晨读夜诵.欧美文化常识大全集(英汉对照)(txt+pdf+epub+mobi电子书下载)


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作者:李颖

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晨读夜诵.欧美文化常识大全集(英汉对照)

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版权信息COPYRIGHT INFORMATION书名:晨读夜诵.欧美文化常识大全集(英汉对照)作者:李颖排版:Cicy出版社:华东理工大学出版社出版时间:2015-09-23ISBN:9787562842750本书由华东理工大学出版社有限公司授权北京当当科文电子商务有限公司制作与发行。— · 版权所有 侵权必究 · —序言用英语“悦读”世界

培根曾说“读书足以怡情,足以博彩,足以长才。”这位英国的大思想家将“怡情”放在第一位,不能不说是有深意的。若是抹去了读书的愉悦,“博彩”和“长才”也就仿佛失去了厚实的根基,徒留浮华的表面。读英语也是如此,若是抛弃了阅读的趣味,各类考试、考级也最终会成为空中楼阁,经不起现实生活的考验。

其实英语阅读带给我们的又岂止是知识或才能?它展现给我们的是一个更为广阔的世界。

在阅读中,我们感受独特的风情。这里有Robinson Crusoe (《鲁滨逊漂流记》)中坚定无畏的冒险与开拓,有Pilgrim's Progress (《天路历程》)中闪耀着宗教神圣之光的虔诚与信念,有A Midsummer Night's Dream(《仲夏夜之梦》)般喧闹的幻想与狂欢,也有Sherlock Holmes(《福尔摩斯探案集》)中熠熠生辉的科学与理性。

在阅读中,我们体验语言的魅力。当我们读到《老人与海》那句 “A man can be destroyed but not defeated.(一个人可以被毁灭,但不能被打败。)”时,我们忍不住惊讶,震撼的思想竟可以用如此简单的文字凝结。当我们读到《西风颂》中的“If winter comes, can spring be far behind?(如果冬天来了,春天还会远吗?)”时,我们又忍不住赞叹,悠远的哲思竟可以与抑扬的韵律如此巧妙地融合。然而,也许我们自己都不会意识到,在阅读过程中,这些英语文字已然悄无声息地潜入我们的内心,缓缓沉淀,直至融入我们自己的语言。

在阅读中,我们感悟生命的成长。英文经典,披沙沥金,闪耀着人类共同的智慧之光。 无论是狄更斯的Great Expectation(《远大前程》),还是海伦·凯勒的Three Days to See (《假如给我三天光明》),这些曾经激扬着西方一代人的篇章,同样会激励着这个时代的我们。将自身成长中的迷茫与痛苦、激情与喜悦,置于人类更广阔的精神世界,我们便会发现,我们的心灵得到抚慰,视野得以拓展,生命获得意义……

最后用林语堂先生的一句话作结:“没有阅读习惯的人,往往被禁锢于眼前的世界……但当他拿起一本书时,他会立刻进入一个不同的世界。”这也正是我们编写本系列丛书的目的所在,希望这套“英语阅读”丛书带你“悦读”这个别样的世界。上海外国语大学教授 冯庆华永恒的奥林匹斯——古希腊神话Prometheus盗取天火的普罗米修斯注

Prometheus was a Titan. In the war between Zeus and the giants he had stood on the side of the new Olympian gods. 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 be given 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 to men.注

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 注made Prometheus and Zeus restore to friendship, when Heracles came over in search of the golden apple and killed the eagle and set the friend of mankind free.

普罗米修斯是一位巨人。在宙斯与巨人的战争中,他站在新奥林匹斯山众神一边。他用泥土创造出人类,随即雅典娜赋予了人类灵魂和神圣的呼吸。普罗米修斯花费大量时间和精力发明了火,将火赠予人类,使人类成为万物之灵长。

后来众神与人类联合召开了一次会议,讨论如何分配烤熟的动物——哪些部分供奉给神,哪些部分留给人类。普罗米修斯切开一头牛,将它分成两部分:把肉放在皮下,把骨头放在肥肉下,因为他知道自私的宙斯喜欢肥肉。宙斯看穿了普罗米修斯的“诡计”,对于他偏爱人类深感不满。宙斯专横地把火种从人类身边抢走。然而,普罗米修斯又设法从天堂盗取了火种,偷偷还给人类。

宙斯大发雷霆,无法容忍这种“叛变”,他令众神用锁链将普罗米修斯绑在高加索山脉的岩石上,又派一只饥饿的老鹰天天啄食他的肝脏,而他的肝脏每次都会重新长出来,使他承受无休止的痛苦长达三万年。普罗米修斯始终坚毅不屈,不肯向宙斯低头。后来,赫拉克剌斯为寻找金苹果来到悬崖边,将恶鹰射死,解救了普罗米修斯,也使他与宙斯重归于好。

注:Titan [ˈtaɪtn] n. 巨人

注:rebellion [rɪˈbeljən] n. 谋反;叛乱

注:restore [rɪˈstɔː(r)] v. 恢复;重建Narcissus自恋美少年纳西塞斯

Narcissus, the son of the river-god Cephisus and the nymph 注Liriope, was an extraordinarily handsome, yet cold and vain youth. With flowing blond hair, beautiful blue eyes and bright white teeth, he 注attracted many admirers but, in his arrogance, spurned them all. The suffering of one of them, however, brought down upon him a deadly curse.注

The admirer was the youth Aminias, who became distraught when Narcissus cruelly spurned him and slew himself before his door, calling on the goddess Nemesis to avenge him. The goddess Nemesis heard the prayer for vengeance and arranged for Narcissus to fall in love with his own reflection. Poor Narcissus watched his own reflection, every time he tried to touch the face of the vision he loved, it broke up on the shimmering surface of the water. Narcissus stopped 注eating, lost his beautiful looks and pined for his love. Eventually he pined away and was transformed by the nymphs into a narcissus flower. Others, however, say he was filled with despair and remorse and killed himself beside the pool. From his dying life's blood the flower was born. Now narcissus flowers can be found to this day growing wherever you can find water and trees.

纳西塞斯是河神刻菲索斯与仙女莱里奥普的儿子,容貌俊美非凡,但性格冷漠虚荣。他流光溢彩的金黄色头发、迷人的蓝眼睛和闪亮洁白的牙齿吸引了众多爱慕者。然而,高傲自负的纳西塞斯对所有追求者都不屑一顾,让他们饱受伤害。其中,一位爱慕者的痛苦最终导致了纳西塞斯的悲剧。

这位爱慕者是男青年阿米尼亚斯,在纳西塞斯残忍地拒绝他的爱意之后,他几近癫狂,在纳西塞斯的门前杀死了自己,并召唤复仇女神涅墨西斯为他报仇。他的祈祷很快得到回应。涅墨西斯让纳西塞斯爱上了自己在水中的影子。他终日守在湖边凝视着水中的倒影,而每次当他伸手想要触摸那张美丽的面庞时,一切都幻化成空,只剩下波光粼粼的水面。渐渐地纳西塞斯承受不住相思之苦,不吃不喝,在湖畔憔悴而死。仙女们怜惜他,将他化成水仙花。另有一种说法,纳西塞斯绝望懊悔地在湖边自杀,从他的血泊中生长出了水仙花。直到今天,只要是在湖畔或丛林之中,人们都可以看到水仙花盛开。

注:vain [veɪn] adj. 自负的;虚荣的;自命不凡的

注:spurn [spɜːn] v. 轻蔑地拒绝

注:distraught [dɪˈstrɔːt] adj. 心烦意乱的;几乎发狂的

注:pine [paɪn] v. 憔悴;痛苦;渴望Apollo太阳神阿波罗

Among the crowd of Olympian gods, the one most widely admired was Apollo, who was the son of Zeus and Leto. Apollo was the sun-god. He wore a purple robe. He usually sat in his bright eastern palace early in the morning and made ready to start his daily journey across the sky. During the day he drove his carriage of gold and ivory, and brought light, life and love to the great world below. Late 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 注feelings. These feelings are expressed in lofty songs. With his lyre of gold and the sweet accents of his godlike voice, he led the choir of the Muses at Olympus. 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 golden hair, stately注 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 sun-god,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.

在奥林匹斯山众神中,阿波罗是最受推崇的一位。阿波罗是主神宙斯和勒托之子。阿波罗是太阳神。清晨他身着紫袍,坐在明亮的东方宫殿,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、生机和仁爱。黄昏时分,他在遥远的西海结束旅行,乘坐金船返回东方的家中。

阿波罗司掌音乐和诗歌。他可以唤起人们的各种情感,并将这些情感倾注于圣歌之中。在奥林匹斯山上,他手拿金质里拉琴,用悦耳的嗓音指挥缪斯女神的合唱队。阿波罗的儿子俄耳甫斯继承了父亲这方面的才能。他的里拉琴令人与动物皆深受感动。

阿波罗象征青春魅力和男子气概。他金色的头发、庄重的举止、高贵的姿态足以使他受到所有人的青睐。一位名叫克里提的美丽少女迷恋他的英俊潇洒,每天都跪在地上,从黎明到黄昏,伸出双手想要触摸太阳神,眼睛凝视着那辆金质马车在蔚蓝的天空驰骋。虽然她的爱得不到回应,但她对阿波罗的痴情从未改变。众神被这一伤感的场面深深触动,将她变成了一株向日葵。

注:lofty [ˈlɒfti] adj. 崇高的;高尚的

注:stately [ˈsteɪtli] adj. 庄严的;高贵的Daphne月桂女神达芙妮

Daphne was the daughter of the river god Peneus. In Greek 注mythology, she was the personification of the laurel, a tree whose leaves formed into garlands. Daphne was particularly associated with Apollo.注

Apollo was a great archer, but sometimes he was a little full of himself. One day he caught sight of another archer Eros and teased him, putting down his abilities as an archer. Angry at this insult, Eros shot two arrows. One arrow dipped in gold had the power to create 注insatiable lust in a person, while the other one, blunted and dipped in 注lead, created absolute abhorrence towards all things romantic and passionate. The arrow dipped in gold struck Apollo, but the arrow dipped in lead struck fair Daphne.

Apollo chased down the maiden, desperate for her love, but she wanted nothing to do with him, and she ran from him endlessly. Soon, she grew weary in her running and that Apollo would ultimately catch her. Fearful, she called out to her father for help. Peneus transformed his daughter into a laurel tree. Suddenly her legs took root, and her arms grew into long and slender branches. Apollo reached the laurel tree, and still enamored with Daphne, he made himself a laurel wreath (a circle made of laurel that you put on your head) from the tree. And that is why the laurel tree was, and still is, a symbol of the god Apollo, and is used by emperors within the culture.

达芙妮是河神珀纽斯的女儿。在希腊神话中,她被称作“月桂女神”(月桂树的叶子可以编成花环)。她和阿波罗有一段特殊的渊源。

阿波罗是一位出色的弓箭手,但有时过于自满。有一天他遇到了另一位弓箭手小爱神厄洛斯,阿波罗嘲笑了他的箭术。厄洛斯非常恼火,于是射出了两支箭:一支用黄金做成的利箭,被射到的人,心中会燃起熊熊爱火;一支用铅做成的钝箭,被射中的人,就会极度厌恶一切浪漫的爱情。厄洛斯将“爱情之箭”射向了阿波罗,将“厌恶之箭”射向了美丽的达芙妮。

阿波罗狂热地追逐达芙妮,渴求她的爱情,然而达芙妮却丝毫不为所动,拼命地奔跑想要逃脱。跑了好一阵子, 达芙妮已经筋疲力尽,眼看阿波罗就要追上她了,恐惧绝望的达芙妮大声呼喊寻求父亲的帮助。河神珀纽斯将女儿变成一株月桂树,瞬间她的两条腿变成树根深深扎入土里,手臂化成了修长的树枝。 阿波罗追到月桂树前,依旧深爱达芙妮的他用月桂树的树枝编成花环戴在头上。从此月桂树成了阿波罗的象征,也受到了众多国王的青睐。

注:personification [pəˌsɒnɪfɪˈkeɪʃn] n. 化身;象征

注:archer [ˈɑːtʃə(r)] n. 弓箭手

注:insatiable [ɪnˈseɪʃəbl] adj. 无法满足的

注:abhorrence [əbˈhɒrəns] n. 厌恶;憎恨Aphrodite爱神阿佛洛狄忒

In Greek mythology, Aphrodite is one of the most worshipped 注Greek deities. She is the goddess of love, beauty and sexual rapture. Her Roman equivalent is the goddess Venus.

According to Hesiod, she was born when Uranus (the father of the 注gods) was castrated by his son Cronus. Cronus threw the severed genitals into the ocean which began to churn and foam about them. From the aphros (“sea foam”) arose Aphrodite, and the sea carried her to Cyprus. Homer calls her a daughter of Zeus and Dione.注

Because of her beauty, other gods feared that their rivalry over her would interrupt the peace among them and lead to war, so Zeus married her to Hephaestus, who, because of his ugliness and deformity, was not seen as a threat. Aphrodite had many lovers — both gods, such as Ares, and men, such as Anchises.注

Among her mortal lovers, the most famous was perhaps Adonis. Both Aphrodite and Persephone fell in love with Adonis. The two goddesses began such a quarrel, Zeus was forced to intercede. He decreed that Adonis would spend a third of the year with Aphrodite, a third of the year with Persephone, and a third of the year with whomever he wished.

在希腊神话中,阿佛洛狄忒是最受崇拜的奥林匹斯神灵之一。她是代表爱情、美丽与性欲的女神。在罗马神话中与阿佛洛狄忒相对应的是维纳斯。

据赫西奥德的记载,克洛诺斯用锋利的镰刀割下了父亲——天神乌拉诺斯的阳具,然后将这不朽之物扔进了大海,随即在四周泛起很多白色的珍珠般的泡沫。阿佛洛狄忒就在这些泡沫中诞生,后来被海浪冲上了塞浦路斯。荷马则称阿佛洛狄忒是宙斯与狄俄涅的女儿。

因为阿佛洛狄忒的美貌,众神竞相展开对她的追求,却担心会因此破坏奥林匹斯山的和平甚至导致战争,于是宙斯把她嫁给了因既丑陋又瘸腿而无威胁的火神希菲斯托斯。阿佛洛狄忒并不是一位忠诚的妻子,她有许多情人——有诸如战神阿瑞斯等天神,也有诸如英雄安喀塞斯等凡人。

在阿佛洛狄忒的众多凡界情人中,也许美少年阿多尼斯算得上是她的挚爱。阿佛洛狄忒和珀耳塞福涅同时爱上了阿多尼斯。她们之间爆发了激烈的争吵,最后天神宙斯不得不出面仲裁,判决阿多尼斯一生中的三分之一属于阿佛洛狄忒,三分之一属于珀耳塞福涅,另外的三分之一则由阿多尼斯自己支配。

注:rapture [ˈræptʃə(r)] n. 狂喜;欣喜若狂

注:castrate [kæˈstreɪt] v. 阉割

注:rivalry [ˈraɪvlrɪ] n. 竞争;对抗

注:mortal [ˈmɔːtl] n. 凡人;人类Oedipus“弑父恋母”的俄狄浦斯王

Oedipus was a tragic hero in Greek mythology. In the most well-注known version of the myth, Laius wished to thwart a prophecy, which said that his child would grow up to murder his father and marry his mother. Thus, he fastened the infant's feet together with a large pin and left him to die on a mountainside. The baby was found on Kithairon by shepherds and raised by King Polybus and Queen Merope in the city of Corinth.

Oedipus learned from the oracle at Delphi of the prophecy, and left Corinth. Heading to Thebes, Oedipus met an older man in a chariot注 and killed him(Laius) in a quarrel. On arriving Thebes, Oedipus answered Sphinx's riddle correctly, defeating it and winning the throne of the dead king and the hand in marriage of the king's widow, his mother, Jocasta.

Oedipus and Jocasta had two sons and two daughters. In his search to determine who killed Laius (and thus end a plague on Thebes), Oedipus discovered it was he who had killed the late king (his father). Jocasta, upon realizing that she had married her own son and Laius's murderer, hanged herself. Oedipus then seized two pins from her dress and blinded himself with them.

俄狄浦斯是希腊神话中典型的悲剧人物。关于俄狄浦斯最广为流传的故事版本是这样的:国王拉伊奥斯得到预言,说他的儿子长大后将弑父娶母。为避免预言成真,拉伊奥斯刺穿了婴儿的脚踝,并将他丢弃在荒山等死。然而,婴儿在喀泰戎荒山被牧羊人救下来,成为科林斯国王波里玻斯和王后墨洛柏的养子。

俄狄浦斯得知德尔菲神殿的神谕后,为避免神谕成真,便离开了科林斯。俄狄浦斯朝着忒拜城方向行走,与一位坐在马车上的老人狭路相逢,他们起了争端,俄狄浦斯杀死了这位老人(即其生父拉伊奥斯),并继续向忒拜城行进。俄狄浦斯进入忒拜城之后,破解了斯芬克斯的谜语,击败了女妖。拯救了忒拜城的俄狄浦斯受到人民的推崇被选为国王,按照习俗与失去了丈夫的王后约卡斯塔成婚,应验了他“弑父娶母”的神谕。

俄狄浦斯和约卡斯塔生下了两个儿子和两个女儿。后来,国家不断有灾祸与瘟疫发生,在寻找杀害前国王拉伊奥斯的凶手时,俄狄浦斯才知道自己是拉伊奥斯的儿子,是他亲手杀死了自己的父亲。约卡斯塔意识到与自己结婚的人是自己的亲生儿子而且是他杀害了拉伊奥斯后,羞愧地上吊自杀,而同样悲愤不已的俄狄浦斯,从约卡斯塔的裙子上取下两枚胸针刺瞎了自己的眼睛。

注:thwart [θwɔːt] v. 阻碍;阻挠

注:chariot [ˈtʃæriət] n. 敞篷双轮马车;战车Achilles's Heel阿基里斯之踵注

Achilles is the quintessentially heroic subject of Homer's Iliad. When Achilles was born, his mother Thetis tried to make him immortal. She took Achilles to the River Styx, which was supposed to offer 注powers of invulnerability, and dipped his body into the water. But as Thetis held Achilles by the heel, his heel was not washed over by the water of the magical river.

Achilles grew up to be a formidable warrior, possessing fierce and uncontrollable anger. Achilles was part of the Achaean (Greek) force in 注the Trojan War. Proud and autocratic, Agamemnon antagonized Achilles, and so he sat out the fighting. At long last, revenge motivated him to join the fray after his friend Patroclus was killed by Hector, the greatest of the Trojans. Achilles came to Troy leading the fifty ships of the Myrmidons. His most notable feat during the Trojan War was the slaying of Hector outside the gates of Troy. But near the end of the Trojan War, Achilles died of a fatal wound in the heel inflicted by Paris, Hector's brother (the god Apollo guided Paris' arrow).

The term “Achilles' heel” has come to mean a deadly weakness in spite of overall strength, which can actually or potentially lead to downfall.

阿基里斯是荷马史诗《伊利亚特》中一位典型的英雄人物。阿基里斯出生后,他的母亲忒提斯希望自己的孩子长生不老,于是捏着他的脚踝将他浸泡在冥河斯堤克斯中,使他全身刀枪不入,除了脚踝(被忒提斯手握着,没有浸到冥河水中)。

阿基里斯逐渐成长为一名战无不胜的勇士,以狂烈的气焰著称。他作为希腊勇士参与了特洛伊战争。傲慢专制的阿伽门农惹恼了阿基里斯,于是他愤然离营,从此不参加战斗。直到阿基里斯的朋友帕特罗克洛斯被特洛伊主将赫克托耳王子所杀,这才激发了阿基里斯的战意。阿基里斯带领50艘迈尔弥顿人组成的战船回到特洛伊。他在特洛伊战争中的最大功绩便是将赫克托耳杀死在特洛伊城门外。然而,在特洛伊战争行将结束时,阿基里斯被赫克托耳的弟弟——特洛伊王子帕里斯(在太阳神阿波罗指点下)用箭射中脚踝,希腊人的第一勇士因此死去。“阿基里斯之踵”已成为西方谚语之一,意指某人或某事物的最大或者唯一弱点,暗示这样一个道理:即使是再强大的英雄,也会有致命的死穴或软肋。

注:quintessential [kwɪntɪˈsenʃl] adj. 典型的

注:invulnerability [ɪnˌvʌlnərəˈbɪlətɪ] n. 不受伤害;刀枪不入

注:antagonize [ænˈtæɡənaɪz] v. 惹恼;引起敌意或反感The Golden Touch神奇点金术

Midas, son of the Great Goddess of Ida, by a hero whose name is not remembered, was a pleasure-loving King of Macedonian Bromium, where he planted his famous rose gardens.

One day,the old hero Silenus,Dionysus' former teacher,注happened to straggle from the main body of the Dionysian army as it marched out of Thrace into Boeotia, and was found sleeping and drunken in the rose gardens. Midas entertained him for five days and nights, and then ordered a guide to lead him to Dionysus' headquarters.

Dionysus, who had been worrying about Silenus,sent to ask how Midas wished to be rewarded. He replied without hesitation: “Please turn all I touch into gold.” However,not only stones,flowers, 注and the furnishings of his house turned to gold, but when he sat down to table, so did the food he ate and the water he drank. Midas soon begged to be freed from his wish, because he was fast dying of hunger and thirst. Highly amused, Dionysus told him to visit the source of the river Pactolus and there wash himself. He obeyed, and was at once freed from the golden touch, but the sands of the river Pactolus are bright with gold to this day.

弥达斯是伊达山女神和一位不知姓名的英雄的儿子。他是马其顿勃洛弥恩的国王,整日寻欢作乐。他种植了闻名遐迩的玫瑰花园。

一天,酒神狄俄尼索斯带领他的部队从色雷斯出发去维奥蒂亚。狄俄尼索斯以前的老师——森林之神西勒诺斯——不巧跟队伍走散了。酩酊大醉的他倒在弥达斯的玫瑰花园里呼呼大睡。弥达斯盛情款待了森林之神五天五夜,然后派向导护送他回到狄俄尼索斯的大本营。

狄俄尼索斯一直在为找不到西勒诺斯担心。得知真相的他想要报答弥达斯,派人去询问这位国王有什么心愿。弥达斯毫不迟疑地回答说:“让我触摸到的一切都变成金子吧!”然而,变成金子的不仅仅是石头、花朵和他屋内的陈设,当他坐下吃饭时,他吃的食物和喝的水也都变成了金子。不久弥达斯饥渴交加,命悬一线,只得恳求狄俄尼索斯将他从这个愿望中解脱出来。狄俄尼索斯哭笑不得,他让弥达斯前往帕克托罗斯河的源头,在河里洗个澡。弥达斯照做了,点金术立即解除,但帕克托罗斯河的沙子至今仍因饱含金子而闪闪发光。

注:straggle [ˈstræɡl] v. 掉队;落伍

注:furnishings [ˈfɜːnɪʃɪŋz] n. 家具陈设;室内摆设Palladium雅典娜神像

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 (Athena) 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 注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 注disguise, known to none but Helen. The bad woman took out them to Hecuba, the queen of Troy, at whose feet Odysseus immediately bowed down and asked for mercy. 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 it with him to his new land, where it was preserved together with the goddess' fire.

In English, since around 1600, the word palladium has been used figuratively to mean anything believed to provide protection or safety, and in particular in Christian contexts a sacred relic or icon believed to have a protective role in military contexts for a whole city, people or nation.

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。宙斯听到了他的祈求,随即一尊木制的雅典娜神像从天而降,落在了特洛伊城的城墙里。人们将它称作雅典娜神像,这尊神像担任着保卫这座城市的重任。在祭神的宗教仪式中,人们抬着这尊神像在欢快的气氛和赞美的歌声中走遍城市的各个街道。

在特洛伊城建成之前,战火已弥漫了十年。一位预言家曾说:只要雅典娜神像深受人民的爱戴,特洛伊城就永远不会被摧毁。为了将神像偷出城外,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赫克犹巴的面前乞求怜悯。皇后答应了他们的要求,在海伦的帮助下,他们在拂晓时分成功地将这尊神像带回了希腊营地。据说后来埃弥斯得到了神像,并将它带到了自己的新领地。神像和神火一起被保存在这片土地上。

自大约公元1600年起,英语里的“palladium”一词一直被用来比喻提供保护和捍卫安全的事物,在基督教中更是把该词看作是在军事行动中能够保卫城市、人民乃至国家的圣物或圣像。

注:prophet [ˈprɒfɪt] n. 预言家;先知

注:in disguise 伪装;乔装The Apple of Discord不和金苹果

The wedding of Peleus and the sea-goddess Thetis were held and all gods were invited. But the absence of one goddess was clearly noticeable. It was Eris, the goddess of discord. As she planted seeds of discord wherever she went, it was natural that her presence at the 注ceremony was not desirable. She had good reason to feel angry, so she decided to make fun of the group at the party. Eris slipped into the hall after the couple left and rolled on the floor a golden apple, having the words,“For the fairest”. It caused a violent quarrel among the three goddesses,Hera,Athena and Aphrodite. Zeus found it advisable to send them before a shepherd boy on Mt Ida, Paris by name, for judgment. Hermes, the messenger, took the apple in his hand and led the goddesses away.

Paris was son of Priam, king of Troy. On this particular day, as he was taking care of his sheep on the mountainside, the youth was surprised to see four human beings standing before him. Hermes told him about his mission and left. The three holy beauties then competed with each other, showing themselves up before the shepherd. Hera promised to make him king of Asia. Athena undertook to help him get 注imperishable fame in war; whereas Aphrodite offered to secure for him the love of the most beautiful woman in the world. The primitive instinct of the boy thus moved, Aphrodite won the prize, and the other two goddesses left in anger and became deadly enemies of Troy.

佩琉斯和海洋女神忒提斯结婚时邀请了所有的神祇。但是,显然有一位女神不在邀请之列,她就是厄里斯——不和女神。由于她在所到之处播撒不和之种,众神并不希望她出席婚宴。厄里斯为此十分愤怒,决定捉弄宴会上的众神。当新娘、新郎退场后,厄里斯偷偷溜进大厅,向地上抛出一个金苹果,上书“献给最美的人”。苹果在赫拉、雅典娜和阿佛洛狄忒三位女神间引起了激烈争执。宙斯明智地决定将她们送到爱达山上一位名叫帕里斯的牧童那里,让他来判断谁最美。海尔墨斯作为使者,手持金苹果,带领三位女神前往。

帕里斯是特洛伊国王皮安姆的儿子。那一天,帕里斯正在山腰照看他的羊群,他惊奇地发现四个人来到他面前。海尔墨斯给他布置任务后离开了。三位美丽的女神立即争吵起来,充分向牧童展示自己的美貌。赫拉许诺使他成为亚洲国王;雅典娜愿意帮助他在战争中得到不朽的荣誉;而阿佛洛狄忒则答应他得到世上最美丽女人的爱。男孩原始的本性被激发出来,最终阿佛洛狄忒得到了金苹果,而另两位女神则愤然离去,成为特洛伊城最可怕的敌人。

注:desirable [dɪˈzaɪərəbl] adj. 令人满意的;受欢迎的

注:imperishable [ɪmˈperɪʃəbl] adj. 永存的;不朽的The Golden Fleece金色羊毛

King Athamus of northern Greece took as his first wife the cloud goddess Nephele. They had two children, the boy Phrixus and the girl 注Helle. Later Athamus became enamored of and married Ino, the daughter of Cadmus. When Nephele left in anger, drought came upon the land.

Ino was a wicked woman and the two children received all the cruel treatment that a stepmother could devise. Ino plotted the deaths 注of her stepchildren: she persuaded her credulous husband into believing that his son, Phrixus, was the actual cause of the disaster, and should be sacrificed to Zeus to end the drought. The poor boy was then placed on the altar and was about to be knifed when a ram with golden fleece was sent down by the gods and carried off the two children on its back.

As they flew over the strait that divides Asia from Europe, Helle,

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