[希臘神話]坦塔羅斯

Tantalus

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Tantalus was the rich and mighty king of Lydia．Son ofZeus by a fairy maiden，he was greatly favored by the gods．He was invited to share wine and food with them at their banquets，and he was let into their
secrets ．But ever the latter end of joy is
woe ．Either because he had stolen wine orgave away the secrets of Zeus，or because he had become so proud as to test the gods by serving up the flesh of his son Pelopsto them，he incurred the wrath of
Zeus
and was hurled down to the everlasting darkness of
Tartarus ．There he was made tostand up to his chin in a little lake，with clusters of luscious fruits
hanging over and around his head．He strove eternally to drink the ever-evading water and to clutch at the delicious fruits
which were ever tossed out of his reach by blasts of wind．Thus he was doomed to endure endless burning thirst and bitter hunger in the world of the shades．The whole occurrence has given rise to the expression“tantalizing”，meaning somethng inplain view but unattainable
．

坦塔羅斯是羅底亞富有而又強大的國王。他是宙斯和一位仙女的兒子，深受衆神喜愛。衆神請他參加宴會，與他們共享美酒與美食，並且還讓他了解他們的祕密。然而樂極生悲。或許是他偷了美酒、或者泄露了宙斯的祕密、或許是他太驕傲以至於獻上自己兒子珀羅普斯的肉來檢驗神的智慧，他招致了宙斯的憤怒，被打入了永遠黑暗的地獄中。在那裏他被迫站定於一小湖中，水沒至下頜，無數甜美的水果懸於頭頂和四周。他從不間歇地努力喝水，但水總是從嘴邊流走；他試圖抓住那些美味的水果，但總是被陣陣來風吹離，使他無法得到。因而他註定要在陰間遭受炙渴和難以忍受的飢餓。“tantalizing”一詞即由此而來，意思是在眼前卻無法得到的某個東西。