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PANDORA'S BOX Nathaniel Hawthorne
潘多拉魔盒，作者納撒尼爾·霍桑。
You are now going to read a story that began over two thousand years ago in the times of ancient Greece.
您現在要讀到的是一篇起源于兩千多年前古希臘時代的故事。
It explains why there are troubles on earth.
這個故事解釋了地球上為什么會存在各種災禍。
Troubles, the Greeks believed, were sent among men and women by Zeus, father of the gods, as a punishment for stealing fire from Heaven.
希臘人認為，是眾神之父宙斯把禍事傳給世人，作為從天庭偷取火種的懲罰。
Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author, was one of America's great itory-tellers.
這個故事的作者納撒尼爾·霍桑，美國偉大的心理分析小說家。
Often he would take some old, old tale that had been known for hundreds of years and retell it in his own way for the boys and girls of his time.
他常常會把幾百年前人們熟知的一些古老的故事，以自己的方式講述給生活在他那個時代的孩童們聽。
PANDORA AND THE GREAT BOX
潘多拉和巨型盒子
Long, long ago, when this old world was in its infancy, there was a child named Epimetheus who never had either father or mother.
很久以前，那是古老世界的萌芽期，有一個名叫厄毗米修斯的孩童，他沒有父親或母親。
In order that he might not be lonely, another child, fatherless and motherless like himself,
為了使他不再那么孤單，另一名很像他的孩童，同樣也是無父無母，
was sent from a far country to be his playfellow. Her name was Pandora.
從另外一個遙遠國家來到這里，當做他的玩伴，他的名字叫潘多拉。
The first thing that Pandora saw when she entered the cottage where Epimetheus dwelt was a great box.
當潘多拉進入厄毗米修斯居住的小別墅時，他看到的第一個東西就是巨型盒子。
And almost the first question which she put to him, after crossing the threshold, was this: Epimetheus, what have you in that box?
跨過門檻后，潘多拉問他的第一個問題是，厄毗米修斯，盒子里裝的是什么？
My dear little Pandora, answered Epimetheus, that is a secret,
他回答道，我親愛的小潘多拉，這是個秘密，
and you must be kind enough not to ask any questions about it.
你最好了，最好不要詢問關于盒子的問題。
The box was left here to be kept safely, and I do not myself know what it contains.
盒子是安全存放在這里，我也不知道里面是什么。
But who gave it to you? asked Pandora. And where did it come from?
潘多拉問道，這是誰給你的？它來自哪里？
That is a secret, too, replied Epimetheus. How provoking! exclaimed Pandora, pouting her lip.
他回到道，這也是個秘密，潘多拉驚呼道太令人生氣了，撅起她的嘴唇。
I wish the great ugly box were out of the way! O come, don't think of it any more, cried Epimetheus.
我不想看到這個巨型丑陋的黑子，厄毗米修斯叫嚷到，不要再這么想了。
Let us run out of doors, and play with the other children. It is thousands of years since Epimetheus and Pandora were alive.
讓我們跑出門去，和其它伙伴玩耍吧，厄毗米修斯和潘多拉已存在了數千年。
Then, everybody was a child. Children needed no fathers and mothers to take care of them;
那時所有人都是兒童，兒童不需要父母照料；
because there was no danger or trouble of any kind, and there were no clothes to be mended,
因為不會發生任何危險或麻煩，也無需縫補衣服，
and there were always plenty of things to eat and to drink.
有許多吃的和喝的。
