英语神话.doc

How Kangaroo got his Tail Based on an Australian Aboriginal Legend A long time ago, some animals looked different to the way they look now. Kangaroos had no tails and wombats had high, round heads. Mirram the Kangaroo and Warreen the Wombat were good friends. They lived together in a hut that Warreen had built from tree bark. They liked being with each other, but Mirram liked to sleep outside at night and he made fun of Warreen who always wanted to sleep inside.How the Bear Lost his Tail retold by Sanjit Bear with tailThis is the story of Bears tail. Ive heard it told in Germany, and in North America by the Iroquois Indians. A long time ago, Bear had a beautiful, long, furry tail. He thought it was really cool. He laid it out behind him and people had to walk round it. He asked everyone: Dont you think my tail is the most beautiful tail youve ever seen? People thought Bear was very vain, but they were frightened of his big claws and didnt want to make him angryWhen 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- A-thena 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 praiseAfter the flames of war had spread for ten years before the walls of Troy， a prophet foretold that Troy could never be expected to fall as long as the Palladium was treasured by itspeople In order to steal it out，Odysseus and Diomedes slipped into the capital one night indisguise ，known to none but HellenThe bad woman took out them to He cuba， the queen of Troy， at whose feet Odysseus immediately bowed down and asked formercyThe queen granted their request，and with the help of Helen，they successfully brought the image back to the Greek camp at dawnLater it was said that Aeneas got hold of it and carried itwith him to his new land，where it was Preserved together with the goddess fire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。宙斯听到祈求后，一尊木制的智慧雅典娜像从天堂落到了城墙里。人们将它称作雅典娜神像。这尊木像担任着保卫和看守城市的任务。在祭神的宗教仪式中，它在欢快的气氛和赞美的歌声中被抬着走过城市的所有街道。在特洛伊建成之前，战火已弥漫了十年。一位预言家说：只要雅典娜的神像受人民的爱戴，特洛伊城就永远不会衰灭。为了将神像偷出城，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她的面前乞求怜悯。皇后答应了他们的要求，在海伦的帮助下，他们在拂晓的时候成功地带着雕像回到希腊营地.据说后来埃弥斯得到了雕像并带着它到了自己的新领地。木像和神火一起被保存在这块土地上.In the conflict between Cronus and Zeus, Prometheus had adopted the cause of the Olympian deities. 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 upon the different animals the various gifts of courage, strength, swiftness, and sagacity. Taking some earth and kneading it with water, Prometheus made man in the image of the gods. He gave him an upright stature. Then since Epimetheus had been so prodigal 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 at the chariot of the sun, and brought down fire. But it was only rather grudgingly that Zeus granted mortals the use of fire.Then there came the occasion that when gods and men were in dispute at Sicyon concerning the prerogatives of each, Prometheus, by an ingenious trick, attempted to settle the question in favor of man. Dividing into two portions a sacrificial 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 Zeus his choice. The king of Heaven, although he perceived the intended fraud, took the heap of bones and fat, and forthwith availing himself of this insult as an excuse for punishing mankind, deprived the race of fire. But Prometheus regained the treasure, stealing it from Heaven in a hollow tube.By Zeus 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 the Titan was supported by the knowledge that in the thirteenth generation there should arrive a hero, sprung from Zeus himself, to release him. And in fullness of time the hero did arrive: none other than the mighty Hercules. He killed the eagle and set Prometheus free. Hercules utters these words to the Titan The soul of man can never be enslavedSave by its own infirmities, nor freedSave by its very strength and own resolveAnd constant vision and supreme 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 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.在克洛诺斯反对宙斯的斗争中，普罗米修斯站在奥林帕斯山诸神这边。之后塑造人和赋予人和其他所有动物以生存本领的任务就交给了他和他的弟弟厄庇墨透斯。厄庇墨透斯将勇敢、力气、快速、伶俐等天赋分别赐予各种动物。普罗米修斯则用土和水揉成了泥，照着神的模样捏出了人；他使人呈站立的姿势。厄庇墨透斯把各种天资都慷慨地赠予了其他动物，竟没有剩下什么像样的天赋能赐给最崇高的被造物了。於是米修斯升到天上，在太阳马车那里点燃了一只火把，将火送到地上来。可是宙斯却是不大乐意允准人们用火的。有一次，神和人在锡西昂对各自的权限争执不休，普罗米修斯耍了一个聪明的计谋，企图使问题的解决对人类有利。他把一头献祭用的牛分成两份，把所有可食用的部分包在牛皮里，并狡滑地在上面摆满不讨人喜欢的内脏；把骨头用一层肥脂裹起来，看上去像是好肉。然后他让宙斯挑选.天国之王看穿了他的计谋，但还是挑了那堆骨头和肥膘，从而利用这一侮辱为藉口剥夺人类用火的权利。但是普罗米修斯用一根空心管子从天府偷盗火种，再次取得了宝贵的天火。为此，宙斯下令将普罗火修斯锁在高加索山上的一块绝岩峭壁上，成年累月地受着一只老鹰的折磨，它天天啄食他的肝，却总不把它吃光。这位泰坦巨人坚忍不拔地忍受着煎熬，因为他知道在第十三代时就会有一个英雄，宙斯的亲儿子，来解救他。时刻一到英雄真的来了，他不是别人，就是那个大力士海克力斯。他杀了老鹰，解放了普罗米修斯。赫拉克勒斯向提坦巨人说：人的灵魂永远不能被征服除非自身变得脆弱；也永远不能得解放除非自身充满决心和力量，以及不稍亏的目光和无以复加的努力！想自由吗？那就鼓起勇气，我的兄弟！啊！让灵魂站在生与死，知与欲敞开的门扉前，见到旭日点燃思想的顶峰！那时灵魂再不会依然故态，或在黑色的睡乡中收获梦幻灵魂将迈着坚定的步伐直上光芒万丈的山巅和不落的群星自由交谈。king pandion of athens had two daughters，procne and philomelawhen athens was threatened by the wild men，king tereus of thrace came to its helpout of gratitude king pandion offered tereus either of his daughters in marriage and the thracian king chose procne as wife for yearsthey lived in thrace and had one son，itylus by namethen procne became homesick and longed to see her dear sister philomelaat her repeated requests tereus sailed to athens tofetch philomelaon the way back his evil heart took flame at the sight of philomela who was then in her beauty of maidenhoodhe seized and carried her away by force，cut out her tongue and imprisoned her in a lonely hut in the woodsto procne he lied，saying that philomela was deadphilomela stayed in prison for ayear，where she had woven her painful story into the web of a robe then she managed to send the robe to her sister as soon as she received the web procne came over to the woods and to reher sister away from the keepersback at the pala