普罗米修斯的故事

一、火是怎样送给人类的

I. HOW FIRE WAS GIVEN TO MEN.

在很久很久以前，住着两兄弟。他们不像平常人，也不像住在山顶上的那些伟大的神仙。

In those old, old times, there lived two brothers who were not like other men, nor yet like those Mighty Ones who lived upon the mountain top.

他们是泰坦巨人的儿子。那些泰坦曾经反抗朱庇特，后来被戴上锁链，关进了冥界坚固的牢房里。

They were the sons of one of those Titans who had fought against Jupiter and been sent in chains to the strong prison-house of the Lower World.

哥哥的名字叫普罗米修斯，意思是“先见之明”；因为他总是在想未来的事，为明天、下星期、明年或者一百年后可能发生的事情早早做好准备。

The name of the elder of these brothers was Prometheus, or Forethought; for he was always thinking of the future and making things ready for what might happen to-morrow, or next week, or next year, or it may be in a hundred years to come.

弟弟叫厄庇墨透斯，意思是“后知后觉”；因为他总是忙着想昨天、去年或者一百年前的事，对以后可能发生的事情一点儿都不放在心上。

The younger was called Epimetheus, or Afterthought; for he was always so busy thinking of yesterday, or last year, or a hundred years ago, that he had no care at all for what might come to pass after a while.

不知因为什么缘故，朱庇特没有把这两兄弟和其他泰坦一起关进牢房。

For some cause Jupiter had not sent these brothers to prison with the rest of the Titans.

普罗米修斯不想住在山顶的云雾里。他太忙了，顾不上那些享受。

Prometheus did not care to live amid the clouds on the mountain top. He was too busy for that.

那些伟大的神仙整天无所事事，一边喝着玉液，一边吃着仙粮。普罗米修斯却一心想着各种计划，要让这个世界变得比以前更聪明、更美好。

While the Mighty Folk were spending their time in idleness, drinking nectar and eating ambrosia, he was intent upon plans for making the world wiser and better than it had ever been before.

他走到人类中间，和他们住在一起，帮助他们。当他发现人类不再像萨图恩做国王的黄金时代那样快乐时，心里满是悲伤。啊，他们是多么贫困、多么痛苦啊！

He went out amongst men to live with them and help them; for his heart was filled with sadness when he found that they were no longer happy as they had been during the golden days when Saturn was king. Ah, how very poor and wretched they were!

他看到他们住在山洞和地洞里。因为没有火，他们冻得发抖；很多人快要饿死了；他们被野兽追赶，也互相争斗——他们成了世界上最可怜的生灵。

He found them living in caves and in holes of the earth, shivering with the cold because there was no fire, dying of starvation, hunted by wild beasts and by one another—the most miserable of all living creatures.

普罗米修斯心里想：“要是他们有火就好了。他们至少可以暖和身子，做熟食物；过一段时间，他们还能学会做工具、盖房子。要是没有火，他们过得比野兽还要惨。”

“If they only had fire,” said Prometheus to himself, “they could at least warm themselves and cook their food; and after a while they could learn to make tools and build themselves houses. Without fire, they are worse off than the beasts.”

于是，他鼓起勇气去找朱庇特，求他把火赐给人类，好让他们在漫长寒冷的冬天里能好过一点儿。

Then he went boldly to Jupiter and begged him to give fire to men, that so they might have a little comfort through the long, dreary months of winter.

朱庇特说：“我一点儿火星都不会给！绝对不行！要是人类有了火，他们可能会变得像我们一样强大聪明，过一阵子，他们就会把我们赶出王国。让他们受冻吧，让他们像野兽一样活着吧。

“Not a spark will I give,” said Jupiter. “No, indeed! Why, if men had fire they might become strong and wise like ourselves, and after a while they would drive us out of our kingdom. Let them shiver with cold, and let them live like the beasts.

他们又穷又笨才是最好的，这样我们这些伟大的神仙才能过得安稳快乐。”

It is best for them to be poor and ignorant, that so we Mighty Ones may thrive and be happy.”