在希腊神话中，俄耳甫斯的父亲是“光明之神”阿波罗，母亲是九位“缪斯女神”之一的卡利俄佩，掌管英雄史诗。

在西方文化典故中，俄耳甫斯的名字与音乐关系密切，这是因为他极具音乐才华，特别擅长演奏里拉琴(lyre)。据说他的美妙乐声能使“猛兽俯首，顽石点头”。
死后，俄耳甫斯的琴化为天穹上的“天琴座(Lyra)”。

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Orpheus

俄耳甫斯

281'

Once upon a time there lived a great musician in Greece called Orpheus.

从前，希腊有一位伟大的音乐家，名叫俄耳甫斯。


He could make the most beautiful music ever when he played his lyre. Even the birds could come by his window to listen to him play. 

他能用里拉琴弹奏出世人从未听过的最动人的音乐。就连鸟儿都停靠在窗外聆听他的演奏。


Orpheus lived with his wife Eurydice who loved him very deeply.

俄耳甫斯和妻子欧律狄克生活在一起。她深爱着他。


Orpheus was also madly in love with Eurydice. They really were made for each other. 

俄耳甫斯也疯狂地爱着欧律狄克。他们真是天作之合。

One day though, while Eurydice was picking flowers in the woods, a snake bit her.

但是有一天，当欧律狄克在树林里摘花时，被一条蛇咬了一口。


She died at once.

她当场就死了。


The life of Orpheus changed completely. He was so sad he could no longer play the lyre. 

从此，俄耳甫斯的人生彻底改变了。他悲伤不已，再也无法弹奏里拉琴。


One day he decided to take action.

一天，他决定要做点什么。


“I’ll go to Hades, the god of the underworld, and get Eurydice back,” he said to his friends. 

他对朋友说：“我要去趟冥界，去见一下冥王哈迪斯，然后把欧律狄克带回家。”


But the underworld had many dangers and no one had ever returned from there. 

但是冥界危险丛生，而且向来是有去无回的地方。


But Orpheus had his mind set and there he went to Hades with his lyre. 

但俄耳甫斯已经打定了主意，就带着他的里拉琴动身去见哈迪斯。


When he reached the River of Death he asked the boatman to carry him to the other side of the River. 

到达死亡之河后，他请求摆渡人带他过河。


The boatman refused. “Only the dead can pass!”, he said to Orpheus.

摆渡人拒绝了。他跟俄耳甫斯说：“只有死人才能过去！”


But Orpheus started to play his lyre. The boatman was so overwhelmed that he agreed to take Orpheus to the other side of the river. 

俄耳甫斯开始深情地弹奏里拉琴，摆渡人被深深触动，于是同意带渡他过河。


Reaching the gates of Hades, Orpheus found a huge three-headed dog - the fierce Cerberus. 

到地狱门口时，俄耳甫斯看见一只巨大的三头冥府守门狗——刻耳柏洛斯。


Quickly Orpheus started to play his lyre again and Cerberus was magically enchanted allowing Orpheus to sneak in. 

于是，俄耳甫斯又一次奏响他的琴声。冥府守门狗也听得着了魔，允许俄耳甫斯悄悄地溜进去。

There Orpheus met Hades and Persephone, the King and Queen of the Underworld, who were surprised to see him. 

看到俄耳甫斯后，冥王哈迪斯和冥后珀尔塞福涅非常惊讶。


“What are you doing here, mortal?” Hades asked. 

哈迪斯问道：“到这里来干什么，凡人？”


While playing his lyre Orpheus told Hades how much he loved Eurydice. 

俄耳甫斯一边弹着琴，一边告诉冥王他是如何深爱着欧律狄克。


“You, Hades, once fell madly in love with your wife too”, Orpheus pointed out.

他说：“您，哈迪斯也曾经疯狂地爱着自己的妻子啊。”


“Since everybody dies, you’ll get our soul back anyway,” he continued, “so why not let Eurydice live for a few more years?”

“人都会死，您迟早都能拿到我们的灵魂，”他继续说道，“为什么不能让欧律狄克再多活几年呢？”


Hades and Persephone were touched by Orpheus’ kind words and music and Hades agreed to free Eurydice.

冥王和冥后被俄耳甫斯的温柔话语和音乐所打动。冥王同意了欧律狄克返回阳世。


But with one condition.

但有一个条件。


“As a token of your belief in me, Eurydice must walk behind you as you travel back to the upper world,” Hades said, “and you must not look back at Eurydice until you have existed the Underworld.”

“为了证明你对我的信任，在你带欧律狄克回去的时候，她必须走在你身后；而你，在离开冥府之前，都不能回头看。”


Orpheus agreed.

俄耳甫斯同意了。

The couple began their ascent.

他们就踏上了回家的征途。

Orpheus felt tentative as he didn’t know whether he could trust Hades. 

俄耳甫斯心里惴惴不安，他不知道该不该相信冥王的话。


Soon he could see the exit.

很快，他们看到了出口。


Orpheus stepped out of the cave and into the light, but just as he was out he turned back to confirm if Eurydice was indeed behind him… 

俄耳甫斯走出洞穴，马上要走进阳光下。正当他转过身来要确认一下欧律狄克是否跟在他的身后时……


Orpheus has disobeyed Hades and the only thing Orpheus heard was a fading “I love you!” as Eurydice was pulled back to the underworld. 

由于俄耳甫斯违背了跟冥王的约定，欧律狄刻瞬间被拉回冥府，只留下一句逐渐消失的——“我爱你”。


He spent his remaining days among birds and trees playing the most beautiful music ever heard. 

终其余生，俄耳甫斯都与鸟、树为伴，弹奏着世人从未听过的最动听的音乐。


Some say the spirits of Orpheus and Eurydice ended up finding each other after many years and are still together.

有人说，多年之后，俄耳甫斯与欧律狄克的灵魂终于找到了彼此。直到今天，他们还在一起。