神話(huà)：潘多拉的盒子

　　Zeus made the first woman and sent her to Prometheus and his brother, to punish them for their caring so much for men.  She was made in heaven, every god contributing something to perfect her.  Venus gave her beauty, Mercury persuasion, Apollo music, etc.  All gods gave her gifts, silvery raiment and a broidered veil, a wonder to behold, and bright garlands of blooming flowers and a crown of gold.  Because of what they gave her they called her Pandora, which means "the gift of all".

　　The gods presented her with a box into which each had put something harmful, and forbade her ever to open it.  Then they sent her to Epimetheus, who took her gladly although Prometheus had warned him never to accept anything from Zeus.  He took her, and afterward when that dangerous thing, a woman, was his, he understood how good his brother's advice had been.  For Pandora, like all women, was possessed of a lively curiosity.  She had to know what was in the box.  One day she lifted the lid——and out flew plagues innumerable, sorrow and mischief for mankind.  In terror Pandora clapped the lid down, but too late.  One good thing, however, was there——Hope.  It was the only good the casket had held among the many evils, and it remains to this day mankind's sole comfort in misfortune.

　　潘多拉是宙斯創(chuàng)造的第一個(gè)人類(lèi)女人， 主要是要報(bào)復(fù)人類(lèi)。因?yàn)楸娚裰械钠樟_米修斯過(guò)份關(guān)心人類(lèi)，於是惱火了宙斯。

　　宙斯在爭(zhēng)奪神界時(shí)，就是得到普羅米修斯及其弟厄庇米修斯的幫助，而能登上寶座。普羅米修斯的名字即“深謀遠(yuǎn)慮”的意思。而其弟厄庇米修斯的意思為“后悔”，所以?xún)尚值艿淖黠L(fēng)就跟其名字一樣，有著“深謀遠(yuǎn)慮”及“后悔”的特性。

　　潘多拉被創(chuàng)造之后，就在宙斯的安排下，送給了厄庇米修斯。因?yàn)榈k知道普羅米修斯不會(huì)接受祂送的禮物，所以一開(kāi)始就送給了厄庇米修斯。而厄庇米修斯也接受了她，在舉行婚禮時(shí)，宙斯命令眾神各將一份禮物放在一個(gè)盒子里，送給潘多拉當(dāng)禮物。而眾神的禮物是好是壞就不得而知了。厄庇米修斯的胞兄普羅米修斯就警告厄庇米修斯， 千萬(wàn)不要接受宙斯的禮物，尤其是女人，因?yàn)榕�人是危險(xiǎn)的動(dòng)物。而厄庇米修斯就跟其名字一般，娶了潘多拉之后沒(méi)多久，就開(kāi)始后悔了。

　　因?yàn)榕硕嗬�除了善妒，貪婪，�?ài)美外，最大的缺點(diǎn)就是好奇心了。從結(jié)婚以后，她就不斷地想打開(kāi)眾神送的小盒子，而厄庇米修斯卻要時(shí)時(shí)刻刻的提防她的好奇心，因?yàn)樗�知道盒子里的禮物未必都是好的。有一天，潘多拉的好奇心戰(zhàn)勝了一切。她等厄庇米修斯出門(mén)后，就打開(kāi)了盒子，結(jié)果一團(tuán)煙沖了出來(lái)，將一切禮物全都釋放，這里面包含了幸福、瘟疫、憂(yōu)傷、友情、災(zāi)禍、愛(ài)情，潘多拉害怕極了，趕緊將盒子蓋上，但一切都已經(jīng)太遲，盒子內(nèi)只剩下“希望”。於是潘多拉抱著“希望”等著厄庇米修斯的歸來(lái)。至今，它一直是人類(lèi)生活動(dòng)力的來(lái)源，因?yàn)樗鼛Ыo人類(lèi)無(wú)窮的“希望”，不管遭遇何種困境，它是人類(lèi)一切不幸中唯一的安慰。