[希臘神話]維納斯和阿多尼斯

Venus and Adonis

Aphrodite loved Adonis more than she did anybody else，for he was a brisk，lovely young hunter．She gave up herhome at Olympus and took to the woods．In the woods she dressed herself up like a huntress and kept the youth company all day long．With him she wandered through grounds andgroves and over hills and valleys．She cheered hunting dogs andpursued animals of a harmless sort．They had a great time together．However，she warned him many times not to chase wild beasts like lions and wolves，but the young man just laughed at the idea．

One day，after warning him thus，she left for Olympus inher carriage．Quite by chance Adonis' hunting dogs found aboar，which roused Adonis to enthusiasm．He hit the beast with an arrow，but the boar，turning on him，buried its white tusk deep into his tender side and trampled him to death．When Aphrodite came back to find her lover cold in death，she burst into a passion of tears ．Unable to take him back from the lower world，she sprinkled wine on Adonls' blood
and turned it into anemone，a delicate purple flower．

Aphrodite was not calmed down yet．In grief and despair she flew to Zeus and begged Zeus' sympathy．Hades was by no means prepared to meet her request．After much dispute anagreement was worked out under which Adonis was to spend half the year above ground with Aphrodite，but the remaining six months in the Elysian Fields．Therefore，in spring time Adonis came back to the loving embrace of Aphrodite ，but when winter came he had to return most reluctantly to Hades．

阿芙羅狄蒂愛阿多尼斯勝過愛別的任何人，因爲他是一個精神抖擻、生氣勃勃的少年獵手。她離開了奧林波斯山的住所來到林中。她裝扮成一個女獵手，讓這個年輕人整日陪伴左右，並與他一起遊遍了山林、河谷。她跟着獵狗，歡呼雀躍，追趕着無害的動物。他們一起渡過了一段美好時光。雖然她奉勸了他許多次不要捕殺像獅子和狼這樣的野獸，但年輕人只是嘲笑她的想法。

有一天，當她如此奉勸他之後，她坐上馬車去奧林波斯山。非常湊巧，阿多尼斯的獵狗發現了一頭野豬，使阿多尼斯熱血沸騰，躍躍欲試。他一箭射中了這頭野豬，但是野豬沒死，掉過頭向他衝擊，長牙深深地扎進阿多尼斯的要害部位，將他抵死。當阿芙羅狄蒂回來之後，發現她的戀人屍骨已寒，她大哭起來。但無法將他從地府再拉回陽間，她便在阿多尼斯的血上灑上葡萄酒，將它變作秋牡丹，一種紫色的小花。

阿芙羅狄蒂的心並沒有因此平靜下來，在憂傷和絕望心情的籠罩下，她飛到宙斯處，乞求他的憐憫。哈得斯一點也不打算答應她的要求。經過一番口舌之爭，他們達成協議：阿多尼斯每年可以到陽間和阿美羅狄蒂相聚半年，但剩下的六個月得到天堂渡過。由此每當春天的時候，阿多尼斯就轉世回到阿芙羅狄蒂身邊享受她愛的擁抱，但到了冬天他就得不情願地回到哈得斯那兒。