特洛伊木馬

The Trojan war lasted for ten years， but Troy still hald out¹.It seemed impossible to the Greeks to subdue （征服） it by force， and they took Odysseus's advice to resort to² strategy （計謀）. Odysseus had a master carpenter build a huge hollow³ wooden horse. The Greeks pretended to withdraw （撤軍）， and they sailed away leaving outside Troy the wooden horse and a Greek spy called Sinon， who later persuaded⁴ the Trojans that the horse was a blessing to Troy from god. Laocoon， the priest（祭司） of Apollo， warned the Trojans the horse involved （與……有關） an evil（邪惡的） Grecian plot. Athena sent two giant serpents （蛇） to strangle⁵ him in their coils（卷，圈）. This event was regarded as an indication （表示） of god's displeasure at Laocoon's comments⁶ on the horse. The Trojans no longer hesitated to drag the horse inside the city. That night， the Trojans held a great celebration to observe （慶祝） their victory over the Greeks. There were a lot of singing， dancing， eating， drinking and fanfare⁷. The carnival（狂歡作樂） lasted to late night until people were tired and sleepy. At midnight， the armed men hidden inside the horse， let out by Sinon， opened the city's gate to Greek army who had returned under the cover of night. They set fire to the city， massacred（屠殺） its men， and carried off its women. Troy was completely conquered⁸. The ten-year war ended with the fall of Troy.

\"Trojan horse\"， or \"the wooden horse\" means a trap intended to undermine⁹ an enemy， or subversion（顛覆） from inside.

特洛伊戰爭持續了10年，但特洛伊城仍然牢不可破。這些希臘人要靠武力征服特洛伊似乎不太可能，于是他們采納了奧德修斯的建議，決定設計智取特洛伊。奧德修斯讓一位杰出的木匠建造了一個碩大的空心木馬。希臘人佯裝退兵，揚帆離去，卻在城前留下了這木馬和一個希臘奸細，名叫西農。后來西農說服特洛伊人這木馬是神對特洛伊的賜福，阿波羅的祭司拉奧孔則警告特洛伊人這木馬是希臘人的邪惡陰謀。于是雅典娜派出兩條巨蟒，將拉奧孔緊緊纏住并扼死。這件事被看成是神對拉奧孔對于木馬胡言亂語的憤怒表示。特洛伊人不再猶豫，連拖帶拉地把木馬拽入城中。當晚特洛伊人舉行盛大慶典，慶賀擊敗希臘人的勝利。人們又唱又跳，又吃又喝，大肆夸耀，直到夜深時人們又累又困，狂歡活動才結束。午夜時分，西農放出了藏在木馬內全副武裝的希臘勇士，他們打開城門迎接在夜色掩護下悄悄返航的希臘軍。他們放火燒城，屠殺男人，擄走婦女，特洛伊城被徹底征服了。10年之久的戰爭以特洛伊城的全面淪陷而告終。

“特洛伊木馬”意為暗中給敵人搞破壞而設的圈套和陷阱，也指來自內部的陰謀顛覆。

注釋:

1．hold out堅持，抵抗

2.resort to采用，訴諸

3．hollowadj.空心的

4.persuadevt.使相信

5．stranglevt． 扼死，勒死

6．commentn.閑話，議論

7．fanfaren. 夸耀，鼓吹

8．conquervt. 攻克，征服

9.underminevt．暗中破壞