Celebrity’s Biography

Celebrity’s Biography

Chapter 1 Perseus Perseus 柏修斯，宙斯和达那厄的儿子，杀死蛇发女妖美杜萨的希腊英雄。

Danae 达那厄，阿耳戈国王的女儿，柏修斯的母亲。神喻说达那厄生的男孩子会杀死国王（他的外祖父），国王下令将女儿关进地窖。宙斯化为黄金雨同她幽会，生柏修斯。后来柏修斯果然误杀自己的外祖父。

Polydectes 波吕得克忒斯。追求达那厄的国王，恶毒地派柏修斯去取美杜萨的头。

Medusa 三位蛇发女妖之一，有美女的面孔但总是皱着眉头。谁看见她就会变成石头。

Hesperides 赫斯珀里德斯，看守金苹果园的众仙女。

Andromeda 安德洛墨达，埃塞俄比亚公主，被柏修斯搭救后成为柏修斯的妻子。

Cepheus 刻甫斯，埃塞俄比亚国王，安德洛墨达之父。

Cassiopeia 卡西俄珀亚，安德洛墨达之母。

Danae in the golden rain by Titian

Perseus with the head of Medusa in his hand ， Marble in Rome.

Medusa

Perseus and Andromeda



Questions

Who was Perseus? How did he escape from death when he was a child?

Who wanted to marry Perseus’ mother Danae? What’s his name?

What a job did the king Polydectes ask Perseus to do for him?

With whose help did Perseus succeed in fulfilling his task?

Who were Gray Sisters? Can you give a description about them?

Who were Hesperides? What help did they give to Perseus?

Who were Gorgons? Who was Medusa? Can you describe her in your own words?

How did Perseus get Medusa’s head without being changed into a stone?

Who was saved and then married by Perseus?

How did Perseus get Medusa’s head without being changed into a stone?

Who was saved and then married by Perseus? Why Andromeda was chained to a rock to be

eaten by a monster? Why everyone loved Andromeda and came to

take part in her wedding? Who was killed accidentally by Perseus? Do you

think the old king could escape from being killed by his grandson?

What’s the meaning of the Greek saying “what had been fated came to pass”?

Chapter 2 Theseus

Theseus 忒修斯，希腊神话中的英雄，传说中最伟大的雅典国王。

Aegeus 埃勾斯，雅典国王，忒修斯的父亲。爱琴海因他而得名。

Minotaur 弥诺陶尔，克里特岛米诺斯国王迷宫中的怪兽。

Ariadne 阿里阿德涅，米诺斯国王的女儿，曾帮助忒修斯走出迷宫。

This chapter tells the story of Theseus, the great hero of Athens. The story goes from his birth to his death.

He was born far away from Athens. When he grew up he came to Athens to meet his father Aegeus. He then set out for Crete to kill the terrible monster Minotaur. With the help of Ariadne, the lovely daughter of King Minos, Theseus not only killed Minotaur but went out of the labyrinth as well. He and the girl fell in love with each other, but according to the will of the Fates, Theseus had to leave Ariadne on a small island to be the wife of Dionysus, the god of wine.

Missing the girl very much, he forgot to hoist (forgot raising) the white sail while he sailed back to Athens. His father mistook the black sail for the message of his son’s death and had himself plunged into the sea and was drowned. From then on, the sea was named as the Aegean Sea after the old king’s name Aegeus.

After the old king’s death, Theseus became the king of Athens. He was a very good king. No king ever did more for Athenians than he. Yet in spite of his love and labor for the city, the Athenians were not grateful. He then left his city and his people, and died somewhere some years later.

Questions What’s the name of the capital of Greece? How,

or why, it was named as it was? Who was Aegeus, and who was Theseus? When parting with Theseus’ mother, what did A

egeus do and what did he tell her? What is a “labyrinth” in English language? What the city of Athens had to send to Crete ev

ery year?

Why the sail of the ship which carried the 14 victims was black?

Why did not Theseus change the black sail for the white one after he had got victory?

With what a help did Theseus be able to go out of the labyrinth after he killed the Minotaur?

Who fell in love with Theseus, and why Theseus had to leave her on a desert island?

After being left by Theseus on a desert island, the girl experienced what?

What did Aegeus do after Theseus sailed for Crete?

What did Aegeus do when he saw the ship with its original black sail was on its way home?

How the Aegean Sea got its name?

The Dispute over Athens

Athena,goddess of wisdom

Athena

Theseus moved the stone

Theseus killed the Minotaur

Ariadne was left on a desert island

名人传记专题 ——伊阿宋和金羊毛

Chapter 3Jason and the Golden Fleece

Jason 伊阿宋 , 希腊神话中夺取金羊毛的主要英雄。伊阿宋是埃宋（ Aeson ）的儿子，是希腊神话中的忒萨利亚王子。叔父珀利阿斯（ Pelias ）篡夺王位后，令伊阿宋去科尔喀斯（ Colchis ）觅取金羊毛。

Pelias 珀利阿斯，伊阿宋的叔叔，埃宋的弟弟，他篡夺了本应属于伊阿宋的王位，最后被美狄亚（ Medea ）用计杀死。

Chiron 喀戎 , 是希腊神话一个半人马的名字。他是多位希腊英雄的导师，当中包括忒修斯（ Theseus ）、阿基里斯（ Achilles ）、伊阿宋（ Jason ）、赫拉克勒斯（ Hercules ）、俄耳甫斯（ Orpheus ））。他也是医药之神亚斯克雷比奥斯（ Asclepius ）的老师 , 乃至古希腊神话中几乎所有英雄都出自他的门下。

Hercules 赫拉克勒斯 , 大力神 , 是希腊神话中最伟大的英雄。他神勇无比，完成了十二项英雄伟绩，被升为武仙座。此外他还参加了阿尔戈（ Argo ）远征帮助伊阿宋觅取金羊毛。在现代语中赫拉克勒斯一词已经成为了大力士的同义词。

Orpheus 俄耳普斯，一位无与伦比的歌手，是色雷斯国王河神俄阿格洛斯（ Thracian King Oeagrus ）与九位缪斯女神之一的卡利俄珀（ Muse Calliope ）所生的儿子。阿波罗本人是也是音乐之神，他送给俄尔普斯一把七弦琴。每当俄尔普斯弹琴，同时放声歌唱母亲教他的歌时 ,天上的鸟，水里的鱼，森林中的野兽，甚至树木和岩石都赶来倾听他绝妙的歌声。他的爱人是美丽可爱的水神欧律狄刻（ Eurydice ）。

Argonauts 阿尔戈斯英雄，希腊传说中同伊阿宋（ Jason ）一道乘快船“阿尔戈号”（ Argo ）去科尔喀斯 (Colchis) 取金羊毛的 50位英雄。他们包括像赫拉克勒斯（ Hercules ）、俄耳甫斯（ Orpheus ）和忒修斯（ Theseus ）这样的人物。

Medea 美狄亚，她是科尔喀斯会施法术的公主，与前来寻找金羊毛的伊阿宋（ Jason ）王子一见钟情。为了帮助伊阿宋取得金羊毛，美狄亚用自己的法术帮助其完成了自己父亲定下的不可能完成的任务。取得金羊毛后，美狄亚和伊阿宋一起返回希腊，并用计杀死了篡夺王位的珀利阿斯（ Pelias ）。伊阿宋取回王位但也开始忌惮美狄亚的法术和残酷。后来伊阿宋移情别恋，美狄亚由爱生恨，将自己亲生的两名稚子杀害，同时也用下了毒的衣服杀死了伊阿宋的新欢，逃离伊阿宋的身边，伊阿宋也抑郁而亡。

Statue of Jason

Pelias sending forth Jason

Fresco of Chiron instructing young Achilles

The Argo

Statue of Hercules

Orpheus with the lyre and surrounded

by beasts

Statue of Medea

Jason and

Medea

Jason bringing Pelias the Golden Fl

eece

Gist of the Story

In Greek mythology, the Golden Fleece is the fleece of the gold-haired winged ram. It figures in the tale of Jason and his band of Argonauts, who set out on a quest by order of King Pelias for the fleece in order to place Jason rightfully on the throne of Iolcus in Thessaly.

Jason was helped by all the celebrated heroes of the past, including Orpheus and Hercules. These heroes, fifty in number, were called the Argonauts, because they sailed with Jason in the ship Argo. After many adventures they reached the land of the fleece.

Jason asked the King for the Golden Fleece. The King did not refuse, but imposed some conditions that Jason had to yoke a pair of fire-breathing bulls with brass feet, and use them to plough a field which he would then sow with dragon’s teeth.

Everyone knew that these teeth would immediately grow into warriors that would turn on whoever seeded them. So there was a dual challenge, a triple one if one includes the guardian dragon.

Jason had attracted the attention of Medea, the daughter of King Aeetes of Colchis, who was a mighty sorceress. She helped him by magic, having made him promise to marry her and take her to Greece.

With the help of her magic, he was able to tame the bulls and plough the field. When the dragon’s teeth grew into hostile warriors, he threw a magic stone among them, so that they turned against each other and fought until they were all dead. Then Medea fed the dragon a sleeping potion so that Jason could retrieve the treasured prize.

Being pursued by Medea’s father and his followers, the heroes fled in the Argo and sailed onward. They kept following the coast-line, until at length they encircled the world, that is, the world of Europe as the ancients knew it, and in this manner got back to Greece, having been the first men to see all the wonders of the world.

The later fate of both Jason and Medea was tragic. He deserted her, and she in revenge slew their children. Then, according to one form of the story, she persuaded him to sleep under the shade of the old, rotting hull of the Argo, so that its timbers fell on him, and the ship which had been his glory caused his death.

Questions

1. Why did Jason go on a quest for the golden fleece?

2. How to define the Argonauts, who were they (please name at least three of them)?

3. Who did help Jason to succeed in getting the golden fleece after he arrived Colchis?

4. What was Medea famed for?

Questions

5. How did Jason be able to tame the fire-breathing bulls?

6. How many tasks did Jason have to fulfill? Describe each briefly.

LIBERAL ENGLISH

Chapter 4

Greek: Herakles or Heracles 赫拉克勒斯 , from Hera and kleos --- “Hera’s glory”

Hercules

The greatest hero of the ancient Greek mythologyThe greatest hero of the ancient Greek mythology

THE GREATEST HERO OF ANCIENT GREEK MYTHOLOGY

Hercules

The first hero of ancient Greek

mythology

extremely passionate extraordinarily powerful courageous ingenious emotional


Hercules

He was prestigious as having

“made the world safe for

mankind” by conquering

many horrid monsters.

His self-sacrifice made him

ascend to the Olympus.


Hercules

Youth Twelve LaborsDeath

Birth and Childhood


Birthborn in Thebes ( 底比斯 )son of Zeus and Alcmene ( 阿尔克墨涅 ) , wh

o is the descendant of Perseus ( 珀尔修斯 )


Childhood

He had to face the hatred of Hera (Queen of

the gods).

Hera sent two large serpents in the cradle to

devour him when Hercules was a baby.

Hercules grasped the throat of each snake

and choked both to death.


Childhood

He had a hard-hearted cousin Eurystheus

(欧律斯透斯 ), they had been in opposite sid

e since his birth, partly because of Hera.


Hercules

Birth and ChildhoodYouth Twelve LaborsDeath


Youth

The Choice of Hercules

He was visited by two nymphs ---

Pleasure and Virtue --- who offered him

a pleasant and easy life or severe but

glorious life. Hercules chose the latter.


Youth

The slave of Eurystheus

He was directed to serve Eurystheus

(欧律斯透斯 ), king of Mycenae (迈锡尼 ), for ten years and performed any

task, including the 12 labors.


Hercules



Twelve Labors of HerculesTwelve Labors of Hercules


Labor number 1Labor number 1: Kill the Nemean lion: Kill the Nemean lion扼死铜筋铁骨的涅墨亚森林的猛狮扼死铜筋铁骨的涅墨亚森林的猛狮


Labor number 2Labor number 2: Kill Hydra of Swamp of Lerna: Kill Hydra of Swamp of Lerna杀死乐尔涅沼泽的九头蛇许德拉杀死乐尔涅沼泽的九头蛇许德拉


Labor number 3:

Capture the Cerneian Hind

生擒克律涅亚山里金角铜蹄的赤鹿生擒克律涅亚山里金角铜蹄的赤鹿


Labor number 4:

Capture the Boar of Erymanthos

捕捉艾丽曼托斯山密林的野猪


Labor number 5:

Clean the Augean stables

引河水清理奥格阿斯积粪如山的牛群


Labor number 6:

Kill the birds of Lake Stymphalus

射杀斯汀发罗湖上的怪鸟


Labor number 7:

Capture the Cretan bull

活捉克里特岛上的疯牛


Labor number 8: Tame the horses of Diomedes

驯服狄俄墨得斯食人马群


Labor number 9:

Steal girdle of Hippolyte

抢夺希柏吕特佩戴的腰带


Labor number 10: Bring the oxen of Geryon

赶回格律翁的红牛


Labor number 11: Fetch the apples of the Hesperides

获取赫斯佩里德斯圣园里的金苹果


Labor number 12: Capture Cerberus from the underworld

将地狱里的克尔伯罗斯带回人间


Hercules



Death

Hercules married Deianira

( 得伊阿涅拉 ), who was jealo

us. Later, she created a poison

ed coat, Hercules put it on an

d poison burned like fire, whi

ch torn his flesh.


Death

After his death, the gods

transformed him into the

immortal and became a full

god, together with his father

Zeus on Mount Olympus.

Ultimately, he married the

goddess Hebe.


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Celebrity’s Biography