星座英語:十二星座起源的美麗傳說之金牛
Lure: Taurus (April 20-May 20)
Taurus is a northern constellation between Aries and Orion containing Hyades and Pleiades. Taurus is the second sign of the zodiac, which the sun enters on or about April 20.
In ancient Greece, there was no name for the European continent. However, there was a kingdom called Phoenicia with two rich capitals named Tyler and Sidon. King Agenor had a pretty daughter called Europa.
Europa often dreamed that a strange woman said to her, “Let me take you to meet Zeus. You are doomed to be his lover.” At that time, Zeus only had one woman, Hera, but he did not love her much. As a result, he felt depressed everyday. Fortuna Clotho decided to help Zeus find his lover. She knew that the God of Fire had a priceless long skirt. Clotho took this skirt to Zeus and suggested Europa to him. In the beginning, Zeus refused, but he was soon deeply attracted to Europa's beauty when he met her and fell in love with her immediately. Zeus pretended to be a prince from a neighboring country and pretended to send the skirt to Clotho. But Europa did not know he was Zeus and refused because she always thought of the words of the strange woman in her dreams.
One morning, Europa went to the grassland near the beach with her friends as usual. When they picked up flowers and happily wove garlands, a large and strong ox came to them. Europa was soon attracted by this noble and fabulous-looking animal. It looked like delicate and brilliant artwork with a crescent-shaped birthmark on the forehead and golden hair. Its blue eyes were twinkling with ardor. Europa could not resist this feeling and eagerly jumped on the back of the ox while calling out to her friends, but the others were scared. At that moment, the ox flew into the sky. The friends shouted to her and Europa felt lost. Ox or Taurus flew across the beach until they arrived at an island.
Suddenly, Taurus transformed into a handsome man and told her he was master of the island. If Europa promised to marry him, he would protect and love her forever. But she still refused because she remembered the woman's promise.
When the sun rose, Europa was left alone on the island. She shouted at the sun, “Poor Europa, are you really willing to marry the king of monsters? Nemesis, why don't you put Taurus in front of me and let me break its horn?”
All of sudden, the strange woman appeared behind her and said, “My pretty girl, take it easy. The Taurus you cursed just now will send his horn to you. I am Venus and my son Cupid has shot through your heart and Zeus'. It is Zeus that took you here. You become the God of continent and your name will last forever. We will call this place Europa.” She came to realize and believe in Clotho's arrangement. This is the fairytale of Taurus, which symbolizes beauty and love.
星座起源的美麗傳說：金牛的誘惑
在非常遙遠的古希臘時代，歐洲大陸還沒有名字，那裏有一個王國叫腓尼基王國，首府泰樂和西頓是塊富饒的地方。國王阿革諾耳有一個美麗的女兒叫歐羅巴。
歐羅巴常常會夢到一個陌生的女人對自己說：“讓我帶你去見宙斯吧，因爲命運女神指定你做他的情人。”那時候宙斯還只有赫拉一個妻子，而且宙斯並不愛他的妻子，他整日處在鬱鬱寡歡之中，命運女神克羅託覺得幫助宙斯找到幸福。她知道火神有一件長襟裙衣，淡紫色的薄沙上用金絲銀線繡了許多神祗的生活畫面，價值連城，而且美不勝收。克羅託把這件衣服要過來，讓宙斯去送給歐羅巴。起初宙斯興致不大，但當他見到歐羅巴時，不禁爲她的美色深深吸引，宙斯無可自拔的愛上了這個歐陸公主。他以一位鄰國王子的身份去提親，並把神衣送給了歐羅巴。但是歐羅巴並沒有答應他，她心裏一直想着命運女神的承諾。
一天清晨，歐羅巴像往常一樣和同伴們來到海邊的草地上嬉戲。正當它們快樂的採摘鮮花、編織花環的時候，一羣膘肥體壯的牛來到了片草地上，歐羅巴一眼就看見牛羣中那一隻高貴華麗的金牛。牛角小巧玲瓏，猶如精雕細刻的工藝品，晶瑩閃亮，額前閃爍着一彎新月型的銀色胎記，它的毛是金黃色的，一雙藍色的眼睛燃燒着情慾。那種無形的誘惑讓歐羅巴難以抗拒，她欣喜地跳上牛背，並呼喚同伴一起上來，但是它們沒有人敢像歐羅巴一樣騎上牛背。正在這個時候，金牛從地上輕輕躍起，漸漸飛到了天上。同伴們驚慌的喊着歐羅巴的名字，歐羅巴也不知所措，金牛飛躍沙灘，飛躍大海，一直飛到一座孤島上。這時候緊牛變成了一個俊逸如天神的男子，他告訴她，他是克里特島的主人，如果歐羅巴答應嫁給他，他可以保護她。但是歐羅巴沒有答應他，她心裏一直想着命運女神的承諾。
一輪紅日冉冉升起，歐羅巴被一個人撇在了孤島上，她向着太陽的方向怒喊到：“可憐的歐羅巴，你難道願意嫁給一個野獸的君王做侍妾嗎？復仇女神，你爲什麼不把那頭金牛再帶到我面前，讓我折斷她的牛角！”突然，她的背後傳來了淺笑，歐羅巴回頭一看，竟是夢中那個陌生的女人。美麗的女人站在她面前說到：“美麗的姑娘，快快息怒吧，你所詛咒的緊牛馬上就會把他的牛角送來讓你折斷的。我是美神維納斯，我的兒子丘比特已經射穿了你和宙斯的心，把你帶到這裏來的正是宙斯本人。你現在成了地面上的女神，你的名字將與世長存，從此，這塊土地就叫做歐羅巴。”歐羅巴這才恍然大悟，終於相信了命運女神的安排。而十二星座中的金牛座也由此得名，成爲愛與美的象徵。
