简易英语读物《希腊神话-Greek Mythology》-33. Theseus and Minotaur

简易英语读物《希腊神话-Greek Mythology》-（33）
Theseus and Minotaur
King Minos sat in his high chair and watched the young Theseus entered into his great Hall.
“You will know that you never leave the Labyrinth alive”, said Minos, “the Minotaur will find you and kill you one by one”.
“But what if we kill the Minotaur first ，king Minos”, said Theseus.
Minos laughed loudly, “Kill the Minotaur?” He said.
“Why, if you kill the Minotaur, I promise that I will let all of you go”
“I will kill him”, said Theseus, “just let me take my sword into the labyrinth and I will face the monster”.
“Oh, so the luck swimmer is the hero now too”, said Minos.
He was still laughing.
“I am Theseus, son of the king Aegeus, if I kill the monster, do you promise let us to return to Athens”.
“All right, tomorrow morning you may try to kill my monster, if you escape the labyrinth, all of you may leave”.
Ariadne, king Minos’s daughter, was standing next to his father as the man spok e. She thought Theseus was very handsome, and admired his courage so much that she fell in love with him instantly.
She secretly decided to help the young hero.
During the night, Ariadne quietly entered the prison’s room and woke Theseus.
She explained to Theseus that Minotaur was not his only danger.
“Who are you?” Theseus said and admired her beauty.
“I am Ariadne, the daughter of the king”, “and I am here to help you, listen to me, you will enter the labyrinth easily, and I believe that you are great hero, and will kill the Minotaur”.
“But even if you do that, you will never find the way out the Maze”.
“you see even the Minotaur is the prison here”, but I know how you can escape the labyrinth”
“If I tell you how to get out the labyrinth, would you promise to marry me and take me with you to Athens?”
Theseus promised the princess that he would do so.
And then Ariadne gave him a ball of thin string, and explained to him what to do. The next morning, when Theseus entered the labyrinth, he tied one end of string to a rock near the door.
As he walked deep into the maze，he let the string out slowly.
Theseus walked deeper and deeper into the Maze, always moving toward the center where the Minotaur lived.
The bones of many people and animal lying on the ground, many of walls were covered with dry blood.
Eventually Theseus heard the sound of heavy breath and loud footsteps of large animal.
He stopped walk and waited the Minotaur to appear around the corner
As soon as the monster saw Theseus, it put its head down and ran at Theseus with its horns
Theseus reached out his strong arm and grabbed the horns with his powerful hands. The Minotaur turned its head quickly back and forth tried to get Theseus off.
But it could not, then Theseus used all of his strength and turned Minotaur neck until it was almost broken.
The Minotaur fell and before it could get back up again, Theseus pushed his sword into its mouth all the way through its head.
He then followed the string back to entrance of the labyrinth
When Theseus came out the labyrinth with the bloody sword in his hand, the other Athenians began crying, tear in joy
By killing the Minotaur, Theseus had not only saved his own life but the others as well.
King Minos was very angry to see Theseus came out the labyrinth alive. However, because his amazing deed, the king was now certain that Theseus was protected by the gods.
He let the Athenians go free, thus the Athenians debt to Crete was ended.
The next day Theseus kept his promise to Ariadne and took her with him.
When king Minos learned that his daughter had left with Theseus, he sent his ships to capture the Athenians.
But Theseus had left very early, and his ship was too far ahead.
After following for just a day, Minos‘s ship gave up and returned to Crete. Everyone was so happy returning to Athens that they had a great party and drank all wine on ship.
The Next day they stopped at an island of Naxos, and went to search fresh water. While on the island, Ariadne walked around picking flowers to give to Theseus.
She soon fell asleep on the beach under the warm sun.
When Theseus saw her sleeping there, a strange thing happened, his heart turned cold to her and he order his people to return to the ship, leaved the island without her.
Ariadne awoken up just in time to see the ship disappeared from sight.
Her heart broke and she cried until the night fell.
When the gods heard the Ariadne cry, they became angry and decided to punish Theseus for his selfishness.
They made all the people on the ship forget to hang white sails.
As they approach Athens, the black sails still hung high
Since Theseus had left, his father had spent every day sitting on the high cliff over the sea, watching the water and waiting for the ship return.
When he saw the black sails hanging on the ship, his heart broke just as Ariadne had. He had prayed all his life that his son would rule the kingdom after he died.
Now he did not have anyone to rule the kingdom after he died.
He stood up and walked over to the edge of the cliff, looked once more the black sails on the ship, and let himself fall into sea far below.
When Theseus finally arrived at Athens he expected a large party to be going on celebration on safe return of the young men and women.
Instead, all the people had sad faces and Theseus was greeted only by the dead body of his father lying on the beach where the wave had pushed it
译文与注释
忒休斯和牛头怪
国王米诺斯坐在高椅子上，看着年轻的忒修斯走进他伟大的殿堂。

"你知道你永远不可能活着离开迷宫"，米诺斯说，"牛头怪会找到你，一个接一个杀了你们"。

"但是，如果我们先杀了牛头怪，米诺斯国王", 忒修斯说。

米诺斯，放声大笑，"杀了牛头怪?"，他说。

"为什么，如果你杀了牛头怪，我许诺我会让你们都走."
"我会杀了他的"，忒修斯说，"让我拿着我的剑进迷宫，我会面对怪物的"。

"哦，现在运气好的游泳者也成了英雄了"，米诺斯说。

他不断地笑。

"我是国王埃勾斯的儿子忒修斯，如果杀了怪兽，那你答应让我们返回到雅典"。

"好吧，明天早上你可能试图杀死我的怪物，如果你能逃出迷宫，你们所有人都可以走"。

阿里阿德涅，国王米诺斯的女儿，忒休斯说话时，她就站在她父亲身边。

她认为忒修斯很漂亮，非常钦佩他的勇气，她立刻爱上了他。

她决定偷偷地帮助这位年轻的英雄。

夜幕降临，阿里阿德涅悄悄地溜进了监狱的房间，唤醒修斯。

她对忒休斯解释说牛头怪并不是他唯一的危险。

"你是谁?"，忒修斯说，非常欣赏她的美丽。

"我是阿里阿德涅，国王的女儿"，"我到这里帮助你，听我的话，你就会很容易进入迷宫，我相信你是伟大的英雄，会杀死牛头怪"。

"但，即使你杀了牛头怪，你也永远找不到出迷宫的路"。

"你知道，甚至牛头怪也是这里的囚徒"，但我知道你如何可以逃出迷宫"
"如果我告诉你怎么走出迷宫，你会答应娶我，带我和你一起去雅典吗?"
忒修斯答应公主他愿意娶她。

阿里阿德涅给了他一个细绳球，然后向他解释该怎么办。

第二天早上，当忒修斯走进迷宫后，他把细绳球的一端系到靠近门旁的岩石上。

当他往迷宫深处走时，他慢慢地松开细绳。

忒修斯逐渐往迷宫深处，朝着的迷宫的中心，弥诺陶洛斯居住的地方走去。

迷宫的地上有许多人和动物骸骨，许多墙壁上覆盖着干了的血迹。

最终，忒修斯听到大型动物沉重的呼吸声和响亮的脚步声。

他停下来脚步，等待人身牛头怪出现在拐角处。

怪物一看到忒修斯，低下头，牛角竖起，冲向忒修斯
忒修斯伸出他强壮的手臂抓住怪物的牛角。

牛头怪前后来回晃动脑袋，试图挣脱忒修斯的手。

但它无法挣脱，忒修斯使尽全力，转动牛头怪的脖子，几乎拗断了牛头。

牛头怪摔倒在地，还没有等他重新站起来，忒修斯一剑从它嘴里刺进，从牛头部穿出。

他随后沿着细绳的方向回到迷宫的入口处。

当忒修斯走出迷宫，手拿沾满鲜血的宝剑时，其他雅典人开始哭喊，流出喜悦的泪水。

杀死牛头怪，忒修斯保住自己和命，也拯救了其他雅典人。

国王米诺斯看到忒修斯活着走出迷宫，非常生气。

然而，因为他的惊人行动，国王确信忒修斯受到了神的保护。

他让雅典人自由离开，结束了雅典人欠克里特岛的债务。

第二天，忒修斯遵守他的诺言，带着阿里阿德涅一起离开克里特岛。

当国王米诺斯得知他的女儿已与忒修斯一起逃走时，它派出他的船来追捕雅典人。

但忒修斯一大早就驶离了克里特岛，他的船已经走得很远。

米诺斯的船尾随追了一天就放弃了，回到了克里特岛。

每个人都非常高兴返回雅典，他们举行了盛大的宴会，喝光了船上所有的酒。

第二天，他们在纳克索斯岛岛停了下来，去寻找淡水。

在岛上，阿里阿德涅四处走走，采摘鲜花，准备献给忒修斯。

在温暖的阳光下的沙滩上，她很快就睡着了。

当忒修斯看见她睡在那里，奇怪的事情发生了，他对她的心变冷了，他命令他的人返回到船上，抛下了阿里阿德涅，离开这个岛。

阿里阿德涅惊醒起来，刚刚看到这艘船从她的视线中消失。

她伤心痛苦，直到夜幕降临。

神听见阿里阿德涅的哭声，非常生气，并决定惩罚忒修斯的自私行为。

他们使船上的所有人都忘了挂白帆。

当他们驶进雅典，黑帆仍然高高悬挂
自从忒修斯离开后，他的父亲每一天坐在大海上方高高的悬崖上，眼看着水，等待返回的船舶。

当他看到挂在船上的黑帆时，他的心都碎了，就像阿里阿德涅一样。

他一直在祈祷在他死后，他的儿子有一天能统治这个王国。

现在他死后，没有人来继承他统治王国。

他站起身来走到悬崖的边缘，再一次看看船上的黑帆，纵身跳入大海。

当忒修斯终于到达雅典时，他以为会有盛大的宴会庆祝他们这些少男少男安全归来。

相反，所有的人面露悲伤，忒修斯遭只看到被海浪冲到海滩上，静静躺着那里的他父亲的尸体。

图. 忒修斯与弥诺陶洛斯搏斗
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