本章故事标题是两个名字,前者是我们熟悉的神,那个为人类盗取了火种的普罗米修斯,后者是Jupiter的情人之一,他们共同生下了半人半神的大力士赫拉克利斯,Heracles, 罗马神话中叫Hercules.
Jupiter had given Prometheus strict orders that only the gods should control the power of fire. But humans begged Prometheus to give them the secret power of fire, and he gave it to them. Prometheus loved mortals.
Prometheus, 普罗米修斯,希腊神话里,他也叫这个名字。他盗取了天上的火种给人类,Jupiter就把他锁在悬崖上永生永世经受风吹雨打。
Jupiter was enraged, but he could not order Prometheus's death. He decided to punish him instead. Jupiter demanded that Prometheus be chained to a rock at the top of a mountain for all of eternity. Through wind and storm, heat and cold, Prometheus stayed chained to the rock. He braved it all without a drop of water or a wink of sleep.
有一天,悬崖这边来了一位不速之客——一头奶牛。它跌跌撞撞地来到普罗米修斯被锁住的悬崖边。一只苍蝇一直追着它咬,它不时地摇头摆尾,偶尔还踢一下或者转圈圈。最后像可怜的女孩一样嚎啕大哭起来。
Then one day a strange visitor came. An awkward young cow stumbled over the craggy rocks. She came upon the cliff where Prometheus was chained. A pesky fly buzzed about the cow. It chased and bit her. The cow flicked her tail, twitched her ears, and occasionally kicked and spun. She cried out like a girl who seemed sad and miserable.
遇见普罗米修斯之后,Io就像竹筒里倒豆子一样把她的故事告诉了他。原来她曾是一位美丽的公主,无忧无虑地生活在父亲的王国里。有一天,Jupiter忽然来找她,对她表达爱慕之情。他来的时候,给人间布上了厚厚的云层,后来她才知道,那是为了不让他妻子Juno发现。
"I was once a happy, carefree princess in my father's land... "
"But the next day, Jupiter himself came to me. he covered Earth in a thick, dark cloud. I know now that it was so that Juno, his wife, couldn't see us.
"Then, all of a sudden, the thick, dark cloud disappeared. Juno had stripped the clouds from the Earth so that she could see clearly what Jupiter was doing.
但纸包不住火,正在幽会的时候,Juno撕开云层出现在他们面前。情急之下,Jupiter把Io变成了一头奶牛。Juno假装相信,却把这头奶牛要了过去,交给了给她管理兽群的Argus. Argus是一只长着一百眼睛的可怕的怪兽,他是最好的牧羊人,因为他的100只眼睛永远不会全部闭上,即使在睡觉的时候也总会有一些眼睛睁着。所以他能时时刻刻盯着Io.
Argus was a horrible creature with a hundred eyes. He was the shepherd of all Juno's herds. He was an excellent watchman. Argus always had some of his eyes open as he slept. He could watch over Io at every moment.
Jupiter派了最聪明的儿子Mercury去解救Io。Mercury便假扮成一个吹笛人,试图去催眠Argus。除了吹笛子,他还给Argus讲极其无聊的故事。最后,当Argus终于闭上所有的眼睛时,Mercury便当场把他杀死了。但可惜的是,Jupiter还没来得及到人间来解救Io, Juno先派了一只苍蝇来折磨她。因为疯狂想躲开那只可怕的苍蝇,Io一路逃,一路躲,才来到普罗米修斯受罚的地方。
“But before Jupiter could return to Earth to rescue me, Juno sent a fly to bite and torment me. I became crazy in my desire to escape the terrible insect. I ran as fast and as far as I could.
她请普罗米修斯帮帮她,可惜普罗米修斯爱莫能助。最后Io一直逃到埃及尼罗河边上,才稍稍脱离了Juno的嫉妒之眼。然后Jupiter才赶紧把她变了回来。
Jupiter and Io lived happily together for a while. They had a son named Epaphus. Hercules --- one of the greatest half-human, half god heroes -- was a descendant of Io's.
Hercules was the one who eventually set prometheus free from his chains.
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