Thus Zeus was saved, and sent to Mt Ida, where the mountain nymphs did all their power to protect him from any harm. By the time Kronus became aware of the deception it was too late, for young Zeus suddenly appeared before him and easily deposed him. With the help of a nauseous potion, Zeus forced his father to disgorge his five brothers and sisters. But Kronus and his Titans were not reconciled to their defeat. They made war on Zeus and his brothers and sisters. Acting on the advice of his mother Rhea, Zeus released the Cyclopes from under the earth and armed himself of their thunderbolts, for the Cyclopes were thunderbolt-makers. The rebellious Titans were soon reduced to submission and cast down into Tartarus. Zeus became the undisputed ruler on Olympus. He made his sister Hera his queen, and distributed power among his brothers and sisters and his sons and daughters. Among others, Poseidon ruled over the vast expanse of seas and oceans, and Pluto was created lord of the lower world. Thus, for untold centuries, the Olympians reigned supreme in the universe, lording it over man and beast alike, until they were dethroned and superseded by a new, monotheistic faith.2 The Olympian GodsBetween Macedon and Thessaly of northern Greece there stood a lofty mountain range whose cloudy summit rushed into the very heavens. On the culminating point of the range, Mt Olympus, was bathed in bliss and brightness the home of the gods,where Zeus ruled as the father of gods and men. Zeus was not an autocrat by any standards. All the gods submitted to his final word, it was true, but Zeus made them all sit on a committee, a council of twelve members, embracing six gods and six goddesses. First in the Olympian crowd sat Zeus himself, the overlord of gods and men and the wielder of the thunderbolt. Next to him was Hera, his proud and jealous queen. Poseidon, as has been told earlier, was ruler of the sea, and Hades, king of the lower world, had no seat in the council chamber. Apollo was the god of the sun, music, poetry and prophecy, while his twin sister Artemis (Diana) was the goddess of the moon and the chase. Athena (Minerva), the goddess of wisdom and patroness of domestic arts, personified pure intellect; Hestia, the goddess of the hearth, represented home life and family happiness. The blustering Ares (Mars) was the god of war, and the charming Aphrodite (Venus) the goddess of love and beauty. The lame god of fire, Hephaestus (Vulcan), was the forger of the thunder-bolts of Zeus and the fashioner of arms and all sorts of metal work for the gods and heroes. The wing-footed messenger Hermes (Mercury) was the god of invention and commerce and patron of thieves. And the goddess of grains and harvests, Demeter, supervised agriculture and stood for mother of civilization.All the major gods mentioned above assumed human forms of peerless beauty and grace. Often moved by human feelings and desires, they frequently gave way to fits of anger and jealousy and became involved in the ceaseless brawls of the world of man. Among themselves at Olympus they intrigued and scrambled for supremacy; down in the world of mortals they experienced rivalries and frustrations, and enjoyed earthly friendships and loves. A crowed of immortal celestials who looked and behaved in a perfectly human fashion-- that is what the pantheon at Olympus actually was.3 PrometheusPrometheus (forethought) was a Titan. In the war between Zeus and the giants he had stood on the side of the new Olympian gods. Out of clay he fashioned the first man, to whom. Athena gave soul and holy breath. Prometheus bestowed on his creation the gift of fire, which raised man above all animals. Later, at a joint meeting of gods and men held to decide what part of burnt offerings should be allotted to the gods and what to men, Prometheus cut up an ox and divided it into two portions: under the skin he placed the flesh, and under the fat he put the bones, for he new the greedy Zeus loved fat, Zeus saw through the trick and felt displeased at the Titan’s favor towards men. So in a masterful fashion he deprived mankind of the gift of fire. However, Prometheus managed to steal fire from heaven and secretly brought it down to men. Flying into a rage at this wanton act of defiance, Zeus had him chained to a rock on Mount Caucasus, where a ravenous vulture ever tore at his liver which ever grew again. His period of ordeal was to be thirty thousand years. Prometheus faced his bitter fate firmly and never quailed before all the fiery majesty of Zeus. The two were at last reconciled by Heracles (Hercules), who, coming over in quest of the golden apples (see p.164), slew the eagle and set the benefactor of mankind free.4 PandoraAfter the theft of fire Zeus became increasingly hostile to men. One day he commanded his son Hephaestus to mold an image of a beautiful maiden out of clay and asked the gods and goddesses to endow her with different kinds of gifts. Among others, Athena clothed her in a gorgeous robe 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, for she had received from each of the gods and goddesses a gift which was harmful to men.Zeus decided to send her down to men as a present. So Hermes the messenger brought her to Epimetheus (afterthought), brother of Prometheus. The greatness of her beauty enslaved the hearts of all who looked upon her, and Epimetheus joyfully received her into his house. He had quiet forgotten Prometheus’warning never to accept anything from Zeus. The pair lived a happy life for some time. Then misfortune befell the human world.When he was preoccupied with teaching men the art of living, Prometheus had left a big cask in the care of Epimetheus. He had warned his brother not to open the lid. Pandora was a curious woman, and had been feeling bitterly frustrated that her husband had repeatedly forbidden het to take a look at the contents of the cask. One day, when Epimetheus was out, she lifted the lid and out from it came strife and war, plague and all the sickness, theft and violence, grief and sorrow, and all the other evils that the human world was henceforward to experience. Only hope stayed within the mouth of the jar and never flew out. So men always have hope within their bosoms.5 The Four AgesThere had been four ages since the human world first came into existence, the Golden Age, the Silver Age, the Age of Bronze and the Age of Iron.The Golden Age was the best of all. It was an age when Kronus sat on the throne. Bounteous nature satisfied all the wants of men. There were no extremes of cold and heat. And the evils of the human world were still kept in the cask which Epimetheus guarded and Pandora was not yet made to open. Men lived a blissful life, for ever young, always feasting and revelling, and knowing neither toil nor sorrow. When death came it came like a peaceful sleep, and they became good spirits watching over mortal men.The Silver Age was one in which the human race was somewhat inferior in body and mind. The period of helpless infancy lasted a hundred years, and the time of manhood, short and troubled, men spent in ignorance and evil. They no longer worshipped the gods and offered no sacrifices. However, as the race of the Silver Age was not entirely devoid of virtue, they had some honor and lived on as spirits under the earth. During the Age of Bronze men further degenerated. Clad in bronze and armed with weapons of bronze, they lived in houses of bronze. Ruthless and ferocious, theydelighted in war and perished in ceaseless internecine strife. When they died they descended into the darkness of the lower world.The last age, that of Iron, was one of endless care and grief. There was no family love, no sense of filial duty, and no friendship and hospitality. Nor was there any faith, truth and justice. Evil was rampant, might was right, and the flames of war scorched the earth. It was a race of men deserted by gods.6 The FloodTowards the end of the Age of Bronze the human world became very wicked. Men grew greedy, insolent and impious. Neither right nor law respected any longer, and the rule of hospitality was forgotten. Disguised in human form, Zeus visited Arcadia and Thessaly, and was disguised with the deadly sins of men. He decided to clear the earth of them all. Without hesitation he released the rainy south wind and called upon the merciless Poseidon to help. Soon the whole world was submerged in a boundless ocean, and the entire human race perished in the unprecedented flood, all but two humble Thessalians.These were an old childless couple, kind and pious and contented with life. The man was called Deucalion and his wife Pyrrha. Son of Prometheus, Deucalion had been forewarned by his father of the forthcoming flood and had made himself a huge chest. When the roaring deluge came the couple took refuge in it and floated for nine days until it touched land again on Mt Parnassus.The once bustling world presented an unnerving sight. It was now all death and devastation. Feeling lonely and insecure, the old couple prayed to the gods for help. An oracle instructed them to cast the bones of their mother about. The son of the wise Titan, having divined the true meaning of the mysterious command, started throwing stones behind him. A miracle occurred. The stones that the man cast became men; those that the woman threw were turned into women. To Deucalion a son was born later, Hellene by name, who had three sons, Aeolus, Dorus and Xuthus. Aeolus and Dorus became the ancestors respectively of the Aeolians and Dorians. Xuthus had two sons, Ion and Achaeus: the former the progenitor of the Ionians, and the latter of the Achaeans. The land was repeopled, and the Heroic Age had begun.7 Zeus and HeraAfter he had deposed his father, Zeus looked about for a spouse. And one of his sisters, the beautiful and majestic Hera, won his heart. He wooed the lady and was only too readily accepted. At the marriage feast, to which all the residents of Olympus were invited, Hera was declared queen of Heaven and goddess of marriage. They were perfectly happy for a time, but not for long. For Zeus was somewhat lecherous while Hera was intolerably jealous. Despite the fact that Zeus was all-ruling and all powerful, he frequently found it necessary to be on the look-out for his queen. Whenever he slipped down Olympus to seek new love, he saw to it that someclouds were spread to throw his wife off the scent. Hera, for her part, while ultimately submitting to the will of Zeus, kept the father of gods and men under close and constant observation, and was never accommodating enough to reconcile herself with her husband’s new attachments. She had been for ever on the run, trying to keep track of Zeus and devise ways of revenge not always on the all-conquering god, but rather on his hopeless mistresses. Zeus was always able to get away, but the ladies were often left behind to the tender mercies of the queen. Zeus’ zest for life knew no limits, while Hera’s persecution of her rivals and their children were relentless and not at all always justifiable. She viciously transformed comely Callisto into an ungainly bear; she maliciously kept Io wandering in the form of a heifer, giving her no peace; and she spared no effort to molest Heracles until the hero was tormented to a miserable death. Not infrequently did she inflame the rage of Zeus so that the father of gods and men punished her severely. On one occasion Zeus hung her in the clouds, tying two heavy anvils to her dangling feet. But apart from these petty squabbles and miner imperfections of character, they were quite a happy, almighty couple, revered as king and queen of heaven, he, a sky-god, bringer of light, arbiter of right and wrong and giver of reward and punishment, and she, a special guardian of women and a goddess who presided over childbirth.Zeus and Hera had three children, Ares, Hephaestus and Hebe. Ares (Mars) was the hateful god of war and Hephaestus the physically handicapped god of forge. But Hebe was for ever young, rosy and blooming, representing youth and happiness. At the celestial table on Olympus she had served to bear cups of wine to the gods and was ever at the wish of Zeus to pour out nectar. On one solemn occasion, however, the goodness tripped over something and fell, and was thus forced to resign her office. She was endowed with the power of restoring youth and vigor to gods and men. When Heracles had lived out his earthly life span and his soul had come up to Olympus to take his rightful seat there, she married the hero and lived a blissful life .8 IoIo was the daughter of a river-god. She was loved, wooed and won by Zeus. Hera became so jealous that she flew down from Olympus one day to wreak vengeance on her rival. Zeus, however, had foreseen her arrival and changed Io into a beautiful white heifer. Seeing the deceit, Hera requested the heifer as a present and Zeus had to yield to her wish. Then she entrusted the heifer to the care of a hundred-eyed monster, Argus, from whose ever-wakeful eyes no escape was possible. Unable to endure to see her so unhappy, Zeus sent Hermes down to destroy the monster. Disguised as a shepherd, Hermes lulled Argus to sleep with his dulcet songs and tedious stories, then slew him and set Io free. But Hera’s jealous wrath was not to be appeased yet. She sent a gadfly to harry the heifer and drive her from land to land. In her agony the heifer passed over the strait which divides Europe and Asia. Whence the stripe of water got its name Bosporus, the way of the cow. She wandered over the sea, which incidentally derived from her its name the Ionian Sea. Eventually she arrived in Egypt where she was restored to her natural form. She settled downand gave birth to a son. Some of her descendants remained in Egypt and ruled as kings for a long time.9 CallistoIn the charming retinue of Artemis (Diana) there was a beautiful nymph called Callisto. Zeus loved her passionately and often sought her company. Before the year was out she bore him a son, Arcas by name, who later became the eponymous ancestor of the Archadians. Zeus’frequent absences from Mt Olmpus aroused Hera’s suspicions. In time the vengeful queen discovered the truth and devised an effectual scheme of retaliation. One day Callisto suddenly found herself changed into a bear, with monstrous bushy jaws and blood-shot eyes, though she remained human in heart. She instantly left her son and went into hiding in the forest.Years passed. Little Arcas had matured to youthful manhood. He was hunting merrily in the woods one day when a huge gray bear suddenly appeared before him. Both were amazed, he terrified at the sight of the grisly bear, and the bear having recognized her own son in the young hunter. The young man leveled his spear at the slowly approaching bear and was about to pounce upon it when Zeus intervened to stop the folly. For he had not been able to find the whereabouts of his beloved mistress until quite recently and he had been secretly shielding her from all danger and harm. Now he transformed his son into a little bear, and sent both mother and son into the high heavens, where they have remained to this day, known as the constellation of the Great and Little Bear.10 AthenaOn one occasion Zeus suffered a racking headache. When all the gods, including Apollo, the god of medicine, had tried in vain to offer an efficacious remedy, the father of gods and men summoned Hephaestus to split open his head. This the god of fire did, and to the wonder of all the Olympians, a goddess, full-grown and full-armed, issued from the cleavage, radiating light and splendor. She was Athena, goddess of wisdom and knowledge and patroness of Athens.The story of Athena becoming patron goddess of Athens concerns the rivalry between the goddess and Poseidon. When the city of Athens was first built by a Phoenician, both Poseidon and Athena vied for the honor of naming it. It was then agreed that whoever offered the most useful object for men would became the patron of the city. Poseidon struck the ground with his trident and produced a horse, whereas Athena had an olive tree to present, an emblem of peace and plenty. As the horse was deemed as signifying strife and sorrow. Athens was named after the goddess, who forthwith took the city under her protection.Athena was the goddess of arts and crafts and woman’s handiwork. She was so deft with her hands the she tolerated no challenge to her skill in this respect. A Lydian maid, Arachne by name, did not seem to think much of A thena’s dexterity, for she frequently boasted that she could beat the goddess if she had the opportunity to doso. The goddess was quite irritated. Disguised as an old woman, she went to advise Arachne to be modest. But the ignorant craftswoman wantonly dared the goddess herself to come down and compete with her. At this blatant piece of defiance the goddess cast down her disguise and accepted the challenge. The two contestants immediately set about embroidering different designs. While the goddess worked on the story of her rivalry with Poseidon, Arachne began to weave a delicate web. When both pieces were finished, Arachne saw, to her surprise, that she had been beaten, for the goddess’ design was infinitely superior. She felt so chagrined that she tied a piece of silk to hang herself. But just before she breathed her last the goddess changed her into a spider, condemning her to weave for ever.Though often represented as fully armed, helmet and breastplate and all that, she favored patriotic defence. Almost the only goddess who was virgin and free of scandal, Athena seldom exhibited the weaknesses of the gentler sex. She cut a pretty martial figure in the world of myth, and enjoyed worship among the ancients.11 ApolloAmong the crowed of Olympian gods the one most widely worshipped was Apollo, son of Zeus and Leto (Latona). According to Greek mythology, Leto was driven by Hera from land to land until 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 the sun-god. Dressed in a purple robe, he sat in his bright eastern palace at dawn and made ready to start his daily journey across the sky. During the day he rode in his chariot of gold and ivory, and brought light, life and love to the vast world below. At dusk he came to the end of his journey in the far western sea and got on his golden boat to return to his eastern abode.Apollo was the god of music and poetry. He was the inspirer of all emotions which find expression in lofty song. With his lyre of gold and the harmonious accents of his god-like voice he led the choir of the muses at Olympus . The dulcet music from his lyre was so inspiring that stones marched into their places in rhythmic time and of their own volition when he help Poseidon build up the walls of Troy . On one occasion, challenged to a contest by the mortal musician Marsyas, he first excelled him and then flayed him to death for his presumption. On another he lost out to Pan at a musical contest and transformed the ears of the judge, King Midas, into those of an ass.His son, Orpheus, inherited such skill from the father that his harp moved man and beast alike .Apollo was the god of prophecy. As revealer he made known the hidden things of Zeus. Men turned to him for advice and guidance in cases of perplexity. Though seldom in direct intercourse with mortals, he granted a special communication of counsel through oracles. His oracle at Delphi was the most renowned because the most stoutly believed of all.Apollo represented youthful, manly beauty. His golden hair, stately bearing andradiant air all combined to make him the admiration of the world. A fair maiden, by the name of Clytie, was so enamoured of his beauty and glory that from dawn to dusk she knelt on the ground, her hands outstretched towards the sun-god, and her eyes gazing at his golden-wheeled carriage racing across the azure sky. Though her love was not requited she had never changed her mind about Apollo. The gods were moved at the pathetic sight, and metamorphosed her into a sunflower.Apollo was also the god of health and healing. His son, Aesculapius, possessed such magic power to call back the dead to life that Zeus felt it advisable to get rid of the mortal physician with his thunderbolt and thus put an end to such interference with his divine authority. Apollo was not happy about this at all. As the Cyclopes had helped make the thunderbolts for Zeus, Apollo would have certainly slain the meddlesome giants had the father of gods and men not intervened himself. Apollo was banished from Olympus to serve a mortal on earth for a year . Because of his more intimate intercourse with the human world he knew more about the bitter life of the mortals, and he was obviously more sympathetic towards them. He slew Python, the monster, which made havoc on a vast area around, and was incidentally known at times by the alias Pythia. “The fire-robed god” thus was a blessing to the world of man.12 DaphneDaphne was a lovely blooming nymph. As she was frolicking in the woods one day she saw Apollo the sun-god gazing at her with more than amazement and admiration in his eye. The beaming face of the sun put her to flight. The eager Apollo followed her closely behind, calling out to her to stop. His passion having been kindled by her beauty and grace, he was afraid that this might be the last time he saw her. The nimble nymph made the best of her legs, but the ardent Apollo pressed hard upon her. Through rough fields and pathless woods she ran, but the sound of his pursuing feet ever grow nearer. As he ran he entreated his beloved to slow down, for he feared that she might tumble over and bruise her sparkling skin on the rugged roads. But the fugitive nymph never cared so much as to throw one glance backwards. At last she was quite breathless and cried to her father, a river-god, for help. No sooner had prayer been uttered than answered, for she had instantly found herself glued to the ground and a layer of soft bark growing over her fair skin. She had been turned into a laurel tree. Sighing, Apollo embraced the tree trunk, which responded by shrinking back. To show his undying love for the nymph, he decided that the laurel would be his favourite tree and should be the prize of honour and renown for deathless poets and poetry. Thus the most accomplished poet always desires to be made a poet laureate.13 NiobeNiobe, the queen of Thebes, had indeed good reason to be proud of herself. On both sides of her family, she was descended from the gods. Her husband was a gifted andaccomplished musician. And she was both wealthy and powerful. But what made her the happiest lady in the world was her fourteen children, seven manly sons and seven beautiful daughters. They were all so strong and fair that the whole world looked upon them with admiration.It happened at the time that every spring the Theban women gathered at the temple of Leto to offer laurels at the altars of the great mother who had given birth to two grand children, Apollo and Artemis. The piety and reverence shown by her women made Niobe jealous and wrathful. When the priestess of Leto called the women again to the shrine of the mistress of Zeus one spring, Niobe decided to put an end to the folly once and for all. In her pretty flowing robe she came to the gathering and reproached the crowd for their fanatical faith in a goddess whom they had never seen. She declared herself nobler and greater, and demanded to be worshipped in place of Leto, who, she said, was no more than a humble mother of two children. The frightened women yielded their allegiance to the queen, and left the shrine in silence. Leto was neglected.Standing on top of a hill overlooking Thebes, Leto saw all this and was bent on her vengeance. She sought out Apollo and Artemis and told them the story. Before long, the impatient avengers arrived outside Thebes in hidden clouds. The seven sons of Niobe were frolicking on the playground, two practising horsemanship and two wrestling while the other princes happily stood by. Apollo held out his bow. One by one the princes fell under his unfailing shafts. Even the youngest, who prayed for mercy, was not spared.Niobe was utterly changed. She was all sorrow and grief, but her insolent spirit was not subdued. She came to the dead bodies of her sons with her daughters and let out a torrent of irreverent language at Leto and her children. This time it was Artemis’turn to draw her bowstring. Almost in a twinkling of an eye all the seven vivacious daughters fell, weltering in their blood, and soon ceased to breathe. Niobe became numb of feeling. She sat amidst the fourteen dead bodies, motionless, her eyes blank, her tears coursing down her cold cheeks. Her excruciating anguish had turned her into a stone! Later, a gust of wind swept her to her homeland in Asia, where she could still be seen sitting on top of a hill, tears of bitterness streaming out of her strong sockets.14 ArtemisJust as Apollo drove his golden chariot across the heavens during the day, worshipped as the sun-god, so Artemis raced across the sky in solemn pomp at night, revered as the moon-goddess. Sitting in an airy chariot drawn by milk-white steeds, “the queen of wide air” shed silver light all over the sleeping world below. Though she remained single all her life the maiden heart of the goddess was at least for once thrilled as she saw the beautiful youth Endymion sleeping. She might have felt tenderness towards Orion, but she had probably regarded him more as a hunting companion. She was chaste and fair and serene. She was the paragon of maiden modesty andgrace. Just as Apollo represents manly beauty, so Artemis stands for feminine chastity and virginity. As their patron goddess she took it upon herself to protect marrying girls and young women in trouble. It was to her altar that those maidens turned for love and happiness.The twin sister of Apollo was also the goddess of hunting and wild life. Dressed in a short hunting-suit coming up to the knee and followed by a team of boisterous lovely nymphs, Artemis had always her bow of pearl and crystal-shining quiver with her and roamed the forest in pursuit of game. When she felt hot and tired she would retire to a spring to bathe. It was here that young Actaeon inadvertently came and suffered cruel treatment at the hands of the goddess. Indeed, the goddess could be thoroughly ruthless and ceased to be lovely the moment the wicked side of her nature got the upper hand in her. The tragedy of Niobe was just a case in point.15 ActaeonWhen she was tired with hunting Artemis used to bathe in a little mountain spring．One hot summer afternoon she was refreshing herself in the cool，quiet brook with her nymphs when she heard a rustle behind the bushes ．She felt quite annoyed to find that a young hunter was peeping admiringly at her naked form．Her nymphs gave a shrill cry and crowded around the goddess．But young Actaeon had seen the huntress．Actaeon loved the chase．He had been scouring the woods every day．On this particular afternoon he felt so tired with running about that he unwittingly came over to the spring in search of water，and thus surprised t Artemis bathing．The irritated goddess was not to be appeased．She splashed water in the hunter's face，and no sooner had the water drops fallen on Actaeon than he was transformed into a stag ．Just at this moment he heard the howling of his pack of fifty hounds coming up to him．He was suddenly seized with fear ，and presently fled．The dogs，all driven mad by the goddess，pursued him closely behind．Running as fast as his legs could carry him，Actaeon was soon out of breath ．Feeling certain that he was doomed，he dropped to the ground and made no further attempt to stir．The dogs closed in on their former master and tore him to pieces．16 OrionOrion was a giant hunter．He was the beautiful son of Poseidon．One day，when hunting in the forest，he caught sight of Artemis' nymphs，the seven Pleiades．He was so fascinated with their beauty that he started chasing them．In despair the charming maidens prayed to Artemis for help and were sent up by the goddess to the heavens as a constellation. Later he fell in love with another maiden，Merope by name，but impetuous and impatient，he ravished the maiden and enraged her father，King Oenopion of Chios．The king made him drunk and put out his eyes ．Following the sound of the Cyclopes' hammer，he went to Hephaestus，who sent a guide to travel。

古希腊罗马神话Prometheus and ManIn the conflict between Cronus and Jupiter, Prometheus had adopted the cause of the Olympian deities神明，神灵. To him and his brother Epimetheus was now committed the office of making man and providing him and all other animals with the faculties necessary for their preservation. Epimetheus proceeded to bestow授予 upon the different animals the various gifts of courage, strength, swiftness迅速，敏捷, and sagacity睿智，聪敏. Taking some earth and kneading捏合，捏炼 it with water. Prometheus made man in the image of the gods. He gave him an upright stature身高，身材. Then since Epimetheus had been so prodigal浪子，挥霍者 of his gifts to other animals that no blessing was left worth conferring upon the noblest of creatures, Prometheus ascended to heaven, lighted his torch 火炬，火把at the chariot 二轮战车 of the sun, and brought down fire. But it was only rather grudgingly 勉强地that Jupiter granted mortals人类，凡人 the use of fire.Then there came the occasion that when gods and men were in dispute辩论，争吵 at Sicyon concerning the prerogatives特权 of each, Prometheus, by an ingenious有独创性的 trick, attempted to settle the question in favor of man. Dividing into two portions a sacrificial牺牲的，献祭的 bull, he wrapped all the eatable parts in the skin, cunningly surmounted with uninviting entrails; but the bones he garnished with a plausible mass of fat. He then offered Jupiter his choice. The king of Heaven, although he perceived the intended fraud欺骗，骗子, took the heap of bones and fat, and forthwith立刻，立即 availing himself of this insult as an excuse for punishing mankind, deprived 使丧失，剥夺the race of fire. But Prometheus regained the treasure, stealing it from heaven in a hollow tube.By Jove's order Prometheus was chained to a rock on Mount Caucasus, and subjected to the attack of an eagle which, for ages, preyed upon his liver, yet succeeded not in consuming it.In his steadfastness to withstand the torment痛苦，苦恼，折磨 the Titan was supported by the knowledge that in the thirteenth generation there should arrive a hero, - sprung from Jove himself, - to release him. And in fullness of time the hero did arrive: none other than the mighty Hercules. No higher service, thinks this radiant 辐射的，光芒四射的 and masterful专横的，傲慢的 personage, remains to be performed than to free the champion of mankind. Hercules utters these words to the Titan --The soul of man can never be enslaved束缚，征服Save by its own infirmities, nor freedSave by its very strength and own resolveAnd constant vision and supreme最高的，至高的 endeavor!You will be free? Then, courage, O my brother!O let the soul stand in the open doorOf life and death and knowledge and desireAnd see the peaks of thought kindle点燃，激起 with sunrise!Then shall the soul return to rest no more,Nor harvest dreams in the dark field of sleep -Rather the soul shall go with great resolveTo dwell at last upon the shining mountainsIn liberal converse with the eternal stars.Thereupon he kills the eagle; and sets Jove's victim free.普罗米修斯与人类在克洛诺斯反对朱庇特的斗争中，普罗米修斯站到了奥林波斯山诸神的一边。

第1章普罗米修斯天和地被创造出来，大海波浪起伏，拍击海岸。

鱼儿在水里嬉戏，鸟儿在空中歌唱。

大地上动物成群，但还没有一个具有灵魂的、能够主宰周围世界的高级生物。

这时普罗米修斯降生了，他是被宙斯放逐的古老的神-族的后裔，是地母该亚与乌拉诺斯所生的伊阿佩托斯的儿子。

他聪慧而睿智，知道天神的种子蕴藏在泥土中，于是他捧起泥土，用河水把它沾湿调和起来，按照世界的主宰，即天神的模样，捏成人形。

为了给这泥人以生命，他从动物的灵魂中摄取了善与恶两种性格，将它们封进人的胸膛里。

在天神中，他有一个女友，即智慧女神雅典娜；她惊叹这提坦神之子的创造物，于是便朝具有一半灵魂的泥人吹起了神气，使它获得了灵性。

这样，第一批人在世上出现了，他们繁衍生息，不久形成了一大群，遍布各处。

但有很长一段时间，他们不知道该怎样使用他们的四肢，也不知道该怎样使用神赐的灵魂。

他们视而不见，听而不闻，如同梦中的人形，漫无目的地走来走去，却不知道发挥自身的作用。

他们不知道采石，烧砖，砍伐林木制成椽梁，然后再用这些材料建造房屋。

他们如同蚂蚁一样，蛰居在没有阳光的土洞里，觉察不了冬去春来夏至；他们做样样事情都毫无计划。

于是，普罗米修斯便来帮助他的创造物。

他教会他们观察日月星辰的升起和降落；给他们发明了数字和文字，让他们懂得计算和用文字交换思想；他还教他们驾驭牲口，来分担他们的劳动，使他们懂得给马套上缰绳拉车或作为坐骑。

他发明了船和帆，让他们在海上航行。

他关心人类生活中其他的一切活动。

从前，生病的人不知道用药物治病，不知道涂药膏或服药来减轻痛苦，许多病人因缺医少药而悲惨地死去。

现在，普罗米修斯教会他们调制药剂来防治各种疾病。

另外，他教会他们占卜，圆梦，解释鸟的飞翔和祭祀显示的各种征兆。

他引导他们勘探地下的矿产，让他们发现矿石，开采铁和金银。

他教会他们农耕技艺，使他们生活得更舒适。

不久前，宙斯放逐了他的父亲克洛诺斯，推翻了古老的神-族，普罗米修斯也出身于这个神-族。