希臘第一英雄珀爾修斯

希臘神話中不僅有異彩紛呈的神的傳說，更有蕩氣回腸的英雄傳奇。本期要介紹的便是勇斬美女蛇妖的希臘第一英雄珀爾修斯。

The Birth of Perseus

Acrisius， the king of ancient Argos， felt chagrined1) at not having a male heir2)， so he went to Delphi to ask for an oracle3) into this problem. But the god informed him that a male heir born of his daughter would kill him.

In fear， the king built a bronze chamber4) beneath the earth， where he kept Danae—his only daughter——under guard. However， Zeus transformed himself into a shower of gold， which poured through the ceiling and impregnated5) Danae. When Acrisius later learned that Danae had given birth to Perseus， he could not believe that Zeus had seduced6) his daughter， so he cast Danae out to sea with her son Perseus in a chest. Yet Zeus asked Poseidon， the God of the Sea， to calm the sea， so that the chest drifted7) ashore， where Dictys， a fisherman， discovered the mother and her child and brought the child up.

Killing Medusa

The king of the country which Danae and her son reached was Dictys' brother， who fell in love with Danae. However， because of Perseus， the king was unable to be with Danae. In order to get rid of Perseus，the king arranged a dinner and assigned Perseus the task of getting Medusa's head for him as a gift. Medusa was the only mortal of the three Gorgons8). People who saw her would be turned to stone immediately. To please the host and the guests， Perseus took the dangerous task.

With Hermes and Athena as his guides， Perseus sought out the sisters of the three Gorgons， Graeae9)， who then guided him to the nymphs and successfully got the three treasures from the nymphs， a pair of winged sandals that could help him fly， a sack10)， and the helmet of Hades， which would render11) its wearer invisible.

With the winged sandals， Perseus flew his way to the ocean， where he found the three Gorgons sleeping. Perseus， with Athena guiding his hand， kept his eyes on the reflection in a bronze shield as he stood over the sleeping Gorgons， and when he saw the image of Medusa， he beheaded her. When Perseus cut Medusa's head off， Pegasus12) and Chrysaor， a giant， sprang forth from her blood. While Perseus was flying away， drops of Medusa's blood fell into the Libyan desert and turned into poisonous snakes. Perseus then placed Medusa's head in the sack and headed back again. With his helmet， he was invisible to the two remaining Gorgon sisters， who were trying to seize him and take revenge.

Turning Atlas into a Mountain

After the killing of Medusa， Perseus， carrying with him the head， flew far and wide， over land and sea. As night came on， he reached the western limit of the earth， where the sun goes down.

It was the country of King Atlas， whose bulk13) surpassed that of all other men. Yet， his chief pride was in his gardens， whose fruit was of gold， hanging from golden branches， half hidden with golden leaves.

Perseus arrived and said to King Atlas， \"I am the son of Zeus and I have just killed Mesuda. I seek rest and food.\" But King Atlas remembered that an ancient prophecy had warned him that a son of Zeus should one day rob him of his golden apples. So he attempted to thrust Perseus out.

Perseus， finding the giant too strong for him， said， \"Since you value my friendship so little， deign14) to accept a present.\" Turning his face away， Perseus held up Medusa's head. Atlas， with all his bulk， was changed into a stone. His beard and hair became forests， his arms and shoulders cliffs， his head a summit， and his bones rocks. Each part increased in bulk till he became a mountain， and heaven with all its stars rests upon his shoulders.

The Rescue of Andromeda

Perseus， continuing his flight， arrived at the country of Ethiopia， of which Cepheus was king. His queen， Cassiopeia， proud of her beauty， had dared to compare herself to the Sea Nymphs， which roused their indignation15) to such a degree that they sent a prodigious16) sea-monster to ravage the coast. To please the Sea Nymphs， Cepheus was directed by the oracle to expose his daughter Andromeda to be devoured17) by the monster.

As Perseus looked down from his aerial18) height he saw Andromeda chained to a rock. She was so pale and motionless that if it had not been for her flowing tears and her hair that moved in the breeze， Perseus would have taken her for a marble statue. As he hovered over her he said， \"Oh virgin， tell me， please， your name and the name of your country， and why you are thus bound.\" At first， Andromeda was silent， but when Perseus repeated his questions， for fear she might be thought guilty of some fault which she dared not tell， she disclosed her name and that of her country， and her mother's pride of beauty.

Perseus agreed to kill the monster on the condition that he should marry Andromeda. The parents of Andromeda agreed， and Perseus did what he had promised. The joyful parents， with Perseus and Andromeda， returned to the palace， where a banquet19) was spread for them. On their arrival， the former fiance of Andromeda came to the palace and tried to reclaim20) his fiancee . Even though the king denied his request， he insisted and the two parties began a fight. Finally， the man and his followers were turned to stone by Perseus， with Medusa's head.

Perseus and Andromeda were happily married. They gave birth to six sons， including Perses， the founder of Persia. Later in a contest， Perseus killed Acrisius his grandfather， by mistake， thus fulfilling the prophecy.

珀爾修斯誕生

阿爾戈斯古國的國王阿克里西俄斯因為自己沒有男性繼承人而感到懊惱，于是他前往德爾斐就此問題請示神諭。但是神卻告訴他，他女兒所生的一個男性繼承人將會殺掉他。

驚恐萬分的國王在地下建了一個銅房間，把他唯一的女兒達那厄鎖在里面并嚴加看守。但是，宙斯還是化身為一陣金雨，穿透屋頂并使達那厄受孕了。當阿克里西俄斯后來得知達那厄已經生下了珀爾修斯時，他并不相信是宙斯引誘了他的女兒，所以他把達那厄連同她的兒子珀爾修斯裝進一個箱子，放逐到海上漂流。然而，宙斯請求海神波塞冬讓大海風平浪靜，所以箱子得以漂到岸上。漁夫狄克提斯在岸邊發現了母子二人，并把孩子撫養成人。

斬殺美杜莎

達那厄母子倆所到國家的國王是狄克提斯的兄弟，他愛上了達那厄。但是礙于珀爾修斯，國王沒辦法和達那厄在一起。為了除掉珀爾修斯，國王安排了一次晚宴，并交給珀爾修斯一項任務：摘取美杜莎的頭獻給他作禮物。美杜莎是戈耳戈三姐妹中唯一的凡人，人見之就立刻會被變成石頭。為了取悅國王和賓客，珀爾修斯接受了這項危險的任務。

在赫耳墨斯和雅典娜的指引下，珀爾修斯找到了戈耳戈三姐妹的姐妹們——格里伊三姐妹。在她們的指引下，珀爾修斯找到了仙女們，并順利地從她們手中拿到了三件寶物：能助他飛翔的長著翅膀的涼鞋、一個巨大的布袋和戴上之后能隱身的哈德斯的頭盔。

穿上長著翅膀的涼鞋，珀爾修斯一路飛到了海上，發現了熟睡的戈耳戈三姐妹。只見他站在熟睡中的戈耳戈姐妹身旁，讓雅典娜牽引著他的手，眼睛則一直盯著銅盾牌中反射出的景象。當他從中看到美杜莎時，便朝她的頭砍去。當珀爾修斯把美杜莎的頭砍下來的時候，飛馬珀加索斯和巨人克律薩俄耳便從她的血中跳出來了。珀爾修斯飛走的途中，美杜莎的血灑到了利比亞沙漠中，變成了毒蛇。接著，珀爾修斯就把美杜莎的頭放到了布袋里，又回到戈耳戈三姐妹休憩的地方。另外兩個戈耳戈姐妹正努力想要抓住他，報仇血恨，但是由于他戴著隱形頭盔，她們都看不見他。

把阿特拉斯變成山巒

殺掉美杜莎后，珀爾修斯帶著她的頭飛得很高很遠，飛越了千山萬水。當夜幕來臨時，他到達地球的最西邊，那里是太陽落下的地方。

這里是阿特拉斯國王的國度，他的身軀遠比其他任何人都高大。然而，他最引以為傲的是他花園中的果樹，這些果樹結的都是金果子，垂掛在金色的樹枝上，掩映在金色的葉子里。

珀爾修斯來到果園對阿特拉斯國王說：“我是宙斯之子，我剛剛斬殺了美杜莎，我來此休息，請給我一些食物?！钡前⑻乩箛跸肫鹨粍t古老的預言警示他說，宙斯的一個兒子有一天會來搶劫他的金蘋果。因此他就試圖把珀爾修斯推出去。

珀爾修斯發現這個巨人對于他來說太強壯了，只好說：“既然你這么不珍惜我的友誼，那么請屈尊接受我的禮物吧?！辩隊栃匏罐D過自己的臉，舉起了美杜莎的頭。于是阿特拉斯高大的身軀變成了石頭。他的胡子和毛發變成了森林；他的手臂和肩膀變成了山崖；他的頭變成了山峰；而他的骨頭則變成了巖石。他身軀的每個部分都在急劇增長，直到他變成了山巒，群星閃耀的天空就停留在他的肩膀上。

斬海妖獲美妻

珀爾修斯繼續飛行，來到了埃塞俄比亞的上空，那里的國王是刻甫斯。他的王后卡西俄珀亞為自己的美貌而感到驕傲，居然膽敢把自己和海洋仙女們比較，這使得仙女們憤怒異常，于是她們派了一個海妖在海灘為非作歹。為了讓海洋仙女們息怒，刻甫斯奉神諭把自己的女兒安德洛墨達送給海妖，供他吞食。

當珀爾修斯從天上往下看時，看到了綁在石頭上的安德洛墨達。她面色蒼白，木然不動，如果不是她那不斷涌出的眼淚和在微風中拂動的頭發，珀爾修斯定會把她當成一尊大理石雕像。他在她的頭上盤旋，說：“哦，純潔的姑娘啊，請告訴我你的芳名和你的國家，還有你為什么被綁在這兒?！?安德洛墨達起先是一度沉默，但當珀爾修斯再度詢問時，她擔心他會認為是自己做了什么不敢開口的錯事，于是便向他吐露心跡，說了自己的名字和國度，以及她的母親是如何恃美驕縱。

珀爾修斯答應去斬殺海妖，但條件是事成之后要娶安德洛墨達為妻。安德洛墨達的父母同意了，而珀爾修斯也兌現了他的承諾。興高采烈的父母帶著珀爾修斯和安德洛墨達返回了宮殿，在那里，人們正在為他們布置一場盛宴。他們到達宮殿時，安德洛墨達的前未婚夫也來到了宮殿，想重新要回他的未婚妻。國王拒絕了他的請求，可他依舊堅持，于是雙方展開了一場混戰。最終，他和他的隨從被珀爾修斯用美杜莎的頭變成了石頭。

珀爾修斯和安德洛墨達幸福地結合了。他們一共生了六個兒子，包括波斯國的創始人珀爾塞斯。后來在一場競技中，珀爾修斯殺了他的外祖父阿克里西俄斯，雖是誤殺，但卻應驗了預言。

Vocabulary

1.chagrined [5FA^rInd] adj. 懊惱的，苦惱的

2.heir [ZE(r)] n. 繼承人；嗣子

3.oracle [5CrEkl] n. 【宗】(尤指古希臘的)神諭

4.chamber [5tFeImbE(r)] n. (作特殊用途的)房間

5.impregnate [5Impre^neIt] vt. 使懷孕；使受精

6.seduce [sI5dju:s] vt. 引誘

7.drift [drIft] vi. 漂流

8.the three Gorgons:【希神】戈耳戈三姐妹。她們是三個蛇發女怪，面貌可怕，人見之立即化為頑石。

9.Graeae [5^ri:i:] n. 【希神】格里伊三姐妹(三人共一只眼睛和一只牙齒，有人走近時則警告蛇發女怪Gorgons)

10.sack [sAk] n. 麻袋，粗布袋

11.render [5rendE(r)] vt. 使得，使成為

12.Pegasus [5pe^EsEs(r)] n. 【希神】珀加索斯(從被割下頭的女妖美杜莎的血中跳出的生有雙翼的飛馬，其蹄踏出Hippocrene泉，傳說詩人飲此泉水可以獲得靈感)

13.bulk [bQlk] n. (尤指肥碩的)身軀

14.deign [deIn] vi. 降低身份，屈尊，俯就

15.indignation

[7IndI^5neIFEn] n. 憤怒；憤慨，義憤

16.prodigious

[prEu5dIdVEs] adj. 巨大的，龐大的

17.devour [dI5vauE(r)] vt. (猛獸等)吞吃

18.aerial [5ZErIEl] adj. 空中的

19.banquet

[5bANkwIt] n. 宴會；盛宴，宴席

20.reclaim [rI5kleIm] vt. 要求(或主張)收回

文化鏈接

1． Perseus：珀爾修斯，希臘南部古城邁錫尼(Mycenae)的創始人。傳說，當他的帽子落在邁錫尼這塊地方時，他覺得這是神的旨意，要他在那里建一座城市，于是就有了邁錫尼城。后來，他因斬殺蛇妖美杜莎而成為希臘神話中的第一個英雄。英語中，他的名字被用來表示“英仙(星)座”。英仙座流星雨是最著名的流星雨之一，因為它不但數量多，而且每年在固定時間出現，幾乎從來沒在夏季星空中缺席過。

2． Versace Medusa Logo：已故的時裝大師范思哲的美杜莎標志，取其魅力無限、能讓人目瞪口呆的寓意。

3． Pegasus：飛馬珀加索斯，天馬座。珀加索斯是希臘神話中著名的飛馬，它直接飛到了奧林匹斯山上，宙斯接納了它，并用它來為自己運輸扔出去的雷電。后來，它到了天上，成為“天馬座”。在動畫片《圣斗士星矢》中，星矢就是這個星座。由于天馬來去迅捷，很多物流、汽車公司都在公司名稱中加上“Pegasus”，以便熟悉西方文化的人能注意到并信任他們。

4． Andromeda：安德洛墨達，仙女座。希臘神話中的部分人物后來都成為了天空中的星座。在本期故事中，安德洛墨達后來成了仙女座，她的父親刻甫斯(Cepheus)后來成了仙王座，她的母親卡西俄珀亞(Cassiopeia)則成了仙后座。