希腊神话节选1

希腊神话节选1

希腊神话【1】The Olympin Gods奥林波斯山神

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．

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。雅典娜是智能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。

希腊神话【2】Pandora潘多拉

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．

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。

英语的产生源于英国的几次对外侵略

英语的产生源于英国的几次侵略。第一次涉及到三个部落：盎格鲁，朱特和撒克逊三个部落。这三个部落语言的混合形成了盎格鲁-撒克逊语言或者叫做古代英语。它听起来其实很像德语。目前只有很少一部分词仍然被生活在英国的凯尔特人使用。